That's Amore! (6 page)

Angered that her mother would still be so uncaring, Leila made it very clear that she wasn't backing out of the wedding. She'd also made it painfully clear that if she was forced to make a choice between marrying Jason,
or
pleasing her parents, Nyla wouldn't be happy with her decision.

And now, on the heels of that heated conversation, Jason was here to speak to her mother and father, less than two hours before the ceremony. For all she knew, Jason had decided dealing with her parents and their attitude toward him wasn't worth the effort, and he was here to issue them an ultimatum.

Her stomach churned with dread, and she took deep breaths to calm her jittery nerves. Moments before Jason had arrived she'd been just about to leave to meet up with her maid-of-honor and bridesmaids, but she wasn't going anywhere until she heard what Jason had to say.

"You know I love Leila, and while I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not what you expected for your daughter, I want this marriage to work, in every way," Jason began, addressing her parents in a very straightforward manner. "And I'm willing to make changes to fit in to this family. But that means the two of you have to be willing to change, as well."

"What do you expect
us
to do?" Nyla asked defensively.

"Well, how about meeting me halfway for one thing, and stop resenting me for falling in love with your daughter." Jason's voice was deep and imploring. "If you can't manage that for Leila's sake, then think about the baby we're going to have."

Leila literally felt the pain behind his words, and her heart expanded in her chest, aching for him and the simple acceptance he sought from her parents. Unsure how long this exchange was going to last, she sat down on the bed in the room, waiting for him to continue.

"You know I lost both of my parents and I've been on my own for years now. I know how it feels to be alone and without any family. So being a part of
your
family is very important to me. I also don't want our children to feel any strife between us. I need them to know that they are loved unconditionally by their grandparents, no matter who their father is."

"And what about us and what we might want?" Nyla said, her voice softening just enough to hint at her own doubts and insecurities. "We'll never get to see this baby, at least not enough to establish a strong relationship so they know and understand their Hawaiian heritage."

"Trust me when I tell you that you'll see your grandchild on a regular basis. I know it's important to the two of you that your grandchildren grow up learning all about their heritage. I honestly want that, too, and I intend to make it happen."

As Leila listened, she realized the inner strength and courage it had taken for Jason to face her parents this way, to put
himself
out there. Yet he was willing to take that risk. For her. For
them.

"All I want from the two of you is to be accepted as part of your family," Jason said. "I hope, in time, you'll be able to do that. And if I can't convince you today that Leila is the love of my life,
then
I'll just have to spend the next fifty years showing you how much I adore your daughter, and do my damndest to make her happy."

Leila's throat tightened with admiration for this man who would be her husband, and every one of her uncertainties lifted, making her feel light and free and impossibly elated. She loved Jason, with her heart and soul, and she knew that together, they would be able to endure anything.

Wanting Jason to know just how proud of him she was, she threw wedding traditions and superstitions out the window. She grabbed her mother's robe, put it on over her slip, and entered the living room before Jason could leave.

Her mother saw her first and gasped in dismay. "Leila!"

Jason spun around to face her, looking panic-stricken. "You're not supposed to be here, and I'm not supposed to see you before the wedding today."

"I've been here the whole entire time in the back room, and I've heard everything you've said to my parents." She smiled and approached him. "And I'm not the least bit superstitious. Are you?"

His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. "Well, no."

"Then we have absolutely nothing to worry about." She placed her palm against his jaw and stared deeply into his vivid blue eyes. "I just had to tell you how incredibly proud I am of you for coming here today and facing my parents." And a quick glance in their direction told Leila that he'd earned their respect, albeit begrudgingly. "You are an absolutely amazing man, Jason Crofton, and I'm such a lucky girl to be your wife."

He shook his head and
grinned
that sexy grin of his. "No,
I'm
the lucky one."

She tilted her head back and laughed. "Then I'd say we make a perfectly lucky pair." She sighed, a smile of pure joy lifting the corners of her mouth. "And since it's about time you made an honest woman out of me and the baby I'm carrying, let's go get married."

CHAPTER SEVEN

A
s
soon as
Jason saw Leila walking arm in arm with her father along the pathway toward him, his breath caught in his chest and his heart soared with emotion. He felt overwhelming love, not to mention intense devotion and tenderness. And then there was complete and utter adoration for the beautiful woman she was, inside and out.

She looked absolutely breathtaking in a simple satin wedding dress. The off-the-shoulder design and shimmering white material was a stunning contrast against her smooth brown skin and skimmed along her curves, from her full, lush breasts and hips, all the way down to her satin shoes. She'd foregone the customary wedding veil, which allowed Jason to see her bright eyes and watch her expression as she approached where he stood waiting for her, in the same gazebo where they'd spent their very first evening together.

They were both wearing the traditional leis that Nana had hand-made for them. His, the Maile lei, was constructed of twisted strands of green leaves that were intertwined with small white jasmine flowers that gave off the light scent of vanilla. Leila's Haku
lei was
a crown of white roses and orchids that encircled her head, which matched the lei draped around her neck.

His gaze shifted to Nyla, who sat in the front row and was watching her daughter walk down the aisle between the two sections of chairs and guests attending the ceremony. Then, she glanced up at him, her eyes misty, and gave him a tentative, wavering smile before she returned her attention back to Leila.

It wasn't much, but it was definitely a start, Jason thought gratefully. He'd had no idea how things would end today after his conversation with Leila's parents, but it seemed that her mother was at least trying to make the effort to treat him fairly and decently. He didn't expect their relationship to evolve drastically overnight, but he was satisfied with gradual, positive changes that reflected their willingness to accept him as Leila's husband, and a part of their family.

He thought about what the night still held for him and Leila—mainly, his gift to her that would show how much he cared for her. He'd debated telling her parents this morning about the house he'd planned to buy that was located on the other side of the island, but he didn't want his decision to move to
Maui
to sway her parents in any way when it came to their feelings toward him. The move was ultimately for Leila, and she deserved to find out about the change in their future plans before anyone else.

Leila and her father stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up into the gazebo, and Keneke gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek before he gave her away to her groom.

Keneke looked up at Jason, his expression a bit nostalgic, and rift with emotions. "Take good care of our little girl."

Jason could only imagine how difficult this moment was for Keneke—for any father, really. "I will, sir," he promised, then watched as Leila made her way up the stairs toward him, to
finally
become his wife.

It had been a long, difficult journey to this point in their lives, but as he stared into Leila's brown eyes, everything meshed together seamlessly. He felt whole and settled, in a way that had been missing for so many years, and he knew, without a doubt, that she was the one he'd been waiting for to make his life come full circle.

The ceremony was short and sweet, and when the minister finally announced them as husband and wife, the guests clapped and cheered—including her mother and father. Then Jason kissed his bride, sealing their vows with a warm, tender embrace that simmered with a deeper longing and desire he fully planned to consummate that evening.

They celebrated their nuptials at an outdoor luau reception, complete with roasted
Kalua
pig,
poi,
fresh pineapple, sweet potatoes, and other authentic Hawaiian fare. Her brothers, Mani and Paulo, played in the band, and everyone danced and had a great time. The female guests were amused over the mix-up of wedding favors and actually enjoyed the candied almonds, while the men puffed on the cigars as they congratulated Jason on becoming a married man.

Late into the reception, as the sun was setting over the horizon, Keneke stood up at the microphone and asked for everyone's attention, including the bride and
groom's
.

"I'd like to propose a toast, to my daughter, Leila, and her husband, Jason." He raised his glass of champagne to the couple, as did all the guests. "Getting used to this marriage hasn't been easy for us for many reasons, but we can clearly see how happy the two of you are, and that you truly belong together. Leila's happiness is all that matters to us, and she's found that with you."

Keneke's gaze sought out his wife's, who gave him a subtle, encouraging nod to continue. "Jason, Nyla and I embrace you with the respect you deserve. We want you to know that from this day forward we consider you one of us. Welcome to the family,
keikikane!"

While everyone clicked their glasses and drank to the sentiment, Jason cast Leila a curious look that asked her to translate that last word, because he had no idea what it meant and could only imagine what Keneke had just called him.

Leila glanced up at him with tears in her eyes and an amazingly happy smile on her lips.
"Keikikane
means 'son'," she said, stunning him with that admission.

"By the way," Keneke went on, this time with humor in his tone. "Your best man, Nick, told me that it's an Italian wedding custom that however many candied almonds are in the gold box is how many children the married couple will have. We may not be Italian, but I'm a firm believer in customs and traditions and we're not about to dismiss this one. I counted five almonds."

"So did
I
," someone else yelled from the crowd, and everyone laughed.

"Well, we want
all
those grandbabies," Keneke said meaningfully.

Jason chuckled. "I have absolutely no problem with that request," he replied as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and drew her close to his side.

Leila just groaned and rolled her eyes.

Keneke grew serious once more. He raised his glass for another toast and gave them a small, but very significant blessing. "
Hoomau Maua Kealoha.
May your love last
forever.
"

"Here, here!" the guests cheered.

In that one perfect moment. Jason knew that everything was going to be just fine.

"We're finally married
." Leila exhaled a long sigh of contentment as she and Jason drove away from the reception in his rented sports car, and toward the hotel they were spending the night at before taking off for their honeymoon to the
Bahamas
the following morning. "After everything we've been through, I can hardly believe it really happened."

"Oh, you'd better believe it happened," he said with a playfully wicked growl. "And tonight I'm going to show you just how married we are."

"Mmm." She reached across the console and gave his thigh a seductive squeeze. "I can't wait." It had been too long since they'd made love, and while Jason had been generous with pleasuring her this week, she ached for that intimate, full-body contact with him.

She rested her head against the back of her seat and glanced at her husband's handsome profile, seeing the smile that seemed to be permanently attached to Jason's face. It no doubt mirrored
her own
happiness.

The tension and stress of the past week had finally eased for the two of them, and she knew it was a direct result of her father's heartfelt toast this evening at the reception. She was grateful for his peace offering, and it was a wonderful, uplifting feeling to know that they were starting their marriage without any more opposition from her parents.

"It seems my parents are making a valiant effort to make things work for all of us," she said softly. "And I think your talk with them this afternoon made a big difference."

"I know there's still going to be issues, but we'll work through them as they come," he said, and placed his hand over the one still resting on his thigh. "But I do have to say that I no longer feel like an outsider in your family."

Her heart swelled in her chest, because she knew how
much her parents'
acceptance meant to him. "You're absolutely one of our own now."

He grinned at her. "And it feels damned good."

She laughed, and ten minutes later they pulled up to a house she didn't recognize. Confusion settled over her, especially since she was expecting to arrive at their hotel. Frowning, she asked, "Where are we?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," he promised.

Shutting off the engine, he slipped out of the car and came around to her side. Opening her door, he helped her out of the vehicle so her wedding dress didn't get caught around her legs, then walked with her up to the front porch of the house.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have a wedding gift for you." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small jeweler's box and placed it in her hand.

More bewildered than ever, she opened the lid and found a key inside. She glanced up at him curiously.

"I bet it opens the door," he said lightly, though she could tell he was anxious for some reason, too. "Give it a try."

"All right." She inserted the key into the lock, turned the knob, and the door swung open. Still standing on the porch, she glanced inside and saw the romantic glow of candles flickering in tall glass votives. They were placed in various places on the bare wood floor, and she inhaled the warm scent of vanilla.

Again, she sought his gaze, searching for some kind of explanation that made sense to this mysterious change of plans. "Jason, what's going on?"

Taking her by surprise, he swept her up into his strong arms, and she gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on.

A roguish grin appeared, and his dark blue eyes gleamed with heat, sensuality, and something far more sentimental. "I believe it's a custom that the groom is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold of their home."

And then he did just that.

His last word registered in her mind, and her eyes widened in startled astonishment.
"Home?"

"Yeah, home," he said, his voice dropping to a low, husky pitch.

He put her down, letting her body slide against his until her feet touched the floor. Then he released her, watching her expectantly as she looked around at the immediate rooms—which included a living and dining area and what appeared to be an adjoining kitchen in the flickering shadows. The walls were bare and there wasn't any furniture in the spacious house.

Still shocked, she turned back around to stare at him, and shook her head. "I don't understand. We're moving to
California
. My things are packed and ready to go—"

He pressed his warm fingers against her lips, quieting her. "And your things will go right here, in this house. I made an offer on it, which the buyer, who'd already moved out, accepted immediately. I was able to rent the place for the night to make it special for you, but it'll soon be ours." The emotions in his gaze shifted. "This past week made me realize that we need to be close to your family. Our babies need grandparents, and I want to be here, too."

"Oh, Jason," she whispered, unable to believe everything he was giving up for her—and wondered if that included his share of his company, as well. "What about Website Imaging?"

"I already talked to Nick, and we're going to work it out so that I have an office here in
Maui
." He reached for her hands, his expression reflecting his own excitement. "I can still keep my same accounts, and hopefully pick up some new ones here on the island."

"That's … amazing, and so is this place."

"I'm glad you think so." He looked incredibly pleased with her response. "You can get a better look at the house in the morning, but for tonight, only one room matters."

She followed him to the back part of the house. There were more votives along the way, which enabled her to get a glimpse of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and then they reached the end of the hallway and entered the final master bedroom. The room was all aglow with candlelight, with a trail of beautiful red hibiscus flowers leading to the large four-poster mahogany-framed bed in the middle of the room.