“Who’s going where now?” Dad asks, strolling in from the backyard through the open door with hands in his pockets. He’s more relaxed than I’ve seen him in a decade.
“Apparently, the girls and I are going to the grocery store.” Along with a dozen DeVille men. Ariana grins at my half-hearted glare.
“Oh, that sounds like fun, I’m in.”
I stare at him. Who is this man, and what did he do with my dad? “Fun? Going to the grocery store with these two is like watching an animal documentary.”
“No, no, Luca, it’s a religious experience,” Lil says, jumping off the stool I’m pretty sure I fucked Ariana on the other day.
As we pull into the parking lot, Ariana says, “Don’t let me forget to pick up champagne and orange juice so we can make mimosas.”
“You are aware I’m the only person in this car old enough to buy champagne, right?” Dad asks.
Ariana scoffs. “I’ve been buying booze for four years. My fake ID has never let me down.”
“I don’t know why you bother stealing shit from Marco’s liquor cabinet,” I say as she parks the car toward the end of a row. More DeVille cars pull up next to it.
Her eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “It’s more fun. I’ve been known to replace his liquor, too. One time, I took everything and left tiny bottles of Jägermeister.”
Dad’s face pinches. “He hates Jägermeister.
“He really fucking does.” My girl’s grin is huge as she looks over her shoulder.
“You have the biggest balls of anyone I’ve ever known,” he says with a laugh. “Even I didn’t pull that kind of shit on him when we were younger, before he was… uh…”
“The boss of a mafia he created?” Ariana supplies.
“Is he finally admitting that’s what it is?” Dad asks.
I scoff and reach for the door handle. “Fuck, no.”
Men move into position, some at the doors and others trailing us. Ford and Sully are part of the away team, both refusing to let Ari out of their sights, just like me. After an hour in the store, my dad is shaking his head with a grin on his face. Lil is pushing a cart that, once again, is filled to the top. Eighty percent of it is pure junk.
We load the bags in the car, and I pull my girl into my arms for a quick kiss. But it’s hard to force myself to pull away once her mouth is on mine.
“Stop being gross,” Lil yells at us from the other side of the car. We break apart, and Ari’s hand dips into her purse. She tosses something at Lil, hitting her in the forehead.
“Ouch, what the fuck, Ari?” Lil rubs her head and looks down. “Oh, it’s candy!” She picks the candy up, unwraps it, and pops it in her mouth before getting into the car.
“Did you put candy in your purse for the sole purpose of throwing it at Lil?”
Ari’s head tilts to the side. “No. Sometimes, I need sugar. It works for both things, so I win.” She slides into the front seat. My gaze meets my dad’s over the roof of the car. He looks so happy when he laughs.
Once we get home, Ariana gets to work on the cake with Lil by her side.
Dad, Marco, and I help set up chairs in the backyard and pretty much do anything else Mia asks us to do. My parents aren’tstaying in the same room, and Mom hardly comes out of hers all day.
After dinner, we meet in the backyard for the rehearsal. I’m not surprised when Mom doesn’t show up for it, either. And it doesn’t bother me. The people who matter show up.
Ariana’s eyes sparkle as she and Marco walk toward me. We only run through the whole thing once, with Lil saying ‘blah blah blah, yada yada yada’ instead of the real words. But Callie practices her part four times before Ari convinces her to go inside by promising we’ll play something with her.
“We?” I ask, tugging my girl to my side.
“Yes, we, Luca. You, me, Lil, and anyone else we can wrangle into it.” She looks up at me, a soft smile on her face. I sigh, and when Callie runs up to us, I let her drag me along.
Ariana and Lil lead us to a room near Marco and Mia’s I’ve never been in. One corner is devoted to dolls and anything a baby doll might need. A net of stuffed animals hangs in another corner, with a table and art supplies under it. There’s a Barbie house that’s almost as tall as Ariana and a wardrobe full of costumes. Books, animated movies, and games fill shelves around a TV. It’s a freaking kid’s dream in here
“Holy fuck,” I mutter, forgetting Callie’s hand is tucked in mine for a second. I look over her head at her mom. “Sorry.”
