It’s Sunday morning, and the house is quiet. I wander onto the back terrace and take a look at the garden. It takes me a moment to realize it’s in full bloom. I’m checking the calendar on my phone for the date when familiar footsteps sound behind me. Rafaele wraps his arms around my waist and presses a kiss to my shoulder.
“I can’t believe it’s July,” I say. “Do you know my birthday is in a week?”
“Of course, I do.” His voice is still raspy from sleep. “How would you like to celebrate?”
I turn in his arms and place my palms on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. “I want to celebrate with my sisters.”
It’s been too long. I miss Gem and Vale, and it’s gotten particularly bad over the past two weeks. We talk on the phone often, but it’s not the same. I need an in-person heart-to-heart. Desperately. Maybe my sisters will be able to give me some advice on how to navigate this marriage.
I know Rafaele can’t be thrilled about my request. As expected, when I lift my gaze to his, he’s wearing a pensive look. I can practically see the wheels inside his head turning. Gemma is the woman who walked out on him. There’s no way Ras will allow her to travel here alone, so Rafaele will have to play nice with the man who got his ex-fiancée pregnant while she was engaged to him.
And Damiano will insist on escorting Vale. I guess Damiano and Rafe are business partners, so that’s not too bad. But if I’m inviting all four of them, I’ll also have to invite Mari, Damiano’s sister, and her husband, Giorgio, who’s Damiano’s head of security.
That’s a lot of Casalesi mobsters to have in New York at one time. But it’s not like Rafe would let me go see my sisters in Italy on my own, and he’s too busy with work to take time off.
“I know it might get a bit messy,” I say. “But I haven’t seen Gemma since she left or Vale since the wedding. That was almost four months ago, and I miss the hell out of them. It would be the best gift ever. A big party with all of them around.”
He sighs. “And here I was thinking the thirty-carat diamond necklace I bought at auction last week would be enough.”
I grin. “It’s a good start, for sure.”
A smile tugs at his lips.
“We could invite your sisters too,” I offer. “Maybe they could fly down with Vince from Europe together.”
The light in his eyes dims. “They’re usually too busy to attend anything that’s not a wedding or a funeral.”
“Why aren’t the three of you close?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
He shrugs. “Just how it is.”
Frustration pulses at my temples. Rafaele doesn’t talk about his mother or his sisters. Why? What happened between them to make their relationships so strained? As his wife, don’t I have a right to know about his family history? Why won’t he share even that with me?
Maybe he senses my frustration, because he pulls me into him and distracts me with a kiss. When we break apart, both breathless, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and says, “Fine. You can throw your party.”
Excitement blooms inside my chest, overriding the disappointment. “Thank you.”
He smiles again and presses his forehead to mine. “Anything for you, tesoro.”
I wrap my arms around him and press my cheek to his chest.
Anything? Or just the crumbs you’re willing to offer?
I spend the next week calling Vale and Gemma, making arrangements for their travel and figuring out the logistics of the party. The theme is tropical paradise, and since I have no idea if I’ll be able to do this again next year, I decide to go all out.
On Wednesday, they deliver dozens of mini palm trees. When Rafaele comes home that evening, he nearly trips over one. On Thursday, the bamboo bars arrive. On Friday, while Rafaele and I are having breakfast, the staff start bringing in the alcohol I ordered.
His brows climb up his forehead. “Tesoro, are you trying to get the whole state of New York drunk?”
I give him a wicked grin. “Don’t think you can keep up with me?”
His eyes darken, and he shakes his head, but he can’t hide the amused smile on his face.
On the day of the event, I’m so excited that I practically bounce off the walls. The staff are still adding some last touches to the décor, but the ballroom already looks like Party City exploded inside of it. The mini palm trees are arranged around the perimeter, fruit decorations hang off the ceiling, there’s a giant champagne tower on a gold table with a pineapple base, and bartenders are ready to serve every sugary drink you can imagine from behind the bamboo bars.
Rafaele and Nero are chatting in the corner while holding piña-colada-filled coconuts in their hands. They accepted the drinks from me without too much grumbling, but apparently, I took it a step too far with the matching tropical-patterned button-up shirts, because they categorically refused to put them on.
Around three p.m., my sisters finally arrive. Gemma’s bump is just starting to show and she’s glowing. Vale looks more tanned than the last time I saw her, and her hair is longer than mine, reaching past her waist. I run toward them and envelop them in a hug. “You’re here!”
We squeeze each other and jump around in a circle like a bunch of lunatics. Mari stands to the side, watching us shyly, until we pull her into our big group hug.
Damiano, Ras, and Giorgio greet Rafaele and Nero with as much warmth as an icy breeze on a cold winter morning. My sisters and Mari pause our conversation to regard them for a few seconds.
“We all told them to behave, right?” Gemma asks.
“Oh, yeah.” Vale tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I told Dem I’ll murder him if him or Ras ruin your birthday.”
Mari shrugs. “Gio won’t do anything. He’s always well-behaved.”
Vale arches a brow. “I’m pretty sure I saw him looking at everyone’s home addresses and credit card statements on the flight over. He’s researched the entire guest list to death, hasn’t he? Memorized everyone’s social security numbers? Dug up old family secrets?”
Mari winces. “You know how he is. He doesn’t go anywhere unprepared.”
“Rafe will probably just glare at them the entire night,” I say, noting the frigid look on my husband’s face. He must feel my attention on him, because he glances my way, and a bit of warmth slips into his expression.
“C’mon,” I say, wrapping my arms around Vale and Mari. “Let’s grab a drink.”
Soon, the party is in full swing. I introduce my sisters and Mari to Sandro and Tiny and bring them around to the kitchen to say hi to Luca. Then I take them on a tour of the gardens, excitedly pointing out all the flowers that recently bloomed.
I catch Vale giving me a curious look. “What?”
“Nothing. You just…seem happy,” Vale comments.
Gemma nods in agreement. “You do. How are things with you and Rafaele?”
“He’s growing on me,” I say.
“So you like him?” Mari asks.
Like him? It’s progressed far beyond that. I let out a sigh and glance between my sisters. I can’t believe I’m about to confess that I’ve thoroughly fallen for my husband.