Page 109 of Second Chance Daddy

Dante just tugs me closer, smirking. “You know I’m harder to kill than that.”

Tina winks at me through her happy tears. “Yeah, but I’m more stubborn than both of you put together.”

Fair point.

Aria’s twirling around the little makeshift altar Dante built out by the lake, wearing a flower crown bigger than her head, cheeks flushed with excitement. She’s got one hand clutched around a cupcake because… well, she’s mine.

“You look pretty, Mommy,” she announces mid-spin. “And Daddy said I look like a princess.”

I choke back a laugh, my heart swelling until it hurts. Dante scoops her up, presses a kiss to her temple, his dark suit somehow making him look both terrifying and like the softest dad on Earth all at once.

“Princess,” he agrees, voice low. “But dangerous like your mama.”

I roll my eyes. “Dangerous? She’s four.”

“She’s mine. That’s dangerous enough,” he mutters, his lips grazing my ear. “Now, we don’t want to keep the priest waiting, do we?”

I shoot him a look, slipping my hand into his as we step onto the little dock by the lake. No crowd. No chaos. Just the water stretching out behind us, the faint hum of birdsong, and the wind brushing through the trees.

Dante’s eyes lock on me, and everything else fades.

The priest speaks quietly, his words blending into the sound of the lake lapping against the shore. The cool breeze plays with the hem of my dress, but I’m burning from the inside out under Dante’s stare.

When he slides the ring onto my finger, his thumb brushes along my knuckles, rough, reverent.

“Mine,” he whispers, just for me. “Always.”

Before I can catch my breath, his hand slips to my waist, pulling me flush against him, his mouth crashing to mine. It’s the kindof kiss that seals promises, that dares the world to try and tear us apart again.

I kiss him back, my hands sliding into his hair, feeling his heartbeat thundering against my chest.

Aria and Tina clap and cheer. That’s it. We had no other guests, but this little family? That’s all I ever wanted.

One month later…

The bakery smells like fresh bread and espresso, the faintest trace of sugar still clinging to the air.

The new Honey & Hearth expansion is everything I never thought I’d have—a bigger kitchen, polished windows, real countertops that don’t wobble when I frost a cake. Dante made it happen before we left for Italy. He said if I was marrying into his chaos, I should at least have a bakery that didn’t look like it might collapse.

We got back two days ago. Honeymoon in Florence, Amalfi sunsets, wine I couldn’t pronounce—and Aria right there with us, twirling through cobbled streets like she owned the place.

Now? Life’s… quiet. Well, as quiet as it gets when the entire town’s decided my husband’s a “former military contractor.”

Which is Cedar Falls’ code for don’t ask, don’t tell, but that man definitely knows how to hide a body, so let’s not cross him.

“Morning, Cass!” Mr. Delaney, my most loyal customer, waves from his usual corner. “You burnt the muffins yet?”

“Funny,” I call back, flipping him off with a grin. “Not today.”

The place smells like sugar and espresso, with sunlight pouring through the windows. Locals file in, ordering lattes and lemonbars, laughing. My hands move with muscle memory, smooth and steady. No shaking. No panic.

Not anymore.

Tina leans on the counter, popping gum, watching me with pride. “Who’d have thought? My brother, married. You, voluntarily happy.”

I bump her with my hip. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

Outside, Dante is walking toward the bakery-café with Aria by his side. He drops her off at school and picks her up every day now. She clings to her leg, slowing down his progress. Her little backpack’s nearly as big as she is. She tilts her head back, giggling as he scoops her up for a hug that makes my chest tight with love.