“You look gorgeous.” Gia zipped up the back of Valentina’s ice blue lace dress. Valentina had chosen the color because it matched Hal’s eyes. “Are you nervous?”
Valentina thought about the question and answered truthfully. “Not at all. I can’t wait to be Hal’s wife. But then again marrying Hal is easy, we’re sort of ducking out before the hard part hits.”
“I’ll say. How did you get Father Mike to agree to keep the wedding a secret from Uncle G?”
Valentina shrugged. “I don’t know how Hal did it, but I’m glad he did. It’s not that I don’t want my dad to know, and I’m a little sad he won’t be there today, but Gia, you know how things are. Once my father got over the shock of me marrying Hal, he would have wanted a big Italian wedding with La Familia and all the rest. Do you remember when Benadetta got married?” Then Valentina let out a nervous laugh. “There must have been over five hundred people there! The wedding cake was four feet tall! And those ridiculous puffy bridesmaid dresses we all had to wear? I swear it was like a big Italian carnival. That’s the last thing I want. Besides, we don’t have the time to plan anything big like that. Hal took some convincing to do this my way, he didn’t like the idea of not talking to my dad first. But in the end, it must have all worked out because here we are on my wedding day!” Valentina gave her cousin a long, hard hug. “Thanks for being my maid of honor. I know you’re gonna bear the brunt of this when my father finds out that you were in on our elopement. It’s not going to be pretty for you.”
Gia hugged Valentina back just as hard. “Are you kidding? After all the crap you’ve had to go through for me? Pfft! Least I could do.”
A sudden rap at the door startled both girls into jumping apart. And then to their horror came the unexpected command.
“Valentina, È tuo padre aprire la porta”
“Holy shit! It’s Uncle G! He was supposed to be gone until tomorrow.” Gia whispered while Valentina paled and ran to the window. Just a few moments ago, Hal had been leaning on Big Blue waiting to whisk them off to their secret wedding ceremony. Now, Big Blue was still there but Hal was gone, and Valentina’s father was at her bedroom door demanding to be let in.
“Oh my god! If he sees me dressed like this…and where’s Hal? He was just out there a minute ago,” Valentina whispered frantically. “You don’t think..?”
“That Uncle G found out about the wedding and had him whacked?” Gia whispered back horrified.
“No! Jesus, Gia! That’s not what I was going to say, but where…”
Valentina’s words were cut off by a shrill voice that sounded out through the heavy wooden panel. “Gia, I know you’re in there too. Now you listen to your uncle and open this door right now!”
“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Is that my mother? Gia looked at a horror-stricken Valentina, and both girls stood with their mouths gaped open.
“Honey, open up. Everything is fine.” A third very masculine voice rumbled through the door.
“Hal?” Valentina tiptoed to the doorway and managed to squeak out his name.
An amused-sounding Hal rasped back. “Yeah, babe. It’s me. It’s okay to come out.”
Valentina gave Gia one last look before she slowly opened the door.
Gianni Abruzzi stood in the hallway with his best black suit on. Next to him, was Aunt Audrina dressed to kill in a pale pink suit and a fussy little hat. Hal looked incredibly handsome standing between them in a dark blue suit, snow white shirt and light blue striped tie.
Valentina had no idea what to say. Hal stepped forward and gave her a light kiss on the lips. “You look incredible, babe.” He grinned at her.
“Wh…what’s going on?” Valentina stammered out.
“Sneaking off to get married, Tia?” Hal raised an eyebrow.” Nah. That was never gonna happen. Not my style and you deserve much better than that. I had a nice talk with your father, and he gave us his blessings. We got a few people waiting at the church, too. Not a lot. But those that matter to us will be there. You good with that?”
Valentina looked at Hal with eyes bright with happiness. “I’m good with that.”
Then she turned to her father and with her eyes begged his forgiveness. “Papa, I’m sorry that I didn’t…”
But Gianni put his hand up to stop his daughter’s words. “Questo uomo ti rende felice?”
Valentina looked from her father to Hal then back again. “Yes, Papa this man makes me very happy.”
“Then there is nothing to be sorry about. Now, I think we have a wedding to go to—no?” Gianni smiled at her.
“Yes!” Gia stepped out from behind the door and yelled out with exuberance.
Aunt Audrina narrowed her eyes and wagged her finger at her wayward daughter, then Audrina joined the rest of the wedding party as they laughed out loud.
Hal managed to stutter out the words I do but really the rest of it was pretty much a blur to him. The whole time Father Mike was saying the blessing and reading scripture and performing all the other rites that a marriage ceremony entailed, Hal was thinking about what a lucky bastard he was.
Valentina looked amazing, completely flawless. He couldn’t imagine a woman who could be any more gorgeous or sexy or perfect. He just kept thinking to himself this woman is going to be my wife. I get to marry her. I get to spend the rest of my life with her.
After the ceremony, Father Mike had arranged for a small reception in the community room attached to the church. Glory, Raine, and Claire decorated the whole place with fresh flowers and table cloths with matching napkins in all those pastel colors that Valentina loved.
When the newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Thomas walked into the little reception room, Valentina gasped and looked around in wide-eyed wonder as if Hal had just led her into the Taj Mahal. And in that very moment, Hal knew that if he lived to be one hundred years old he would never forget the happy surprise on Valentina’s face or the feeling it gave him to know he had put that smile there.
He intended to make that look last forever—starting with tonight. Hal was pleased that Valentina was enjoying the reception, but really, he was ready for it all to be over. He wanted to take his woman to bed. At the precise moment that Hal was imagining Valentina naked and writhing beneath him, she turned and looked at him from across the room. She widened her eyes, bit her lip, and blushed that rose color that drove him insane.
Hal wondered how the hell it was that Valentina always seemed to know what he was thinking. He grinned at her and tipped the beer he was holding in her direction. When he did the light caught the wedding band on his hand and it drew his attention to the thick circle of white gold. Hal stretched out his hand and looked at the ring.
“You’ll get used to it.” Prosper clapped Hal hard on the shoulder. “It’s a good fit.”
“The ring?” Hal asked.
“The woman.” Prosper grinned.
They both turned to Valentina who had started making her way across the room to her husband. The look of joy, love, and pride in her eyes when she looked at Hal made everything in the room seem colorless in comparison.
“So you think I can make her happy, Boss?” Hal asked sincerely. “Even though I’m not the white picket fence kind of guy?”
“White picket fences are way the fuck overrated. And as far as making your woman happy, brother? Take a look at her. I think you pretty much got that one already covered.”