Chapter 12 - An Unsealed Will and Pecan Wood SmokeThat evening, a cool, crisp winter breeze rustled the magnolia leaves outside the carriage house terrace.
Luca and I sat together beside the outdoor stone fire pit, watching the orange embers of seasoned pecan wood dance into the starry southern sky.
The rich, sweet aroma of pecan smoke and wild sage drifted around us, evoking fifty years of survival, honor, and redemption.
Luca reached into his pocket and produced a small, velvet jeweler’s box.
My heart began to hammer against my ribs like a trapped bird.
“Luca...” I breathed, looking up into his dark, soulful eyes.
He didn’t open the box immediately. He took my left hand, holding it between both of his large, warm palms.
“When I took my seat as Don five years ago,” Luca said, his voice dropping into a tender, intimate register, “I thought my duty was to be a fortress. I thought I had to surround myself with alliances, contracts, and cold power to keep my people safe.”
He paused, his thumb gently stroking my knuckles.
“And then you walked into my dining room with a burnt pork roast and an unyielding spirit. You risked your life, your freedom, and your future to speak the truth when fourteen powerful men were silent.”
He opened the velvet box.
Inside rested an antique ring of hand-wrought yellow gold, set with a flawless emerald cut from the very stone his grandmother had worn when the Moretti family arrived in New Orleans a century ago.
“This ring was meant for a woman of truth, Nora,” Luca said softly. “A woman whose heart cannot be bought, and whose courage cannot be broken.”
He looked into my eyes, all the terrifying authority of the mafia kingpin dissolving into pure, unadulterated devotion.
“Will you marry me, Nora? Will you rule this river, this house, and my heart as my wife?”
Tears of pure, overwhelming joy spilled over my lashes, catching the golden firelight.
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“Yes, Luca,” I choked out, throwing my arms around his neck. “A thousand times yes!”
He lifted me off my feet, his arms wrapping around my waist, spinning me beneath the canopy of ancient live oaks before bringing his lips down onto mine in a deep, fierce, breathtaking kiss that sealed our souls together forever.
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