I Want You for Christmas: The Prince's Lost Princess - a Heartwarming Snow-Capped Holiday Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

not back out. If this was her destiny, then she could not afford to shy away from what the world may still have to offer her.
     
    She pulled out a small backpack and threw in a few pairs of jeans and long-sleeved shirts. Gaby didn’t really know what the weather was like in Florence, but she assumed it was much milder than in New York. A jacket on top would likely be enough to keep her warm.
     
    Satisfied with her little bag, she crawled underneath her worn quilt and snuggled into her pillow. She would decide what to do tomorrow—if the car even showed up after her shift. Until then, she would try and get some sleep.
     
    ***

Before she knew it, Gaby was blinking against the sunlight of morning.
     
    “Gabriella!” her mother called up the stairs. “It’s time to get up! We have prep to do!”
     
    “Coming, Mama,” Gaby said, her voice weary. She hadn’t gotten much sleep, and when she glanced at her packed bag in the corner, her stomach gave a little leap. Today she could be leaving for an amazing vacation—a break. She hadn’t had one of those in years.
     
    Wiping the thought from her mind, Gaby dressed and brushed her teeth in the small bathroom across the hall before heading down to the kitchen and donning an apron.
     
    “I need you to start making the pasta,” Gina said, already busy shaping meatballs in the corner.
     
    “Yes, Mama,” Gaby said, and just like that, her day had begun.
     
    To say it was the day after Thanksgiving, Il Lupo was surprisingly busy. People were coming in loaded with bags full of Black Friday purchases, laughing and opening their new toys. Gaby was grateful for the rush of people. It kept her busy enough to not think about the car that would be coming for her. Or would it?
     
    “Gaby, you are insane.” Rosalie, a petite blonde that was Gaby’s oldest childhood friend, was filling a glass with coke as she peeked over the bar at her. “You cannot really be considering staying in New York when you could be in Florence! That’s nuts!”
     
    “Table nine needs more bread sticks,” Gaby said flatly, and Rosalie grabbed a basket, rolling buttery garlic bread sticks into a white cloth and placing them on her tray to take out.
     
    “Change the subject all you like, but if I were you, I’d be way more excited about this!”
     
    “And yet somehow we’ve remained friends all these years, in spite of our differences,” Gaby replied with a grin.
     
    Rosalie stuck her tongue out at Gaby before exiting the kitchen, her large tray balanced precariously on her small shoulder. Compared to the Galtieris, Rosalie was a tiny little thing. Her size and quiet nature with the customers created a calming balance in the restaurant that customers seemed to enjoy, which made Gaby’s parents all the happier to keep Rosalie around.
     
    Table after table came and went, with people in a jovial mood as the holiday season went into full swing. New York was the perfect place to spend Christmas. The windows of the restaurant were decorated with elaborate paintings of Christmas scenes and winter themes. Every corner smelled like freshly baked cookies and warm cocoa as passers-by strolled past in their winter coats, enjoying the levity of the season. Gaby enjoyed the wonderful energy of it as each new group came in to enjoy their food.
     
    When she glanced at her watch some time later, she was surprised to see that it was already a quarter to nine. The last table was finishing up their meal, and Rosalie brought their check, reminding them to take their time.
     
    When she met Gaby back in the kitchen, she pulled a wad of cash from her apron. “Not a bad day, if I do say so myself,” Rosalie said, counting her tips.
     
    Gaby pulled out her own wad and began counting. That day they’d each made about two hundred dollars. Not bad, indeed.
     
    The door jingled, signaling the arrival of another customer.
     
    “You got this one?” Rosalie asked, wiping her brow.
     
    It had been a very long