GIANNI

    Ican’t remember thest time I had to load a dishwasher

    If Roger caught me being this domestic, there would be no end to the sarcasm. There’s a reason I wanted us to be as alone as possible tonight. That meant giving almost everyone the night off except for the guys down by the gate. Not that I’m afraid of getting caught scouring a pan, but I need my crew to respect me. I don’t know that they could if they caught me up to my elbows in soap suds.

    That’s what I get for trying to give Caterina and Charles a little space. Neither of them needs me hanging around while she navigates this impossible conversation. I keep an eye on the patio, ready to jump in if it looks like things are going south, but I need to give her father a little more credit. It’s not like he would hurt her—that much, I know for sure. Nheless, I wouldn’t put it past him to throw furniture into the pool when he can’t control his rage.

    Maybe I’m projecting my anger management issues onto him.

    Finally, the table is clean and the sink spotless while the dishwasher hums quietly. There’s nothing left for me to do except check on them. Drying my hands, I head for the door, watching as Caterina presses her face to Charles’s chest. They’re both in tears, and with good reason, but at least there’s no fighting.

    For years, they were all each other had. I can rte to the feeling. Amalia was MIA for virtually all of Tatiana’s childhood, only popping in when she wanted something before breezing out again. Half the time, she asked to meet somewhere besides the house. She was that determined not to set eyes on her daughter.

    I can only imagine how difficult it must be for Charles to step back and allow someone else into her life. I’m/ witnessing the final moments of the two of them existing on their own–the two of them against the world.

    He lifts his head, wearing a smile, and Caterina is beaming when she looks up at him. Thest of the tension, that’s gued me all night loosens, and I can finally breathe as I slide the ss door open. “Everything all right out here?” I ask while stepping out.

    Caterina wipes her eyes with her hands, still smiling as she crosses the patio to give me a hug. ” Everything’s fine,” she announces, then murmurs, “Hell be okay.”

    After much sniffling and clearing his throat, Charles slowly approaches me. I’m not going to take the lead on this. He knows what needs to be said, and considering his pained expression, he knows it, too.

    “Say, Gianni. Ib, /buh… well, you see…” He scrubs a hand over his short, dark hair before rubbing the back of his neck while grimacing. “I’m having a hard time deciding what to say.”

    No shit. “Take your time, whatever it is.” Caterina squeezes me a little, even growling under her breath. Let her growl. I’ve waited a long time for what’sing. I refuse to rush things.

    “I’m sorry,” he finally announces. “I’m sorry for a lot of things. I was wrong, and I made many mistakes. I can’t promise I won’t make more, but for now, thank you for going out of your way to help with…”

    I’m not apletely heartless bastard, so I throw the man a lifeline. “I understand. I’m sorry there was nothing more I could do.”

    “What else could have been done? As I told Caterina, it doesn’t change anything beyond showing me how wrong I was and how much I have bto /bmake up for.”

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    “All that matters now is that we can all move forward and perhaps put some of this behind us.”

    “I would like that.” I’m not fooled. I see the way his jaw works as he grits his teeth before extending a hand to shake. It’s not going to be as easy as putting everything behind us. However, for now, it has to be enough that we’re both willing to meet halfway for the sake of the girl in my arms.

    A girl who releases a shuddering sigh when she watches us shake hands. “I’m a mess,” she announces, unwinding her arms from around my waist. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to clean myself up.”

    “Don’t take too long. I’m not sure if I can trust myself around the tiramisu that’s in the fridge.”

    Charles perks up. “Tiramisu? Now I wish I had saved a little room.”

    “It was one of the few things she didn’t insist on making from scratch,” I murmur once she’s in the house.” I managed to convince her to pick some up at a bakery. It meant a lot to her for everything to go well tonight.”

    “After all the shit I put you through, I’m amazed you let me through your front door.”

    “Let’s be fair,” I offer as we follow in Caterina’s footsteps, returning to the kitchen. “I’m no angel. We both know that. Although, I am willing to put all that behind us for her sake and our family’s sake.” His jaw ticks at the wordfamily, yet he’s gotten better at keeping his thoughts to himself. Maybe there’s hope of all of this working out, after allb. /bStranger things have happened, I’m sure.

    “I have to say, if there’s one thing I never expected, it was one day being part of the same family.”

    “That makes two of us.” As I reach into the refrigerator to pull the pink cardboard box from its shelf, another box that the velvet box in my pocket reminds me of a conversation I want us to have. With Caterina upied in the powder room, this might be the perfect time.

    Right away, my pulse picks up speed and a cold sweat covers the back of my neck. I’ve brokered deals with men who tortured people for fun, and I can’t find the words to ask a man for his daughter’s hand.

    “Charles, I-“It’s the ringing of the doorbell that cuts me off, and I grunt under my breath at the interruption. “Who the hell would show up at this time of night?”

    He follows on my heels, chuckling. “I would expect you to have somebody answering the door for you.”

    I’ll choose to take thatment at face value and not read into it. “I gave almost everyone the night off. I wanted it to be just the three of us tonight.”

    “I appreciate you trusting me that much.”

    “As we said, we’re putting all that in the past.” Still, I can’t help but scowl at him when he falls in step beside me. “And I know you wouldn’t do anything to upset Caterina.”

    “Good point.” To my surprise, he grabs my arm as I reach for the doorknob. “You’re sure it’s sate?”

    “I still have men down at the gate. They wouldn’t let anyone up who couldn’t be trusted.” Still, I’m slow to open the door, scanning the area before looking down to find a in cardboard box on the doormat. I glimpse up to find a brown truck rolling down the driveway, its taillights disappearing before I bend to pick up the package.

    “Probably something Tatiana ordered,” I murmur, checking thebel and finding her name. “Sure enough. I’m starting to think she’s collecting mailingbels at this point.”

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    “How is she, by the way?” he asks as I close and lock the door.

    “She seems to be getting better. She’s been going out more, which is a big step up from locking herself in her room day and night.” I toss the box onto the table beside the door, where she can pick it up once she gets home.

    “I’m pleased to hear that.”

    And here we are, awkwardly staring at each other forck of anything else to say. “Were you going to ask me something before we were interrupted?” he prompts sliding his hands into his pockets, lifting his brows.

    “Yes.”

    From where I stand, I can see the powder room door. It’s still closed, and the faint sound of running water tells me she’s busy washing her face. If I’m going to do this, I need to do it now. Here I am, a man some have called heartless, brutal, and countless other names on top of that. Nevertheless, I can’t find the words to express what’s in my heart. Especially not to this man, who already thinks so poorly of me no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

    “I’m going to say it all at once, since it’s not easy for me to talk about these things. I love your daughter very much. She is the most important thing in my world besides my own daughter–and the baby, of course. I would stop at nothing to make her happy. While she’s with me, she will never know anything but love. You can be sure of that.”

    “I believe you.”

    “Thank you. I know we haven’t done things the traditional way, but I want to make things official with the babying and with me already sure of mymitment to her.”

    He looks like he regrets he ever stopped drinking, his eyes widening as he gulps. “I see.”

    The ring box is heavier than ever. I’ve looked at the ring so many times since picking it up from the jeweler that I see it clearly in my mind’s eye. The pair of delicate tinum bands wound together into something more substantial, symbolizing the way our lives have intertwined. The brilliant cut, four–carat diamond that I would swear holds fire in its center–I’ve never seen a stone throw off the sort of light it does.

    And engraved inside, the words Forever Mine. I’m aching to slide it onto her finger.

    “I wanted to do this right,” I exin while my fingers itch to pull the box free. “I want to marry your daughter. I hope for your blessing–or at least your eptance, if your blessing is too much to ask for right nowi./ii” /i

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    b144.1 /b

    We turn in unison when the powder room door opens and Caterina emerges, fresh–faced, looking happy and content until she sees us standing together. “What happened?” she asks, freezing like a deer in headlights.

    “Nothing. Just a delivery.” I jerk my chin toward the kitchen. “And that tiramisu is calling my name.”

    “Thank you for cleaning up, by the way. I noticed when walked through the kitchen.” She winks at Charles, giggling. “You’re full of surprises.”

    “I do know how to use a sponge,” I retort as the three of us stroll down the hall. “And I’m fairly sure I even remembered to put soap in the dishwasher. You’re supposed to use the stuff in the bottle on the sink, right?”

    “Ha, ha.” Then she looks at me, frowning. “You’re not serious, are you?”

    “No. That’s what’s called a joke.”

    Charles heaves a sigh behind us. “Somehow, my daughter got it into her head that men are all helpless.”

    “Gee, where could I have gotten that idea from?” she fires back, smirking as she lifts the cake from its box.

    “You want some coffee?” I ask Charles, who nods eagerly. Anything, so long as I have something to do, something to distract myself. It’s amazing how a situation like this can make a man forget everything he

    knows.

    Do I do it here and now? Should I wait? I don’t know if bI /bcan wait. The days since I picked up the ring have been utter torture. No matter what I do, all I can think about is presenting it to her. Getting down on one knee, the whole thing. Making us official. It’s the least she deserves.

    If anyone ever told me I would end up brewing coffee for Charles Cole in my own kitchen after asking for his blessing to marry his daughter… Life is full of surprises.

    “Are you going to do one of those baby registry things?” he asks Caterina while sh lices the dessert.

    “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it,” she admits while licking cream and cocoa powder from her thumb. “I guess? I’m not even sure what we need.”

    “Don’t look at me,” I say with a shrug when the two of them do just that. “I’m sure they’vee up with at least another dozen must–haves since Tatiana was born”

    “Maybe that’s something we could do together,” Charles suggests, meeting my gaze over the top of her head. Why do I feel like this is a test? Probably because it is. He wants to be sure he has a ce in all of this, that I won’t shove him out of the way.

    “I’m sure you would be much more helpful than I ever could,” I admit, handing him a steaming cup. He makes a point of holding my gaze, inclining his head ever so slightly. That subtle gesture epasses a thousand words.

    I passed the test.

    “Before we eat…i” /iOh, I’m doing this. It felt like the morgent would nevere. Caterina gives me a quizzical smile when I take her hands, turning her away from the table.

    “What’s up?” She looks at Charles. “What’s happening

    “There’s something I need to say.i” /iAnd now that the time hase, everything I rehearsed in my head

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    vanishes in a puff of smoke. I don’t have the first idea where to start. How do you tell someone their existence makes yours worthwhile? How can I ever express the way she changed me?

    The thing is, with her father here, I’m not sure how I want to go that deep. Certain things are for her ears only. Rather than stumble my way through, I cut to the chase by getting down on one knee and reaching into my pocket.

    “Oh, my God.” She covers her mouth with one trembling hand, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Is this really happening?”

    “It really is.” I open the box and hold it up, offering the ring since I can’t pull out my heart and offer that instead.

    “I love you,” I murmur as my heart pounds out of control. This woman hasplete hold over me, body and soul. She’ll never understand how wholly she owns me. My entire existence hinges on this moment. Her answer. Three letters. I know what she’s going to say, since she already has, but that does nothing to lessen this profound moment. “Will you be my wife?”

    “Oh, Gianni,” she chokes out before the tears begin to flow again. “I—”

    Whatever she’s about to say is cut off by an ear–splitting explosion that rocks the house,

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