If there are other ways to demonstrate my loyalty to the Lippert family – and keep the benefits of my life here – shouldn’t I explore them? My mind surprises me, then, by turning to Ivan. He had told me himself that he was throwing his hat into the ring. And, well. He noticed me in ways that Danie
Jerome drives casually down the country roads close to the stables, singing along with the old country music from the 50s and 60s that’s playing on the radio. I smile, watching and listening to him. Who knew that a guy trying to work his way up in a mafia family could sing so well.And knew so much
“Ah, come on,” he says, wrinkling his nose at me. “Let someone else exercise your horse today. Hang out with me instead.”“Seriously?” I say, tilting my head as I look at him. “You think that if you block the path towards the thing that I actually want to do, I’ll just cave and go out with you?” He
That afternoon, I have a lot more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Perhaps made even more fun by the knowledge that when I get home, Kent is going to kill me. So, I’d better live it up while I can.“Another!” I call to the bartender, raising my hand to get his attention. Ivan laughs at me, pullin
“No,” I say, narrowing my eyes, my smile dropping a little bit. I’m serious now, not playing anymore. “But I thought…I thought you were just trying to date me for…for who I am. For the connections you would make, if you took me away from Daniel.”Ivan doesn’t flinch at that. Just holds my eye contac
Kent doesn’t wait for me to climb the steps up to the house. Instead, he goes in ahead of me, leaving me to follow dutifully behind.I feel my stomach turn over for the second time today, though this time for totally different reasons. I would feel better, frankly – understand it more – if Kent were
“Have I not been kind to you, Fay?” Kent scolds. “Have I not given you your horse, given you your sister back? You have everything you need to live a happy life, if you’d just stay within the lines I draw for you.”His voice raises in the final words of his sentence, and I clench my teeth as I hear
I pound my hands against Kent at first, desperate to get away, but he holds me steadily against him with that arm wrapped around my waist, with that steady hand wrapped in the hair at the base of my neck. I am locked in place as he moves his mouth against mine, his movements slow, controlled, taking
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I