Mafia Legacy

Chapter Thirty Eight-Charlotte

We had someone gotten through dinner and most of the next day, and Luca had yet to tell me what he had run off to do yesterday. I had a small suspicion, and when I got back to the room after a spa day with the girls and there was a beautiful white lace dress laid out on the bed, my suspicions were confirmed.

Luca and I had resigned the marriage certificate within hours of him being home, but had on the fence about doing something more. We'd been together for nearly 20 years, but had never actually had a real wedding. The one we'd been planning in Italy had quickly gone off the rails when I was kidnapped, and then shortly after that we had Leo, and the big extravagant wedding fell farther and farther down the list of priorities. Even after I insisted it wasn't necessary, Luca was dead set on putting a positive spin on this. He saw an opportunity to renew our vows and have the celebration we'd always talked about.

I had a feeling from the beginning that this was what this trip was about, but I hadn't mentioned it, not wanting to spoil his fun. One of the ways Luca dealt with his emotions was by pouring himself into others. It was healing for him, and while sometimes I felt like it made him bottle things up, it was his way of processing things. Especially grief.

I walked over to the bed and picked up a note that was left next to the dress.

I'll pick you up at 6PM, sharp. Don't be late, Tesoro.

Smiling to myself, I picked the dress up off the bed and held it out in front of me to get a better view. The intricate lace pattern was beautiful, and exactly like I would have picked out myself. Luca wouldn't have even needed help from my friends or our daughters. He knew me so well I was sure he had picked this dress, especially for me.

It was already 5:30, and I didn't have much time, so I took my clothes off and slipped the dress over my head. The luxurious fabric was light and flowy, fitting my body like a glove. It was perfect for a beach wedding, which didn't surprise me. No detail escaped Luca's mind when he was planning this kind of thing, and most of the time, it was better for me to just sit back and watch.

I was beginning to see why Hailey and Julia had been so adamant about us getting our hair and makeup done at the spa, and realized I'd been fooled from the beginning. Everyone seemed to be in on the surprise but me.

I added a few final touch ups to my makeup and shook my curls out before deciding on a pair of sandals. The necklace he had given me in Aruba caught my eye in the closet, and I reached for it, adding the perfect final touch to my outfit. Right at 6, there was a knock at the door just as I finished fastening the clasp on the necklace.

Luca was standing at the door in a suit, holding a rose in his hands. The gentle grin on his face made me weak in the knees, and I blushed just looking at him.

"Damn, was I right or what?" He chuckled, taking my hand and spinning me around so he could get a full look at the dress.

"Right about what?"

"The dress. I knew you'd be an absolute smoke show in this dress. There is something about you in white that just fires me up." He pressed his lips to my cheek. "You look incredible, Char."

"Thank you." I smiled, draping my arms around his neck. "And thank you for the dress. Whatever could we be doing in a white dress and tuxedo?" I teased.

Luca chuckled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black box. He bent down on one knee, and my breath hitched when he opened the box, revealing the most intricate and breathtaking diamond ring I had ever seen. The jewelry Luca had given me over the years was always magical, but this was something completely different. It was more than I ever could have dreamed.