by Amy Rachiele
“Ice sculpture?” Vito says quietly.
“What the fuck?” I murmur back to him. “Knowing Ma, its probably some cupid with its ass hanging out.”
Vito laughs. It sounds good. I haven’t heard him laugh in a long time.
“Don’t you make fun, Tonio! I’m doing all this for you!”
Wow, I forgot about her keen sense of hearing.
“Me! I’d be happy running off to Vegas,” I tease.
Whack!
Ma clips me on the back of my head with her open hand.
“Don’t even kid, Tonio. It’s not funny.”
Yikes! I crossed a line. Ma would never forgive me if Megan and I eloped. She would crucify me.
The sound of car doors slamming and engines being killed lets me know the town enforcers are showing up. Pop talks to them and they begin positioning themselves all around the yard and driveway… security, in case things go wrong.
It’s getting closer to party time. I see Megan’s family mini-van pull up to the curb in front of my house. My fuckin’ heart races knowing my fiancée is in that vehicle. I miss her even when it is a small period of time since I saw her. She looks freakin’stunning! Her legs trail out from a short skirt. She wears high heels that make her legs look killer.
Patrick trails behind Megan and her mother carrying a tray of weird, wrapped white things with bows.
His face is the same stony, stoic look he wears all the time. I understand him more now, that’s a good thing considering he is my future father-in-law and will be working for me when Pop is gone. Megan’s mother has twisted her lips so tightly that her expression looks peeved and pained. She hasn’t come to terms with this upcoming marriage, but of course there is nothing she can do about it.
Ma is the gracious one that approaches Mrs. O’Neill first to make small talk. Megan immediately breaks off from her family and walks straight into my arms. I hug her to me and all of the tense and tight sensations inside me melt away. She was made for me.
“Diane,” Mrs. O’Neill says. “Everything is beautiful.” Her words don’t match her tone. What I think she’s really thinking is that the party is posh and overdone.
“Thank you,” Ma says, smiling civilly.
“Here are the favors I promised you.”
“They’re wonderful, thank you.” Ma takes the tray from Patrick and walks them to a small table she has set aside for them.
Megan whispers in my ear, “This is amazing. You mother did a fantastic job.”
“She loves it. She eats this stuff up,” I whisper back.
“Tonio! Megan! I want to get some photos before the guests start arriving,” Ma calls to us.
She snaps a few, and then positions us like she’s a professional photographer. She moves my arms like I’m a puppet and shifts Megan and me like she’s playing with dolls.
She corrals Pop and Megan’s mother and father.
“Get together everyone.” It’s an awkward moment, but Ma keeps snapping away.
“I wish your sister could be here, Megan,” Ma says, sounding truly heartbroken that Erin needed to stay in California for school.
“I wish she was here too,” Megan says with melancholy in her voice.
“Vito!” Ma yells. “Come over here for a picture!”
Vito walks with heavy legs to the “picture area.” Mrs. O’Neill all but snarls at him. Ma ignores the bitterness and shoves Vito between Megan and me. We pose and my mother asks, “Tonio, where are Ronnie and Louie?”
“They’re coming later,” I tell her.
“Fine. Vito, take one of me and Antonio with Megan and Tonio.”
Pop and Ma stand with us. I glance at Ma and her smile is priceless. Pop clasps my shoulder in approval. They’re both really happy for me.
We snap another endless amount of pics and Alessandra comes around the corner.
“Alessandra!” Ma yells happily. “Hurry up! I want some pictures!”
*****
Megan:
Antonio moans at the idea of more pictures. I laugh it off. After all, Antonio’s mother honestly and truly out did herself. The yard is spectacularly decorated. Not like an engagement party, but more like an outdoor wedding. Diane waves Alessandra over. Her smile is a mile-wide.
“You guys are so cute!” she coos as she hugs both of us. Her beautiful brown hair tickles my face. We owe a lot to Alessandra. She’s been a great friend to both of us.
She pulls away.
“Mrs. Delisi, this place is amazing! I can’t believe it. You transformed it like a page out of a fairy tale book.”
“Thank you, Alessandra,” Diane says affectionately and hugs Alessandra to her.
Commotion catches my eye over by the driveway near the side of Antonio’s house. It’s Troy! I didn’t expect him to come! He must have flown home for this.
“Meg!” he shouts by the very large man who is not happy. Probably security.
“Tonio! The angry enforcer says. “You know this chooch?”
By now we are all staring and looking intently at the scene.
“Let him in. He’s cool,” Antonio says.
I run to Troy and he lifts me up.
“I can’t believe you came!” I say excitedly to him. My feet dangle from his uplifting, enormous hug.
“How could I miss it? Two big dudes showed up at my dorm and threatened to rearrange my face if I didn’t,” he says jokingly.
Antonio comes over and shakes hands with Troy.
“Thanks for coming, man.”
Troy smiles and sees Vito over Antonio’s shoulder.
“Hey!”
Vito grumbles an intelligible hello.
“As pleasant as always,” Troy comments, unfazed.
“How was your flight?” I ask.
Alessandra joins us as soon as the question is out of my mouth.
“Hi Troy,” she says awkwardly brightly.
“Hi,” he says, unaffected. Then he gives me back his attention. Antonio excuses himself to go help his father move some tables closer together. For a second, Alessandra looks as if she might stay, but soon goes to hang with Vito.
“The flight was good and leaving school for a while is just what I needed.”
Our conversation is cut short by an influx of people streaming in from the street. The backyard area gets loud as everyone is greeted and congratulates Antonio. Antonio waves me over.
“Sorry, Troy. I think I need to get over there.”
How many people did Diane invite?
I hear people “oohhhing and ahhhing” over the amazing backyard transformation.
My strides to Antonio seem to take forever. His magical eyes are on me as I come to him and I feel a flutter of passion flood through me. I can’t believe I’m marrying such a handsome man!
Thick crowds of party-goers crowd the yard, blocking our gaze. I have to step around people to get to my destination.
“Move!”
“Move! Move!” Someone is shouting!
People shuffle aside and my heart rate speeds up in fear that something very bad is happening.
I scan the yard, looking for a threat. I ready myself to hit the ground, if necessary. I see my Dad standing very calmly by an ice sculpture, my mother beside him holding a plate of hors d’oeuvres. Their lips are moving quickly in conversation.
Vito and Alessandra remain composed. Suddenly, I hear an engine. It sounds close.
Is someone going to ram the party with a car?
I find Antonio again in the crowd, and he smiles broadly.
“Move!”
“Move!” The faceless voice shouts again.
More shouting as the crowd shuffles closer to the tables.
A car horn sounds loudly, making my jump.
“Move! Step back please!”
A shiny red Mercedes drives right up on the grass. I squint, perplexed. Ronnie’s behind the wheel and Louie’s in the passenger seat.
What the hell are they doing?
Antonio comes up behind
me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Do you like it?”
“Huh? What are they doing?” I ask.
“They’re doing me a favor. Happy engagement.” He kisses my hair.
“Huh? I don’t get it.”
“It’s yours,” he whispers in my ear, tickling me.
“You got me a new car?!” I’m shocked.
“Yup.”
“Holy…”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful!”
Antonio pulls me towards it. Everyone is standing around watching our exchange. Diane’s behind the car taking more pictures.
He opens the sleek door and Ronnie hops out. I peek my head in. Sitting in the backseat is my friend Raven.
“Congratulations, girl!” she says.
“Oh my God!”
I’m so shocked by this wonderful gift. Raven gets out and hugs me.
“You deserve it,” she says.
My own car!
“How’s my wife going to get around? She needs a car,” Antonio teases.
“Antonio, I can’t believe it. It’s too much! I don’t need something this fancy.”
“It suits you. A beautiful fiery red car for a beautiful fiery red Megan.”
“Wow, Meg, it’s awesome,” Troy says, coming over to examine my gift.
My eyes fill up with tears. Antonio is so thoughtful. My mind blocks out all of the eyes on me and the noise of the party; for the moment, the only thing I can see is Antonio.
How can someone so terrifying and tough be so sweet? The road ahead of us is going to be filled with uncertainties and danger, but I know we can face it all as husband and wife.
Antonio moves closer, places his fingertips on my chin, and forces me to look him in the eye.
“I love you. Never doubt that. Ever,” he says with a seriousness that would frighten anyone else.
“I love you, too. Very much!” I tell him.
He gently presses his lips to mine in a promise that encompasses hope, love, and togetherness.
The entire backyard party erupts into a roar of cheering for us: the future Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Delisi, Jr.
From the author:
Thank you to all of the fans, new and old, of Antonio and Megan and for purchasing this anniversary edition. I can’t believe it has been a year!
I have truly enjoyed writing their story and have been blessed with amazing characters that continue to shock me.
Thank you very much to friends and family for your support. Thank you to my husband and son for giving me the time I needed to finish.
Thank you to Toni for pushing me and to Summer and Kim for editing.
What an amazing adventure this has been!
Other books by Amy Rachiele:
Frosted Over
Silencing Joy
Coming Soon
Mobster’s Angel Book 4 (Coming Soon)
Sybrina
(Historical Paranormal Romance)
Join me on Goodreads and Facebook:
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