Page 125 of Single Malt Drama

Nico startled. “What’s wrong with you tonight? You seem nervous.”

“Nothing. Does this sound weird to you?” I hit the horn two more times for good measure. With any luck, my brothers had heard the signal and were in the process of quieting the crowd.

“It sounds loud.” She shook her head and reached for the door.

“I love you, babe.” My voice came out thinner and higher than I would have liked, but Nico didn’t seem to mind.

“I love you, too.” She turned back to me and smiled her Cover Girl smile, and then it morphed into a kiss-me grin.

I jerked back. We didn’t have time for kissing, not yet. “Well, okay. Now that I got that off my chest. Let’s go inside.”

She arched a brow. “You’re definitely acting weird. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” I hopped out, jogged to her side of the car, and opened her door.

Nico folded her arms. “I’m not moving until you tell me what’s going on.”

I let my head fall back and squinted at the night sky. Damn it. Think, Marco. Think. “Okay, fine, you got me. Maria and Alessio are here for dinner.” I held my arms out at my sides. “Surprise!”

“Here?” She climbed out. “Why on earth would you have them here? Your mother is a complete snob.”

You’re killing me, Nic. Killing me.I forced a smile and took her arm. “You’re right, dear.”

We walked through the back entrance and into a dark house. Evidently, my family thought surprise proposals and weddings happened without lights. At least the place was completely quiet.

Nico stopped walking. “Where is everyone? Why aren’t the lights on?”

“Maybe the power’s out?” I tugged her toward the kitchen stairs.

She pointed toward the microwave. “The clock is working.”

I missed the first step, cursed, and forced myself to take several deep breaths. “Sweetheart, please. I have a really big surprise for you, but I need you to trust me, okay?”

Nico slid her hand into mine. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place? Honestly, Marco, for a Mafioso, you can’t lie very well.”

I bit my tongue and led her to the balcony overlooking the garden. The second we walked through the French doors, white twinkling lights illuminated the railing and trees. A handful of strategically placed spotlights lit us and helped to conceal our friends and family below.

“It’s beautiful.” Nico turned and gasped when I dropped to one knee before her.

I took her hand. “I should have done this the first time I asked you to marry me, but…well…I was an idiot.”

She pressed her hand to her mouth and laughed.

“Nic, a long time ago I told myself if I ever fell in love it would be to someone who laughed at my jokes—even the bad ones, who wasn’t afraid to kiss me in public, who understood why I hated spiders—and didn’t tease me about it.”

She laughed again, but this time she did it through her tears.

“I promised myself I’d marry someone who loved movies as much as I did, who knew when I was bullshitting them—and was strong enough to call me out, who accepted my crazy family, who knew my secrets, but never shared them…”

Nico cupped my cheek and sighed the sigh that told me I’d done something very right.

I stared into her gorgeous brown eyes. “The thing is…I promised myself I’d marry you, my best friend, partner in crime, shoulder to cry on, and the love of my life. It’s you, Nic. It always has been, and always will be. Will you marry me? Again. Tonight?”

The lights came on below. For the first time, Nico could see our friends and family standing on the soggy grass waiting for her reply. Maria and Alessio stood arm-in-arm, waving like a couple of excited children. Vittoria and my father beamed up at us. Even my mother cheered and blotted her eyes.

Nico’s hands flew to her mouth as she glanced between our loved ones and me. “My… How…” After what felt like an eternity, she gasped. “Tonight? You’ve planned an entire wedding for us tonight?”

Dipping my chin, I grinned. “I promised you we’d do it again.”

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