Page 36 of Reclaimed Dreams

2 years ago

Enzo came over and leaned against the counter next to him, arms crossed over his chest, Dom’s mirror image, albeit dressed as a life-sized woodland fairy.

“I can’t buy you out. I don’t have the cash,” Dom said glumly. “But if you’re bent on moving to LA, I’ll see what I can do over the next few months.”

“Nah, Dad. Nat wants to stay. She seems to like this crazy, rowdy bunch we call family.”

“Oh thank God!” Dom’s shoulders dropped and he released a sigh of pure relief.

“I’m still leaving Valenti Brothers. But it doesn’t have to be right away,” Enzo said.

“This is really what you want to do?” Dom asked. When Enzo nodded firmly, Dom looked his son square in the eye. “Then we’ll make it work.”

He’d lost Gabe, and when he’d left, there had been a wedge between them. For better or worse, all of his children had inherited his bullheadedness. Enzo was going to go his own way. And Dom refused to damage his relationship with another child.

“You mean it, Dad?”

“Yeah, I mean it.” He wrapped his arms around his grown son and pulled him in for a tight hug, remembering a time when he would have lifted him and swung him around, filling the embrace with laughter and love. With a gruff laugh to clear the tears from his throat, he let Enzo step back. “Go hug your mother. You scared her with all that talk of LA.”

While Enzo joined Jo around the table, Natalie came to stand beside him, and he dropped a heavy arm around her shoulder.

“Thank you,” Dom muttered gruffly.

“What for?”

He looked at Enzo and cleared his throat. “For staying.” He turned his gaze on his wife. “For giving her a reason to be happy.” He swiped a hand across one eye. “For teaching this old fart a thing or two.”

She leaned into the hug. “You big softy.”

“Welcome to the family.” He kissed her on the top of her head and stepped outside to compose himself.

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