Page 99 of Wicked Fortune

And of a future I’m finally ready to believe in.

And as the city sparkles around us, I know that somehow, someway, we’ll find our way forward.

Together.

EPILOGUE

“Don’t be nervous,” Aria whispered, as Matthew adjusted his tie for the third time in as many minutes.

“I’m not,” he lied. “Why would I be?” Just because he was about to meet her parents. The parents from whom he’d taken the thing they loved most in the world.

Not to mention that he’d stolen the diadem.

The Manhattan restaurant was small and quiet, and Aria had assured him that it was a favorite in their family. It wasn’t too fancy, but it wasn’t casual, either. It was the kind of place for family celebrations. Birthdays, anniversaries, prom night.

For meeting the parents.

Beside him, she squeezed his hand as they moved through the small, dim space to the table in the rear where Gregory and Elaine Parker were pushing back their chairs and standing, both smiling and eager to see their little girl—and to meet the man who had claimed her.

“So you’re Matthew,” her father said, extending a hand. He was tall, his hair mostly gray, his eyes both direct and welcoming. “Aria’s told us so much about you.”

He felt a quick kick of fear, but then he saw the humor in her face and knew that she hadn’t told her parents everything. “All good, I hope.”

“Let’s just say I’ve not seen her so smitten since that horse she fell in love with the summer she went away to camp.”

Matthew laughed at the twinkle in Gregory’s eyes, and knew that no matter what else happened tonight, he liked the man. “That’s going to be tough competition,” he said. “I hope I can rise to the challenge.”

Her mother laughed. “Don’t tease him, Greg. It’s been a lifetime, and you still tell the story about how intimidated you were when you met my parents.”

Gregory shrugged. “Tradition. What can I say?”

Her mother extended her hand, and he took it, gently kissing her fingers with a courtly air. He saw so much of Aria in her, that he would have recognized her as Aria’s mother even without the introduction.

“I’m Elaine,” she said. “But call me Ellie.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” he said, meaning it. Not only were her parents not remotely intimidated by him, as were so many folks who worshiped either money or celebrity, but they were utterly charming.

And that wasn’t just a first impression, he realized, as the meal went on, with the four of them laughing and talking in an easy flow of conversation.

“It must be fascinating working in Hollywood,” Ellie said at one point. “Was that always a dream of yours?”

He almost thanked her for asking the question. It was a natural segue to where he needed this night to go.

“I grew up poor, but I wanted to make something of myself. I didn’t know how at first, but I’d always entertained myself by making up stories. And whenever I needed to escape, I’d sneak into a movie theater.”

“Sneak?” Greg asked.

He shrugged. “Like I said, I grew up poor.”

Ellie nodded. “You’ve done very well for yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, as Aria squeezed his hand under the table. “I owe a lot of that to those days in a theater. I became fascinated, especially with older movies. The Golden Age.” He shrugged. “I started collecting memorabilia. Especially related to actors I particularly loved.”

He lifted a hand, signaling a waiter before continuing. “Vivien Lorainne is at the top of my list.”

Ellie reached out and took her husband’s hand. “We actually have a family connection to her. Did Aria tell you?”

“The diadem,” he said. “Her great-grandfather?”