Page 39 of My Best Friend's Dad

“But the fear of losing someone else I care about… it never goes away. That’s why I’ve been so cautious, why I’ve kept so many secrets over the years. I’ve lost so much already. And now, with you… I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you.I don’t know what the future holds, but I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe,” he vowed.

“That means a lot, Vincenzo,” I whispered.

We were quiet for a few long moments, and I cleared my throat, wanting to know more.

“Tell me about Maria,” I said softly. “I want to know more about her. What was she like?”

Vincenzo’s eyes softened at the mention of her name. “Maria was… incredible. She was strong and kind, always looking out for everyone. She had this way of making everything seem brighter, even in the darkest times. She made even better pancakes than me.”

“I don’t know, your pancakes are pretty good,” I said, my tone light before I turned more serious. “She sounds like a beautiful person. Tell me more about her.”

He leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face, but his eyes held a spark of happiness amongst the sorrow, and I knew I was pushing in the right direction.

“There was this one time, before Isabella was born. We had taken a trip to Sicily, just the two of us. We spent the day exploring, and in the evening, we found this little beach. It was secluded and peaceful. We watched the sunset together, and for that moment, everything felt perfect.”

“That sounds incredible,” I said, my heart warming at the image.

He nodded, a wistful smile on his lips. “She had a way of making me see the world differently. She made me want to be a better man.”

I squeezed his hand again. “You are a good man, Vincenzo. You’ve done everything you can to protect your family. And you’ll continue to do so.”

“I appreciate that more than you know,” he replied, his voice thoughtful.

I chewed my lip, searching his face. He was being really open with me and that made my heart swell at least three times its natural size.

Vincenzo was practically a father to me. It was crazy to think about one of the closest people in my life had been involved with something as serious as the mafia. That was something I’d thought was only in books, television, or the movies, not real life.

Curious, I couldn’t stop myself from asking more about it.

“So, tell me, is the mafia life really like the movies?”

“Well, on some level, it is. There was one time when I was about twenty-five, and there was a major deal that had gone south. The rival family was ready to declare war. My father sent me in to negotiate, thinking it would be a good test of my abilities,” he answered.

I leaned in, intrigued.

“And? What happened?” I pressed.

“I walked in there, young and inexperienced compared to the others, but I knew I had to keep my cool. I managed to broker a truce by offering a solution that benefited both sides. It wasn’t easy, but when I walked out of that meeting, my father was waiting. He clapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Well done, son.’ It was the only time I ever saw him smile like that.”

His smile was wide now, and I grinned, imagining a younger Vincenzo standing tall and proud.

“That must have felt unbelievable.”

“It did,” he admitted.

I couldn’t resist adding a bit of sass. “So, did you have a secret handshake or anything? Maybe a cool code name?”

He laughed, a deep, genuine sound that warmed my heart. “No secret handshakes or code names, I’m afraid. Just a lot of showing respect and loyalty. Though I did once get called ‘The Negotiator’ after that meeting.”

I raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on my lips. “The Negotiator, huh? Sounds pretty badass.”

He shook his head, still smiling. “It was a different life, Jenna. One that’s far behind me now.”

“Good,” I said, leaning in closer. “Because I kind of like the Vincenzo who makes me blueberry pancakes for breakfast.”

His eyes softened, and he reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I like that Vincenzo too.”

I glanced down at the table and wrapped my hands around the mug of coffee. Luckily, it was still a little warm and I took a sip.

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