Too Close

Chapter Twenty Seven

"When Mama said you were gonna surprise me, I didn't think we would just go out to eat." Gianna said while clicking in her seatbelt after getting into her dad's SUV. "But before you call me spoiled, I'm not disappointed, I'm just saying."

"I'm glad you know that you are a brat."

Gianna decided to ignore his slick comment. "Anyway, I'm happy to be spending time with you Daddy. We always miss each other at home. Work has been busy lately?"

"There was a big crash on the website and we lost a lot of money, but it's all fixed now." Gino worked a high rank tech job at a vast internet-based enterprise. The whole reason their family up and moved to Seattle in the first place. "But it's you too. You've been out living your young life. I'm not mad at it, but it's forcing me to see that my baby girl is growing up."

"I am, but I can still be your baby if that's what you prefer." She made him laugh as he cruised through the streets. "Where are we going?"

"Duke's." Gianna slightly gasped when he said the name. The seafood restaurant was a family favorite; so much so that they all vowed to only go as a party of five. Or six now that Karter could sit in a chair by herself.

"Without Devin and Mama? They're gonna be sooo jealous." She snickered with a smile on her face. Sabrina would be too, but jealous is all she seemed to be to Gianna lately anyway.

"Brina too, huh?" He said, almost as if he was reading her mind.

"Yeah. Her too." Gianna spoke lowly and looked out of her window. They were pulling into the parking lot of the mainly outdoor restaurant.

"Gianna, I know you girls have this thing going on, but Sabrina is your sister."

She held back the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't wanna talk about this right now. "I know she is, Daddy."

"Good." After parking, Gino went around to open Gianna's door. "So there's no way you two should be going months without speaking to each other. And even though your mom is trying to let you girls figure it out on your own, we didn't raise you to be like that, and I'm not at all okay with it."

Gianna was rarely silent, but her dad had her mouth glued shut. They entered the restaurant that was crowded due to Lobster Monday which took place every week.

Gino's arm was around Gianna's shoulder as they bypassed the hostess stand. He sniffed the air as he pulled her closer. Either his nose was overstimulated or playing tricks on him, but Gianna smelled like she'd doused herself in cologne before they left the house.

"You smell that?"

"Seafood?" She laughed as she stuffed her hands inside her jacket pockets. More so Miles' jacket pockets since the brown leather piece belonged to him and she'd taken it out of his closet.

Gino looked down at her, his eyebrows in the middle of his forehead. It wasn't until then he noticed the jacket she wore. It was crazy big on her, but Gianna seemed to love the oversized look, which was unusual for her. The unique gold necklace that caught the dim sunlight stuck out to his eye as well.

"Do you have a—"

"Daddy, what is this?" She stopped in her tracks, her smile disappearing when she recognized her sisters' faces. Gianna looked just like him when her eyebrows furrowed together and she looked up at him.

Gino's hold on her shoulder tightened as he pushed her to the booth where Devin and Sabrina waited for them. When Sabrina's eyes fell on a stern Gino and a pouting Gianna, she realized what this was and wished she'd declined the invitation.

"Dev, this is not funny. Let me out." Sabrina said as she pushed Devin since she was on the outside, but Devin wouldn't move. Gino made Gianna slide in so she was both trapped and facing Sabrina.