“I could not love anyone more than I love this man. His kindness. His intelligence. His incredible compassion. He may not always be so generous with himself, but I know the truth just like you do. I see him for the genuinely good man he is—the very best man there is. All I want to do is cherish him and treat him the way I know he deserves. Give him all the love that he provides you and these wonderful women with every day. Because that’s who he is. And that’s who I am when I’m with him.”
Matthew’s hand slipped into my lap and picked up my left hand, which he raised gently to his mouth. Our eyes met over the sparkle of the ring, and for a moment our audience disappeared.
“I love you too,” he said in front of his entire family, but in a tone meant only for me.
My heart felt like it would burst from happiness as he pressed a tame, but passionate kiss to my lips.
Eventually, though, we turned back to the head of the table, where Mrs. Zola was still watching us carefully over the rim of her glass.
“I see. And Matthew, you feel the same about her?”
“I’m just doing what Nonno told me.”
“Oh? And what was that?”
Matthew smiled, and the warmth on his face lit me from inside as he caressed my cheek. “He said one day God would give me a good woman to love, and when I found her, I better love her well.” His thumb brushed over my lips. “Who am I to turn down a gift from God? Especially when she makes me feel like this?”
On the other side of the table, Joni, Marie, and Kate sighed in unison. Frankie’s and Lea’s expressions were both still concerned, but had softened considerably with something else that looked like love for their brother, yes, but also understanding.
Sofia Annamaria Zola dropped her hands to her lap, appearing to have come to a decision.
“Well,” she said. “We’re just gonna have to do something about this cattivo, aren’t we?”
Matthew and his sisters all grumbled their agreement. And in that moment, I wasn’t sure how, but the two-person team I was on grew just a little bit bigger.
“Welcome to the family, Nina,” said Frankie as she gave me a kiss on the cheek. “But I gotta warn you. Once you’re a Zola, there’s no going back.”
This time, I really couldn’t help but grin. “I really hope so. I can’t wait.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
May 2019
Matthew
Three…two…one…home.
I came to a stop outside my house after finishing my run home from the gym. Breathing heavily, I checked my watch.
“Shit,” I muttered. Time to get my ass in gear. I could not be late. Not tonight.
“Mattie? Is that you?” Frankie called from the kitchen as I entered the house.
“Shower!” I called back as I made for the stairs.
A minute later, I was in my room stretching when there was a knock on the door.
“You decent?” Frankie asked.
“Yeah, come in.” I stood up and pulled off my sweat-soaked shirt, then lay on the floor and started my sit-up regimen.
Frankie crept in, carrying a large bouquet of Easter lilies.
“Aw, that’s sweet, Fran, but I’m more of a red rose kind of guy, you know.”
“Oh, shut up,” she said. “I’m having a personal issue and I need your advice.”
I raised a brow. “If you don’t like him, send them back. And if you really don’t like him, send me.” I started a round of Russian twists. “So who’s the new guy?”
“Not new. Old. More than four years old, if you know what I mean.”
I paused, twisted toward her. “Xavier?”
Frankie hadn’t said much more about her baby daddy since the minor explosion at Nonna’s, only because I wasn’t one to push. Our sisters, on the other hand, definitely were, so I was pretty sure they knew every damn detail there was.
“Lea told me to call him. So I sent an email to his office.”
At that, I paused and sat up. “Whatever happened at the Christmas party?”
Frankie shook her head. “We, um, talked.”
“Not about Sofia, I take it?”
She shook her head. “More the, um, ‘alone’ kind of talking. And then I left. I’ll spare you the details.”
I made a face. “I appreciate that. And you haven’t talked to him since?”
She shrugged. “He doesn’t have my number. He sent a few emails to my work address, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say. Until now, apparently.”
“Are you thinking you’re going to tell him about Sof?”
Frankie shook her head. “I don’t know. I barely know him, Mattie. We had a fling almost five years ago now, and he was with someone else at the time, and then…” She shook her head. “Anyway, I just said it was nice to see him again. That was it. That was this morning. These arrived while you were out. Plus this.”
She handed me a card, which I opened and read out loud.
Like a ripple that chases
The slightest caress of a breeze,
Is that how you want me to follow you?
Xavi
I whistled. “Not subtle, is he?”
“He didn’t write it or anything. It’s a famous Japanese poem. I looked it up.”
I handed her back the card. “I don’t know how I feel about reading my little sister’s love letters, Fran.”
“Don’t be a jerk. What does it mean, though?”
“Seems pretty clear to me. He’s asking what you want.”
“Which is…”
I shrugged and turned over to hold a plank. “Do you really need me to tell you that?”
“I do when I don’t know!”
This wasn’t like my sister. She wasn’t usually the indecisive type. “You messaged him, Frankie. Seems like you want to talk to him.”
“And say what? Hey, don’t know if you remember me, but thanks for the two one-night stands, they were super fun.
