Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

“Extremely generous,” her father said.

“Does that mean you’re saying yes?” I asked. “It would solve all of our problems. And trust me, you’re going to love Tuscany. I’ve never seen a more beautiful place.”

“Uh…” Her mother stared at her father, the disbelief on her face.

He stared back, rubbing the side of his face.

“This is the only way I can keep all of us together,” I said. “I’ll buy you a beautiful home with plenty of privacy. You’ll never have to worry about anything. If you say no, then we’re going to live on opposites sides of the world for the rest of our lives.”

Adelina turned back to her parents, waiting for the answer she was hoping for.

Her mother and father whispered to each other on their side of the table, keeping their voices low so we couldn’t overhear. After a few minutes, they turned back to us.

Her mother gave us the answer. “We’d love to.”

Adelina exploded out of her chair and moved into my lap. She sat right down on me and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me hard like no one else was in the room. “Thank you…”

I squeezed her back and rested my chin on the top of her head. “I’d do anything for you.”

“I’m sorry I stayed away for so long… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I loved you.”

“It’s okay, Bellissima.” It had hurt feeling her rejection, but now that I had her, it didn’t matter anymore. Now, we were together, and nothing would keep us apart. “Forget about it.”

“I don’t doubt you love my daughter,” her mother said. “But I hope we aren’t changing all of our lives for something that isn’t concrete.” Her meaning was unmistakable, probably because she intended it that way.

I wasn’t bringing Adelina all the way across the world so she could be my prisoner again. I wanted her to be something more important than that. If she hadn’t left, I would have asked her already. I didn’t have a ring, but my intent had been living in my heart for a long time. “Bellissima, will you marry me?”

Adelina gripped my arm for balance and lost her breath. As if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard, she stared at my expression for confirmation.

“I didn’t mean right this second,” her mother said. “I just meant…”

“I don’t have a ring,” I whispered. “But I’ll get you whatever ring you want. I don’t want a big wedding because I don’t have a big family or many friends. But I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never want to be apart from you again, and I promise I’ll always take care of you. You never have to worry about anything as long as you live.”

“Cane…” Her hand cupped my cheek, and the tears streamed down her face. “Yes.”

I smiled, seeing this woman love me as much as I loved her. I should have known how she felt when I dropped her off at the airport. I should have known she was trying to fight the same feelings I had embraced.

“Yes,” she repeated. “Now take me home.”

Chapter 24

Adelina

My dress was too tight, but I refused to loosen it.

I’d suck in my stomach the entire time if I had to.

I wore a simple dress, off-white with a subtle design of beads in the front. My hair was pulled back, with a single pink flower tucked behind my ear. My mother gave me her bracelet to wear, and Pearl gave me one of her necklaces.

I looked at myself in the mirror and felt the nervousness in my stomach.

I wasn’t nervous about the man I was going to marry.

I was nervous to get down the stairs without him to hold me.

We were having a simple ceremony in the backyard. My parents had a house down the street, which they both loved. Everyone had settled in quickly, and the second I was back in Tuscany, I felt right at home.

South Carolina felt like a foreign country to me.

Tuscany was my home now. Cane was my home.

I was about to become a Barsetti, a name that rolled off the tongue so easily. I would gain a brother and a sister, and my family would grow. My parents accepted Cane and knew he was a good man, despite the way our story began. He took care of me, provided for them, and showed his astounding commitment to me. They couldn’t ask for more.

Pearl walked through the door. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I turned away from the mirror and looked at her, seeing the large bump in her stomach.

“Good. Because Cane is starting to get moody.”

“I’m not late,” I argued.

“Yeah, but he’s in a bit of a hurry.”

“Why?”

She smiled. “The sooner you’re officially his, the happier he’ll be. That’s my guess…based on being married to his brother.”