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I looked at Frankie, noticing the way her face lit up as she caught up with Lily. “Yeah, let’s see how far we get.”
Leaving the women alone together, Bruno led me in the direction of our boss. I felt his stare from a mile away.
“What is it?” I asked.
He cleared his throat. “I was thinking about asking Antonio to let me leave with Lily. Move somewhere in the city.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Are you trying to ask for advice? How about a frozen bag of peas and a bottle of painkillers?” I joked. “You’re his favorite now. Don’t worry, he’ll let you go. Knowing how you and your wife jump each other’s bones, he’ll probably jump for joy at the invitation of a quiet night for once.”
Bruno was smiling, a rare occurrence. Yeah, he had nothing to worry about. I was glad he found his happiness. We all did, really.
“Marco?”
Spotting Kelsie, I saw the toddler attached to her hip. It had been a month since the last time I stopped by. Aria was getting big. Too big to be called a baby.
“At least when you move out, people will be excited to see you,” I whispered to Bruno before making my way over.
Antonio was shooing away men in different colored suits. No business talk allowed today if I had to guess. He noticed my arrival and grinned.
“Glad you made it. Frankie came as well?” he asked, glancing around for my missing fiancee.
“She wouldn’t have missed it. She’s catching up,” I explained with a laugh. Frankie was too scared of Antonio to possibly skip out on even one of his invitations. I didn’t blame her.
“You’ll have to bring her over some time,” Kelsie enthused next to Antonio. “Maybe after cake.”
“Before I give a speech,” Antonio added much to Kelsie’s dismay.
“What could you possibly give a speech about?” she pressed. “Aria doesn’t even know how to speak yet.”
Antonio faltered at her question. “How else will everyone know how proud I am? They have to know about her standing up for five whole seconds.”
I fought the urge to snort, working overtime to keep a straight face. Our boss might be able to snap a leg in two, but he sure did fret over his daughter.
“You’ve already told at least twenty people. No speech. Today is all about this little sweet girl,” Kelsie encouraged before blowing against Aria’s cheek resulting in a bubbling giggle.
What a sight. Made me kind of want a kid with Frankie. Ramona had caught the baby fever soon after Aria was born. Somehow Lily and Frankie remained childless. I don’t think any of us were in a rush.
“I should go find her though. The party is starting soon, right?” I asked, rubbing the back of my mind.
Kelsie nodded, her smile remaining. “Once it starts, Antonio isn’t going to let anyone leave until everyone is stuffed full of food and cake. Good luck,” she encouraged with a chuckle.
Glancing at Antonio, he was putting all his attention on the women in his life. I wasn’t even sure if he remembered we were still there.
Abandoning them, Bruno and I made our way back to our own women.
With all the tables flooding with members of the combined families, I dragged Frankie toward one table I knew would be empty.
“You know he’s going to threaten you,” Lily warned behind us as they followed.
“Not if Ramona yells at him first.” I chuckled, already spotting their table. “Today’s a day of celebration. He should know best how much she enjoys gatherings like this. We’ll live.”
Famous last words? Possibly.
I curled my arm around Frankie, making sure to keep her close. Not even an overly protective Elias could ruin my good mood. We were going to sit together and celebrate as a family.
