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She smiled, remembering the first night she’d come here searching for his help. How far they’d come since then.
Her engagement ring caught the firelight, sending prisms dancing across their skin.
“Have you thought more about the date?” he asked, his voice carrying that note of gentle persistence she’d come to know well.
“Still trying to pin me down?”
“Always.” His expression softened. “I’ve waited my whole life for you, Petal. I don’t want to wait much longer to call you my wife.”
When she didn’t respond, he went on. “We’ve known each other forever.”
And he’d consumed her for that long.
While her parents were okay with their relationship, her sister was another matter. Even though her wedding was upcoming, she still didn’t want anything to do with Sasha.
Last Saturday, she and Gregorio had stopped into her parents’ restaurant for dinner. And while the four of them had been in the kitchen chatting, Adriana had stopped in.
When she saw Gregorio, she’d gone for his jugular.
Patiently, he’d raised his hand and owned his part in the failure of the relationship. “Look, I was a shitty husband.”
“And you’re still a shitty human being,” she’d countered.
Gasping, their mother had crossed herself and their dad had scolded her.
Gregorio had shaken his head, telling his future father-in-law that he had things under control. “I deserve it.”
“Damn right you do,” Adriana had fired back. Then she’d rounded on her father. “Quit defending this cheating pair.”
“Adriana!” Sasha had protested. “That’s uncalled for.”
Eyes flashing anger, Adriana had glared at Sasha. “You’ve spent your whole life in my shadow, always settling for my hand-me-downs.”
Before she’d been able to respond, Gregorio had stepped in front of her, in Adriana’s line of fire. “I’ll tolerate your disrespect, but I won’t put up with you being rude to your parents or my future wife.”
“Wife?” she’d scoffed. “You two are getting married? Fuck that.” Then, she’d turned on Sasha once more. “I guess you’ll never deserve better than my leftovers.”
“You had one warning,” he’d said, voice scarily soft as he took a step forward.
Automatically, Adriana had moved back. “What are you going to do?”
“Throw you out of here.”
Adriana had gasped and Sasha blinked.He planned to escort Adriana out of the restaurant?
“You’re welcome to come back as soon as we leave.”
Chin tipped in defiance, Adriana had gasped. “Why I never!”
“Maybe someone should have taught you some manners before now. Rudeness is never okay. Like I said, come at me all you want. But never Sasha or your parents.”
“Gregorio is right,” her father had said.
Sasha had gaped at him. Not once in her life had her father said anything slightly harsh to his favorite child.
Her mother had blinked back tears.
Still between Sasha and her older sister, Gregorio had folded his arms. “Enjoy your evening.”