Princess in Lingerie (Lingerie 12)

The tears started up again, making her eyes puffy and red, glistening with moisture. “You know my answer.”

My hand cupped her cheek, and my fingers dug into her hair. I directed her gaze on me, loving the way she cried for me. “I want to hear it anyway.”

“Even if I may not be able to give you children…?”

“We’ll figure out a way, sweetheart.” There were procedures we could do, or we could adopt. Worst-case scenario, we had Luca. He already felt like a son to me, and I knew that love would only grow in time. “Now say yes.”

She smiled through her tears. “Yes…”

Twenty-Six

Vanessa

The sparkle of my ring caught my eye every time I moved.

The diamond acted as a prism of colors, a beautiful rainbow that flashed across the flawless diamonds, glittering like newly uncovered treasure. When I hung up a painting in the gallery, I noticed it. When I sat at my computer and typed, I noticed it too.

The diamonds were excessive, especially the large one in the center. I never cared for expensive jewelry and had always been fond of my mother’s wedding ring, which was just a button molded into a metal band. It seemed oddly cheap for a woman so wealthy, but it had so much character and clearly meant something to both of my parents.

But Bones wanted something bold and flashy—and he delivered.

I would have loved anything he gave me, but I did love this ring in particular—even though it was pretty heavy.

As I worked that afternoon, I floated like a cloud. I couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop thinking about the way Bones, the most stubborn man in the world, got on one knee in front of my whole family and asked me to marry him.

Well, told me to marry him.

I’d never been so happy in my life.

The front door opened, and someone stepped inside. “I can’t tell what’s brighter—that ring or your smile.”

“Me neither, Father.” I turned around and saw him walk inside my gallery, wearing the same happiness in his eyes that I wore in my smile. It didn’t seem like this moment would ever arrive, not after he hated Bones so much in the past. But here we were…with a diamond on my left hand. I moved into his arms and hugged him. “Maybe it’s a tie.”

“No.” He kissed my forehead before he pulled away. “That diamond can’t compare with that smile.” He stepped to the side and slid his hands into his pockets before he glanced at the new painting I had just put on the wall. He gazed at it for a moment before he turned back to me. “I’m glad you’re happy, tesoro. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this radiant.”

“Wait until the wedding.”

He chuckled. “Good point.”

“So, how is he?”

He shrugged. “Haven’t seen him today. He took the day off.”

I cocked an eyebrow because Bones left that morning as usual. “What?”

My father’s smile slowly faded. “He told me he needed a personal day. I assumed he would be down here.”

Bones didn’t actually lie to me. He didn’t tell me he was going to work. He didn’t say anything at all, actually. “That’s strange…he left the house in the morning like normal.”

“Hmm…” My father didn’t try to make a guess about his whereabouts. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Bones would never betray me in any way, so I wasn’t concerned what he was doing. When I saw him next, he would tell me. “I’m not. So, what brings you here?”

“I had a meeting in town, so I thought I would stop by.” He moved to my desk and leaned against the counter, his arms crossing over his chest. “Want to get some lunch?”

“I would, but I just ate.”

“Oh well. I guess I should head back to the winery since your uncle is doing everything today…but I like making him work, so maybe I’ll stall a little longer.” He grinned slightly, being playful but serious at the same time.

“I’m sure he’s done the same to you.”

“Oh, he has,” he said with a chuckle. “And payback is a bitch. You’re lucky you’re the only operator in your business. You never have to worry about things like that.”

“I thought you liked working with your brother?”

He shrugged. “I like seeing him all the time, but we butt heads a lot.”

“Never noticed,” I teased.

“The winery was my own business when we were younger. I brought him in because we lost our other business, and he didn’t have anything else. But he made it grow, so we have a few different vineyards now.”

“That was nice of you.”

“He’s family…” He looked at the other paintings on the wall.

“And it was really sweet of you to give it to Griffin…” Before Griffin asked me to marry him, my father had already accepted him like a son. He brought him into our legacy and gave him a business he spent most of his life cultivating. It was a gesture that spoke louder than words.