Love Arranged (Lakefront Billionaires, #3)(127)

Similar to Enzo, Aurelio is getting to that age where he gets embarrassed by us, and I can already tell it’s going to hit Lily hard since he was always the biggest hugger of the four.

“You two are still helping,” I tell Enzo and Lazaro.

“Why ask us, then?” Enzo groans while Lazaro says, “Dad!”

“I gave you a choice, but you picked wrong.” I grin, and the two of them tackle me to the ground.

Enzo must’ve picked up a few new skills from his uncles, Julian and Rafa, because he pulls me into a new kind of headlock that is difficult to pull out of. Lazaro, who is still too small to cause much damage, has found out some classified information about me.

“You betrayed me.” I twitch when Lazaro hits that ticklish spot beneath my armpit, which no one knows about except for my wife.

“You double-crossed me first.” Lily nudges me with her ticklish toes.

Lazaro calls for reinforcements, and Lucia throws herself on top of her brothers and goes for my other ticklish spot.

“Hey! I thought you were my sweet girl.”

“Scusa, Papà,” she says in that adorable Italian accent of hers that always makes me melt.

Aurelio, who has clearly been spending way too much time with his moody, broody uncles, stands by Lily.

Our gazes connect, and I can read her thoughts without her speaking a single word because they mirror my own.

Nothing in the world compares to this feeling, and I know that nothing ever will.

Happiness, for our kids and the joy they bring us every single day.

Love, both for each other and the life we built together.

And hope, because wherever life takes us, we will always have the family we created, and no one can take that away from us.





BONUS SCENE


Lorenzo


Ispend the next two weeks after the election transitioning into my role as Lake Wisteria’s mayor. While my schedule no longer includes campaign-related activities, I’m just as busy—if not more.

It won’t always be like this, but since Mayor Ludlow decided to join his son in Europe for who knows how long, I’ve been left to figure out everything on my own.

Thank God.

I’ve been so preoccupied with work that I don’t notice how my schedule is cleared for the day until I wake up this morning and check the time of my first meeting. I’m still sorting through the issue with my assistant when my doorbell rings.

I check the app to see Lily standing on my front porch, wearing one of my favorite dresses—a periwinkle one that she wore to Mass. It was the first time I saw her, before I learned that she was also Ana, and I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Before I can get a good look at her, she shoves a bag in my face. “Happy birthday!”

I grab it from her with wide eyes. “How did you know?”

“You’re the textbook example of a Scorpio.”

I shoot her a look, which earns me a giggle as I open the door wider for her to enter.

“You dropped a hint during our double date with Manny, so I googled it and added the date to my calendar.” She walks inside and removes her heels.

I pass her a pair of ruffled socks that match her outfit, and she puts them on before she greets Daisy with a scratch on the head.

“Willow told me you didn’t want anyone to make a big deal of your birthday,” she says softly.

I grip the birthday bag so tightly my hand begins to lose circulation. “I’ve never been big on celebrating it.” Not since my parents passed away, at least, because it reminded me of another year spent without them.

It never felt right, so I stopped mentioning it to people.

“I assumed as much since you kept it a secret.” She doesn’t sound bothered by it, which is a relief.

Still, I feel a bit guilty about not saying anything. “It’s nothing personal.”

“I know.” She bends down to scratch Daisy’s belly. “I wanted to pass by and drop off a present.”

“That’s it?”

Her smile is contagious. “Did you expect me to plan some surprise party with all your friends?”

“All three of them?”

“Four, if you count me.” She winks.

I place the bag on the floor and wrap my arms around her. “I don’t.”

She stands on the tips of her toes and cradles the back of my head. When she presses her mouth to mine, I forget all about how I wanted to spend today alone.

I want to drag Lily upstairs and continue what she started, but she pulls away.

“Now, time to open your present!” She yanks on my arm and drags me toward the living room. Daisy hops onto the couch beside us and immediately lies down, monopolizing half the space.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I take a seat beside Lily.

“I wanted to.”

I reach inside the bag, pushing aside the white tissue paper until I find the present. Lily is practically vibrating with anticipation as I pull the rectangular shape out of the bag. Her excitement is infectious, and I find myself smiling as I uncover the gift.

“What do you think?” she asks when I say nothing. I’m afraid if I do, she will notice how hard I’m trying to not cry. It’s a foreign feeling, the way my eyes well and my throat itches, and I’m not sure how to make it stop.