Eyes on Us Book 2
Autor:in
Rebeca Ruiz
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Dine ânâ Forever
Laney
I flinch as another spatter of chocolate shake flicks through the air, landing squarely in Aceâs beard.
That probably feels really sticky.
âYou managing okay over there?â I ask, a smile on my lips.
âHaving the time of my life,â Ace says.
Sophie giggles as she kneads Aceâs beard with her tiny, chocolate-stained hands. Ace laughs along with her, his eyes filled with love and adoration.
My heart swells with happiness. I never thought that Iâd be capable of so much affection. Just six short months ago, my heart was a bleeding, mangled messâalmost literally.
I was in labor, and the complications of the birth had me at deathâs door. As if that wasnât bad enough, I was sure that the father of my child had abandoned me for bright lights and groupies.
It was the hardest, most difficult time of my life.
But now, watching the scene before me, Iâm glad for all of it.
The old vinyl floors and chrome-lined countertops of Roselliâs Diner are almost therapeutic. The scents of their famous burgers and fries mix in the air with that old time rock ânâ roll on the jukebox.
And the best thing yet?
All of my closest friends and family are here with me.
Sophie laughs again, and I canât help but wonder how this beautiful little girl could really be my daughter.
A roar of laughter erupts from across the diner. The rest of Vagabond howls with mirth as Declan coughs and splutters, the remains of a vanilla shake dribbling out of his nose and down his chin.
Good thing we reserved the entire place.
Rockstars definitely know how to make their own fun, but they can get a littleâ
âŠRowdy.
Even prim and proper Declan canât escape them.
Ace chuckles as he rocks Sophie in his arms.
âGrady probably dared him to chug it upside down or something.â
âIâm surprised Declan would even attempt that,â I say.
âThe boys can be pretty persuasive,â Ace adds mysteriously.
I pop a french fry in my mouth as I watch Grady smack Declanâs back. Kieran, Gradyâs brother, swishes the rest of the vanilla shake tauntingly in Declanâs face.
Over the past few weeks, Iâve gotten to know a little bit more about the other members of Vagabond.
Gradyâs the drummer, and Kieranâs the bassist. Theyâre Aceâs and Ericâs cousins.
What a talented family.
Addie slips away from the commotion and makes her way over, sliding into the seat next to me.
âHey, sis,â I say, offering her a fry. âHad enough of their antics?â
She snatches up the fry, rolling her eyes.
âBoys,â she scoffs. Thatâs all the explanation she needs.
Addie turns her attention to little Sophie. She coos and makes funny faces at her. Sophie tugs at Aceâs beard, her other hand reaching out for Addie.
âCome to Auntie Addie you cutie-patootie,â Addie says, cradling Sophie in her arms. âShe takes after you,â she tells me, referring to Sophieâs shock of strawberry blonde hair.
âIâd hope so,â Ace says. âI donât want her getting my ugly mug.â
âI wouldnât have agreed to maââ I catch myself ââDate you if you were as hideous as you say.â
Oops.
Almost gave it away.
âBesides,â I continue. âShe clearly has your eyes.â
Sophieâs eyes are a deep, clear blue.
Just like her fatherâs.
Addie looks between the two of us suspiciously as she tries to dodge her nieceâs chocolatey grasp.
âDid you just stutter?â Addie asks me.
Addieâs always keen when it comes to things like this. Itâs all at once very impressiveâand very annoying.
From the corner of my eye I see Ace wink at me.
âJust a little tired,â I say smoothly. âNew baby. You know how it is.â
âHmm.â
My phone buzzes. Itâs Mrs. Roselliâs husband.
Francesco
Everything is prepared signora.
Francesco
Are you ready?
Laney
as ready as Iâll ever be!
âSignore Ace!â Mrs. Roselli calls from behind the counter. âIf I could ask you to come and help me with something, per favore.â
Ace gets up from his seat, tryingâand failingâto remove all of the chocolate from his beard with a napkin.
My heart starts to pound erratically in my chest.
Here we go.
âIâll be right back,â he says. His voice betrays no hint of whatâs to come.
Another peal of laughter rings out from the boys. Grady and Kieran are gasping for air in between laughs. Declan looks downright miserable.
Eric throws us a glance, and he doesnât need to say anything.
Help me, his look says.
Addie sighs.
âIâll be right back.â
I take Sophie from my sister, cradling her in my arms. I wipe away the chocolate on her fingers, leaning in close to whisper to my daughter.
âAre you ready for the surprise, Sophie?â I ask.
She laughs and claps her hands.
This baby is a bundle of energy.
My own little ray of sunshine.
Itâs hard to imagine that this day could get any better.
But it will in just a moment.
Ace
Mrs. Roselli leads me to the kitchen with a skip to her step.
Iâm pretty sure that the kindly Italian lady is somehow even more excited than Laney and I.
She leans in to hug me, planting two fat kisses on both of my cheeks. Tears glisten in her eyes, and I canât help but tear up a little myself.
Mrs. Roselliâs kindness extends far beyond being the kind patron of a diner. Itâs almost maternal.
âIâm so happy for you,â she says.
Francesco walks into the kitchen looking dapper in his blazer. With its bulky frame and silver lining, the jacket looks like something from the past century, but it suits the kindly old man well.
âReady, signore?â he asks me.
âNever been more ready for something in my entire life.â
***
I wait in the kitchen while Mrs. Roselli walks into the diner. I hear her voice ring out as she corrals everyoneâs attention.
âEverybody please listen,â she calls. âSignore Ace and Signora Laney have a surprise prepared.â
The diner quiets down. I can hear Mrs. Roselli fiddle around with the jukebox.
A slow and soulful Fifties rock ballad begins to play.
Thatâs my cue.
I walk out of the back room, Francesco at my side. Iâm wearing a tuxedo jacket, but it does little to mask the casual T-shirt, ripped jeans, and Converse shoes I have on. Still, the suit jacket adds a little more oomph to the affair.
It helps that itâs been tailored to fit my broad shoulders perfectly.
Not exactly the traditional wedding attire for a groom.
But then again, none of this is traditional.
And thatâs exactly how Laney and I want it.
She's waiting for me, our daughter in her arms. She wears a flowing white cardigan in place of a dress, and Mrs. Roselli places a small flower wreath on her head instead of a veil.
Laney turns to me and she looks perfect. I canât imagine a more beautiful sight.
After they get over the initial shock, my Vagabond brothers whoop and holler, the big goofy grins on their faces nearly mirroring my own.
Declan claps enthusiastically. Addie clings on to Ericâs arms, tears flowing down her cheeks.
The love of my life and I stand at our âaltarâ in front of the jukebox, our daughter cradled between us.
Iâm dimly aware of Francesco reading out the wedding rites, but his voice sounds far away. My entire world consists of my family in front of me.
My beautiful wife and my beautiful daughter.
Itâs not until Francesco clears his throat that I snap back to reality.
âUm, I do?â I say.
âYour vows,â he says gently. Everyone laughs around me.
âIâm not much for vows,â I begin. âI write music. A lyric or two. But nothing I can come up with can describe how I feel for you, Laney.â
Tears spill down her cheeks. Her face glistens like a diamond.
Francesco turns to Laney, but she doesnât need to say anything. We gaze into each otherâs eyes and everything we could possibly say is passed between us.
Francesco catches on, skipping the niceties. He probably married a few folks during his heyday as a ship captain, but no one quite like us.
âDo you, Ace, take Laney as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from thisââ
âI do,â I say.
âI do,â Laney repeats immediately after.
Our minister laughs.
âI now pronounce you husband and wife,â he says, a smile on his face. âYou may now kiss the bride.â
We kiss softly, little Sophie cooing as we move closer together. The kiss is gentle and tentative. And just like that, my family is complete. Iâm finally married to the mother of my child.
Hand in hand, we turn to our small circle of friends.
Mrs. Roselli and Addie are sobbing. Even Eric has tears in his eyes. Grady, Kieran, and Declan clap and cheer as if their lives depend on it. They probably have a little liquid encouragement running through them.
This moment is perfect, and I wish it would last forever.
Then the jukebox switches songs, and an old Chuck Berry song starts playing.
âLetâs get this party started!â I yell.
