Callie
“How are you feeling, Callie?” Gia asked me as we made our way to Central Park.
I looked at her and smiled widely. “I’m feeling really happy today,” I said. “I woke up this morning and said, ‘Today’s going to be a good day.’ And so far, it has been.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, linking arms with me. “It’s crazy to think how much my life has changed since I’ve become friends with you.”
“Same here,” I said, laughing.
“True,” she said. “Although I guess my life hasn’t really changed much compared to yours.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that. So, are you nervous about meeting up with Alessandro?”
“A little bit,” she said. “I don’t really know what he wants to tell me.”
“Well, what did he say exactly?”
“He said he wanted to have a serious talk with me, and he had some news to share.” She shrugged. “I mean, I didn’t really want to go, but…”
“You don’t think you’ll ever be friends again?” I asked her.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“You still haven’t told me exactly what happened.”
“I’ll tell you guys tonight when we get home, because I know Imogen and Elisabetta will want to know as well.”
“True. You don’t have to tell me until they’re there.”
“What about you? What do you think Antonio’s going to say about your news?”
“I don’t know,” I said, my eyes wide. “I’m nervous. I need to tell my parents as well, but…”
“But you want to tell him first?”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe that I’m going to be a mom.”
“I can,” she said. “And you’re going to make the best mom ever.”
“I don’t know about that. I’ve never heard that college moms make the—”
“Stop it,” she said. “You’re a senior. You’re going to graduate soon, and you’re really mature and really smart and really…”
“I know,” I said. “I’ll make it work. I’m just nervous about what he’s going to say and…”
“And what?” she asked.
“I just don’t know what’s going to happen with us.”
She let out a deep sigh. “Look, this is going to sound crazy because I cannot stand the Marchesi men, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you and he talks to you. And I’ve seen the way you talk about him and the way you stare at the phone when he texts you, and you smile and you get this goofy little grin on your face. I know you love him, and I know he loves you, and I think you were meant to be together.” She gave me a wry smile. “Do not tell him I said that, though, because—”
“I know. You don’t want him to think that you like him.”
“I don’t like him,” she said. “But if he’s going to be the father of your child, I will put up with him.”
“Oh, you’ll put up with him, huh?”
“Yeah. For you, I’d do anything.”
“I know. I’m so glad we met, Gia.”
“Me too,” she said. “Okay, there’s Alessandro, and there’s Antonio.” She stopped and gave me a quick hug. “You have a great afternoon.”
“You too,” I said. My heart was racing, and I watched as she headed over to chat with Alessandro. I took a deep breath and then headed toward Antonio.
He was standing there wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans. His brown eyes shone, and he gave me a wide smile as I approached him. “Hey there, beautiful,” he said softly.
“Hi.” I held out my hand, and he rolled his eyes as he brought me in for a bear hug.
“We don’t shake hands, Callie,” he said as he pressed his lips against mine.
“Well, hello,” I said, laughing and flushing slightly.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he said. “I got a picnic for us.”
“Oh? What’s in the picnic?”
“I have ham and cheese sandwiches, salt and vinegar potato chips, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, chocolates, some cookies, and even some champagne.”
“Ooh, sounds good,” I said as he escorted me to the blanket, and we sat down.
“What’d you like to start with?” he asked.
“I guess a ham and cheese sandwich, please.”
“Okay.” He opened the basket and then leaned back. I started laughing as he pulled out plates and napkins. “What?” he said, frowning as he looked at me.
“This is the most domesticated I’ve ever seen you, and it feels so weird.”
“Why does it feel weird?”
“Because you’re Antonio ‘the wolf’ Marchesi and…”
“And what?” he said.
“You’re a freaking Mafia boss, and we’re just sitting here in Central Park having a picnic like we’re just two regular human beings and…”
“And maybe that’s what I want us to be,” he said softly, leaning forward.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
“I mean, what if I told you that I wanted to give this life up?”
“Huh?” My jaw dropped as I stared at him.
“What if I told you I didn’t want to be the Mafia boss anymore? What if I told you I just wanted to be your boyfriend?” He gave me a wry smile. “And a restaurateur.”
“A restaurateur?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I was thinking I could take over the day-to-day operations of Lupo’s. And I’d keep Lucio on, but not as manager. I’d train him up and see if I could make it a real success.”
“But what about the Marchesi famiglia, and what about all your other plans? This is what you’ve waited for your whole life. Why would you do that?”
“For you, Callie. I’d give it all up for you, because I love you and—”
“You can’t give up being a don,” I said, shaking my head. “No way. You have literally been born for this. You—”
“No,” he said, taking my hand. “I was born to love you. I was born to take care of you. And do you have any news?” he asked. “I know you were going to go to see an ob-gyn. I didn’t want to ask or pry or…”
“I’m pregnant,” I said, nodding, staring at his face to see how he’d react.
His eyes widened, and a smile burst out. “You are?”
“You’re not mad?” I asked.
“Are you freaking kidding me? Of course I’m not mad. This is the best news I’ve had maybe ever. Can I hug you?”
“Yes,” I said and laughed as he scrambled across the blanket to give me a big hug.
He pulled me down to the blanket, kissed me, and rubbed my belly. “I’m going to be a father.” He paused and froze. His eyes stilled, and he looked slightly scared.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”
“I just realized I assumed that you were going to keep it, and I guess I don’t really…”
“You’re going to be a father,” I said, holding his hand to mine. “I’m having the baby.”
He burst out into a wide smile again. “I love you, Callie, my sweet little lamb.”
“I know,” I said. “And I love you, too, Antonio, my ferocious wolf.”
He chuckled then. “So, what does this mean?”
“What do you mean, what does this mean?”
“Well, if you’re going to have a baby and I’m no longer going to be don and we both love each other…”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “What do you think?”
“I think that you should move in with me and you should marry me and we should have lots and lots of kids,” he said, his eyes searching mine.
“Is that a proposal, Antonio?” I asked, shaking my hair back as I looked up at him.
“If you’ll say yes, it is.” I gasped as he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small velvet jewelry box. He flicked it open, and I stared at what must have been at least a three-carat diamond ring. My jaw dropped as he got onto his knees. “Callie Rowney, you came into my life on a dark and gray night. You slipped down a tree into my arms, and I’ve never been able to forget the way you look, the way you smell, the way you argue.” He grinned. “This might not be the most romantic of proposals, and I know we’ve been through a lot already, but I love you. You are now my reason for living, you and our little one who, if it’s a boy, I would like to call Jimmy. But we can talk about that later.”
“Antonio,” I said, laughing. “This is the oddest proposal.”
“Too odd?” he asked, looking nervous.
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s perfect.”
“So, Callie Rowney, the love of my life, the light of my life, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding, my heart bursting with happiness as I stared at him.
He slipped the ring out of the box and onto my finger. “I love you, Callie.” We stood up, and he swung me around and around, and I clung to him and kissed him hard.
“I love you, too, Antonio. I just can’t believe that we’re in this moment here after everything that’s happened. I just can’t believe it.”
“But you want it, right?”
“Of course I want it. I’m the girl that watched a billion romance movies and read a billion romance books. This is the happily ever after that I’ve always wanted, but I never assumed it would actually happen for me.”
“Well, it did and it has,” he said. “I can’t believe that I’m engaged. Who would’ve thought it?”
“I know not me,” I said, laughing. “Can you imagine I’m going to marry Antonio ‘the wolf’ Marchesi, the Mafia boss of the Marchesi famiglia?”
“Well, I was going to give that up for you,” he said.
“I know, but only do it if you really want to,” I said softly.
“I want to,” he said. “I don’t want my child born into this life.”
“So, then, what happens with the famiglia? Is it done? Is it…”
“No,” he said. “Alessandro’s going to step up. He’s going to become the new don.”
“No way.” My jaw dropped. I didn’t see that coming.
“That’s what he’s about to tell Gia,” he said, shrugging. “Apparently, they’ve got some unfinished business, and he wanted her to be the first one to know.”
“But I know now.”
“You know what I mean,” he said, and we laughed.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“I’m sure,” he said. “Being don of the Marchesi family means nothing to me now that I’m going to be your husband.” He grinned. “I’m going to be a fucking husband. I’m going to be a married man. I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
“Really?” I asked. “That makes you happy?”
“More than you’ll ever know.” He laughed then. “Shit, I don’t know who I’ve become. I’m the last person that ever would’ve thought I wanted to get married.”
“I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do,” I said, staring at him. “I don’t want you to one day resent me that you gave up your dream for…”
“You are my dream, Callie. Everything I’ve ever wanted in life is this feeling that you bring to me. I never want to let you go. Don’t you understand? You’re my love. You’re my life. You’re my heart. And you’re going to be my wife, and I’m going to be your husband, and there is nothing more perfect than that. You are the most beautiful, most special, bravest, most brilliant woman I’ve ever met in my life. And I know if my mom was here, she’d love you as much as I do.”
“I love you, Antonio. I can’t wait to become your wife and the mother to your child.”
Thank you for reading Of Beauty, Brains, & Bravery. I really hope you enjoyed it!
The next book in this series is Alessandro and Gia’s book, There was once a falcon and a canary. You can preorder it here! You can join my mailing list here so you never miss any of my releases.
Here is the blurb!
Everyone feared the wolf, but I knew the falcon was even scarier...
Alessandro Marchesi is my ex best friend and a mafia boss.
Three years ago, I swore that I would never speak to him again.
I hated him then and I hate him even more now.
They call him The Falcon.
He was the younger brother that always had something to prove.
But now he’s the boss.
Everyone thinks he’s a nice guy, but I know the truth.
He’s the dark brooding villain that all women should stay away from.
However, even I can’t deny he’s handsome, captivating, and magnetic.
That doesn’t mean I want him though.
He knows all my secrets and I know his.
And that’s why he can’t let me go.
He acts like he wants to make everything right.
But I know that all he wants to do is cage me up.
What he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one looking to get revenge.
And I’m not afraid to get my hands or my mouth dirty. I’ll do whatever it takes.