“Yes,” I agree. “My grandparents emigrated from Naples.”
She nods and looks at me as though she sees right through me. It’s unsettling, but I don’t waver. “I think you’ll be good for Tony,” she says. “You’re clearly willing to fight for him. Perhaps you are exactly what he needs.”
Her unexpected praise makes my throat burn with emotion.
“I hope so,” I whisper. But I’m afraid he’ll never stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“For what it’s worth, you have my blessing. It takes a brave woman to do what you just did.” She steps back and our hands fall apart. “The party is on,” she announces. “Excuse me. I need to talk to Kevin.”
“Good luck.” I slip out of the room again, hoping to find Tony in the corridor, but I don’t see him among the people waiting to enter.
A woman in a hotel uniform is keeping them from going in. She glances at me as I leave. “Are they ready?”
“Probably soon,” I reply. “But you’ll want to check with Gia.”
I move past the other guests and into the ladies’ room. I need to hear a friendly voice. Someone who can help me make sense of things. I get my phone from my pocket and call Tempe. My sister-in-law answers quickly.
“Hi,” I say. “Do you have a moment?”
“Of course.” A wave of love for my new sister washes through me. “I thought you had that engagement party tonight?”
“I do, but there have been a few problems.” I explain the situation to her. “You should have seen how much their fight freaked Tony out,” I tell her. “Things have been really good between us, but after seeing how he reacted, I’m afraid he’ll always have one foot out the door. He really believes that all relationships are doomed to fail.”
“That’s tough.” She sounds sympathetic. “But it’s still early days for you guys. He might come around.”
“That’s what I’ve been hoping for.” But I also know I tend to be optimistic about most things. What if I’m waiting for something that won’t happen? “I don’t want to have my head in the sand like an ostrich and miss the signs that he’s not as invested in our relationship as I am.”
Tempe is quiet for a moment. I feel like I’m going to climb out of my skin, waiting for her response. “I guess you’ll just have to decide whether he’s worth the risk.”
I close my eyes. “He’s worth everything, but I can’t be the one who keeps reaching out.”
“Then draw a line in the sand,” she suggests.
“It’s not that easy.” But as I think about it, I realize it really is. I’ll gladly risk my heart for Tony, but he had a scare tonight, and perhaps I need to leave it up to him to decide whether he wants to fight for our love. I can’t do it for him. “Thanks, Tempe. That actually is helpful.”
She wishes me luck, and we end the call.
I square my shoulders. Time to let the cards fall where they may.
Tony
I’m standing on a balcony that overlooks the street, gasping for air and trying to convince myself to go back inside, when the door opens behind me, and I hear footsteps approach. The clack of high heels tells me it’s a woman, and I turn, expecting to see Lucia come to get me because I’m taking too long. I feel a pang of disappointment at the sight of Stella, but I suppress it and hope she doesn’t notice.
“What’s going on in there?” she asks, fishing in her purse for a cigarette and a lighter. “The guests are all waiting in the corridor, and when I tried to get into the conference room, the woman at the door stopped me.”
“Mom and Kevin had a fight.” My stomach churns at the memory. “I’m not sure if the party is going ahead.”
“Huh.” She places the cigarette between her lips and draws on it. “I definitely need this then.” She blows a stream of smoke into the air. “Do you know what it was about? Mom has been high-strung lately. She wants everything to be just right, which is fair, but I think Kevin is overwhelmed by it.”
“Something about a cake and a guest list and food requirements.” I shake my head. “I’m not sure.”
She winces. “Hopefully they sort it out soon, or people might start leaving.” She glances around. “Speaking of people, where’s your date?”
“Inside.” Guilt rolls in my gut. “Waiting for me to come back.”
“Oh, Tony.” Her tone says, “you idiot.” She’s not wrong.
“I needed to get away for a while.” Even as I defend myself, I know it’s a losing battle. “I thought she’d come and find me if I took too long.”
