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“You have made me the happiest mother in the world tonight Stefano,” Elena said kissing his cheeks. “To know you’re in love and it’s our precious Hailey…”
“And to know how much you love her and respect her wishes,” Leann added covering his hand with hers. “That is the best gift a mother could receive.”
“Other than grandchildren at least,” his mom stated making him chuckle.
“I will be glad to work on that part after the wedding,” he said a bit cheekily making the two women smile. “I promise I will always find a way to give Hailey what she desires most.”
“And what if what she desires most is a small intimate wedding sooner rather than later?” his mom asked giving him an opportunity he couldn’t pass.
“Then I would arrange it, but I think seeing as it’s the only wedding she will ever have and she’s Thomas and Leann’s only child that she knows how important a big wedding is to them,” he stated looking at Leann for confirmation.
“Stefano, we do want Hailey to have her dream day, yes personally we’d love to throw her a huge party so everyone can see how happy she is,” Leann replied with a smile. “But just because it’s big doesn’t mean it will take a long time to plan and there’s certainly no need to hire a wedding coordinator.”
“Not when you have Mama and Leann to help you,” Elena added. “Hailey doesn’t want to intrude on Olympia’s day, but I can’t see you happy with a wedding six months out.”
“And I know Hailey wouldn’t want to wait that long for it either,” Leann stated making him hold in a smile. “She won’t say so, but I know she wants to be married to you much sooner than that. Just give us the word and we’ll start arrangements for you.”
“Your grandfather’s staying with us through Demetrius and Olympia’s wedding, we could surely get it arranged in three months,” Elena pushed, and he let out a light smile giving them a nod. “Hailey will be thrilled Stefano…”
“I want it to be a surprise for her,” he said looking between them. “Let me talk to her after dinner and then tomorrow morning we’ll sit down with you after our ride and discuss everything.”
“Sounds perfect darling,” Elena stated kissing his cheek letting him head back to Hailey as the two women smiled at one another continuing to plan for their children.
Chapter 6
“W
ould you like to brush them down with me or head into the house to see Mother?” Stefano asked Hailey as they finished their ride.
“I should be safe to walk to the house by myself,” she mused giving him a grin. “Unless your brother and sister have changed, they’re not likely to be awake before eleven, ten’s pushing it.”
“It is,” he agreed sliding his hand back behind her head, tilting it up to drop a lingering kiss upon her lips. He slowly lifted his head from hers, pressing a feathery soft kiss to her lips before taking the reins for her horse smiling at her.
“What was that for?” she asked lifting a brow at him. “I don’t think the horses will tell whether or not this is real.”
“Perhaps it was for a delightful ride and perhaps it was in case our mothers are watching from the patio. Though they wouldn’t be able to hear what we say they would be able to see what we do. So, go on up and see what they wanted to see us for,” he told her pressing a kiss to her temple leaving a smile on her lips as she headed there hoping their mothers had found a date that would work well for them. She was anxious about it and hoped Stefano didn’t understand why she wanted this bit of time alone with his mother, or their mothers, if hers had already arrived as expected.
“Good morning Hailey, you look radiant,” Elena said greeting her with a kiss to the cheeks as she reached the patio. Her mother was sitting at the table and she stopped beside her, kissing her cheek. “Come join us, we were just looking over some old photos.”
“So, it’d seem,” she mused spying the photos from Kyra’s eighteenth birthday party, the last time she’d seen Stefano until recently. She saw the photo of her with him, having been forced to dance with him, and wondered what their mothers thought about it. It was quite evident that she felt nothing but disdain for him.
“What were you arguing about that evening?” her mom asked as she took the seat across from them.
“Heaven only knows,” she stated as Elena moved closer to her, bringing the book to show the series of pictures. She studied them and felt the memory of that night come back to her, the quiet argument they’d had while dancing. It wasn’t about Demetrius, far from him actually. No, Stefano was telling her that her dress was too revealing, showed off too much of her meager cleavage. She couldn’t stop the smile that touched her lips recalling it now, along with the feeling that she’d forcefully ignored that night, the same feelings he aroused in her now.
“You remember now, don’t you?” Leann asked and she nodded. “Well?”
“Stefano was displeased with my dress choice,” she admitted accepting the cup of coffee and plate of food Berta brought out for her.
“You looked lovely,” Elena said surprised that Stefano could find fault with her.
“He said I was lovely, but the dress wasn’t appropriate that it showed off too much cleavage and I shouldn’t advertise myself like that,” she said honestly making Elena laugh.
“Now that sounds like my son, especially when it’s related to someone he genuinely cares about. He tried to get Kyra to choose different outfits, admonished Demetrius for his choice of girlfriends who would parade around the pool in tiny scraps supposed to be bikinis. He left for Greece not even a week after Kyra’s party, stayed for nearly a year…missed your graduation …”
“I’m sure it was nothing,” Hailey said trying to keep her heart from beating with hope.
“It was something my dear, I think it was everything in fact,” Elena stated, putting a light flush of color into her cheeks. “I think Stefano was realizing how much you meant to him but also knew you were too young, had so much still to do and see in your life to chance being near you too much.”
