Page 60 of Ivory Legacy

“She’s in the shower. She told me to call you before I forgot. So listen, I have some news. Emily and Tom are coming to New York with us for Christmas. The whole family will be together!”

“Really?” My voice pitched up a notch, a tangle of excitement and nerves knotting in my stomach. “That’s amazing, Dad. I can’t wait to see everyone.”

“Your mother is already planning the dinner menu,” he chuckled, the sound warm and familiar. “And how are things with you? Work going okay?”

I rubbed my temple. “Let’s catch up when you’re here,” I said. I hung up the phone and stared at Dante, who was sipping his coffee and looking at me with a question in his eyes.

“That sounds like it went okay.”

“My siblings are coming too. Which might mean their partners are coming and…I think we need to talk about Christmas.”

“Jade, it’s early and I’m not awake enough to figure out what you mean before the coffee kicks in. What’s on your mind?”

“Family,” I said, biting my lip. “You know they’re coming to town. It’s important to me that you’re there when they arrive.”

He ran a hand through his tousled hair, considering. “I’ve never been one for family gatherings, tesoro. You know how complicated my own ties are.”

“But they’re not just my family anymore,” I insisted softly. “They’re yours too, now. They’ll want to meet the man who’s...” My voice trailed off, the reality of our intertwined lives settling between us.

Dante sighed, the sheets rustling as he shifted to face me fully. “Alright. For you, Jade, I’ll do it. I can’t promise it will go smoothly, but I won’t leave you to handle it alone.”

“Thank you.” Relief washed over me, and I reached out to squeeze his hand. “It means everything to me. That means…I mean, is it okay if they come here?”

“Yes? You live here? What kind of question is that?”

I smiled, went over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

As the morning unfolded, my excitement grew. I draped garlands of evergreen and holly across the mantle, the fragrance mingling with the scent of fresh pine from the tree I haddecorated the night before. The twinkling lights cast a warm, inviting glow over the room, and I couldn’t help but imagine my family’s faces as they stepped into this winter wonderland.

“Looks like Santa’s workshop in here,” Dante remarked as he emerged from the bedroom, now fully dressed. His casual attire did nothing to diminish the air of authority he carried with him, the very essence of a man not to be trifled with.

“Only the best for my family,” I said, tying the final bow. “I want their first Christmas here to be memorable.”

“Memorable,” Dante echoed, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t you think the fact that you’re pregnant will be memorable enough?”

I waved him off. “Are you ready to meet them?” I asked, pausing to look up at him.

Dante leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Let’s just say I’m curious to see the kind of people who raised a woman as extraordinary as you.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” I teased, standing to plant a swift kiss on his cheek. “Especially with my family.”

“Then let’s hope I’m as charming as you think I am,” he said, his smirk fading into something more genuine. “For your sake.”

“Trust me,” I murmured, glancing around the festive penthouse. “This is going to be a Christmas none of us will ever forget.”

***

It was only a few days later. We were ready—at least I thought we were ready—but I was still worried, thinking about how they were going to react when they saw my belly.

My parents didn’t know Dante, they didn’t know I was pregnant.

My siblings definitely didn’t know I was pregnant. And, well, my mother had gotten that phone call from me asking for help…and that was probably all the information she had, so she had every reason to be skeptical of Dante himself.

And Dante…he looked good, but I could tell he was nervous.

“Just remember to breathe,” I told him, smoothing out the lines of his charcoal-grey sweater.

“I’ll do my best,” he replied, a hint of laughter in his voice to dim the veil of tension. But the echo of unease was still there, mirrored in my own restlessness.

---