by Penelope Sky
He didn’t say anything, not because his answer would be no, but because words left him in that moment. He ran his hand through his hair and blinked his eyes quickly, combating the tears that flooded his gaze. He took another deep breath like he didn’t know what else to do. “I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright.” I looked away from his gaze, giving him some privacy.
“Of course, you have my blessing, Griffin.” He moved toward me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I know you’ll love my daughter, provide for her, and protect her. Besides, you’re already a son to me.” He gave me a gentle squeeze before he dropped his hand. “And I appreciate you asking me.”
I gave him a slight nod.
“So…when are you going to ask her?”
I wasn’t a romantic guy with romantic ideas, but I knew how I wanted to ask her to marry me. I knew what would make her the happiest, what would bring her to tears as she gave me the answer I wanted to hear. “This is my idea…”
Twenty-Two
Vanessa
We spent the afternoon with the movers, getting everything into the house. I went on a shopping spree that week and picked out everything I wanted for the two-story house. Since the house was hundreds of years old, I specifically selected furniture with that antique style, keeping the tone the same.
Two of the guest rooms were filled with antique furniture and king-size beds. I picked tones of blush, gray, and white to fill the rooms, bringing light colors to capture the subtle beauty of the home.
I left the third guest room empty on purpose.
Bones and I hadn’t talked about it much, but within the next year, I wanted to be pregnant. I wanted to have a baby and put the crib and furniture into this room. Didn’t make sense to fill it with furniture only to replace it in a year.
When Bones didn’t ask why I kept it empty, I assumed he knew exactly why.
My family came over for dinner that night, a housewarming party to break in the new home. I didn’t help Bones in the kitchen since I pretty much couldn’t do anything anyway, and I took my family on a tour of the house.
“It’s so beautiful,” Mom said, and Aunt Adelina nodded. “And it’s so you. I can see the two of you growing old in this house.”
“What about this room?” Carmen asked, stepping into the empty bedroom.
“That’s the baby’s room,” I explained.
Carmen’s eyes immediately darted to my stomach. “What?” she shrieked, her voice becoming high-pitched in no time. “You’re pregnant?”
“No.” I covered her mouth so she would be quiet. “I just mean, when we have a baby…this is the room.” I lowered my hand and rolled my eyes. “You’re going to make everyone freak out.”
“Sorry,” Carmen said with a laugh. “It seems like you’re preparing for a baby…just assumed.”
“I just didn’t want to fill it with furniture and then replace it all in less than a year.” I pictured myself being pregnant, a belly that slowly got bigger until I had to stay home because I couldn’t drive or work anymore. Bones would stay home and take care of me, his large hand resting on my belly.
“Less than a year?” Carmen asked. “Does he know about this?”
I shrugged. “I think he does.”
“I wonder if he’s going to ask you to marry him soon.” Carmen moved closer to me and my mom. “I’ve been waiting for it for a while.”
I wanted to be married, but having a ring on my finger wasn’t that important to me. “Whether we’re married or not, we’re committed to each other for the rest of our lives. I don’t care if he’s my husband when we start a family. Being in this house makes me want to fill it with children, and that’s something he already agreed to.”
Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “That’s a good perspective on love. When you’re really in love, the specifics don’t matter. As long as you’re together.” She rubbed my back before she stepped into the hallway. “And the fact that the man cooks makes him a keeper. Your father may get a bull’s-eye every time, but he doesn’t know the difference between a pan and a pot.”
We headed back down the stairs and into the backyard. Sapphire was sitting on the patio furniture with Reid resting in her arms. Conway was beside her, his arm draped over her shoulder.
My father was in the kitchen with Bones, drinking scotch while he watched him prepare dinner.
The doorbell rang from the other side of the house. “That must be Carter.” I walked to the front of the house and opened the door, coming face-to-face with my cousin, who looked a lot like Conway.
But he wasn’t alone.
Mia was with him—along with a young boy.
“Mia?” I blurted, surprised to see her at a family event. “How are you?” I ignored my cousin and hugged her first.
“I’m great,” she said. “Better than I’ve ever been. When Carter told me you were having a get-together, I asked if we could come along. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
“We’re happy to have you here. And who’s this little guy?” I already knew he was her son, based on the things she’d told me about him. I kneeled down in front of him, giving him a friendly smile to make him feel welcome.
The boy was shy, giving me half a grin before he waved. “Luca.”
Carter placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Luca, this is my cousin, Vanessa. Show her what we learned.”
Luca extended his right hand to shake mine. “Nice to meet you.”
I chuckled as I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too. Please come in.”
Carter walked inside with Luca, keeping his hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got a few other family members here I want to introduce you to.”
“Anyone my age?” Luca asked.
“No,” Carter answered. “But I have a new cousin that’s a baby.”
Luca shook his head. “I’m not friends with babies.”
Carter chuckled as he guided him farther into the house. “Alright, let’s start with my dad. He’s pretty cool.”
Mia watched the two of them walk away, emotion and joy in her eyes. She sighed as she watched them leave the hallway and join the rest of my family on the patio. Like she forgot I was there, it took her a few seconds before she turned back to me. “I hope we aren’t intruding—”
“Absolutely not.” In that short interaction, I gleaned everything I needed to know. Carter seemed to help Mia in the beginning out of the goodness of his heart, but based on this, there was nothing just friends about their relationship. Carter took Luca under his wing like a son, and Mia looked on as she watched the two men she loved get along so well. “You guys are family too.”
She turned back to me, her eyebrows slightly raised.
“I’m very happy for you.” I didn’t need to ask what had changed to understand the scene right in front of my eyes. There was a connection between the two of them, something that bonded them so close together that Carter, an infamous playboy, had taken a young boy under his wing. That was not something he would do for just anyone.
“Thank you.”
Twenty-Three
Carter
My parents had no idea that Mia and Luca would be joining us that evening. My invitation had been spontaneous, but since these two were so important to me, it seemed like they should be there. I didn’t want to leave them at home like they were some kind of dirty secret.
I walked up to my father with my hand resting on Luca’s shoulder.
“He seems scary,” Luca whispered.
Because he could be terrifying. “He’s not. Nothing to be afraid of.”
My father turned to me from where he stood next to my mother on the patio. His eyes were on me for barely a second before they flicked to the small boy beside me. An innate kindness entered his eyes, knowing exactly who the child was.
My mom smiled immediately, moisture entering her gaze. “Luca…” She kneeled down and extended her arms to him. “I know exactly who you are without ever seeing your face. Come her
e, sweetie.”
Luca left my embrace and moved into the stranger’s arms. He didn’t say anything as he hugged her back, but he probably figured out she was my mother. “Hi…”
Mom hugged him tightly and patted the back of his head. “You’re so cute. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Adelina, Carter’s mother.”
I looked at my father as Luca and my mother became acquainted.
He turned to me, a slight smile on his lips. “Cute kid.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“You two seem to get along pretty well.”
I never knew anything about kids or cared to spend time with one, but when I met Luca, everything clicked. We swam in the pool together, watched TV together, and when he went back to school, he asked me to help him with his math homework. “Yeah…we do. I never knew kids could be so cool.”
“They can be. You were, at least.”
“But not Carmen?” I teased.
He chuckled. “She was great too.”
Luca pulled away from my mom and turned to my father next. He extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you…Carter’s dad.”
My father chuckled before he shook his hand. “You’ve got a strong grip there. Where’d you learn that?”
Luca glanced at me. “Carter.”
“I taught him how to give a good handshake. I’m glad he passed that down to you.” My father dropped his hand then kneeled down so they were at eye level. “You can call me Cane, by the way.”
“Cane.” Luca nodded. “Got it.”
“So, how are you liking time with my son?” my father asked.
Luca glanced at me again. “I love it. He’s the coolest guy I’ve ever known…taught me how to swim.”
“Aww…” Mom looked at me, her eyes soft. She ran her fingers through his hair, cradling him just the way she used to with me. “You’re such a sweet little boy.”
“Uh, thanks,” Luca whispered.
Mia joined us a moment later, wearing a beautiful yellow dress that was perfect for the end of summer. She came to my side and watched my parents interact with her son. “Quite the social butterfly, huh?” She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked down at him, smiling as a strand of hair came loose.
“Yeah,” Luca said. “These are Carter’s parents.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ve met them before.”
“Let’s meet everyone else.” My mom took Luca’s hand, and together with Mia, they moved around the party and made their introductions. Conway knew about Mia but had never met her before.
When my father and I were alone together, he gave me a knowing look. “The three of you mix well together.”
Ever since Luca came into our lives, my sex life had taken a serious hit. I was lucky to get some alone time with Mia during the day while Luca was at school. But once he was home, she was closed for business. Ironically, I didn’t mind. “Yeah, we do.”
“Doesn’t seem like she’s going anywhere.”
She wasn’t going anywhere ever again. “No, she’s not.” I didn’t tell him what we decided on, since it didn’t seem like the best time. We were there to celebrate the new house Vanessa and Griffin had moved in to. It was a housewarming party, and it would be distasteful to announce our upcoming nuptials.
Father turned his stare on the two of them as they talked with Conway and Sapphire. “Being a father figure is serious business, Carter. That kid looks up to you. It would be devastating to get close to you only to lose you.”
“I understand that.”
“Alright,” he said. “It’s one thing to break a woman’s heart. It’s another to break a child’s heart.”
I loved that kid even though I hadn’t known him that long. The second he was in my home, we immediately clicked. It was difficult to picture my life without him, without that smile and zest for life. “That’s the last thing on my mind.”
Father finally dropped it. “Alright. Looks like your mother and I might have a grandson.”
“Yeah…I think you might.”
Twenty-Four
Vanessa
The dining room was surrounded by windows, so everyone had a great view of the changing colors from the setting sun. Bones carried the big plates of food to the center of the table, and I uncorked the wine bottles and filled all the glasses, giving Luca apple juice. All thirteen of us gathered at the table, Bones taking the seat at the head.
“This is impressive, Griffin,” my mother said. “Everything looks so good. I couldn’t even make all of this without Lars for help.”
“I took a few bites in the kitchen,” my father admitted. “And it’s good too.”
My hand moved to Bones’s on the table, touched that he went to all this effort for me. I told him I wanted to have my family over for dinner, to celebrate the last few days of summer before fall arrived. This was all I ever wanted, to share my family with the love of my life—and vice versa.
Bones pulled his hand away. “Thank you, everyone. There’s actually something I wanted to say…”
I was about to grab my glass of wine when I turned back to him, surprised he would address my entire family at one time. He wasn’t much for words, and cooking for everyone was more than enough.
Bones was quiet for a while, like he was trying to think of the right words to speak. “As you all know…I don’t have a family. I lost my mom at a very young age. I can barely remember her face, but I’ve never forgotten her spirit. I feel it again when I’m with all of you…because it feels like I’m with family again.”
I stopped breathing because I couldn’t believe Bones said something so heartfelt. He said it to a group of people he had once hated. He barely expressed his private thoughts to me, let alone a room full of my cousins and parents.
He continued. “I didn’t know how much I needed this until I had it again. I know things weren’t good in the beginning…when Vanessa first brought me around. It was intense and difficult, but somehow, we ended up here. Now all of you mean a lot to me…because you mean so much to Vanessa.” He turned his gaze on me, like he was only speaking to me now. “You’ve given me a reason to live. You’ve given me happiness. You’ve given me everything that I’ve been missing…and I love you with all my heart.”
I wished he hadn’t said this in front of my whole family because it brought tears to my eyes. The emotion was too strong to ignore, and the tears pooled on the surface of my eyes until they became too heavy and dripped down my cheeks. “Griffin…”
He kept the same gaze, unaffected by my emotion like the statue he was. He wore the same intense expression I saw him wear the night we met. He wasn’t transparent like most people were, keeping his thoughts and feelings buried under those pounds of muscle. He kept his hand on mine and gave me a gentle squeeze, his skin warm to the touch. “Despite everything that I was, you still loved me. Despite all the odds we had stacked against us, you still fought for me. You asked your family to accept me even though there was no chance that was going to happen…but you also remained loyal to them. Now that I know them so well, I understand why you’re so committed to them…because family is everything. And I’m honored to be a part of yours.”
More tears fell, and I didn’t understand why he was doing this to me. He was making me feel a million things at once as my family sat there and watched me cry.
“The moment you put that bullet in my shoulder, I was yours. You’re a fighter, the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You put me in my place more times than I can count. You hold your own in a fight and do more damage than you receive. I fell in love with all those qualities, but it took me a long time to figure out where they came from. They’re Barsetti traits…traits you inherited from a wonderful family.”
This speech was longer than I anticipated, but I didn’t ask him to stop. I didn’t ask him to stop making me cry.
“You will always be a Barsetti. I accept that because I’m willing to share you.” He pulled his hand away from mine and then moved to his knee on the floor.
He opened the box and pulled out the ring.
A ridiculously huge ring with glorious diamonds everywhere. “Holy shit, that’s big.”
Bones didn’t crack a smile as he grabbed my left hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. The rest of my family stood up so they could watch the events unfold. “I asked your father’s permission. I asked your family’s permission. But I refuse to ask for yours. Marry me.” He was true to who he was, never giving me a choice because that wasn’t his style. He gave my family the respect I wanted because it was important to me, but between the two of us, it was different.
It was exactly how I wanted him to ask me— not to ask me at all. “Yes.” My arms circled his neck, and I moved into his chest on the floor, letting those powerful arms wrap around me. That embrace would be there every single day for the rest of our lives. He was the only man I’d ever loved—the only man I would ever love.
My family clapped and cheered, their applause filling our new home with happiness. They filled the silent corners with memories, bringing a new energy into the home where we would start our lives. The house had been sitting there for hundreds of years, but now it was starting over—with us.