December 20th
Catrina put the finishing touch on Catherine’s hair with a red bow that matched her red and white dress. Catherine tipped her head back to stare up at her mother with a toothy smile that made Catrina’s heart melt.
It was like looking into a younger mirror when she stared at Catherine. They shared the same delicate features and smile. Even the way her daughter cocked her eyebrow when someone said something she didn’t like was just the same as Catrina.
Those greens eyes and that dark hair was all Dante, though.
“Do I look pretty, Ma?” Catherine asked.
Catrina kissed the tip of her girl’s nose. “The most pretty, Catherine.”
“I look like you. We match.”
Well, mostly.
Catrina’s dress was a tighter fit, and sexier. Adult to Catherine’s sweet child dress. They were the same satin, though, and the same red with white accents. Even the red kitten heels Catherine wore were similar to her mother’s sky-high Prada stilettos.
“We do,” Catrina said.
Catherine preened.
“Let’s go show Daddy, huh?”
She helped her daughter down from the large bed. They had used one of the many guest bedrooms in the Marcello mansion to ready for the Christmas party, while Dante and Michel had opted to use her husband’s old bedroom.
The kids had practically crawled up their father’s legs the second he walked into the mansion. They didn’t let go of him for a couple of hours after, either.
Catrina had planned for that, though. She made sure they got there in lots of time for the kids to reunite with them after their five days away, plus prep for the guests that would be soon arriving to party.
She reminded herself once again to thank her sisters-in-law for pulling extra weight with the whole party thing. She should have been here to help decorate more, and set up.
Kim and Jordyn got it, though.
Everyone needed a moment to breathe.
Catherine held tight to her mother’s hand as they headed down the long hallway to where Dante was readying himself and Michel. Sweet as could be, Catherine skipped along at Catrina’s side with a wide smile.
Every step her daughter took made her dress swing back and forth with a swishing sound. Catherine put a little extra bounce in her step just to make it that much louder.
Catrina couldn’t help but laugh.
“I was a good girl for Grandmamma and Grandpapa,” Catherine told her mother.
Outside the bedroom door, Catrina brushed a stray curl off her daughter’s shoulder. “I knew you would be.”
Catrina knocked twice on the bedroom door, and waited for her husband to call her inside.
“It’s open.”
Inside, Catrina found Dante was finishing with Michel by showing him how to knot his tie properly in the mirror.
“And then we pull it just like this,” Dante said.
Catrina smiled.
Michel, too, matched his father in a black suit with a matching red vest and tie. The two looked as handsome as could be.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Dante patted Michel on the very top of his head. “You got it, son.”
“Looks at me, Daddy!”
Catherine did a little twirl. Dante’s laughter lit up the room as he came to bend down in front of Catherine. He flipped out the skirt of her dress, and made sure the buckles on her shoes were snapped well. Then, he straightened her bow a bit.
“My pretty bambina,” he told her.
Catherine preened all over again.
She liked her compliments, as far as that went.
“You have to make sure you don’t get dirty, right?” Dante asked.
“I don’t like dirt, Daddy.”
Catrina snorted.
Dante nodded. “I know, Catherine.”
“Michel, why don’t you take your sister down to see Grandmamma and Grandpapa?” Catrina asked.
“Sure, Ma.”
Michel snagged his sister’s outstretched hand before the two darted from the room. That left Catrina and Dante all alone.
Dante stood, and allowed Catrina to check him over. She went over his suit with her hands, brushing away invisible lint that didn’t exist. She pretended to check his red tie and matching napkin, but those were perfectly knotted and folded as well.
Nothing new.
“You look beautiful,” Dante murmured.
Catrina smiled. “Oh?”
“The most beautiful.”
She laughed. “I am not like Catherine, bello. Compliments don’t do much for me, you know.”
“I still like to tell you.”
“I still like it when you do, too.”
Dante grinned a sexy sight. “I know. Do you want to do a little twirl for me, too? Let me see what those heels do for your legs?”
“You know exactly what they do for my legs, and better yet, what they do when they’re wrapped around your head.”
“Damn, donna.”
Catrina flashed her teeth and winked. “Save that for later. After all, you have a while before you have to worry about anything other than making me happy, and entertaining our kids.”
“True.”
“I expect breakfast in bed tomorrow,” Catrina told him.
Dante nodded. “Done.”
“And you can help me out of this dress later.”
“The heels stay on, though.”
“Of course.”
• • •
“Papa.”
Antony smiled wide as he approached Dante and Catrina. “Son. Don’t you look … happy.”
“That’s as good of a word as any,” Dante replied.
The Christmas party was in full swing. All the guests had arrived with no problems. The first course of food had been served. Bubbly champagne and red wine was being passed around. Santa had come for all the little ones in the mansion.
Lucian had finally made his appearance to surprise his wife and kids. Although, Catrina didn’t know where Jordyn and Lucian had disappeared to for the moment.
Cecelia was fully enjoying herself, proud of the way the girls handled the party, and didn’t have a bad word to say about anything.
Catrina counted all of that as a battle won for herself.
And her sisters-in-law.
“Where is Catherine and Michel?” Antony asked.
“Likely trying to get a second go at Santa,” Catrina replied.
Dante chuckled. “They were convinced he wouldn’t recognize who they were a second time around what with all the kids.”
“You tried that once, too,” Antony said.
“Really?”
Antony nodded. “Didn’t realize I was the one in the suit, though. You were about three, or so.”
“Classic Dante,” Catrina said.
Her husband patted her on the ass, although not in an obvious fashion.
“Your mother would like a dance,” Antony told Dante.
Catrina’s husband looked to her.
She shrugged.
“I guess I’ll take Antony, then.”
Antony, in his Santa hat and with a wide smile, offered his arm. “It’s not a second pick, Catrina. Who do you think taught that husband of yours to dance?”
“My mother,” Dante said over his shoulder.
“And me, thank you,” Antony replied.
“Yes, thank you,” Catrina said. “For everything, Antony.”
The Marcellos were a lot of things …
The very best family was right at the top of the list.
Antony’s smile softened. “Someone wanted the best Christmas for everyone this year, Catrina. I was only giving her what she wanted.”
Catrina didn’t ask who her father-in-law meant. She didn’t need to.
He clearly meant his own wife.
Antony was every single reason why his sons loved their wives the way they did.
Entirely. Wholly. Fully.
Unwavering. Always.
The kind of love that scared people. The kind of love that never failed.
So yeah, for that, Catrina would forever be grateful.