Page 40 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Heir

The small wedding takes a lot of pressure off me. The chapel is just down the road past the strawberry fields with an old priest who can barely stand up straight. Marisol, Lia, and a few other village families are in the chapel, making the service intimate and sweet. The priest goes off on a long tangent in Spanish which gives Vinny and I a few seconds to whisper.

“You look like a fairy,” Vinny whispers.

I stifle a laugh. “Is it too much?”

“I love it,” he continues. “You look angelic.”

I want to kiss him but we haven’t made our vows yet. “I want the kids to live here. I want them to be happy. Leave everything from New York behind.”

Vinny doesn’t say anything for a few moments and I worry he didn’t hear me.

“That’s all I could ask for,” Vinny replies. The priest then ends his sermon and points at Vinny, saying something else in Spanish.

Vinny turns to me. “Rosa, I know we met under…strange circumstances. But I like to think it’s the one thing in my life that actually brought something good. You’ve taught me how to love and forgive. How to move on and find peace in this crazy life.”

The priest then nods at me. I didn’t make vows. I couldn’t find the right words. So, I say what I always hoped I’d be able to say to someone.

“Vinny, I carry you in my spirit and you’re the evidence that there is a God who wants us to be happy in this life,” I say as tears well in my eyes. I try to say more but nothing else comes out. Vinny steps forward and kisses me. I don’t know if the priest has given us the go-ahead, but I suppose we’ve never done things by the book anyway.

After we walk back down the aisle, we’re greeted by the guests. The church doors open and the rest of the village is cheering us on.

“A little Jalisco tradition,” Vinny says as we walk down the road with flowers and rice being thrown at us. Back at the house, a huge feast is waiting for us with a mariachi band. The music and great food give me a warm feeling.

“This was perfect,” I tell Vinny as we have our first dance.

Vinny kisses my forehead. “I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.” The guests start to leave close to midnight and Vinny and I slip away to have our wedding night.

Thankfully, we have the night to ourselves and loads of booze to celebrate. But with the babies nearly here, I figure we have to tread lightly. We settle for a bath and a romantic movie as Vinny rubs oil on my stomach.

“Is this how life is when we’re not criminals?” I ask.

He laughs. “It could be.”

“Could be?”

Vinny adds more oil. “I have…loose ends to tie up still.”

I jerk away from him, ready to throw the oil bottle at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I want to be sure New York stays in New York, Rosa babe,” Vinny says.

I turn back to the TV. “I thought us coming out here meant that? We’re married, I’m due any second—”

Vinny hugs me and kisses my cheek. “Babe, I want us to be prepared for anything. That’s all I’m saying.”

I force a smile. If any more stress gets to me, I’m afraid it’ll actually hurt the babies. The rest of the night is sweet. Vinny and I fall asleep on the couch and I admire my ring every second I get. Still, I feel a tickle of worry when the thought of that unfinished business creeps in.

CHAPTER 22

Vinny

Marisol comes out of the room with a basket full of soiled towels. Her forehead is shiny with sweat.

“Not now, Vinny,” she mutters as she closes the door behind her. I run behind her like an anxious little boy. My shirt is soaked from sweat and I can barely stand still.

“Let me inside,” I beg. “I need to make sure Rosa is okay!” I insist. It’s been three hours since Rosa's water broke and I’m beside myself. The village insists on birthing the traditional way without men in the room, so I'm banned from going inside.

Marisol restocks her basket with clean towels. “The last thing I want is for your wife to go through any more stress.” She pauses, dabbing her face with a clean towel. “Twins the old-fashioned way is not easy.”

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