Page 105 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Yeah, well …”

“And for the last several months, you’ve been leaving pictures of the exact Lexus model you want on his desk to find every single Saturday.”

Catherine grinned to herself.

She had done that.

She had no shame.

“Does it have the tan leather?” Catherine asked.

Catrina sighed. “My God.”

“Oh, and the black accents to match the paint?”

Her mother shook her head. “He indulges you too much. I warned him, and he still does it.”

“Because it does have the tan leather and black accents, doesn’t it? It so does.”

Catrina patted her daughter’s knee. “It does.”

Catherine squealed loud enough to make everyone in the DMV turn in their direction. “Yes!”

“I know you’re not a very Car and Driver type person, but you better let your father talk about that car for as long as he wants to when you get home, Catherine.”

“I will,” she promised.

“Catherine Marcello?”

She turned to find a woman holding her test and a pink slip.

“Yes?” Catherine asked.

“You passed your written test. Please take these papers to the fourth line and hand them in for your permit papers.”

Catrina smiled. “See, I told you that you would pass. Nothing to worry about. Happy sweet sixteen, reginella.”

Catherine didn’t even wait for her mother to cut the engine of her car before she was out of it. Catrina’s laughter followed behind her, but Catherine was far too interested in something else, now.

Her father leaned against a sleek, black Lexus. A red bow rested on the hood of the two-door coupe, and every window was tinted dark all the way around.

Dante smiled when Catherine did a dance right there in the middle of the driveway. He met her in the middle, and swung a set of keys on his finger.

“Well, what do you think?” he asked.

Catherine stared at the car. “It’s perfect.”

“Is the color right?”

“Black matte, no shine.”

“Did you ever doubt me?” her father asked.

Catherine grinned. “Not even a little, Daddy.”

Her father never failed.

She had woken up that Friday morning simply happy that it was her sixteenth birthday, the snow was all gone because it was April, and her party was tomorrow. Oh, and because she got to miss a day of classes because of the trip to the DMV.