Chapter 19
Chapter nineteen
I place the final single-serving of tiramisu in the display case and can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
I wasn’t sure how the more complex recipes would go over, but I can hardly keep these little desserts in stock.
It’s my bad for doubting Forrest Falls—after they devoured my cannoli, I should have known they were ready for any and all Italian desserts that I bake.
“That’s the last tray other than the special order for the Johnsons that I need to frost quick,” Betty tells me as she slides in a tray of Christmas cut-out sugar cookies at the other end of the display case.
“Thanks, Betty. Why don’t you frost that cake and then head out for the holiday?”
“Are you sure? I can stick around and help with closing up for the day.”
I wave my hand in front of my face, shooing away her suggestion.
“No need, Max will be around if I need an extra set of hands, but really, it’s minimal after almost selling out.
” I glance at the clock over the counter.
“It’s not even ten a.m. and the sign has said all week that we were closing at noon or when we were sold out—whatever happens first! ”
“You should be proud of the fact that I don’t think you will make it to noon, dear.
I know I’m proud of you.” Betty pulls me into a hug and damn near makes me cry in the middle of my own bakery.
After admitting everything to Max, I’m no longer hiding from the people I care about.
We aren’t broadcasting everything yet—not until after the trial and it’s safe for Luca to come home—but we are that much closer.
When I told Betty, she cried more than I did and proclaimed she was officially adopting all of us, even though I think she did that over a year ago.
Max told me he would be done with work by ten this morning, and he just had a few things to take care of in the office before he’s off until the new year.
Like I conjured him by thinking of his handsome face, the front door of Sprinkles opens and Max’s hungry gaze snaps to mine—as if we weren’t just wrapped up in each other this morning before I left for work.
His presence lights my face up like a Christmas tree and I’m unable to play it cool, not even trying to hide how excited I am to see him.
He is wearing a dark navy sweater over a red plaid button-up shirt and looks like an Americana fever dream.
“Hey baby, how’s it going?” His eyes crinkle as he grins, showcasing that little scar through his right eyebrow.
“Hi you! It’s been a good morning. I don’t think we are going to last until noon!” I gesture at the near-empty display cases.
“You won’t.” He shrugs and grins as the door opens behind him.
“Hey, Cara,” Jack greets me with a head nod. After everything happened, I will forever feel like I owe Jack Callahan, despite what he says. He connected us with his brother, who in turn literally helped save Dante and Mila.
“Merry Christmas, Jack. What can I get you?” I ask with a smile.
“I’ll take … all of that,” he says as he gestures to my three display cases, which are near empty but there are still too many pastries and desserts for one person.
“I’m sorry, all of it?” I squeak.
“Yeah, my siblings and I are going over to deliver toys to the children’s wing at the hospital, and I like to have treats for the families and medical staff to help ease the fact of being in the hospital over the holidays.
I have a bunch of cinnamon rolls from Java Jive already ordered but then realized I should have placed an order with you, so I apologize for my lack of foresight on that. ”
“Uh, consider yourself forgiven since you’re clearing me out for the day!” I explain as Betty comes up front and helps me package the remaining pastries and baked goods.
“Dude is trying to steal my moves, so let the record show, I did this first,” Max says with a wink as he and Jack take multiple trips to a truck backed up in front of the bakery.
As I hand him the last box of goodies, another SUV pulls up, and I recognize Jack’s brother Ryan and his brother-in-law Walker in the front seat.
I also notice the backseat is overflowing with wrapped gifts.
I wave to them as they honk in greeting and take the gifts and treats off to brighten some very special patients’ day.
Betty refuses to leave me to the clean-up, but between Max, her, and me, we quickly get everything cleaned up and reset for when we open the day after Christmas.
Walking into Max’s loft, I hear a shrill scream, but it doesn’t sound like Mila or Dante. I rush into the living room, only to see Max’s brother Chase faking a death by Nerf gun. Judging by his other brother Tommy’s pose on the ground, he was taken out first.
“I will avenge my brother. I shall return!” Chase gasps before falling dramatically onto the couch.
“Zia! We got ‘em!” Mila squeals as she runs into my arms.
“I’m so glad. I’m sorry we missed the battle,” I tell her as I kiss her on the top of her head and steal one more hug before putting her down.
“It’s okay, we have extra guns for you guys. I want to be on Max’s team this time!” Mila yells as she runs down the hall.
“Rude, girl! I thought we bonded before you killed me!” Tommy calls after her with a grin on his face.
Cami slides into the room in fluffy socks that soar across Max’s wood floors. “I second that, girlfriend! Where is the loyalty?”
“Just be on my team with me, Cami!” Mila yells back and Cami shrugs before running after her.
I look back to Max, but instead of grinning, he’s reading something on his phone and looks far too serious for the topic at hand.
“Is everything okay?” I ask quietly.
“Yeah. I thought I would have a little more time, but that’s okay.” I raise an eyebrow in question to what he’s talking about. Max wraps his arms around me and kisses me deeply. “What’s going on? You’re being weird.”
“I just want you to know that I love you and you are impossible to shop for, but I think I have the perfect Christmas gift for you,” Max says with a half-smile that tells me he is clearly up to some shenanigans.
“Honestly, just being here with you and the kids is perfect in itself,” I admit.
“I know you think that … but I promise you this is better.” Max winks at me as a knock sounds at his front door. “Why don’t you go answer that?”
I scowl in confusion. Why would I answer his front door?
To be fair, we basically live here and haven’t slept at the apartment over my shop since the kids were rescued, but we haven’t officially had that conversation yet.
I shake my head as I walk over to check the front door.
I promptly squeak in surprise as I open it and find Ace standing in front of the door.
“Merry Christmas, Cara. I hope you don’t mind, we had some gifts for Dante and Mila and wanted to stop by to check in on them,” Ace greets me as I throw my arms around the giant man in a hug.
I barely got to thank them for what they did for Dante and Mila, but I will never forget what they did for us.
“Of course! But who is we?” I look behind him and don’t see anyone else in the hallway. It’s not a large space as the floor is only two apartments, but clearly Ace is alone right now.
And then the elevator chimes.
The doors open and Liam steps out, followed by the face I haven’t seen in person in almost two years. The sob that escapes me sounds almost feral as I launch myself at my brother.
“Ciao, cara sorella.” Luca’s voice rumbles in his chest as I cling to my little brother.
“How are you here right now? I’ve missed you so damn much, Luca!” I manage to get out between cries. My brother carries me into the apartment as I get my bearings.
“Papà!” Dante yells as he runs to his dad.
Luca sets me down and scoops Dante up. I look over to see Mila staring wide-eyed at everything happening.
Luca kisses the top of Dante’s head before setting him down to squat low.
My brother is a big guy, and his size is more aparent in person than over a video call.
“Hi principessa. How are you, baby?” Luca asks Mila.
She pauses for another second before she runs full speed into her daddy’s open arms. I hear her crying into his neck and realize I’m still crying myself.
Familiar arms wrap around my waist and pull me back against the body that I now consider home.
“How? How did you do this?” I manage to get out as I watch Luca sit on the couch with both Dante and Mila hugging him. I look up at him as he smiles in response.
“I asked Liam if there was any way we could make a Christmas wish come true.” Max shrugs.
“And when Liam mentioned it to us, we thought we could help out and also get a chance to check in on the bravest two kiddos we knew,” Colt chimes in as Ace and Liam nod in agreement.
I didn’t even notice that Colt was also in the elevator behind my brother, let alone the large bags of presents he and Ace are now carrying into Max’s living room.
My brother is the best gift they ever could have given us today anyway.
“Unfortunately, this is just a quick visit. We have ninety minutes before we need to move and bring Luca back to a secure location.” My heart falls a little at Liam’s announcement, but I swallow and nod.
“Well then, let’s not spend the entire time crying, huh?
” I try and swipe away my tears as I grab Max’s hand and tug him to the living room.
“I know you guys have talked on the phone, but maybe introductions are in order here. Luca, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Max. Max, this is my little brother Luca, and Dante and Mila’s father. ”
“It’s my papà!” Mila squeals with delight while smushing his face with one of her hands on each of his cheeks.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, man.” Max reaches his hand out and Luca shakes it without standing or moving his kids from his lap. “You have an amazing sister and wonderful kids.”
“The pleasure is mine, Max. And thank you for everything you’ve done for my family.
I can never thank you enough, but I will owe all of you for the rest of my days.
” Luca is solemn as he makes eye contact with the men that were responsible for bringing Dante and Mila home.
The U.S. marshals were not thrilled that they were basically on clean-up duty after Liam and his team, but somehow nothing else was really said about it.
There may have also been an element of them being thrilled to finally have Salvatore Serrano in custody which made it easier to let things go.
Salvatore Serrano’s trial starts next month, and with the amount of evidence the feds have against him, paired with my brother’s testimony and the information in the cloud storage from Rafa, it isn’t expected to be a long trial.
One of Sal’s cousins already took over control of the family and quickly shut down the fentanyl business that Sal was so determined to expand, resulting in Rafa’s death, and who knows how many other people’s deaths by overdose from the lethal drug.
I’m not sure that I’m supposed to know the current state of the Serrano family, but Liam has stopped by multiple times to check on the kids and has answered all my questions to the best of his ability.
The time flies by faster than I’m prepared for, and before I know it, we’re saying a very tearful see-you-later to Luca. My brother extends his hand to Max and pulls him into a dude hug with the double pats on the back.
“Whenever you’re given the green light that it’s safe for you to have your life back, I hope you will consider joining us here in Forrest Falls.
” Max already talked to Luca about introducing him to the owner of the local auto shop and it sounds like Luca is more than open to making Tennessee his new home.
“And until then, I promise to keep an eye on them.”
“I appreciate that, man. And yeah, I’ll be coming to wherever my kids and sister are—but it’s going to take me a minute to get used to calling you Cara.”
“That’s okay, I don’t think I’ll go back to Alessia after everything is settled. And someone pointed out it’s not that big of a stretch from my middle name anyway.” I bump Max’s hip with my own.
“He can stay in my room here! I’ll sleep on the floor!” Dante offers but before I can correct him that his room here is technically a guest room, Max interrupts.
“You know what bud, your Zia and I need to have some discussions, but I promise when your papà gets to come home to us, he will have a place near us, without having anyone needing to sleep on the floor. Deal?” He sticks his fist out and Dante fist bumps him.
My brother wraps me up in a hug. “I love you, mia sorella. I can never thank you enough. Merry Christmas, Cara.” He emphasizes my name, and it almost makes me smile.
“Merry Christmas, little brother. I’ve got you—and I’ve got them. I love you, Luca. Be safe.”
And just as quickly as they arrived, my brother, Ace, Colt, and Liam are all gone. But for the ninety minutes that I had all the people in my life that I love together, my heart was the happiest that it has ever been.