She gave him a small smile before making her way upstairs to her old room. Doing a mental calculation along the way, she realized it would be around midnight in Rome, but Antonio told her to call no matter the time. She pulled the calling card he provided her with out of her purse and dialed Antonio’s number. He answered the phone after the first ring, instantly bringing a smile to her face.
“Ciao, Antonio.”
“Ciao, cara. Did you make it safely?”
“Yes, I did. I just made it home a short time ago.”
A moment of silence passed between them.
“Are you okay?”
She sighed. “No. I already miss you a lot.”
He released his own heavy sigh. “I miss you, too, Tierra.”
She smiled. “Are you in bed?”
“Yes, I am, but I’m not tired. I was also waiting for you to call.”
The longing in his voice matched the longing in her heart. Maybe after her conversation with her parents she would have some answers. They were sure to have some advice for her.
“I won’t keep you, because tired or not, you need your rest. Not to mention my parents are waiting on me.”
“Okay, Tierra. Té amo.”
Her heart jumped at the words as it had the first time she heard them.
“I love you, too, Antonio.”
“Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
She closed her eyes hoping she would. “Try to get some rest. I will talk to you later.”
“Okay, cara, buona notte.”
“Goodnight, Antonio.”
She disconnected the call, smiling when she told him goodnight when it was still early in the evening for her. The time zone difference would take some getting used to, but it didn’t matter as long as she could talk to him. That was all she cared about. Now she had to prepare herself for the conversation about to take place with her parents. She could only imagine what their reaction would be, but she knew they would support her. They usually did, but that didn’t make her any less nervous. Taking one last deep breath, she made her way downstairs. Her parents were sitting there waiting on her. She joined at the table, not wasting anytime telling them why she wanted to talk to them.
“Mama, Daddy, I have something to tell you. While I vacationed in Rome, I met a man, and I fell in love with him.”
* * * *
Tierra took a deep and frustrated breath before letting it out. A month passed since she came back from Rome, and she missed Antonio more with each passing day. She missed all of the Carabelli’s. Maybe one day she could convince her parents to go to Rome and it could happen. Her parents would get along so well with the Carabelli’s. She could imagine her mom sharing recipes with Mona and her dad sneaking a drink with Bruno.
In the meantime, she focused on not being frustrated. Antonio had the patience of a saint. She talked to him every day, but he never made any mention of her coming back to Rome. On one hand it frustrated her. On the other, she appreciated that he didn’t put any pressure on her. Antonio had been everything she could have asked for and more. He’d also been one surprise after another, the biggest shocker being the note she found in the bottom of her suitcase when she unpacked from the trip. The letter explaining that he was reimbursing for her trip to Rome made her cry. She promptly picked up the phone to call him, only to cry harder at the sound of his voice. His concern for her distress came across clearly on the phone.
One of the most attractive things about him was he that cared deeply about her. The second, he kept his word. Quincy hadn’t kept his word to her in the least. Although she was positive he would now. Quincy understood she meant what she said about turning her father and brother loose on him to inflict bodily harm as they pleased. The few times she seen him in town, he looked at her with longing, but he kept his distance, and she ignored him.
It hadn’t been long before she realized Quincy had become the one who’d come out on the losing end of the deal. It hadn’t taken long for the word to get around about Shannon leaving Quincy for the next new thing. Yet, it still hadn’t done anything to repair her friendship with Shannon. Tierra realized a true friend wouldn’t have crossed that line. She hadn’t spoken to Shannon since her wedding, and if she never spoke to her again, it would be too soon.
She wished her co-workers a good evening as she walked outside to her car. A few moments later, she headed toward her parents’ home. She put away enough money to move out on her own, especially since Antonio reimbursed her money for the honeymoon, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She wanted to buy a house instead of getting another apartment. She already started looking into it. With a few more paychecks, she would have enough saved up for a nice down payment without wiping out her savings. Now all she had to do was work on the financing part.
Then there was the idea that she wasn’t ready to be alone again yet. Her parents enjoyed having her there, especially since she carried her weight around the house. She pulled into her parents’ driveway with a smile on her face. There was a little while to go before she needed to worry about moving out. She stepped out of her car, pausing when she realized another car was in the driveway—a nice one.
Neither of her parents mentioned they were expecting company. It didn’t matter. She had a phone call to Antonio to make, and she knew he would be waiting up for her. Her parents having a guest over just gave her more time to talk to Antonio. She would try not to be too selfish because it would be past midnight. He was already making the sacrifice by staying up late. Sometimes he answered the phone and she could immediately tell he’d fallen asleep. Other times he answered the phone sounding wide awake. He also designated himself to be her personal wakeup call every morning. She loved to receive his call when she first woke up because the smooth timbre of his voice captivated her. It always started her day off right.
There were times when she felt like he was right next to her, only to wake up disappointed when she realized he wasn’t. She made her way up the walkway. When she opened the door, silence greeted her. She frowned.
“Mom, Dad, I’m home.”
“We’re in the kitchen,” her mother responded.
She smiled, starting to wonder when her mother wasn’t in the kitchen. Her mother always seemed to be cooking or baking something for someone, but it made her mom happy. Tierra wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Okay. I will join you as soon as I get off the phone with Antonio.”
She could hear her mother laugh. “Okay, Tierra.”
Tierra made a mad dash up the stairs straight to her room. She reached for the calling card and the phone at the same time. She dialed Antonio’s number, disappointed when she got his voicemail. Once she left a message, she hung up. Maybe she should call him at the hotel. There had been a handful of times when she had because he told her ahead of time he would be working late. She decided not to. She already left him a voicemail. If he were still up, he would return her call.
Instead, she made her way downstairs, not wanting to be rude to her parents’ guest. She walked into the kitchen
“Hi, Mom. Dad. I wasn’t—”
Her voice trailed off as she laid eyes on the man who plagued her thoughts for the last month. The man who she’d been in such a rush to call, but left disappointed when she had to leave him a voicemail. But most importantly, the man she loved. This had to be a dream. She whispered his name, and he smiled.
“Ciao, cara.”
She blinked slowly, realizing she wasn’t dreaming. A second later, she said his name louder as she rushed toward him. He caught her in his arms, and she kissed him, kissed him with everything she had until her mother cleared her throat. Tierra pulled away from him, slowly, unable to keep her eyes off of him.
It had already seemed like an eternity since she last time she saw him. He released her, letting her slide downward, until she stood on her own. She touched his cheek.
“How long have you been here?”
“I arrived early this morning, checked into my hotel, slept a few hour
s, then headed here about two hours ago.”
She turned to look at her parents, the grins on their faces were priceless. She hadn’t seen them this happy since the day of her wedding, or rather the morning of.
“And neither of you thought to call me?”
Her parents nodded in unison.
“Actually, we did, but Antonio asked us not to. He wanted to talk to us first.”
She turned back to look at Antonio with surprise. “About what?”
“What my intentions are,” he replied without hesitation.
“Which is a lot more than what Quincy did,” her father interjected.
“Earl,” her mother warned. Tierra chuckled, shaking her head.
It would be a long time before her father got over what Quincy had done. She, on the other hand, had already done so. Turning her attention back to Antonio, she smiled.
“What are your intentions?”
“To make you the happiest woman alive.”
Her grin widened. “I already am.”
He gave her and intense look, trying to read her. “Are you?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Then why did you leave me?”
Her smiled slipped. She gave him an apologetic look. “Because I needed to find myself.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so, cara. You knew who you were before you came to Rome. It is what gave you strength to leave Quincy and fly halfway around the world for a vacation that should have been your honeymoon.”
Surprisingly, the statement didn’t bother her as much as it used to. She was okay with being labeled as a jilted bride.
“Yes, but don’t forget Quincy left me at the altar.”
He nodded slowly. “This is where I think the problem comes in.”
She looked at him with puzzlement. “I know. I told you that.”
Antonio shook his head. “No, cara. The issue is different from what you think or different from what you are willing to admit.”
Her expression went from puzzled to shocked. “What do you mean?”
He stared at her for a moment, and she felt her nerves go into overdrive. “Can we agree I am more of man than Quincy is? A better man?”
She nodded without hesitation. “By far.”
“So, could it be you left me out of fear? Fear that if you weren’t able to keep a man like Quincy, how would it be possible for you to keep a man like me?”
A pained gasp escaped her as he touched on the subject that had nagged her, but she tried to push it to the back of her brain. Yet, here he was bringing the painful subject up and without hesitance. She tried to pull away from Antonio, needing space. Needing to breathe, to think, to do something besides stand there. His hold tightened on her. She looked at him, unable to hide her panic.
“I already made the mistake of letting you go once, cara. It won’t happen again.
She retaliated before she could stop herself. “Are you certain?”
She groaned inwardly when she realized she’d just given him the confirmation to the fear she tried to hide. Antonio cupped her face between his hands. The emotion she read in his eyes spoke of a love she’d never seen in Quincy’s.
“I’m positive. As long as you are yourself, Tierra, you will be the woman I fell in love with. The woman I want to make my wife.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. She’d heard those words once before, but it had been a promise broken. It hurt when Quincy cast her aside, but it would be devastating if it happened with Antonio.
“Are you sure?” she whispered.
He nodded. “I love you, cara. How could I not?” He smiled. “We both know Quincy is a complete idiot. One who didn’t know what he had right in front of him. I do. I have from day one.”
He tightened his hold on her as tears began to make their way down her cheeks at his heartfelt words.
“Close your eyes.”
She did as he asked.
“Now compare the first week of your relationship with Quincy to ours…now the second.”
She didn’t have to have a good imagination to spot the differences right away.
“Now open your eyes.”
She did, and the love in his eyes was still there, seeming to shine even brighter than it had before she closed her eyes. Somehow she knew it would never fade. She never wanted it to.
“This next question will require some imagination on your part, but I believe you can do it.”
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Buon. Now compare the life you think you would have had with Quincy to the one you can have with me.”
It didn’t take her long to imagine the outlook of what he asked. A slow smile appeared on her face.
“How does a lifetime of love with me look?”
She replied without hesitation. “Perfect.”
He started to pull away from her. This time she tightened her grip. He chuckled in response.
“Hold on a second, cara. I have another question to ask you.”
She let him go with obvious reluctance. Now that she had Antonio back by her side, she didn’t want him to leave her. She gasped when he went down on one knee, producing a diamond ring that left her speechless.
“Tierra, I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I want you by my side now, forever. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she replied, without hesitation.
He slid the ring on her finger, then stood back up. She was back in his embrace, before either of them could take their next breath.
“I love you, Antonio.”
“I love you, too, cara.”
She turned to see what her parents thought about the news. Interestingly, they had left the kitchen, and she didn’t know when because her focus on Antonio hadn’t wavered.
“I guess we should go and tell my parents the good news.”
He nodded. “It sounds like a good idea to me, cara, although they already knew I planned to propose. I asked your father for your hand before you arrived.”
She chuckled. “Is what he meant by you letting them know what your intentions were toward me?”
He nodded, and she laughed. “I’m so glad you’re old fashioned. My dad loves a gentleman.”
His gaze darkened slightly, and she instantly thought of satin sheets.
“Only when I need to be,” he murmured.
She couldn’t wait until later, because she was definitely going back to his hotel with him. Somehow she didn’t think he would complain at all. The corners of her mouth tilted upward as she took his hand in hers and led him toward the living room. She stopped when a random thought entered her mind. He shot her a curios look when she turned back to him.
“Antonio, do you want children?”
He chuckled. “Cara, I am the oldest of six, Catholic, and Italian. Yes, I want children.”
She laughed when he pointed out what should have been obvious, but she’d learned it was never safe to assume. “Then I guess we better get married right away, because as patient as you are about some things, I know you aren’t patient about everything.”
He smiled. “Sounds like a perfect idea to me, cara.”
THE END
http://www.stephaniemorris.webs.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Morris resides in Fort Worth, Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, dancing, cooking, and spending time with her friends and family. In Stephanie’s opinion, there is nothing like curling up with a good book that you can’t put down, and she is addicted to writing them.
www.BookStrand.com
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Propositioning the Rich Italian Page 15