Epilogue—Dom
Lucia slipped her phone back into her purse and gave me a triumphant grin. “Done.”
“That was easy,” I said, shaking my head.
“Never underestimate the power of a spa day.”
“Duly noted.”
I was totally for them, especially when I’d be benefiting as well. What could I say? I liked when Ella was happy and relaxed. She was going to need that extra dose of Zen in a few hours when she showed up at the restaurant. Yes, Gina and Gray were back in town, but that wasn’t the reason we were gathering at Mama C’s tonight.
“Thanks, Luce.”
“Anything for you,” she said, then added, “but her saying yes isn’t going to get you out of the charity calendar shoot.”
I guessed we would see about that. As much as I liked helping out and raising money for local charities, I wasn’t going to do something my fiancée didn’t want me to. I—we—would find another way to contribute.
My cousin left to pick up Ella, and I ran through my mental checklist. Ella was occupied for the rest of the afternoon. The ring was safely tucked away in my locker. My mom had agreed to make Ella’s favorite dinner. The only item left was to get out of here on time, and that wouldn’t be an issue if the day remained quiet and uneventful.
Word had gotten out that I planned to propose to Ella tonight—probably because I couldn’t keep the big, stupid grin off my face—and spirits were high all around. Nothing could ruin my mood, not even the litany of taunts and good-natured ribbing from the guys because it meant that soon, I’d be a happily married man.
Was I overconfident, assuming that Ella would say yes? Not really. I knew in my soul that we were the real deal. If it had been simply up to me, I would have asked her to marry me last Christmas, but Ella needed time to adjust. Time to trust that she was safe and we could take the next step. Time to accept that my family adored her almost as much as I did.
Actually, I think that was part of the problem. She’d come to think of them as her family, too, and didn’t want to risk bringing trouble to their doorstep. Or mine, for that matter. What she didn’t realize was that if she did decide relocation was necessary, I would be right there with her. Where she went, I went—it was that simple.
I hadn’t been kidding when I said she was my future.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to go that route. Ella’s new identity was solid—Bruno’s friends up north had made sure of that. No one else had come looking for her—and probably never would. Uncle Rocco had been utilizing his many connections and quietly keeping tabs on the Ferraro and Moretti ‘ndrinas.
There had been some power shifts. Ella’s eldest brother, Stefano, had taken over after their father had a near fatal heart attack and returned permanently to their estate in Calabria. According to Rocco’s contacts, one of Stefano’s first acts as capo was to finance a women’s shelter—aptly named Lessa’s Place—in honor of his sister.
Ella had cried when she heard that.
As for her ex-fiancé, Giorgio Moretti, well, he was no longer an issue. He had gotten himself in trouble with another capo—or more accurately, he got another capo’s daughter in trouble . He was now living with his new wife and kid somewhere around Vegas. Rumor had it, the two couldn’t stand each other. Ella had said that was a perfect example of karma at work.
So, yeah, I was feeling pretty good about things. Smug even. Maybe that was why fate decided to knock me down a peg and sound the station alarm with only an hour left in my shift.
Three hours later, the fire engine dropped me off in front of Mama C’s. I was already late, and I didn’t want to waste a minute more.
With back slaps and good-luck wishes from my tired crew, I strode into the back entrance. I was still wearing my turnout gear, sweaty and dirty and smelling like smoke. Somber faces and looks of relief met me as I made my way through the kitchen. The fire had been a bad one.
“Sorry I’m late.”
The moment Ella saw me in the doorway, she leaped out of her chair, ran across the room, and jumped into my arms.
“I’m okay,” I assured her, holding her as she gripped me like she’d never let me go again.
Over her head, I saw my mom and my cousins offering relieved nods and slipping quietly from the room, leaving us alone.
“I was scared,” she whispered. “They said it was bad.”
“It was. They brought in fire companies from neighboring townships to assist.”
“They said there was a collapse. That several firefighters were rushed to the hospital. Sofia and Grant are over there now. I thought?—”
“Shh, I’m okay. Ella, look at me. I’m okay.”
She lifted her gaze and met my eyes, searching for the truth. Hers were glossy with relief and unshed tears. Then she kissed me like she’d thought she’d never get the chance to do so again.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” I said gently as I rubbed her back and hoped this wouldn’t make her rethink our relationship.
The truth was, every time I went out on a call, there was a risk involved. This was the first time she’d freaked out though. Probably because it was the first five-alarmer I’d been called to since we’d moved in together.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice thick. “I guess I need to work on my game face, huh?”
My heart swelled. She wasn’t bolting.
I let her down and pushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Hey, I will never complain about you being happy to see me.”
She gave me a watery smile and wiped at her eyes. “Good, because I will always be happy to see you.”
“Listen, this isn’t exactly how I planned to do this, but …”
I took a step back and went down on one knee. “Ella Ferris, will you marry me?”
I cringed at the blunt simplicity of the question. The hundreds of times I’d pictured this moment, I’d said something incredibly eloquent and romantic—something about her face being the one that carried me through every call, the knowledge that she was waiting for me the reason I would always find my way back to her. But adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, and getting my ring on her finger ASAP was the only thing that mattered.
Except … I’d left the ring in my bag. The one that was still in my locker at the station house.
Ella didn’t seem to care about that. She got down on her knees, cupped my face with her hands, and said, “Dominic Cerasino, I would like nothing more.”
Then she kissed me again, and nothing else mattered.
Hours later, the celebration was still going on. Thankfully, Chas brought my bag from the station, so after using my parents’ shower, I was dressed in clean clothes, and Ella was now proudly sporting her engagement ring. The proposal might not have gone according to plan, but who cared? Ella had agreed to be my wife.
And, yep, Nonno had, without a doubt, definitely gotten it right again.
* * *
Thank you so much for visiting Mama C’s and spending time with the Cerasinos!