by Sadie Black
A laugh filled the office, but it wasn’t Ciara’s. Both women turned their attention to the quiet toddler at Ciara’s side. Almond toned skin met with tight, dark curls of black hair. Brown eyes, unmistakably Belmonte, looked up at Ciara. They sparkled with the kind of uninhibited joy only a three year old could possess.
“You think it’s funny, Matteo?” Lisa asked. She entered the office and placed her bag on the floor beside Ciara’s feet, looking down at the young man.
“Yes,” he giggled, all smiles.
“Typical Belmonte,” Lisa said with a shake of her head. “The boy finds my early morning suffering amusing. I don’t care if you book me today — I’m not available to run any campaigns in twenty years time. If you drag me out of retirement, little man, I’ll be having a harsh word with your dear old dad.”
Matteo lifted his arms, and Lisa picked him up from his chair and hoisted him so he was pressed against her chest. In as little as a year, he’d start to be too big to pick up on a whim. How quickly the time had gone. Three years had disappeared in the blink of an eye, and the baby Ciara had raised was turning into a handsome boy.
“No need to worry, Lisa,” Ciara said. “Once Luka decides to retire from politics, you won’t hear too much from us — at least on the business side of things. Matteo loves his aunt Lisa too much for us to really leave you alone.”
As Matteo settled in her arms, she looked down over the paperwork Ciara had spread out before her. “Statistics on previous elections; I’m impressed,” the campaign guru said. “I’d be even more impressed if Mr. Belmonte himself were the one pouring over them. Where is he? This is his re-election we’re trying to organize.”
“Dad’s sleeping,” Matteo told her, tone of great importance. “Mom says no wake dad.”
“No wake dad,” Lisa grumbled. “Matteo, next time you go wake your dad and tell him Lisa sent you. If you get in trouble, I’ll make sure your dad gets in trouble.”
Once more he laughed. The sound, pure and uninhibited, always made Ciara smile. Not long after their honeymoon she’d discovered her pregnancy, and nine months later came Matteo. From the time he was born, the boy had always been good tempered and quiet, but he had a sharp mind and was a quick learner.
“Must be from your side,” Luka had told her. “Us Belmonte are hell raisers. Let’s hope he’s more your son than he is mine for the sake of our sanity.”
“Talking about me to my son behind my back again?” Luka asked. The office door had opened while both women were distracted, and he strolled in with his hands tucked into his pockets. Responsibility had aged Luka over the last few years, but he wore it well. The strong cut of his jaw and the lines of his brow had become more pronounced with time. No gray had started to peep through his dark hair, but Ciara thought it only a matter of time.
No man ran a city as intense as New York without going gray over it. If Luka was reelected in the upcoming race, Ciara knew those grays would start to appear. If she were honest with herself, she looked forward to them. To see Luka even more distinguished than he already was would be a treat.
“Dad!” Matteo announced with glee. He squirmed in Lisa’s arms until the woman set him on the floor, then ran to Luka’s side.
“Hey kiddo,” Luka ran his hand through Matteo’s tangled hair, “you been taking care of mom for me?”
“Yeah,” he said with a nod.
“Good boy. You ready to go take care of Nona now?”
“Uh-huh.” Another nod. Ciara bit down on her grin, looking up at Luka with adoration. Following Marcello’s death, Camilla had devoted herself to being the best grandmother she could be. Cancer free since their wedding, her health had grown alongside Ciara’s baby bump. It was Camilla’s firm belief that God had granted her health so she could be there for her grandson.
“Then let’s go. She’s waiting down in the car for you. We shouldn’t keep her waiting. Say bye to mom and Aunt Lisa.”
From his father’s side, Matteo turned, flashed them a toothy grin that was unmistakably inherited from Luka, and waved.
“Bye Matteo. Be good for Nona,” Ciara said with a smile, returning his wave.
“See you again soon, little man,” Lisa promised.
“I’ll be back in a minute, and we’ll start taking care of business,” Luka told the two of them. Matteo reached up and held onto his hand, and father and son exited the office together. For as wonderful a man Luka had become, Ciara had never expected him to be such an outstanding father. Matteo was his pride and joy, and Luka wasn’t afraid of showing it. Like Marcello had devoted himself to his family, Luka prioritized his wife and son above his work. His devotion was beautiful, and Ciara knew how lucky she was to have such a supportive partner.
When the door closed behind the duo, Lisa turned to look at Ciara.
“I’m going to be honest with you, and tough on Luka. Your husband needs a kick in the pants sometimes to keep him from getting too cocky. So I don’t want to say this to his face, but — I think we have this election in the bag. Provided we don’t have another Belmonte blowup a la Ryan Breece, I see no reason why people would vote for anyone but Luka. Between what Luka’s done for the people, and the way you’ve made yourself a part of New York on the news, I couldn’t ask for a better campaign to work with.”
Ciara trusted her judgment. If Lisa said they had this in the bag, Ciara didn’t doubt that Luka would come out on top come December, when the election was held.
“He’s worked so hard to live up to make his family proud,” Ciara replied. “I’m glad to hear all the efforts he’s put in are paying off.”
“Just don’t tell Luka that. I don’t want that fat head of his getting any fatter. If he gets too cocky and slacks off between now and then, the polls are going to reflect that.”
Ciara couldn’t help but grin. Before she could reply, the office door opened once more and Luka entered. With Matteo off to spend the day with his grandmother, they could address the business at hand. For now it was just the three of them; the race was still young, and there was time to spare before serious campaigning had to be taken up.
“Don’t spare me the details,” Luka said as he crossed the room to join Ciara. A quick kiss to the side of her head served as his hello. “Tell me what I need to do to get in shape for this election, Mrs. Olsen. I’m not ready to give up the keys to Gracie Mansion just yet.”
“Then listen good, Belmonte,” Lisa insisted. “You’re not walking away with this thing. If you want to get back into office, you’re going to have to keep up your performance. People don’t care what you did in the past — they care about what you’re doing right now. It’s time to make good on some of your promises and make sure the people remember what good Luka Belmonte has done them.”
The serious cut of his eyes confirmed that Luka trusted every word she said. Lisa truly was a brilliant tactician.
Luka and Lisa talked tactics and strategies until Ciara lost sense of the conversation. Then, she daydreamed and reflected on the past. A handful of years ago she’d come to New York with dreams of journalism. Now those dreams had taken shape into something grander, something so much more rewarding. Not only had she found her place in a field she loved, but along the way she found someone to love as well. Motherhood had only enriched her experience. In every way she could think of, Ciara led a charmed life she’d never considered possible.
And all over spilled coffee.
“You’re smiling,” Luka commented, setting both of his hands on her shoulders and squeezing gently. “What’s going on in that big brain of yours, Ciara?”
“I’m just thinking of how far we’ve come,” she replied in earnest. The smile grew. “And how much further we’re set to go.”
The future was limitless, and it was all theirs. From small town girl to the face of one of the most famous cities in the world, nothing was impossible. Whatever would happen in days to follow, Ciara would embrace her destiny with grace and tact. One fact remained unchanged: wherever she went,
whatever she did, as long as Luka and Matteo were at her side, she’d want for nothing more.
* * *
The End
* * *
Thank you for reading this book. I hope that you loved Luka and Ciara’s story as much as I loved writing it.
If you enjoyed my novel, please leave a review on Amazon.
Help me justify why I keep saying: “just five more minutes, honey!” as my fingers type furiously on the keyboard with your kind review.
* * *
Sadie Black
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About the Author
Sadie Black is a 30-something author living on the east coast. She’s married to a man who isn’t a billionaire, but is her happily ever after (and they have four rug rats to prove it). If she isn’t dreaming up steamy romance stories or chasing her children then someone should file a missing person report, because she is always doing one or the other.
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