Chasing after You, page 23
“Oh, how I love you.”
He kisses my temple. “I love you.”
We step into a domed pavilion overlooking the water to a boisterous round of applause. Once Leo and I make it through the receiving line, we take our seats and dine on a delicious family meal.
Epilogue
Lilianna
It’s been nearly a week since Leo proposed, and I’m still floating on cloud nine. When Lina pushed up her wedding, I was surprised. Now I completely understand.
“Lily, we’re going to be late. I refuse to be late this time.”
“What are you talking about. I’m ready.”
He comes around the corner. Leo is decked out in a suit and tie that matches my dress. “You are gorgeous, Stella.”
When Lina indicated we needed a blue dress, I immediately recalled this dress in my closet. “Thank you.” My man extends his arm to me, and we make our way to Lina’s. Once we park, Leo inhales sharply.
“Talk to me, Moon.”
“I’m good. I made it here in one piece. Just relishing in my good fortune for a moment.” It isn’t the location but the occasion. He rounds the car, opens my door, and kisses me breathless.
“You better make it the next Cappelli wedding in one piece too.”
“Don’t worry, Stella. I’ll be there holding back tears when you make your way to me on Papa’s arm.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either. Let’s get you inside before your sisters have my head.” Leo grins at me. The commotion inside the house is more than I expect. “Divide and conquer. I’ll check on the guys, you check on the girls. See you in a bit.” He kisses me and ushers me upstairs.
Sobs and tears echo down the hall. “I can’t get married without his family here. What am I going to do?” Lina cries.
I reach the threshold and see Lina pacing like a madwoman in the master bedroom.
“I’m open to suggestions. I’m getting married in two hours to the man of my dreams, and his family is stuck at an airport.”
“What is Gugliotti’s opinion?” Frankie inquires.
“I haven’t told him yet,” Lina replies.
Oh, Lina!
“Momma, you said this day was about you and Taddy. Whether Gramma and Grandpa G are here shouldn’t matter,” my niece Emilia offers.
Lina looks at her daughter and smiles. “Thank you, Em. I’m working on how to tell Taddy about the problem.”
“I know I’m kind of new here, but isn’t your future husband a police officer?” Ellie carefully asks.
Lia answers, “You’re one of us now, Ellie. What are you suggesting?”
She continues, “Well, can we arrange an escort for them from the airport? I mean, they’ll still be late, but not that late.”
Everyone in the room looks expectantly at Lina.
“That’s a great idea, Ellie. Lily, can you go downstairs and figure out a place where I can talk to Santino without him seeing me?”
Honestly, the notion is ridiculous considering they woke up together this morning. As I start to move to find a good spot, my phone vibrates in my hand.
Leo: Meet me at the top of the stairs.
I step out of the master bedroom. “What’s up?”
“I just got off the phone with Mrs. Gugliotti. They aren’t going to make it on time. Does Lina know about this?”
“Yeah, she wants to talk to Gugliotti about an option Ellie came up with.”
“Okay.”
“Why didn’t she call Lina?”
“Apparently, the bride and groom decided phones were off-limits as of nine this morning until after the ceremony,” Leo replies.
“Who answered the phone to find out they would be later?”
“I’m guessing Frankie, considering she had Lina’s phone and one I don’t recognize in her hands.”
“Makes sense.” I mentally scan the layout of Lina’s house. “Will the corner between the office and the living room work?”
“It’ll work if Lina puts on a robe over her dress.”
“Give me ten minutes, and she’ll be down.”
“Should I tell him the problem?”
“Let Lina do it even if we’ll lose a little time to start working on the solution.”
He laughs. “Okay.”
I head downstairs with Lina in tow. She and Gugliotti agree Ellie’s plan is a good one. Leo offers him a phone, and Lina heads back upstairs. Little does Gugliotti know, he’s hastening the arrival of his grandmother for the wedding—a surprise guest Lina arranged even after Gugliotti spoke to her and she indicated she couldn’t travel.
Soon thereafter, Lia marches downstairs to get some air. While the others wait in the living room, Lia and I step outside onto the front porch.
“I haven’t really talked to you since dinner in Boston. How’s engaged life?”
I smile. “Pretty much the same as before except I have a gorgeous ring and a wedding to plan.”
“When are you thinking? I won’t share.” Lia winks at me.
“Soon actually, but we’re waiting until after today to share with everyone. How is it going with Asher? How was your date with Keith?” At the grand reopening, Keith asked her on a date. They were classmates in elementary school for a brief time but didn’t know one another at all.
“Asher is my friend. He doesn’t want a relationship, and I do. Keith on the other hand….” She exhales before continuing. “We had an okay time, and I agreed to a second date.”
“But?”
Lia shrugs.
I supply, “You want Asher.”
“I do, despite not knowing the full details about the little girl.”
“Maybe you should ask him. If he’s truly your friend, he’ll share with you, right?”
“I would hope so. I met her, and she was with us when we went for ice cream.”
“Okay, you need to have a heart-to-heart with Asher. Dig deeper, find out what is truly going on with him and the little girl.”
She acknowledges my words. “I will.”
I surround her in my arms. “It may not be what you think. It’s certainly a good thing he allowed you to meet Nell and spend time with her.”
I feel his presence before he says anything. “Hi, babe.” I release Lia and turn toward my burly, tattooed fiancé.
He laughs softly. “You good, Pip?”
“Yeah. Guy trouble. Want to offer some advice?”
“Nope. I’m basically your older brother. I’m sure Lily’s advice was sound.”
Lia smiles. “It was.”
“I have an update. Captain Ramirez is set to bring the guests here, and we should only start fifteen minutes late.”
“Not bad at all,” I offer. We head inside, share the news with the bride and groom, and finish final preparations. Just under an hour later, Lina and Gugliotti are officially married with his grandmother in attendance. We dance the night away and assist with the cleanup.
“How keen are you on going home right now?” Leo asks.
“I’m open to suggestions and sufficiently intrigued. What do you have in mind?”
“Greasy spoon food and then a sunrise field trip.”
I sigh. This man gets me, and he’s mine. “I’m in.” We bid Lina and Gugliotti a wonderful time on their honeymoon in the Bahamas and head to the diner.
The food and the company are amazing. It’s been quite some time since I went to a diner decked out in a cocktail dress in the wee hours of the morning. “This was a great idea.”
Leo casts a smile in my direction over his coffee mug. “Thanks. Ready for the next part?”
“Sure.” We take a short drive back toward… our bench.
We haven’t been here since…. “Why here?”
He shifts into park and twists in my direction. “We need to change our last memory of this place to a good one. From here forward, they will all be good.”
“I can work with your request.”
Hand in hand, we climb the small hill and settle onto our bench. Just under thirty minutes later, the sun peeks over the horizon. Glorious shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink streak across the sky.
Leo draws me against him and presses a kiss to my temple. “Can you promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“If you ever need space, come here.”
“Why?”
“Then I’ll know where to chase you.”
I kiss him thoroughly and reply, “I promise.”
Thank you so much for reading Chasing After You!
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Kiss You Like You’re Mine
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Nicole Vidal, Chasing after You
