The older man stared at Langston for a long time. The look on his face held no emotion, making it impossible to read his thoughts. That, however, didn’t deter Langston from meeting the hard stare. He had come here with a purpose, with a goal, and he wasn’t leaving until he got the answer he wanted.
Dominic Peretti knew this day would eventually come. It seemed like only yesterday that she was his little girl. But yesterday was gone. Today his baby was a grown woman. Today a man had come to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. This was the same man that had nearly destroyed his baby, the same man he’d once dreamed about slowly torturing to death.
Picking up his mug of beer, Dominic took a swallow as he nodded his head at one of his buddies coming into the billiards hall. Langston turned his head to see whom the older man had greeted. Damn, it’s like the Sopranos up in here, Langston thought.
Setting down his mug, Dominic continued to study Langston. His baby did love this man. And Dominic couldn’t deny that Langston loved his daughter. He also couldn’t discount the fact that Langston had been one helluva father to his grandbaby. Ava may have been Dominic’s heart, but Zoe was his soul. “So you want me to give you my blessing to marry my little girl?”
Langston nodded, his eyes holding firm. “Yes, sir, that’s what I’m asking. I love Ava, and I want her to be my wife.”
“I know you love her, son.” Dominic paused for a second. He wanted his daughter happy, but this was the hardest thing for him to do. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m giving you my permission to marry my daughter.” Dominic made the sign of the cross over his chest. “But I swear to God and on a stack of Bibles, if you do anything to hurt my baby—”
Langston chuckled, cutting off Dominic. “I know, I know, you’ll kill me.”
Dominic slapped his large hand loudly on the table, causing those close by to turn and stare. A broad grin splitting his handsome, dark Italian features, he said, “That’s my boy! You got it!” Reaching across the table, he grabbed the younger man’s hand in a firm handshake. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“Thanks you, sir.” Langston let out a sigh of relief. Ava was going to be his wife.
Chapter 41
October 22
Zoe’s Eighth Birthday
“Come on, baby. Blow out the candles,” Janet cooed as she stood next to Zoe.
Taking a big breath, Zoe blew with all her might, attempting to blow out the eight candles on the cake that was shaped like a tiara. The little girl gasped in disbelief when the flames on the trick candles reignited. “Hey! What’s going on?” Zoe squealed, amazed that the candles were burning brightly again.
Everyone around the dining room table roared with laughter. “Who put trick candles on my grandbaby’s cake?” Dominic asked, laughter in his voice and merriment dancing in his eyes.
Starr, Karen, and Summer pointed at their friend like a bunch of five-year-old, tattle-tellers. “Ava!” the young women yelled out in unison.
Zoe smacked her hand dramatically against her forehead. “Mommy, why you do that? You’re going to make the cake burn up.”
“No, she’s not, stupid!” Kyle said, causing the room to go from laughter to uncomfortable silence.
Karen was mortified. All eyes turned to her, waiting for her reaction to her son’s rude outburst. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Karen gritted out between clenched teeth, “Kyle, apologize right now.”
Defiant, the boy crossed his arms over his chest, staring right through his mother. Karen glared at her son. “I’m going to count to three. One…two…”
“I’m sorry, Zoe,” Kyle mumbled under his breath.
Karen looked apologetically at Ava and Langston. “I’m sorry. Come on, Kyle and Ashley, let’s go.” Although Karen didn’t believe in spanking, Kyle had gone too far. She was sick and tired of his behavior. This was the last straw. He had embarrassed her for the last time. When she got him home she was going to tear up his little mean tail. Obviously talking to him and punishing hadn’t worked. It was time for some old fashion corporal punishment.
“Mommy! I didn’t do anything! Why do I have to leave the party and miss all the fun?” Ashley whined.
Karen let out a frustrated sigh. This was not happening to her. Before she could snap at Ashley, Dom, Ava’s brother, walked up to Kyle. “Come on, buddy, let’s take a walk.” Looking at Karen, he asked, “Do you mind?”
Relief washed over Karen. “No.” If somebody didn’t get that child out of her face, she was going to be on the eleven o’clock news.
Dom put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Come on, buddy, let’s go.”
After the trick candles were taken off the cake, Ava helped Zoe cut it. Zoe smiled at Ashley. “Here, Ashley, you can have the first piece of cake.”
Smiling, Ashley said, “Thanks, Zoe.”
“You’re welcome. And I want Autumn to have the next piece, and then NJ,” she told her mother as they continued to cut the cake.
Initially Beatrice felt out of place around Ava’s family and friends. The only reason she had agreed to come to the party was because Zoe invited her. She didn’t know which made her more uncomfortable—driving for almost two hours alone with Charles in the car, or being in Janet Peretti’s home.
Beatrice’s discomfort was somewhat eased when Ava introduced Beatrice to her family and friends. Although they weren’t overly friendly, they weren’t rude, nor did they ignore her presence. And her heart actually melted when Zoe smiled at her, holding out a slice of cake. “Grandmother, this piece is for you.”
She didn’t care if the others in the room could see the tears glistening in her eyes when she accepted the cake with trembling hands. “Thank you, sweetheart.” For once Beatrice felt like she belonged.
After the cake and ice cream had been eaten, Zoe opened her presents. She had so many gifts it was like Christmas in October. When she finally got to the last gift, she held a small box in her hand. “Mommy, this last present is for you.”
Ava lifted an arched brow. “For me?”
Zoe bobbed her head up and down. “Uh-huh. For you.” Smiling, she looked at Langston, who was standing next to Ava. “Daddy let me help him pick it out.”
Langston put his hand on the small of Ava’s back as she unwrapped the box. Her hands trembled and her heart raced when she realized it was a ring box. As she slowly opened the box, tears came to her eyes when she saw the three-carat, emerald cut, flawless diamond engagement ring set in platinum.
Climbing down from her birthday throne, Zoe stood in front of her parents. Looking up at Ava with wide, expressive eyes, Zoe asked, “Mommy, will you marry my Daddy?”
Langston turned Ava to face him. Taking the box from her trembling hand, he removed the ring. Placing it on her finger, he looked deep into her eyes. Everything and everyone ceased to exist as he concentrated all his attention on his woman. “Ava, I fell in love with you that day you came up to me asking me to help you find your class. I never stopped loving you. I never gave up hope that one day we’d be together again. I promise you if you’ll have me as your husband, I’ll always cherish you. And no one, I mean no one will ever come before you. Not even our children.” Reaching up, Langston wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I’ve already asked your father for your hand in marriage. Now I’m asking you. Ava, will you be my wife?”
“Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you!” Ava said as she threw her arms around Langston’s neck. The room erupted in loud cheers and whistles.
Zoe and the other children didn’t protest when Joan and Donna lovingly shooed them out of the room. “Go ’head, babies, go in the other room and play,” Joan said as Donna ushered them out. The children hurried out of the room, eager to play with all the toys Zoe had gotten for her birthday.
“Ooh! Let me see! Let me see!” Summer said, charging toward Ava and Langston, wanting to get a look at the rock on her best friend’s hand.
Everyone fell out laughing when Nick stepped up
behind his petite wife, snaking an arm around her waist and lifting her off her feet. “Woman, get back over here.”
“Put me down, Nicholas Stiles!” Summer snapped.
“Aw, hell, I’m in trouble now,” Nick said. Summer only called her husband by his full name when he got on her nerves.
“It’s all good, man,” Langston told Nick as he released Ava, who wasted no time scurrying over to the women in the room to show them her engagement ring.
“Oh, baby, that ring is beautiful.” Janet beamed at Ava as she hugged her in a tight embrace.
Beatrice nodded in agreement. “It is a gorgeous ring.” With pride in her voice, she said, “My son did very well.”
Ava was so happy that she was finally going to be Mrs. Langston Warrington III that when she smiled at his mother, it was genuine. “Yes, Ms. Beatrice, your son did very well.”
Starr grabbed Ava’s hand, tilting and turning it. “Girl, look at how that diamond sparkles.”
“I know, right? Bling-bling,” Summer chimed in, moving real close to Starr to get a good look.
Nita Jackson shielded her eyes as if outside on a bright, sunny day. “Baby, I’m going to need sunglasses just to look at you.”
Ava laughed along with the other women, enjoying each and every one of them as they shared in her happiness.
As the women fawned over Ava, congratulating her, the men gathered around Langston, giving him firm slaps on the back. “Welcome to the club, my brotha,” Kevin said, pounding fists with Langston. Winking at Dom, he teased, “You’re next.”
“OK…whatever,” Dom said, shaking his head. No way was he getting married anytime soon. Six months ago he dumped Leslie, who was trying desperately to push, drag, and shove him to the altar.
“You need to settle down,” Dominic said to his son. What was wrong with these men today? Whatever happened to getting married in your twenties? These men today waited until they were nearly senior citizens before settling down and starting a family. At thirty-one his son was following the herd.
“Yeah, Pop. Whatever you say.”
“Young man, listen to your daddy. He knows what he’s talking about,” Henry Stiles advised. “Marriage is a good thing.”
James Jackson took a sip of ginger ale from the pink princess paper cup. Leaning in, the older man whispered, “And you get all the booty you can handle.”
“And then some,” Patrick added, clinking paper cups with James.
Dom rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. Looking like he just stepped off the cover of a GQ magazine, getting women wasn’t an issue for him. “I have no problems getting all the booty I want.” Turning to Langston, he shook his future brother-in-law’s hand. “Welcome to the family. I know you’re going to take care of my sister.”
Charles, who was a quiet observer, grinned and shook his head. He was really enjoying being in the company of these men. He was pleased that Langston would be marrying into a family who accepted him as one of their own.
Nick chuckled as Dom excused himself to go outside and get some fresh air. Ava’s brother reminded Nick so much of himself at that age. He’ll be straight once the right woman comes along.
eee
Karen went in search of Dom before she gathered her kids to head home. She didn’t know what he’d said to Kyle, but whatever it was, her son had come back inside to join the party with a new attitude.
“Oh, there you are,” Karen said as she stepped outside.
Dominic turned around from where he stood on the curb to gaze up at Karen standing on the top step. His dark eyes appreciated what he saw. Karen was a very attractive woman. He was itching at a chance to take her out, but every time he asked her out on a date, she shot him down cold. It was OK, though. Dom was a patient man. Sooner or later he’d wear down her resistance. “What’s up, Karen?” he asked.
Suddenly Karen became nervous as she made her way down the steps to stand next to Dom. He was the only man who could make her heart flutter since her deceased husband. He had asked her out three times since meeting her a few months ago at Zoe’s celebration party. Each time she turned him down, telling herself she was too old to date a man six years her junior.
“I just wanted to thank you for talking to my son. Whatever you said to him worked for the time being.”
Dom shrugged. “No problem. He’s a good kid.”
He used to be a good kid. “Well, I better get back inside and get my kids.”
“All right, see you later.”
As Karen turned to go, he called out, “I told Kyle I’d spend some time with him. I hope that’s OK with you.”
Karen looked perplexed. Didn’t Dom live in California?
Reading her expression, he told her, “The engineering firm I work for is opening an office in Philly, and they want me to head it up. I’ll be moving back home.”
Karen swallowed hard. He’s moving back home, and he wants to spend time with my son. Karen gave him a weak smile.
“We’ll see.”Yes, we will, Dom thought as he watched Karen disappear back inside the house.
Chapter 42
“Well, what was I supposed to do?” Ava hissed under her breath at Summer and Starr in the confines of the tiny dressing room. She didn’t want the older women beyond the door to hear her.
Yeah, what was she supposed to do? Tell the woman she couldn’t come? Ever since the night of Zoe’s birthday party, Beatrice had become Ava’s new best friend. Before heading back home to Alexandria, she sought out Ava out to have a word with her in private. You could have knocked Ava over with a feather when the woman tearfully apologized for her years of cruel behavior. She even went so far as to confess that once Ava and Langston were married, she was afraid there wouldn’t be a place for her in their lives, and that she would be all alone.
Ava had been dumbstruck. Although Langston had accepted his mother’s apology, Ava wasn’t quite sure if he had forgiven her and was willing to let her be a part of their lives once they were married. But not wanting anything to burst her bubble that day, Ava had hugged the woman and assured her that she wouldn’t be alone. But Ava had never envisioned that the woman would accompany her to look for wedding gowns.
“Stay still,” Starr fussed as her fingers worked to fasten the buttons on the back of Ava’s silk gown. “We’re not saying you shouldn’t have invited her to come along. We’re just surprised, that’s all.”
Standing on her toes, Summer pulled back Ava’s hair, twisting it into a chignon. Holding hairpins between her lips, she mumbled, “She’s just trying to be nice.”
There was no denying that. Ava wanted to believe the woman was putting on airs, that she had only said those things because Langston was close by. But to Ava’s surprise, Beatrice had called her at least five times since that night. Although the conversations were brief, Beatrice was pleasant, not a hint of phoniness in her voice. When Beatrice asked if she could come along with Ava and Janet to pick out Ava’s wedding dress, Ava didn’t have the heart to tell her no.
Letting out a deep breath, Ava sighed. “I know. Bless her little reformed evil heart.”
Starr slapped her hand over her mouth. Summer nearly swallowed a hairpin in an attempt to muffle her laughter. It was Starr who said, “Girl, stop it before I knock you out.”
Ava laughed. “Just be quiet and hurry up. I want to see how I look.”
After Summer put the last hairpin in and Starr fastened the last button, Ava turned around.
“What?” Ava asked nervously as her friends stared at her in silence. With every other dress she’d tried on, they immediately had snap critiques as to why the dress wasn’t for her. This was the fifth bridal shop today. She was tired of trying on dresses. All she wanted to do was go home and have dinner with Zoe and Langston.
Shaking her head, Starr whispered, “Nothing. Just go out there and let your mom see you.” She and Summer continued to block the mirror so Ava couldn’t see her reflection.
Ava frowned. Out of all the dresses, she loved th
is one the best. It was similar to the one her paternal great-grandmother wore on her wedding day. Ava had seen the wedding photo in her great uncle’s home in Italy years ago. She never forgot how beautiful the bride looked.
Just as Ava was about to tell her friends to move so she could see herself, Janet knocked loudly on the door. “Ava Gianni Peretti, get your behind out here right now.”
Janet stepped back as the door opened. The scowl she wore evaporated immediately. Tears suddenly filled her eyes. “Oh, baby, you look so beautiful.” Walking around Ava, Janet gently touched the ball of hair at the back of neck. “I love your hair pulled back like this.”
“It shows off your pretty face,” Beatrice added as she looked approvingly at Ava.
“Come on, baby,” Janet said, taking Ava by the hand and leading her to a full-length mirror. Beatrice, Summer, and Starr followed, but stayed behind a respectable distance.
Ava blinked at her reflection. “Wow.” Everyone thought she was crazy when she’d described the gown she wanted to wear. No one came out and said it, but she knew they were all thinking it would be too old fashioned. Old fashioned or not, this gown was made for her.
Janet placed her hands on Ava’s shoulders. Leaning in, she kissed her on the cheek. “Wow is right. Langston is going to love you in this dress.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Turning to her best friends and future mother-in-law, Ava beamed. “So what do you say?”
They didn’t say anything. The loud applause spoke for them.
eee
“Is she asleep?” Langston asked as Ava came into the kitchen and sat on his lap. Ava laid her head on his shoulder.
“Drifted off in mid-sentence.” Ava purred as Langston’s large hand began to massage her neck.
“You tired, baby?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Langston hands felt so good. If he kept this up, she was going to fall asleep just as quickly as Zoe.
Langston let out a deep chuckle. The woman had left at nine thirty that morning and hadn’t returned home until eight that evening. All day he’d been worried about how things were going, mainly because his mother had requested to go with Ava, Janet, and Ava’s friends to find the perfect dress. He hadn’t wanted Ava to feel obligated to include his mother.
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