Chasing after You, page 22
“I know, but we need to get going.”
She scrunches her face and takes a heavy sip of the coffee. “Did we have plans and I forgot?”
“No, you didn’t forget. I made plans for us today. Jeans and a sweater will work.”
“Okay, as soon as I finish this cup.”
I kiss her forehead and get dressed. Arguably, I don’t truly have a set schedule other than beating traffic. I slip a fresh cup of coffee in Lily’s hand and lead her to the garage thirty minutes later.
“Are you going to share what you’re up to?”
I grin at her. “Nope.”
“Will we be back from wherever we’re going in time for dinner?”
“Maybe. Don’t worry, I’ll take the heat from Mama if we’re not.” I’m not worried. Mama is aware of my plans for the day. We’re about halfway into the drive before Lily realizes we could only have one city as our destination.
“Leo, why are we going to Boston?”
I shrug. “You’re going to have to wait until we get there to find out.”
“Can I make a request?”
Shaking my head, I say, “You can ask, but I may not be able to make it happen. I have plans, Stella.”
“Fair enough. Can we stop by Anzetti’s before we come back home?”
Anzetti’s is our first stop. “I’ll see what I can do.” The rest of the drive passes with minimal squabbling over the radio and Lily attempting to needle my plans out of me.
“Can you allow me today? Sometimes a guy wants to take care of his woman. What I have planned isn’t over the top. Will you think it is? Maybe, but it’s for us.”
I park down the block from Anzetti’s. Lily knows where we are. Excitement bubbles within her. In her haste, she reaches for her door.
One thing Gran taught me was how to be respectful and treat people. Of course she shared specific rules for courting a woman and dating as well. I have been opening Lily’s door since we met. Her need to savor buttery Italian pastries almost gets the better of her this morning. I set my hand on her arm. “I’ll get your door.” Rounding the rear of the car, I open her door and take her hand in mine.
“What are you nervous about?”
Damn! I can’t hide anything from her. “Only about whether you’ll be angry with me or not when you find out what we’re doing here.”
“Eating pastries, I hope.”
I kiss her temple and laugh. “Yes, we will do that, but there’s more.”
The sweet scent of pastry and confectionary sugar assails my nose when we step into the bakery.
“Leo and Lily, so nice to see you still together,” Peter greets us.
“Hi, Peter. Nice to see you as well.”
He smiles. “Ready to get started?”
“Yes?” Lily replies with a question in her voice.
“Perfect. You’ll need one of these.” Peter hands each of us an apron.
Sheer joy and awe grace Lily’s gorgeous face. At this moment, she realizes I somehow made one of her wildest dreams happen. It didn’t take much. We spent our Sunday mornings here when we were on campus and stop by whenever we’re in the city.
Peter ushers us into the kitchen. “My mother is anxiously waiting for you through the next set of double doors.”
“Thank you, Peter,” Lily manages.
He leaves, and she turns to me. “How did you remember?”
“I remember every minute detail. Before you ask, I won’t share them all at once. I love you, Stella. Let’s go learn to make some pastries.”
“There are no words. In case I forget later, I had a spectacular day with you. I love you, Moon.”
I take her hand in mine, and we push through the double door.
“Ah, splendid. Leo and Lily, wonderful to see you again.” Lucia rounds the table and hugs us both tightly. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”
“You deserve to sleep in,” I offer.
She laughs. It’s hearty and nice to hear. “True, but I miss the baking. I took the liberty of preparing the dough for the sfogliatella last night, given it needs to rise at least four hours. We’re going to prepare some pasticciotti together.”
Patiently and step by step, Lucia walks us through the preparation of the pasticciotti dough. While we follow her instructions, Lucia shares stories of the early days of the bakery and how the family-run business survives even today. “My Lucy wanted nothing to do with waking at wee hours of the morning despite her love of baking for others. Peter jumped in with both feet. Guido and I are most grateful our children want to extend our business. Enough about me. What about you two?”
We finish the dough and set it on the trays for baking. Then Lucia instructs us on cooking the sfogliatella.
“I run a craft brewery and distillery in my hometown. Lily recently started her own investment firm.”
“Fantastic! But I was asking more about the two of you together.”
A huge smile grows on Lily’s face. “It took us some time, but we officially became a couple recently.”
“Aspettare. You two were not dating in college?” Lucia inquires.
I chuckle. “No, we weren’t. We’ve been best friends since we were eight.”
“About time you figured out best friends make the best lovers, no?” Lucia scolds us.
Lily looks up at me with a fierce blush blooming on her face. We reply in unison, “Yes,” and burst into laughter.
Forty minutes later, Lucia pulls the pasticciotti and sfogliatella from the oven. While the pastries cool, we fill bags with the custard. Expertly, she guides us through filling the pastries.
“You two are an excellent team,” Lucia praises us. “Would you like new jobs?”
“While the offer to learn all the knowledge in your mind is tempting, we must decline,” Lily replies.
“Of course, merely a joke. Lucy and Peter might take issue with me giving away our family secrets. Although, I trust you two will guard these appropriately.”
“Without question,” I reply.
“We should box these for you to take with you.”
“Grazie, Lucia,” Lily thanks her.
“It was my pleasure to spend the last few hours with two people so much in love.”
With more pastries than we could possibly consume in the next few weeks and two large coffees, we share our goodbyes and absorb Lucia’s warmth again through her words and strong hugs. After a passing gesture of thanks to Peter and Lucy, we make our way down the street toward my truck.
“What else do you have planned for today, Moon?”
I twist toward her in the cab of my truck. “I know you aren’t a huge fan, but I do have a few more surprises planned for today.”
“Okay.”
I frown at my gorgeous woman. “Excuse me? You’re simply going to acquiesce, just like that?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my Lilianna?”
She kisses me lightly and pulls back a sliver. “I have been in love with you before I knew what love was. Platonic friendship love is great and allowed us to learn so many things about each other. Romantic love is exponentially greater. I know without hesitation that you and I are meant to grow old together. I resolve to allow you to love me every way you choose and be accepting of the same.”
“Thank you. Would you like to know where we’re going next?”
She winks and answers, “Surprise me.”
I take her mouth in a deep, penetrating kiss that leaves no room for mistaking my agreement with her words. Soon you will know without question I intend to grow old with you too. Shifting into drive, I pull away from the curb and follow a circuitous route to our college campus. We’re going to share our pastries in our secret spot.
Beyond the football stadium there’s a swath of trees that backs up to the nature preserve adjacent to campus. A few members of the inaugural football team carved out and blazed an area for reflection. Is it truly a secret from campus officials? Unlikely. Lily and I came here numerous times while we were in college.
“Excellent choice, Leo.”
“Thanks.”
We exit the truck with our coffees, pastries, and a blanket. My minions have set up our spot with everything else I need. I link my free hand with hers, and we stroll around the stadium.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lilianna
Speechless. No one has ever been able to render me mute other than Leo. Today he has outdone himself. Not only did he arrange for me to learn to bake our favorite Italian desserts with Lucia, but he set up our spot with a comfy and private place to eat them. There’s a bistro table with chairs and place settings as if we’re having a fancy breakfast here.
“Leo, this is so sweet of you.”
He smiles down on me. “Does being a closet romantic fall outside of the best friend knowledge zone?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Well, now you know. I am in fact a romantic at heart, which I will exemplify more a little later. First, we eat some of our delicious pastries.”
The closer we get to finishing our Anzetti’s treats, the more anxious Leo becomes. “What’s wrong?”
He drops his head. It’s classic Leo and tells me I’m spot-on. Something is up with him.
“Nothing’s wrong. I have something else for you.” He twists in his chair, stands, and spreads the blanket out on the ground. Taking my hand, he leads me over to the blanket, then scurries behind the backdrop and carries a large box over to me. “I started this box after the first dinner with your family. There’s a card or note for each event we attended together or each time you pulled me out of my head and forced me to focus on my career. Not all the contents are happy though. There’s a copy of your moving obituary for Gran and the video slideshow you created. There are cards from each birthday when we were dating someone else and a few small gifts in here as well. Most importantly, my true feelings are laid out in the notes and cards I never had the courage to give you before today. Well, that’s not true. I planned to give this to you at Frankie’s wedding.”
“You have been saving these all this time?”
“Yes.”
I gesture toward the lid of the box. “May I?”
“Please do.”
I exhale and prepare myself for the contents of his gift. He would never save something to hurt me, but the fact he saved everything makes my heart melt. “First, I have one too.”
“What?” His voice cracks.
“I have a box of us, if you will.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I do. I’ll share it with you when we get home.” A flood of emotions makes my stomach flip-flop. He has been storing all his feelings for me in this box for years. I unfold one small piece of paper. It reads: “I really dig you.” It’s a kid’s valentine with a digger unearthing a heart. His signature is super cute. I sift through more and find a small box from a jeweler. The contents have shifted a bit because they aren’t in order anymore. “Leo?”
“Those were a gift for your twenty-fifth birthday.”
I mentally go backward in time. “I was dating Oliver.”
“Yes. I may not have liked him at all, but I refused to disrespect your relationship.”
I open the small, velvet box and find gorgeous diamond stud earrings. I’ve always wanted a pair but wouldn’t buy them for myself. A single tear rolls over the ball of my cheek.
Leo swipes it away with the pad of his thumb.
“You remembered?”
“I remember everything. You always wanted a pair of classic, diamond earrings to wear everyday but never bought them. You certainly can afford them.”
“You need me to say it, Moon?”
“No. I know your reason. You thought it was a gift a serious long-term boyfriend would get for you.”
Muffled and teary, I agree with him. “Yes.”
“I may not have been your boyfriend then, but I am now.”
I sift through the box more and pull out a strip of pictures from a picture booth at the county fair, an old photo from high school graduation, and one with Leo holding me tight while spinning in a circle at college graduation. The look on our faces in that one is mixed. Within a week of that photo was the first time Leo and I were apart for more than a few days. When I look up at him, he’s staring skyward.
“Leo?”
“When I left the hospital and I recovered enough, we went to dinner with our family.”
“Yeah?” Angst and concern ripple through me.
“I had a private conversation with your father, and you asked me what we discussed.”
“Yes, and you indicated you wanted to keep it between you and him.” My mind is spinning with possibilities. While it was difficult not to press him, I respect his boundaries.
“I did, and I’m grateful you didn’t push me to share before now.” Leo continues, “A few days before the draft, we made a trip home to see everyone.”
“Right, you wanted to be on campus because we had classes the next few weeks.”
“Yes. On that trip, I asked your father for permission to date you.”
Shock courses through me. “Really? Why?”
“The same reason that ultimately held me back. I was afraid to lose you and my extended family.”
I think back to our tense ride back to campus and the craziness leading to the draft. “You didn’t though.”
“No, I was terrified you would say no. Then….”
“Gran died,” I offer.
Leo nods, inhales deeply, shifts onto one knee, and takes my hands in his. “My conversation with Papa was similar this time. The main difference is I’m not afraid of your answer. Loving you is like breathing. It’s automatic and necessary for my survival. It took me too long to recognize my feelings for you are more than I could’ve ever fathomed finding in one single person. Most people don’t meet their partner and soulmate in third grade, but pulling your ponytail was the smartest move I ever made. Each year since then has only solidified our relationship. True, we took a little detour, but we found our way back to one another. Lilianna, will you marry me and take my last name?”
I capture his lips with mine and kiss him slow and deep. Drawing back, I add a hint of space between us and kiss away the tear on his cheek.
“Stella, you didn’t answer my question.”
“Yes, oh, Moon, yes!”
He pulls a blue, velvet box from….
My chest tightens when I recognize the logo on the box. I shouldn’t be surprised he remembers, but I don’t recall when I shared the information or how he could’ve heard it. “You didn’t?” Nestled inside the blue box is my dream engagement ring—a Harry Winston emerald cut diamond with tapered baguettes on either side.
A proud smile graces his gorgeous face. “I did.” He slides his ring on my finger, and it’s a perfect fit, much like we are. “I love you, Stella.”
“I love you, Moon.” I kiss him repeatedly until we’re both panting. “Do you have any more surprises up for today?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Maybe. What do you want to do?”
“I want to celebrate alone with you.” I hesitate a millisecond too long.
“But?”
I wrinkle my nose.
“You want to celebrate with our family too,” he offers.
I hold my index finger and thumb apart about an inch. “A little.”
The grin on his face says it all.
I jump to my feet and look around. We’re the only people here. “Are they here?”
“Sort of. They’ll be meeting us for family dinner at our hotel in three hours.”
Tears prick my eyes. “Really?”
“Yes. What do you think about checking into our suite, celebrating privately for a little while, and then celebrating with our family?”
I grab my box, hand the pastry box to Leo, and take his hand in mine. “Yes.” At a slow jog, we hurry back to his truck and make our way to celebrate our engagement in a posh hotel suite.
We check in and make our way upstairs. The suite has a gorgeous view of the harbor. I set an alarm on my phone to give us time to dress before dinner. It doesn’t take long for both of us to shed our clothes and fall onto the plush bed. With slow, painstaking precision, we explore one another as if it’s the first time. I suppose it’s the first time we chase bliss as an engaged couple. Once the waves of pleasure cease, I curl into Leo’s side.
Leo kisses the top of my head. “How long do you want to be engaged?”
“Not long, but it may require decreasing the guest list.” A few months seems too long in my mind. I pin my eyes to his.
“How long is not long?”
“The twentieth-fourth of November.”
Leo sits up and draws me into his arms. “You want to get married on Gran’s birthday?”
The tone of his question makes me pause. “It was just a suggestion.”
“I’m not upset. Why then?”
“It’s fine.”
“Stella, please tell me why?” His words are almost a growl.
“If it wasn’t for her, we never would’ve met. She moved here for you to have a better life. The other option is to wait until September sixth of next year.”
“What happened that day?”
I laugh. “You pulled my hair and became my protector for the rest of my life.”
“But?”
“I don’t want to wait almost another year for the privilege of calling myself Mrs. De Gaetano.”
“Say that again,” he demands.
“Mrs. De Gaetano.”
“Sounds perfect.” Leo presses a sweet, tender kiss to my lips.
“It does. I won’t say I didn’t practice writing my first name and your last name together at one point, numerous times.”
“Is that a thing?”
“Oh, absolutely yes.” My laughter is interrupted by the trill of my alarm. “Ready to meet the in-laws?”
With confidence, he answers, “I’m set there. Let’s go have dinner with our family.”
I laugh, and we clean up and dress for dinner. Leo wraps my hand around his forearm.
“Now isn’t the time to remind me of your sexy forearms, fiancé.”
“I’ll push my sleeves up as soon as possible, fiancée.”
