by Pamela Yaye
“Is that what Dante did to win your heart?”
“Yes, and it worked,” she said with a girlish laugh.
Markos chuckled. Suddenly he felt hopeful about his relationship with Tatiyana. Maybe all wasn’t lost. Maybe if he apologized she’d give him another chance. Filled with confidence and renewed determination, Markos resolved in his heart to win back the woman he loved. Standing, he gave his sister-in-law a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the pep talk, Jordana.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get my girl,” he answered with a broad grin. “Tell Dante I’ll be back soon.”
Hearing noises behind him, someone frantically shouting his name, he frowned.
“Uncle Markos, come here! I found Tatiyana!”
Markos glanced over his shoulder, and spotted his nephew standing beside the water fountain hugging Tatiyana. Matteo had met her weeks earlier, when he’d stopped by the office with Jordana, and seeing his two favorite people together made him smile.
Eager to talk to her, Markos took off across the field. Love and happiness filled his heart. Tatiyana was there! And what a beautiful sight she was. Her hair was in a French braid, her strapless, floral dress complemented her flawless brown skin and her smile dazzled him. Approaching the group, he nodded in greeting. “Good evening, ladies. How is everyone?”
“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the Governor’s Masquerade Ball.”
Matteo piped up. “Uncle Markos came to see you. He likes you, you know.”
Giggles and snickers filled the air. Markos noticed a smile tugging at the corners of Tatiyana’s lips, and hope surged inside his heart. All wasn’t lost. He still had a chance. He felt it, sensed it and, thanks to his nephew, Tatiyana’s mom wasn’t glaring at him anymore. Phew!
“Matteo, let’s go help Dad barbecue.” Taking her step-son by the arm, Jordana winked and flashed Markos a thumbs-up as they headed toward the picnic tables.
“Can we talk in private?” Markos asked, taking off his sunglasses. “I have a lot to say—”
“Then you can say your piece right here, Mr. Morretti.” Crossing her arms, Lena tapped her foot impatiently on the pavement. “You hurt my daughter, young man, and if it was up to me you’d never see her again.”
“Mom, don’t be so harsh. If it wasn’t for Markos, I wouldn’t know who Allie’s father is.” Jantel wore a grateful smile. “Thank you for advocating for us, and for paying her medical bills, as well. I almost fainted when the hospital called this morning and told me the good news.”
Embarrassed by her praise, he nodded in response. The paternity test proved Christopher Nelson was Allie’s father, not the mayor, and the Harvard graduate had promptly resigned from his job. “It was my pleasure, and if there’s anything else I can do to help just let me know.”
Ms. Washington huffed, and Markos knew if he wanted to reunite with Tatiyana, he had to make things right with her mother first. “Ms. Washington, I owe you and your family an apology. I should have taken your concerns seriously when you came to my office, instead of doubting your story,” he confessed, wearing an apologetic expression on his face. “I want to marry Tatiyana, and I hope you’ll give us your blessing. I’ll love her and honor her until I take my last breath.”
“Do you really mean that?” Lena asked.
“Yes, Ms. Washington, I do.”
Dropping her hands at her sides, Lena’s face softened into a smile, and she patted his cheek. “Apology accepted, young man. And if my daughter won’t marry you, I will!”
The women erupted in laughter, and Markos knew he was one step closer to achieving his goal. One down, one more to go. Stepping forward, he took Tatiyana’s hand in his and squeezed it. “Hurting you was the worst mistake I ever made, and if you give me another chance, I promise it will never happen again.”
Sadness flickered over her features. “You always know just what to say. How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“Because you’re it for me. I don’t want anyone else,” he confessed, baring his soul. “You’re the number-one person in my life, and you always will be. I love you with everything I am, and I want to marry you more than anything in the world.”
“You heard that line in an old Italian movie, and you’ve always wanted to use it, right?”
“No, baby, that’s a Markos Morretti original, and I mean every word.”
“You’re an extraordinary woman who completes me in every way, and no one else will ever do.”
Her mouth covered his in a soft, sweet kiss, and Markos sighed in relief. All was right in the world again. He didn’t want the kiss to end, wanted to spend the rest of the night loving her, but remembered they had an audience and reluctantly pulled away. Opening his eyes, he noticed they were alone, and wrapped her up in his arms. Tenderly caressing her shoulders, he kissed her forehead, cheeks and the tip of her nose. “Congratulations on your new job at Center of Hope,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. “When do you start?”
“Next week. I’m super excited, but nervous, too.”
“You’ll do great. I know it.”
They shared a smile, then a kiss on the lips.
“I love you,” she whispered. “Thanks for showing me that true love still exists.”
“We’ve both made mistakes in this relationship, but the hard times and challenges we’ve faced have only made our union stronger.”
“Baby, I agree.” Tatiyana wrapped her arms around his waist. “You can trust me, Markos. I’ll never do anything to hurt you, and you’ll always have my unconditional love and support.”
Her words touched his heart. “I love you more than anything, and I want to spend my life with you.”
Staring deep into her eyes, Markos knew in his heart that Tatiyana was his soul mate. His everything. The only woman for him. And as they strolled through Van Nuys Park, holding hands and sharing kisses, Markos felt like the luckiest man alive. And he was.
Epilogue
Tatiyana put her travel bag in the overhead bin on the Boeing 738 bound for Tampa Bay, closed it, and sat down in her plush, first-class seat. Buckling her safety belt, she glanced around the cabin, and noticed the airplane was half empty. The air smelled of pastries and coffee, and the savory aroma made Tatiyana hanker for something sweet.
Arriving at the boarding gate for Flight 74 an hour earlier, Tatiyana was pleasantly surprised to see Mercedes—the ticket agent who’d checked her in on that fateful flight to Tampa last year—and cheered when the brunette upgraded her to first class free of charge. As expected, the ticket agent questioned her about the Morretti family and they’d shared a laugh.
Tatiyana shook her head. It was hard to believe she’d been dating Markos for nine months. It felt as if she’d known him all her life. He was a part of her family now, as she was a part of his. The more time they spent together—cooking, working out together in his home gym, enjoying the opera and symphony, and taking road trips—the more she loved him. For the first time ever, Tatiyana was blissfully and wonderfully happy and Markos was one of the reasons why she had a permanent smile on her face.
Her cell phone buzzed. Taking it out of her leather tote bag, she read her newest text message from Jantel. A picture popped up on the screen. It was of baby Allie playing at the park, and for the second time that day she marveled at how beautiful her niece was. To everyone’s surprise and amazement, Allie had quickly recovered from her surgery and was thriving in her toddler playgroup. And she wasn’t the only one exceeding expectations.
Tatiyana had pulled some strings at work, and thanks to the Human Resources manager at the Center of Hope, Jantel had been hired to work in the kitchen. Within six months, she was the head cook, and everyone’s favorite staff. Every day, the sisters ate lunch together outside in the courtyard, and Tat
iyana cherished their talks. These days, Jantel was a hands-on mom, who was a hundred percent committed to her daughter, and it was a joy to see. Her sister had risen above the pain of her past, and now they were closer than ever. Being the program director at the Center of Hope—a nonprofit organization that provided services for low-income families—was a rewarding experience. Tatiyana was thrilled she was finally putting her education and training to good use, and seeing Jantel around the center everyday was the icing on the cake.
Excited about the girls-only trip to Tampa with the Morretti wives, Tatiyana signed into her email account, and reviewed the itinerary Dionne had sent her last night. The pilot came on the intercom, but Tatiyana was too busy reading her messages to pay attention. Finished, she turned off her phone and dropped it in her purse. As the airplane cleared the runway and climbed off the ground, she remembered the last time she’d been to Tampa, and smiled.
Tatiyana closed her eyes, pulled the wool blanket up to her chin and crossed her legs at the ankles. Warm, and cozy in her first-class seat, thoughts of Markos filled her mind. I wish he was here with me, she thought, with a deep sigh. Last night, they’d had dinner with her family, but he’d been quiet, withdrawn, unlike himself. Walking him to his car after dessert, Markos admitted he was under a lot of pressure at work, and hearing the strain in his voice worried her.
An idea popped in her mind. Maybe she should plan something special for him. Valentine’s Day was tomorrow, and although they’d agreed to celebrate when she returned from her trip, Tatiyana loved the idea of surprising her boyfriend. And she knew just what to do. Making a mental note to text Izzy when the flight landed, she decided to also enlist the help of her mother. Lena adored Markos, and told her friends and family she wanted him to be her son-in-law, so she’d jump at the opportunity to do something nice for him.
“The first time I laid eyes on you was nine months ago on this very flight. I knew you were trouble in six-inch heels, and I was right.”
Frowning, Tatiyana cocked her head to the side. What an odd thing for the pilot to say? The voice on the intercom sounded familiar—deep, masculine, confident...like... Her eyes flew open, and a gasp fell from her lips. Markos was standing in the galley, talking on the intercom, wearing a boyish smile.
Her mouth agape, all she could do was stare. Dizzy, and confused, Tatiyana feared she was going to faint. At a loss for words, her thoughts scattered, and her mind raced. What was Markos doing on the flight? Where did he come from? Was this for real?
The lights dimmed, and a hush fell over the cabin.
“From the moment we met, you turned my world upside down, but I’m a better man for it. You’re a beautiful, compassionate soul, and there aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how much you mean to me. You’re my world, my everything, and I hope you’ll grant me the honor of being your husband.”
Tatiyana cupped her hands over her mouth to smother the squeal rising in her throat. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears, and her legs were shaking, but she stood, and walked down the aisle, toward the man she loved more than anything in the world. Markos looked dashing in his tailored black suit, and the urge to kiss him was so overwhelming she quickened her pace.
A lightbulb flashed in her mind, and suddenly everything made sense. Now Tatiyana understood why he’d been preoccupied last night at dinner. He wasn’t stressed out about work; he was preparing for his surprise proposal from forty thousand feet!
Markos hung up the phone, clasped her left hand and dropped down to one knee.
Cheers, and whistles filled the air, adding to the festive mood in the cabin, and Tatiyana noticed passengers were recording them with their smartphones. Her thoughts returned to the day they met, replaying every detail of their encounter. From the moment they’d met, they’d had an instant connection, an undeniable chemistry, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine Markos would propose to her on an airplane. It was the most shocking and outrageous thing that had ever happened to her, and Tatiyana wanted to pinch herself to prove she wasn’t dreaming.
“Tatiyana Washington, will you marry me?”
Her lips parted, and the word “Yes” exploded out of her mouth. Moved by his heartfelt speech, Tatiyana flung herself into Markos’s open arms, and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
The applause was deafening, and the longer they kissed the louder the passengers cheered. Tatiyana didn’t want the kiss to ever end, and relished being in her fiancé’s arms.
Water filled her eyes, blurring her vision, but she felt Markos slide the ring onto the third finger on her left hand, then kiss her palm.
“Do you like it?”
Raising her hand in the air, she playfully wiggled her fingers. The marquise-cut diamond was a striking piece of jewelry, and Tatiyana didn’t want to ever take it off. The simplicity of the design enhanced the beauty of the ring, and she loved how unique it was. “I don’t like it. I love it. It’s perfect,” Tatiyana whispered, overcome with emotion. “Thank you, baby.”
A flight attendant appeared, handed them both a champagne flute, and congratulated them on their engagement. Markos made a toast, and they clinked glasses. Thirsty, and sweating profusely in her burgundy halter dress, Tatiyana quickly finished the drink.
Markos brushed his nose against hers, causing her to giggle, and she snuggled against him. Holding her tight, he led Tatiyana back to her seat, and sat down beside her.
“I can’t believe you did all of this for me,” she confessed, resting her head on his shoulder. “How did you pull this off?”
“I’ve been planning this proposal since our weekend in Palm Springs. You teased me about proposing to you in bed, so I knew I had to do something big.” Taking her hand in his, Markos kissed her forehead. “It took months of work, and several covert meetings with your mom, but I’m proud to say, Operation Mid-Air Proposal, went off without a hitch.”
“Tell me more. I need details.”
“I snuck onto the plane after you boarded the flight, sat in the cockpit’s jump seat, and waited for the signal from the head flight attendant. Once we reached our cruising altitude, I knew it was showtime, and I was ready.”
“I still can’t believe we’re engaged. It was a wonderful, beautiful moment, and I’ll never forget it as long as I live.” Tatiyana glanced from Markos to her ring, and squealed. “I can’t wait to share the good news with our friends and family.”
“You won’t have to wait long. Everyone’s meeting us in Tampa at the Oasis Spa & Resort to celebrate our engagement.”
Realization dawned, and shock flew through her body. “Oh, my goodness! The Morretti wives tricked me!”
His eyes darkened with mischief, and a grin claimed his mouth.
“There is no girls’ weekend, is there? It was all a rouse to get me on this flight.”
“I’ll never tell.”
“You better or you’ll be sleeping alone tonight.”
Markos chuckled. “Don’t be mad. It was for a good cause. I want you to be my wife more than anything in the world, so I enlisted the help of our families to make it happen.”
“And I’m glad you did. I love you, baby, and I can’t wait to be Mrs. Markos Morretti.”
“I love you, too. You’re the best part of me, and I’ll cherish you all the days of my life.”
As the airplane soared high above the clouds the couple sealed the declaration with a kiss.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from MINE AT MIDNIGHT by Jamie Pope.
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Mine at Midnight
by Jamie Pope
Chapter 1
Ava Bradley wasn’t often nervous. Her twin brother often said that she had cold water running through her veins, that she was an ice princess. But today, as she stood in the living room of her charming seaside cottage, she felt anything but cold. Her heart was racing. Pounding so hard she wondered if it was going to burst out of her chest.
An enormous black garment bag had just been hand delivered to her by the designer after more than a thousand hours of work had been put into what was inside.
It was his masterpiece, as he called it.
Ava called it her wedding dress.
