Page 17

Dante

“See?” I told her. “You are about to surpass me in wicked humor.”

“Nooo, I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “You are one of the funniest guys I have ever met. I’m just a novice at this. In fact, I think everyone who knew me before would say, Della is dry and dull.”

“Oh, hell no.” I shook my head. “You are really the opposite of those things.”

Nodding, she went on, “You maybe saw that in me when no one else has before. But I knew something wasn’t right with my life. I mean of course, I did. Someone killed my parents. Then Ophelia shows up and takes me away. I went into my shell. I admit it. I went to college and everyone I met was new to me. I no longer had any family to go home to, no childhood friend groups. I was pretty much alone and so I just stood back and watched other people live happy lives. They seemed confident mostly. Having friends and alliances while I was just drifting around with O’s businesses. Always on the fringe and never participating.” She gazed up at me. “Until the day I was brought here. The way you looked at me. It made me nervous, yes, but it also reached inside me and tugged at the person I knew I should have been.”

I grasped both her hands. “I saw a woman with a light in her eyes. Like a person waiting for something. I did love how you jumped Valencia in the study that first day though I would say that is participation for sure.”

Della shook her head. “You didn’t let me punch her enough.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I couldn’t. But now look at you. Sparkling eyes. A happy lilt to your voice. And I am more in love with you with every hour that passes.”

Her eyes widened a bit. “Really?”

Nodding, I said, “Plus, you are one hot babe .” I grinned at her.

“Better watch it. Making me believe all of this. I will fall into the princess syndrome like Valencia.”

I paused and told her, “I think she’s lost that facade, Della.”

Shrugging, she looked away. “I shouldn’t have said that. She was never mean to me or anything. Well, until she knocked me out and put me in a grave.”

I shook my head and admitted, “Well, that sounds kind of mean actually.”

We both laughed.

I put our pizza box away and dug into the bag to retrieve my other surprise. Pulling it out, I showed it to Della.

She leaned close to read the box, “ MoonPie, the original marshmallow sandwich since 1917 .” She then laughed. “I thought you were making that whole thing up.”

“Heck no and I even found this…” I swiped my phone and scrolled down a ways. “You need to see the website. It is sooo funny.” I handed her my cell.

Taking it, she smiled and gazed down at it. “We give you the moon. History never tasted so good,” Della read from the screen aloud. “It all began in 1917 when a Kentucky coal miner asked our traveling salesman for a snack ‘as big as the moon.’ Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history.” Della laughed and pointed at the screen. “The website is so cute, with all the cartoon-like stars and moons.”

“I know it is a trip.”

She gasped, “Oh, my God and guess what?”

I leaned in to look at the phone with her.

“There really is a MoonPie store, Dante!” She laughed.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I had been joking about that. It’s in Chattanooga Tennessee.” Then I pointed at another part. “It says they even have a MoonPie handbook. And merch.” I looked up at her. “Well, looks like we will be taking the jet to Chattanooga for our honeymoon.”

We laughed together.

Then Della’s laughter halted. “Wait, you were serious about that? Marrying me?”

I stared at her. “I was. You know by now that when I’m serious, I mean what I say. I think you need the Dante handbook, Della.”

“I suppose I do need one?” She grinned at me.

I leaned in close and kissed her lips briefly. “We are gonna learn more everyday about each. It will be our life’s adventure.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I think today was too full of adventure already.”

“Well, let's just have our MoonPie party then. I promise there will be no car swerving and no bullets.” I tore the MoonPie box open. Then took the round plastic wrapped delicacy out, tore that open and did the choo-choo train thing people did with toddler babies to get them to eat. “Chugga Chugga…Here comes your MoonPie. Zoooommmm.” I pressed it to her mouth.

Giggling and rolling her eyes, she opened up and took a bite.

“See? I knew you would start with the eye rolling anytime now,” he teased. “I mean you are a woman and I am a man… it was bound to happen.”

Chewing, she nodded and hummed, “Mhmmm…”

I then took a bite of the same MoonPie. Chewing, I nodded. “Love it. I wonder if we could have a MoonPie wedding cake?”

She swiped her mouth and laughed. “What would that even look like?”

I chuckled. “I don’t know, maybe totally round but all my brothers would try to put me in the looney bin finally.”

We again were laughing as I fed her another bite. “Dang, I forgot the milk. This is supposed to be a twosome. A tall glass of milk and a MoonPie.”

Jumping out of bed, Della said, “Wait here a second.” She then went to the adjoining door, opened it and entered the private lounge.

I listened to the sound of clinking and a door slamming shut.

She then came back and raised up a small pint of milk. “I almost broke the fridge somehow. But I just had to check and see if they stocked any milk.” Rushing over, she sat back down on the bed and handed me the carton.

I stared at her. “You are too sweet, Della.”

“Aww shucks, Dante.” She beamed at me.

We sat and took bites of a second MoonPie. Then sips of milk.

“You were right about today being too full of adventure,” I agreed. “Going to a famous southern cemetery called City of the Dead on a date of all things. What was I thinking? Only to get shot at and have to make a run for it in a limousine. Then we almost crashed said limousine. Next, we got hit again in a parking garage where I had to use my gun for the first time in a long time.”

Della finished with her MoonPie and asked, “So you had to shoot someone else? I mean besides um, Renzo?”

Nodding, I shoved the plastic wrappers and the box back into the bag with the half empty pizza box. “Yeah, that was a bad day.”

Cocking her head at me, she coaxed, “Can you talk about it?”

I let out a long breath and told her the story, “About two years ago, we had some serious trouble. Someone in the Famiglia hated Luca. He felt slighted when Luca wouldn’t hire him to work here. Luca told me the man was not well. He was unbalanced and Luca did not want him in our family business. So this Cossi guy had a hardon type of hatred going after that. He sent hitters after Luca. Our bodyguard cousins protected Luca and disposed of the hitters. Then one morning, Luca hitched a ride with me to work, here at the building. This man, Cossi, came at us after we got out of the car. I had to use my gun after he shot Luca in the shoulder.” I lowered my head and went on, “Like I told you a few times, I never wanted the mob life. But sometimes it wants me and pulls me in anyway. Then there was a court trial as the cops tried to pin Cossi’s death on Luca. See, my big brother did not want the authorities or anyone to know I was even there or to know I’d been the one to shoot Cossi. He didn’t want me to have a record of any kind. Father and the rest of the family all backed him up in that. Even Zia agreed. No record for Dante the accountant.”

“Wow.” Della reached over and grasped my hand. “That must have been rough.”

“It was at the time and super frustrating for me. I live in the truth, ya know? And here I was living a big lie by allowing Luca to take the fall for me.”

“But babe,” Della said as she squeezed my hand. “If you would have been accused you would have taken a double fall for him. I’m glad they protected you.” She kissed my knuckles the way I always did to hers.

“You are damn cute, you know that?” I asked her.

“Nah…You are cuter than I am.” She grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes. “More of the fan club thing.” I pretended to toss my hair back with my hand even though it was too short to do that with.

Laughing at my Cher-like move, she said, “I’m your number one fan.”

“You’re my only fan,” I told her. “And I don’t mean online as in Onlyfans.”

Her eyes sparkled with humor as she nodded at me. “With your body, you could make a very good living over there.”

I chuckled. “No thanks. I’m too shy to be taking nudies of myself.”

“Nudies?” She giggled. “Oohh, I want some. I’ll even pay you for those.”

I scoffed and raised my chin at her. “I have too much integrity for that, woman .”

We both cracked up again.

“You sure?” she asked. “You might need some extra cash, tipping hundreds and riding around in that limo isn’t cheap, ya know?”

“Well, we won’t be riding in that particular limo anymore. I mean it had a real bad day for sure and it is toast. And three men bit the dust today, bless their souls.”

“Why do you say bless their souls, Dante? They were trying to kill us.”

“Yeah, I know but I’ve been around this mafioso crap long enough to have learned a few things. And one of those things is that men are given orders just like soldiers in a war. Those three lost their lives for that service today.”

Della nodded. “Yeah, like Petrov. He wasn’t a bad guy that I ever saw. And I was always grateful to him for saving my bacon. So I agree with that part, I suppose. It is Deacon’s fault for sending him out.”

“That is an official club you know?” I told her. “The It Is Deacon’s Fault club.There are like twenty-five Walker family members along with an army of biker clubs that all curse that man. Now, my father and brothers have joined too.” I let out a sigh. “Well damn, I think I just brought this MoonPie-slash-pizza party way down,” I grumbled.

She shook her head and said, “No, the MoonPie-slash-pizza party was awesome, Dante. I mean I never had such a good time in my whole life. But I also think it’s sweet that you took the time to think about those men.”

“You keep telling me that I’m cute, generous and now sweet. This is gonna ruin my rep, ya know?”

Smiling, she asked, “And what is your rep known for?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Like this swaggering savoir-faire Italian icon that plays Mario Kart, quotes Mark Twain all the time and saves damsels in distressed limos.”

Della burst out again with laughter. “It’s damsel in distress, not damsels in distressed limos.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know…That limo got rammed by an SUV and it was all shot up too. I think that counts as a distressed limo.”

“Ok, ok…” Della kept laughing. “I think you’re tired like me. Cause I am sorry but that is just not a real thing.”

“Maybe not,” I conceded as I picked up the big party bag and scooted over. “Time for some shuteye. We adventurers need a rest once in a while.”

“It has been a day, for sure,” she agreed.

Placing the bag on the nightstand, I turned that light off. Next, I divested myself of the fluffy robe.

Staring at me in the dim light, Della asked, “You are gonna sleep naked?”

I nodded as I scooted back over and untied her robe belt. “And so are you as I am going to disrobe you.” I growled playfully. “Bare that sweet kissable skin to my purview.”

She kept giggling as I proceeded to steal her robe. Rolling her over a couple of times to get it removed, I added some tickling to her sensitive spots as well.

After more giggles and my fake growling, she was finally nude.

“Meow!” I tugged her close to my body. “Yuhummy.”

Laughing, she said, “Do you always sleep in the nude?”

I shook my head. “Nope, but I plan on making it a habit now.” I spooned her body with mine. “See, skin on skin. I knew it would feel soft.”

“It feels glorious, but it isn’t soft. Is that a moonpie in your pocket or are you just glad to spoon me?”

I laughed. She was right, I was entirely hard again. “There you go again, trying to take my wicked humor title away. Bad girl,” I admonished.

“Yes, but you made me a bad girl,” she replied. “And this bad girl is the happiest she has ever been in her whole life. The parts that were dangerous don’t even matter to me as long as we get to be together. I-I love you Dante.”

Upon hearing the four words I didn’t know were coming, I sucked in a breath and tightened my hold on her sweet silky skinned body. “I love you too, sweet Della.”

We both then almost instantly fell asleep.