Epilogue
One month later …
The newly renovated kitchen at Petit Louve looked just as it did back in December, like nothing had ever happened. Holly felt only excitement as she walked around and inspected everything.
“Do we have enough pate? It’s going fast,” she said to Pierre.
“Yes, Chef.”
“And the petit fours? Is Christina keeping up with the demand?”
“Yes, Chef.”
“And what about—”
“Aunt Holly!”
Holly stopped and turned around. Standing in the doorway of her kitchen was Hannah, all dressed up in her new party clothes that she picked out herself. Next to her, Dante held her hand and flashed her a smile, which made her knees go weak. Was it always going to be like this?
“Aunt Holly, stop! You can’t be hiding back here when you have lots of people out there waiting to meet you,” Hannah said in a matter-of-fact tone. “It’s not good business! People want to see the chef. Isn’t that right, Dante?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Yes, honey, you’re right.” He looked at Holly. “She’s very smart, you know. You should listen to her.”
Holly let out a loud laugh, which made a couple of her staff stop and turn, their jaws slacked. She sent them a warning look. They turned away, quickly going back to their jobs. Though her personal life had improved and changed a lot, she was still The Ice Queen in the kitchen.
She walked over to them, and Dante slipped an arm around her waist. “You’re working too hard,” he said.
“It’s not good for the baby!” Hannah added.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Did you eat?” Hannah asked. “You’re probably hungry.”
“She’s always hungry,” Dante said, then grabbed a few canapes from a tray carried by a passing waiter.
“Fine,” she grumbled as he popped two of them in her mouth. This whole True Mate baby thing could be a bother sometimes, especially with her enhanced appetite, but it was all worth it.
That morning on New Year’s day, as soon as they had gotten up from bed, they couldn’t wait to find out if she was pregnant. Dante had rushed out to get some tests. Sure enough, all three tests came out positive, proving she was indeed Dante’s True Mate. Of course, someone forgot to mention that she was also invincible, so it was quite a shock when she accidentally cut herself in the kitchen one day and the wound sealed right up.
“Done?” Dante asked as she chewed, then swallowed. “Good. Now, it’s time to stop working and have fun.” He looked over his shoulder at Pierre. “Don’t forget, drinks at Muccino’s for everyone when you’re done.”
“Yes, Chef!”
Dante led Holly away from the kitchen with Hannah in tow. “Aunt Holly,” she said, “you missed all the fun. Mika was trying to balance a spoon on her nose, but Lucas kept trying to distract her and she got mad and chased him around. Then, Cross was teasing Dee, and so she …”
Holly tried to hide a grin as she listened patiently to Hannah’s story. It seemed that after three months of silence, her niece was making up for lost time and would not stop talking. Being part of the New York and New Jersey clan had not only changed her life, but Hannah’s as well. She was surrounded by people who loved her, and she was flourishing. Frankie was even able to get her into another elementary school nearby, one that she said Lucas and Adrianna would be attending the following year.
They entered the dining room, and the grand opening party was already in full swing. The room was filled with people, VIPs, some food critics and bloggers, as well as other restaurateurs in the area who helped them out during their renovations. And, of course, the New York and New Jersey clans came out in full force. Even Nonna Gianna had made the trip over from Jersey and Noah arrived earlier, riding on his new, shiny motorcycle.
As they walked through the room, people came up to Holly, congratulating her and telling her how much they loved her food. She thanked each and every one of them for coming and accepted their compliments as gracefully as she could. Dante stood beside her whispering encouragements the entire time. They also passed by Sharice, who was giving an interview to a restaurant blogger with Enzo by her side. She smiled at Enzo, who looked handsome in his formal wear, despite the sling and cast on his right arm. Apparently, during the scuffle on New Year’s Eve, one of the men had grabbed Sharice and Enzo protected her, but broke his arm in the process. Sharice had been in shock and blurted out that she loved him while he was writhing in pain. Though she later denied it, the two of them had been inseparable since the incident.
Holly looked across the room and saw Selena and Quinn. The redhead nodded at her, giving her the signal that her “surprise” for Hannah had arrived. Selena pointed to the door.
Standing by the entrance was a tall man, taller than even Daric, and much broader. Though the thick beard and scar down his face made him look fierce, the baby carrier slung on his massive chest softened him. He held the door open as a woman and a little boy entered.
Hannah was going on and on about the other kids’ antics when Holly nudged her and pointed to the woman and the boy who were walking toward them. When Hannah’s head turned to see what she was pointing at, her eyes went wide and her mouth shut .
“Hi, you must be Hannah,” Evie King said as she knelt down to Hannah’s eye level. “I was told you’ve been waiting to meet me for some time now.”
Hannah remained frozen. Finally, she looked up at Holly and Dante, then back at Evie, her mouth open, no sound coming out.
Holly laughed. After weeks of non-stop talking, Hannah was speechless again, this time for a good reason.
“She’s not usually like this,” Dante said.
“She’s excited to meet you, I assure you,” Holly said. “She’s just overwhelmed.”
“I can’t believe it’s you!” Hannah said excitedly, seemingly finding her voice. Evie opened her arms, and she jumped in, giving her a hug.
“Hannah, this is my son Cliff,” she said, pulling the boy forward. He waved at Hannah shyly. “And that’s my husband Connor and our daughter Charley.” She pointed to the man with the baby carrier. Evie stood up. “I’m Evie,” she said as she turned to Holly. “You must be Dante’s Holly. Thank you for inviting us.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, blushing at being called Dante’s. “And thanks for coming.”
“My pleasure. I’ve heard so much about you. Maybe we can talk more later?” She turned back to Hannah. “Let’s go say hi to the rest of the kids.” Hannah, still in awe of her idol, took Evie’s hand and led her to the back room where all the kids were playing.
Holly and Dante continued to mingle, greeting guests and chatting with friends. But as the night wore on, more people left and soon it was only family and the New York clan left.
“Thanks again for setting up that surprise for Hannah,” Holly said to Selena.
“No problem.” Selena chuckled. “But I don’t think the surprises are done yet.”
“Huh?” She turned in the direction of Selena’s nod. Dante was walking toward her, a nervous smile on his face. What did Selena mean? “Dante?” she asked when he took her hand and pulled her to the middle of the room. “What’s going on?”
“Excuse me, everyone. I’d like your attention please,” Dante announced. The din died down and all eyes turned to them. “Thank you. Now, Hannah, honey, can you come here, too, please?”
Evie urged Hannah forward, who then walked to where Dante and Holly was standing. Dante cleared his throat. “Now that it’s just us here, I’d like to say a few words. I know it’s not my grand opening, but I hope you’ll indulge me because the only reason Holly agreed not to hide in the kitchen the whole night is if she didn’t have to make any speeches.” There were a few laughs from the crowd. “Now, as some of you may know, things didn’t start out too well for me and Holly. She thought I was spying on the competition, and I thought she was kind of a cold, uptight hard ass.” More chuckles. “But, for some reason, Holly thought I was worthy of her and not only did she choose a nobody from Jersey like me, but she also gave me the best gifts in the world.” He looked down at Hannah with a warm smile and then glanced at Holly’s stomach. “So … I want to ask you a question.” He got down on one knee. “Actually, I have two questions. First,” he took a small box from his pocket, “Holly, will you marry me?”
“Dante …” Holly gasped, her eyes wide at the beautiful diamond ring inside the box. “Of course! I mean, yes! I will.”
Dante’s face lit up, and he slipped the ring on her finger, but didn’t get up. “Now, I said I have two questions … Hannah,” he began. He reached into his coat pocket and took out an envelope. “I know I can’t replace your daddy. And I don’t want to, ever. These are the papers that will start the adoption process, so that Aunt Holly and I can become your legal parents. We’ve been talking about it for some time now, but I wanted to ask you formally. You don’t have to decide now, and you don’t have to agree either. You, me, Aunt Holly, and the baby will still be family forever.”
Hannah’s mouth opened, and she was speechless for a second time that night. A small cry escaped her throat and tears poured down her face as her small arms wrapped around his neck and she let out a sob. “Y-y-yes …” she managed to say as she nodded against his chest.
Dante picked her up in his arms and turned to Holly. She was crying too, her cheeks wet with her own tears. In fact, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“I love you,” she whispered, right before he leaned down and kissed her. Warmth spread through her, and she was more sure than ever of her love for this wonderful man. He not only accepted her but also Hannah.
“I love you, too,” he said when his lips left hers. “Now, the night’s not done yet. Let’s celebrate.”
Holly dried her and Hannah’s tears away. “I think that’s a great idea.”