“Yeah, yeah.” Vinnie waves his arms toward Roger and stalks toward the doorway. “What’s not to love? Now, go get Tilly. We have a wedding to celebrate.”
“Are you ready to do this soon?” I ask Vinnie after he chases Roger from the room.
He fidgets with his tie, gazing toward the brown tile floor. “Never been more ready for anything in my life.”
I smile, wondering when my brother is finally going to spill the secret he’s been trying to keep from everyone. “You’re going to be a good dad.”
Vinnie’s eyes come to mine. “Someday,” he says like I’m a moron.
“Dude, give it up. I know you knocked up Bianca.”
Lucio jerks his head back. “What?”
I tip my chin toward Vinnie, whose mouth is gaping open. “He’s been hiding it for months, Lucio. I thought you knew. Didn’t you notice she wasn’t drinking last night?”
He shakes his head. “I had no idea.”
Vinnie closes the distance between us and looks me straight in the eye. “Not a word of this to anyone.”
I throw up my hands. “My lips are sealed, brother. But eventually, you’re going to have to tell people. Bianca’s starting to show.”
Lucio rubs his forehead. “How could I have been so blind?”
“We’re going to announce it closer to the wedding.”
“Because?” I stare at him in confusion.
“I’m pretty sure her father’s going to want to murder me. The closer we are to the wedding, the better chance I have to survive.”
I laugh. “He can kill you, no matter what. I know if someone knocked up Tate, I’d strangle the very last breath from their body with my own bare hands.”
Vinnie swallows. “Her dad will be fine.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“I mean, he has to be. It’s not like I took her virginity.”
I shake my head slowly. “Don’t use that as your reasoning with her father. That’ll make you dead in a heartbeat.”
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”
I nod. “Never thought I’d see the day you’d settle down and become a family man.”
I pray to fuck Vinnie has a daughter. He’ll be beside himself with worry, knowing just what kind of men are out there in the world. He was that guy, after all. The one trying to get into all their panties and every father’s worst nightmare.
“Stop talking.” He puts up his hand.
“You girls done chitchatting?” Pop asks as he fiddles with his cuff links just outside the door.
Lucio brushes past my father with a low rumble, and I follow. The closer I get to the altar, the more the knot in my gut loosens.
Ma’s eyes are on me as I walk out and stand near the top step, waiting for my girl. “I love you,” she mouths to me.
I throw a wink in her direction and spot the tissues already balled in her lap. The woman is a sap at weddings. Always has been, and always will be. She’s tough as nails most times. No one messes with Betty Gallo, the Irish spitfire who hasn’t lost her sass even at her age. But there’s something about a wedding that always has her in tears.
I sweep my gaze around the church, taking in all the friends and family who have come today to watch us finally become husband and wife. The family is mostly mine, and the friends are an even mix between the two of us. Relatives have come from far and wide; even a few from Italy showed their faces to celebrate my big day…again.
I turn to my brothers, watching as they fidget because they hate being the center of attention as much as I do. Standing up here with all eyes on us, we’re all out of our comfort zones.
