Page 80 of Time Served in New York
“You’re going to suck it up and do what needs to be done to get through the next few hours.”
“I will.”
“Good. Now look at me,” Paula snapped. I looked at her and realized there were tears in her eyes as she tried to stay stern. “You walk down that aisle and focus on Christopher. Let everything else fall away when you see him. He’s never going to forget what you look like as you walk toward him. Don’t let him down. Don’t let your brothers down. Put your fucking crown on and hold your head high.”
I took a deep breath and nodded at my best friend, knowing how much it hurt her to be so harsh with me when she was just as torn up about today’s unexpected turn of events as I was.
“Are you okay?” I asked, breaking my resolve for a second.
“He’s been dead to me for years, Frankie. A little blood doesn’t bother me at all.”
“But it will later, won’t it?”
“Get going and shut the fuck up. We’ve got a wedding to attend, and I refuse to have red, puffy eyes and mascara running down my face for pictures.”
I lifted my chin again and gave her a haughty smile. “Get your shit straight and blink those tears away, Paola. I won’t have you looking like a raccoon as a member of my wedding party.”
I addressed our friends who were standing around in stunned silence, “When the reception is over and the photographer is gone, we’re going to get together and have a good, old-fashioned meltdown. Okay, ladies?”
I knew Maylee understood exactly what I was doing when she closed her eyes and sighed. She took a few calming breaths and a serene expression came over her as she straightened her posture and rolled her neck around before she let her shoulders relax. She opened her eyes and smiled at me, and I knew I was looking at the Maylee who had lived through hell and come out a winner on the other side, not the mom who had been terrified for her daughter's life an hour ago.
“Bernadette, Jenn, can you two handle this?” I asked. “There won’t be any hard feelings if . . .”
“I’m fine, Frankie,” Jenn said with a serene expression on her face. She gave me a sweet smile and looked over at Bernadette. “How about you?”
“We all look fantastic. We’re going to walk down the aisle to our men and blow everyone in that room away.”
“Damn right,” Blue encouraged. “You look good, sister-in-law. Stunning.”
“Let’s do this,” Brea said with a nod. She put her hand out and grinned at me. “No one fucks with the crazy coven and gets away with it. Am I right?”
“Hell yeah,” Matalie said as she put her hand on top of Brea’s. I put mine on hers and the rest of our friends followed suit.
“Let’s get you married, Big City,” Blue said with a teasing grin as she put her hand on top of ours. “New York’s not gonna know what hit it.”
“I never imagined I’d have a tribe of women like you around me, but I wouldn’t trade a single one of you for all the gold in the world.” I looked around at the women who had become my family, my sisters. “I love all of you more than you’ll ever know. Now cue the music bitches! It’s time to make our grand entrance.”
There were cheers and excited hoots as Bernadette lined the women up in front of my nephew and young cousin. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as I heard the music start inside the ballroom. I watched as, one by one, the women who I’d come to love as sisters disappeared through the doors until it was finally Olivia and Freddy’s turn to go.
As soon as I heard the music change, I took a few steps and then stopped in the middle of the doorway as everyone in the room stood and turned around to look at me. I didn’t see any of them, though, only Christopher at the front of the room, staring at me in awe, as if I were the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Today, I was going to walk down the aisle and get my fairytale prince.
20.
PAULA
“Who is that girl dancing with my son?” I asked my brother, Rico, as he led me around the dance floor to the waltz playing over the speakers. “She’s gorgeous.”
“That’s Siobhan O’Sheeran. She’s Darragh’s sister,” Rico explained. “The twins’ dates are also from the O’Sheeran family. Cara is here with Luca and Aisling is accompanying Matteo for the evening.”
“Are they dating?”
“No, they just hit it off and became fast friends. The boys know not to mix business with their personal lives.”
“They do, huh?” I asked dryly. “Their entire lives will . . .already. . . revolve around business.”
“I know, Paola,” Rico agreed. “They’ll work it out. We’re going to watch out for them. So will the Romanos.”
