Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 294

I can't believe I don't get to throw you a bachelorette party.

Again!" Janeen protests, flopping onto my bed with a glass of champagne in her hand, coming dangerously close to splashing it all over the white blankets.

But I wouldn't care if she did - nothing could possibly kill my mood today.

"You threw me one hell of a first wedding reception, Janeen. Can't that count?" I say, turning towards her.

Nonna, at my feet pinning the dress so that she can make alterations, gives me a little smack on the thigh and turns me back towards her. Smiling, murmuring my apologies, I do as she bids.

"I think it counts," Daniel says from his spot by the window, Dominic tucked neatly into the curve of his arm and Titus at his feet as he smiles at me. "I was hung over enough for two lifetimes after that party. I think it counts as wedding reception, bachelor, and bachelorette party in one."

"You guys are so boring," Janeen grumbles, nestling back into the pillows as Jerome laughs at her, coming out of the bathroom and peering out the window towards the back of the house, where I guess things are being set up.

"I have a feeling that the size and scope of this party will impress even you, Janeen, he says, sending her a grin over his shoulder. "Have you seen what they're setting up out there? It's -"

"Nope nope!" I shout, covering my ears with my hands." Don't tell me! I don't want to know!"

"Why not?" Daniel asks, turning his head to me.

"Because," I say, rolling my eyes at him. "I need some mysteries for this wedding. I've already seen my groom on the wedding day, he's already seen my dress -"

"You've already had his kid," Janeen adds, dry.

"You've already married his other kid," Jerome chimes in, smirking at me. I gasp, appalled, and glare at him as I put my hands on my hips. Nonna smacks at me and murmurs at me in Italian, I think ordering me to stay still.

I apologize again and determine to do so, even as I defend my honor.

"My first marriage remains unconsummated," I say, shaking my hair back over my shoulders. "And, as such, I believe it is officially annulled."

"Not according to the State of New York, baby," Daniel says, smirking at me. "You can't just declare yourself divorced - you have to file for it."

"Well considering we're on the FBI's most wanted list," I say, narrowing my eyes at him, "I don't think that's happening."

"What's happening?" Kent asks, coming through the door, and my face bursts into a smile as he enters the room with a stack of tuxedos draped over his arm.

"Fay's trying to divorce me," Daniel says lightly, smiling down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "I'm refusing. I'm still in love - I think we should try to make it work, for the sake of the child."

"My child," Kent says, giving his son a little glare as he walks over to Jerome and hands him a tux, Kent lifts his chin towards the bathroom as a suggestion that Jerome should go try it on.

"Again," Daniel says, raising his handsome face to his father's as Kent turns to him next, "not according to the State of New York. What about this aren't you two getting?

There is a great deal of paperwork that we paid a lot of money for that says that this is my kid -"

"Shove it, Daniel," Kent says, though he can't keep the smirk from his face. "That first marriage doesn't count anyway.

Here," he says, offering the next tuxedo in the stack and gesturing for Dominic, clearly proposing a trade.

"It doesn't?" I ask, curious.

"No, Fay" Kent says, turning to me with a little frown. "It didn't happen in a church."

"Kent," I say, laughing a little, "a courthouse wedding is a perfectly legitimate way to get married."

Kent takes Dominic from Daniel's arms and slowly walks over to me, holding my gaze, his movements as soft and predatory as a panther. When he comes close, he tucks my hair back behind my ear. "I don't give a damn what some part-time judge in America thinks, Fay," he murmurs, and heat rushes through me at his words, at the way hes looking at me, like I'm his and his alone. "Tonight, I'm going to make my vows to you before god, in a chapel. Anything else is..just paperwork."

He moves close then, and I raise a hand to press against his cheek as he kisses me. It's almost ridiculous, how quickly I forget to breathe.

But suddenly Nonna smacks both of us and gets to her feet, scolding Kent and pushing him away. He laughs, backing off and nodding to her.

"She says I'm getting in the way," Kent informs me with a sigh as he passes the baby into my arms. "But it's probably for the best - I need to try this tux on so she can fit it anyway."

He spreads the clothes out on the bed at Janeen's feet, neatly checking to ensure that all the pieces are laid out.

"Why is Nonna doing all the alterations anyway?" I ask quietly, glancing down at her over my baby's head before pressing a few quick kisses to Dominic's face, smiling down at my sweet boy. "Can't you guys hire like, seven tailors to do all this work so she doesn't have to?"

"She wants to do it, Fay," Daniel says, starting to strip his shirt off so that he can be fitted into his tux as well. "You're still not getting this Italian wife thing."

"And I don't ever intend to," I say with a sigh, grinning down at Dominic. "So, please stop trying to teach me."

"Out," Kent says, snapping at Janeen before he moves his hands to the buttons on his shirt, intending to get changed.

"No way," she says, frowning at Kent and giving him a little kick. "This day just started to get good - I mean, I was mourning a lack of bachelorette party not ten minutes ago, and voila - two seriously hot guys start taking their clothes off -"

I burst into laugher as Jerome comes out of the bathroom wearing just his pants, frowning down at the white shirt in his hands. "Danny," he murmurs, "I can't make heads or tails of this -"

"Woo! Hoo!" Janeen shouts, raising her glass of champagne in the air, grinning like a cat. "Make it three!"

Nonna swats me again when I almost bend over double laughing, but she smiles at me when I apologize - because I just can't help laughing this hard as Jerome stares around at us, confused, and Kent snags Janeen off the bed, carrying her to the door and placing her delicately onto her feet just outside of it.

Nonna's laughing too at the antics, shaking her head with a happy sigh. And when she meets my eyes, I can see that were feeling precisely the same thing - incredibly happy to see our family happy, and healthy, and full of joy.

Because that, in the end, is truly the only thing that matters.

The rest of the day passes with alarming speed, which kind of makes sense because there is so much to do. Not only am I still learning how to be a mom for the first time, but the wedding dress fitting takes longer than I thought it would and people keep coming to me, wanting my opinion on how the flowers should look, or if I'd prefer lamb at the dinner over beef -

Eventually my dad, who comes up for his own tux fitting, sees how overwhelmed I get. He draws close to me and presses a kiss to my cheek. "Don't worry about it, baby," he murmurs. "I'll handle it all."

My eyes fill with tears again as I look at him with gratitude, which just makes him laugh as he walks out of the room and heads downstairs. And then he sends Janeen to my side to fend off everyone who wants anything from me, telling her to redirect everyone to him. And my sister spends the rest of the day with Dominic and I, plying me with champagne and making me laugh until the sun starts to set.

Dominic, for his part, is a very good little baby - putting up with all of the fuss and noise with a calmness that I'm hoping lasts throughout his babyhood. Even when we dress him in the tiny tuxedo that Valentina produced for him apparently out of thin air, he just looks around calmly.

My heart seems to grow every single moment that Dominic is in my arms. I absolutely can't get enough of looking at him, which is why I gasp in surprise when Nonna finally says "Viola!" and turns me so that I can see myself in the mirror.

I gasp, and am at extreme risk of both bursting into tears and dropping the baby at once. Luckily, Janeen is right next to me, and takes Dominic into her arms. "You're gorgeous, baby sis," she whispers, reverent, as we both look at my wedding gown in the mirror. The dress is incredibly romantic. Simple and chic, it fits tight around my arms and bodice until it hits my waist, where it flows to the floor in yard and yards of lace and silk.

I look, absolutely, like a princess from a fairy tale.

"Thank you," I whisper to Nonna, my hands shaking with shock and gratitude and joy.

"Bellissima," she murmurs, standing on her toes to press a kiss to my cheek.

And then she laughs, moving to the door and beckoning us to come along. "All right, baby," Janeen sighs. "I mean, I still have my Porsche out front. If you want to bail on this -"

"Oh, shut up," murmur, giving her a half-hearted little glare that makes her laugh.

"I know," she sighs, passing the baby back to me before wrapping her arm in mine. "I just tease. And I am happy for you, baby Fay. I think...I think you and Kent are just right for each other."

I raise my eyebrows at my sister. "Wow, Neeny," I murmur. " Look at you, being sweet."

"Don't get used to it," she sighs.

And then my sister grins at me and walks me down the stairs.