Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 228

Scowling a bit - honestly, I'm not as much of a disaster in the kitchen as any of them imply - I settle in next to Janeen. She leans over and gives me a big smacking kiss on the cheek and I laugh, but even as I shove her away we both know that all is forgiven. Nothing to forgive, really I'm used to my weird, chronically inappropriate sister. At least she always keeps it interesting. Family dinner goes off without a hitch and I'm absolutely thrilled to see it. Now that we're comfortably settled in our own beautiful space, things start to really feel...well, normal. It's not that it's precisely as it was either in Kent's mansion or in the beach house. Instead, it's something totally new.

But, luckily, the laughter has stayed.

As we eat, the wine flows and our little family starts to find its pace. People really start to open up, Kent and Daniel telling stories of their lives in Italy and what we can expect here as they pass around the food, explaining what everything is. And even though I can't eat half of it - the cured meats and unpasteurized cheese are devastatingly off-limits - I'm stuffed with food before we even get halfway through all the courses Kent has prepared.

Things slow as we fill up and different people take turns with the conversation. Jerome finds a way in somehow, telling us about his years on the rodeo circuit and working briefly moving cattle out west. Janeen seems keenly interested in this and we all find space to tease her about it, knowing that her interest isn't really in Jerome's life but instead all the cowboys he worked with.

"We've got to get you to town, Janeen," Daniel says, twirling some pasta onto his fork. "I think you're going to like what you find here."

"Yes, please," she groans, slumping in her seat. "Can we go tonight?"

"I think it's good for you," dad says, smirking at her. "You haven't been this starved for romantic company since you were twelve, Janeen," he says. "You'd think it gave you a little time for introspection. I think you should take a few more days, really think about the meaning of life and the source of happiness." He waves a vague hand. "All that."

"I hate introspection," Janeen grumbles, glaring down at her plate and taking a big bite of focaccia. "And the source of happiness is a man - or preferably two - taking me -"

"All right," Kent says, holding up his hands and laughing. "I'm not sure we need all the details, Janeen."

She glares at him a little, but I see a grin starting on her face. "I'm not sure I need to get any lectures from you on this subject, Kent."

He scoffs a little, but grins too. "I am very discreet, Janeen. Always have been."

"Oh please," she says, rolling her eyes. "It's like you actually think that the walls on that boat were thick -"

My jaw drops and I blush horribly as I realize what she just said.

But to his credit, Kent just laughs and points his fork at her. "You'd better be careful, Janeen," he says with a smirk, completely unphased even though I'm so red that I cover my face with my hands. Daniel kicks my foot under the table and I can hear him laughing at me, but I just shake my head and refuse to look at anyone.

"Really, Kent?" she says, grinning and leaning forward into the challenge. "And why should I?"

"Because," he says, taking a little sip of his wine. "If you're not, I'm not going to give you your present."

I uncover my face a little, surprised and interested now. I glance at Janeen, who is suddenly beaming. "Present?" she says, sitting up straight and perky. "What present?"

"It's outside," Kent says calmly, but I can see that he's working hard to keep the smile from his face.

"What!?" Janeen says, jumping up from her seat and turning gleefully towards the front door. Curious, we all stand up with her, but Janeen beats us all to the front door, pulling it open and gasping loudly, her hands flying to her mouth.

"What is it?" Daniel asks, Jerome at his side as he too dashes for the door. And then Daniel's eyes go wide too as he sees whatever it is. "No way!" he shouts, laughing and turning to his dad in amazement. "Are you serious!?"

Kent gives a casual shrug as he comes to my side and we walk to the door, following my dad as Janeen, Jerome, and Daniel all fly out the front door towards whatever's there. I'm dying to know, but my desire to be next to Kent beats out even my curiosity, which is saying something.

But I give my own gasp as we finally get there and I see what's waiting outside.

Four very, very flashy cars are lined up outside the house - two of them, the black and the blue ones, look very sporty and fast. Though the white convertible sedan and the silver SUV are more practical, one can tell at a glance that they're expensive. And considering that I know Kent's taste in cars? I'd guess very expensive.

"Dad, this is insane," Daniel says, laughing and going to the blue car and pulling the door open. "A Maserati!? Amazing."

Kent shrugs, but I can tell he is pleased. Dad, standing on Kent's other side, whistles his approval.

"Wait, wait!" Janeen calls out, hustling to Daniel's side and smacking him on the arm before he can climb into the car. "He said the present was for me - how do you know this one isn't mine?"

"Because it's mine," Daniel says, dismissing her and climbing into the driver's seat, clearly excited. Jerome bends over next to Daniel, peering into the car and beginning to chatter boy-talk about how fast it can go or whatever.

Janeen scowls and turns to Kent as the arbiter. Kent just laughs and shrugs, "Nah, the kids right, Janeen," he says, his smile deepening. "The black one's for you."

And Janeen stares at him for a second as if she doesn't believe it and then her gaze whips to the little black sports car - clearly a vintage classic, not a new model - and she stares at it for a moment before shrieking in joy and dashing for Kent. I step aside quickly as Janeen throws herself in Kent's arms, laughing and mumbling her thanks and excitement a little incoherently.

"You're welcome," Kent says, pulling away from her.

"Can I take it out for a test run!?" she asks, turning eagerly towards the car.

"You can do whatever you want with it," he says, and she gasps with joy, "as soon as you show me you can capably drive a stick shift."

Janeen's face falls instantly and she scowls at him. "I can drive stick!" she protests, stepping away and crossing her arms.

"Like I said," Kent says, grinning and leaning down a little to look her in the eye, "you can have the keys when you show me you can drive stick."

She narrows her eyes at him again but then her joy overtakes her and she dashes over to the little car. Dad goes with her, admiring it and starting to chat with Janeen about all of the details he thinks she should know about that I know she'll forget in an instant. I step closer, wrapping my arm around his. "This was so nice of you Kent," I say, watching my sister with glee, but then -

I look at the cars again, and start to count, and realize...

"Hey," I continue, frowning up at him. "Where's mine?"

"You don't need a car, Fay," Kent says, laughing a little as he looks down at me.

"Yes, I do!" I protest.

"I'll drive you wherever you need to go," Kent says, "or Jerome will, in the sedan -"

I squeak in protest and smack him on the shoulder. "I want a real car! One for me! If Janeen gets one, I should get one -"

"Fay," Kent says, smirking at me and shaking his head. "You haven't wanted to drive yourself a single moment since you moved in -"

"It's different now!"

"Fine," he says, his smirk deepening. "Name one of those cars - a single one- and I'll buy you whatever car you want tomorrow."

And I hesitate, looking out over the cars because...

Damn it. Even though Daniel said the name of one of them thirty seconds ago...

I scowl, knowing I've been beat.

"Fine," I say, pouting and leaning against him. "But you're getting me one. As soon as I learn the names of these," I say, pointing around at them.

"Any one you want," he murmurs, pulling me close and kissing my head. "But honestly, Fay, don't be offended - I just thought Janeen..."

He hesitates a little and I look up at him.

"Well," he says, looking back down at me with a shrug. "She likes her independence, doesn't she? And she's been a good sport these past few weeks, but if we're going to make her live in a farmhouse by the sea, she's going to need a way to get around." "Well, why that one?" I ask, pondering it - because it's certainly not a new car, even though I'm sure he didn't buy her anything unsafe.

"Because," he says quietly. "If your sister is going to be driving alone around this country, I want everyone who sees her to know that she comes from people who take care of her. People will think twice about messing with a girl in a vintage Porsche. A classic car for

a classic girl," he says with a determined nod. "It suits her. She deserves the best, and I want everyone who sees her to know it."

I shake my head as I stare at Kent for a moment, because that is...so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. He smiles down at me, perhaps intuiting my thoughts.

"Don't give me too much credit," he murmurs, pulling me close again and tucking me under his chin as I wrap my arms around his waist. "I want this house empty as often as possible, so I can -"

"Stop it," I mutter, smacking him lightly on the chest and blushing again to remember what Janeen said about the ship having thin walls. "Someone will hear you."

"Precisely my point," he murmurs, and then he laughs to see how red my cheeks are and he kisses me like he can't help it. And I kiss him back, not caring who sees, because...well, because I guess he's right.

They are just going to have to get used to it.

Because this man? I can't keep my hands off him, and I have no intention of trying anytime soon.

Even though...well, even though I plan to betray him tomorrow.

But just a very tiny little bit.