Read A Weekend of Misbehaving Online
Authors: Carmen Falcone
A Weekend of Misbehaving (16 page)
Epilogue
“I
now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Lorenzo dipped his head and kissed Alice on the lips. The celebration of his first marriage had been a stuffy affair, with all of Kristen’s high-profile family members and upper-crust friends attending.
This one, he realized, as he glanced around to find his mother smiling and his daughter cheering him on, was quite different. Alice had insisted on having the ceremony at an outdoor venue just outside Austin, right before the sun went down. Six months had gone by since their move to New York, so it was nice to be back with her family—who he’d learned to enjoy as his own. He smiled at Rachel, who looked much better. Judy wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue.
The intimate crowd clapped as a melodious song started playing in the background. With the priest’s blessing, Lorenzo held her hand in his. This was it. “You are now an honest woman, Alice Baldi,” he said to her, and wondered if she heard amid the clapping and catcalling from the guests.
She leaned into him, her gorgeous chestnut eyes gleaming with a message only he could decode. From now on, he’d enjoy unveiling all the nuances of Alice Sommers Baldi. A jolt of happiness surged through him. She winked. “I believe it has to be consummated for it to count.”
He felt a grin teasing his lips and was about to say it had been real for months and their life together surpassed all his expectations, but instead he kissed her knuckles and said, “I’ll take care of that.”
“Does that mean tonight I will officially be Mrs. Lorenzo Baldi?”
“Who said anything about waiting for tonight? Don’t forget, you married an impatient man,” he said, and enjoyed the red shade spreading across her cheeks.
God, she was breathtaking. Her pearl-colored dress was long and pretty. She had designed it herself. Just like the gowns she had created since applying herself to her wonderful talent, it had a modern twist. She had insisted on no veil, her hair falling in smooth waves across her shoulders. The V-neck hinted at her gorgeous breasts, but fortunately kept them hidden for his eyes only.
“Congratulations, man,” Brent Turner, Georgia’s fiancé, said. The two of them had bonded during the trips Georgia and Brent had taken to New York. His friend patted him on the back, and Lorenzo smiled. It was nice to have another guy in his situation—in Brent’s case, divorced and with a daughter, and according to news that Lorenzo had been sworn to secrecy on, another one on the way. “Wish you guys all the best.”
“Thanks,” he said, although that seemed to be the overused word of the night. He was thankful, though, wasn’t he? After some pictures taken by the professional photographer, he admired the shades of pink, orange, and yellow surrounding the sun.
This is what the inside of the sunset looks like, my boy
. He could hear his father’s voice, lively, low-pitched. Lorenzo touched his forehead and closed his eyes, willing that burning emotion away. For a moment, his cheeks and nose tensed. No. He wouldn’t cry. When was the last time he had cried?
“That’s a beautiful sunset,” Viola said behind him.
He drew in a long breath and blinked. “It is. Thanks for coming.” He pivoted and flashed her a genuine smile. Who knew Alice would keep in touch with her? Then again, why wouldn’t she? Even in his New York City building everyone already seemed to have surrendered to Alice’s charms. His wife. A pang of pride went through him. The fashion student who would take the world by storm.
“How are the paintings? You kept them, right?”
“In my New York apartment library,” he said, realizing his workspace became a notch warmer when he could look at the amazing work his father had done.
She slanted him a look and tapped her fingers on her wineglass. “Good.”
“Alice mentioned you were seeing someone. Didn’t want to bring him to the wedding?”
She shifted from foot to foot and sighed. “He’s nice, but we’re taking it slow.”
“Don’t take it too slow.” He winked at her. She stepped forward and took a swig of red wine. For a moment, they stood side by side, almost entranced by the breathtaking view from the hilltop.
Then, Viola studied his profile, for an instant longer than was comfortable. Did she have something to tell him? What in the world could she be holding back? The woman never held any punches. “You know, I never told you I met the artist. From your paintings. Benicio Laron.”
His gut clenched. What was this about? “No. I thought your husband got in trouble for partying with him.”
She smiled a little. “He did. Then once I had him bring his friend for dinner, so I could meet him and see who my competition was. Who was taking my husband out to party with women.”
“And?” he asked, jamming both hands in his pants.
“And, of course, even after having dinner I was still mad at them both. There was, though, one moment that almost made me change my mind. When I talked about wanting to get pregnant, Benicio showed me a picture of his son that he carried in his wallet.”
Lorenzo’s heart skipped a beat. “He did?”
Kindness flickered in her eyes. “It was a beautiful boy with dark hair and green eyes. Kind of like yours.”
He swallowed. “I see.”
“I asked him if he lived with his boy, and he said no. I asked him if he saw him often, and he said not as much as he’d like.”
Lorenzo shook his head. “I’m sure he could have found a way.”
“That’s what I thought, too. But he said he got into some sort of trouble, and staying away was the best way to protect his boy. I’m guessing he used alcohol as a way to deal.”
The terrorist ties. Of course. He remembered his mother yelling at his father after he took him to that meeting. His father never hurt a fly as far as he could tell. If anything, he had been an anarchist, a rule breaker who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
I see it now.
“That’s stupid.”
“I agree. You know what, though? I’m sure he wanted to have been a better father. A better man.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because it’s your wedding, and I wanted to share the little knowledge I have. Remember what I told you when I met you?”
“That you can’t have everything?”
She chuckled. “Well, you do. And that’s all the matters. Not the past.” She stretched to her full height and planted a kiss on his cheek. The affectionate touch warmed his insides. “Time for me to join the party,” she said, and gave him a friendly rap on the arm.
He undid his tie, sure that he wouldn’t breathe otherwise. In his own way, his father had loved him and protected him—the only way he knew how. After another beat, he faced the party again and watched, no, savored, his new wife walking his way. Holding the hem of her dress at both sides, she had never looked lovelier.
“Hey. Why are you hiding? You promised the girls a dance, remember?” she asked, motioning toward Cara and Brenda.
“You got it,
tesoro mio
. I’m all yours.” Pulling her to him, he captured her lips with his. She linked her arms around him, bringing him closer. Yep. He had everything, and he would never let it go.
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Acknowledgments
A couple years ago, Entangled Goddess Liz Pelletier mentioned she’d love to read a book about a confident plus-size heroine. Well, guess what? So did I. And then, the fabulous Alice Sommers was born.
I am so grateful for all those who jumped aboard. Big kudos to my wonderful editor, Karen Grove, for turning me into a better writer. Karen, I truly appreciate you and all you do for me as an author. Thank you for your support.
To all the Entangled peeps, my sincerest gratitude. What I love about Entangled is that everyone gives you their all, and they inspire me to do the same.
Big thanks to everyone at Carmen’s Crew, my fantabulous Facebook street team. We’re growing, but we still have that intimate vibe. I love the camaraderie, the laughs, and I’m so appreciative of all the different ways you help me promote my work.
Marci, Kristina, Yvette, Angela, Nicki…thank you for putting up with me even when I take forever to call or text back because I’m thinking about a new story. LOL.
Nas Dean, thank you for helping me proofread this puppy before sending this out. You rock, lady!
Christine Glover, thank you for beta reading this and other works. You’re so fabulous, and I truly appreciate your friendship.
Jodi Linton, thanks for being a bad influence on me (insert wink here).
Michele de Winton, thanks for your support and for being a close critique partner even though we’re thousands of miles away (insert sad face here).
And last but definitely not least, thank you, Reader, for letting me take you on Lorenzo and Alice’s journey to true love. I hope you enjoyed their story, and that you’re smiling as you read this.
About the Author
Carmen Falcone
learned at an early age that fantasizing about fictional characters beats doing math homework any day. Brazilian by birth and traveler by nature, she moved to Central Texas after college and met her broody Swiss husband—living proof that opposites attract. She found in writing her deepest passion and the best excuse to avoid the healthy lifestyle everyone keeps bragging about. When she’s not lost in the world of romance, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, being walked by her three crazy pugs, reading, catching up with friends, and chatting with random people in the checkout line.
She loves to procrastinate, so please indulge her and drop her a line at [email protected]. For more info, visit her website:
carmenfalcone.com
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