Forever Wicked

Chapter Seven

An hour later, Gia left the department store still blushing to the roots of her hair and dazed. Beside her, Jason held her hand and carried three huge bags of things he’d bought for her in the other. Behind them, two clerks carried the boxes of shoes her husband had insisted she needed. All eight pairs of them. When she’d pointed out that she only had two feet, he smiled and whispered that he only had one penis, but it really appreciated the view of her in sexy stilettos. Any other objection she’d raised, he’d waved away. His credit card had taken even more of a pounding than she had in the dressing room.

The thought made her blush again, especially when she recalled the way the sales associate had returned a few minutes later with a gentle clearing of her throat and a repressed smile. Gia herself hadn’t been sure whether to smack Jason for inducing her to do something arrest-worthy or simply giggle. No denying that she felt happier, lighter than she had in over a year. Being with him fulfilled her, and it had nothing to do with what he bought her and everything to do with the way he coaxed her out of her comfort zone and made her feel special with just his touch.

She was head over heels in love with him again. Well, still. She sighed.

What could she possibly give him in return? A blue-collar outlook on life? Arrest procedures? He knew how to cuff someone without her pointers. Gia shook her head. She liked herself, but didn’t at all see why a billionaire would pursue her. Was it because she’d left him for the better part of a year and he wanted what he saw as the unattainable?

The thought gnawed at her as they loaded the car and left the mall. It chewed some more at her as they glided down the highway, heading west toward her part of town. He drove his sleek black Porsche like he conducted business—aggressively and without paying much attention to the rules.

“You get a lot of speeding tickets?”

He grinned. “Maybe a few. What can I say? I like the adrenaline rush.”

“You one of those idiots who jumps out of perfectly good airplanes with just a canvas backpack?”

“Yep.” He laughed. “I love skydiving. I’ll get you to try it someday soon.”

“No thanks.”

“Baby, we’ll tandem jump. You’ll enjoy it. I’ll keep you safe,” he promised.

For no logical reason she could think of, that actually made her reconsider. Jason would do exactly as he said. He would ensure that nothing happened except a crazy jump from five thousand feet and a smooth landing. She trusted him.

Of course, would she really be with him long enough to make that a reality?

Maybe…she should think about their future more. Yes, she was better rested and more relaxed since she’d come to Jason’s condo. But if she stayed, it would only be because he made her genuinely happy. And because they were both in love.

Once in her neighborhood, she and Jason had a fabulous lunch at a nearby Japanese hibachi and sushi place she’d been wanting to try. Afterward, he drove her to the pediatrician’s office, where she dropped off the insurance card.

When she hopped back in the car, it wasn’t quite two in the afternoon. She assumed Jason would head back toward the city. Instead, he drove directly to her old house and parked in front of it.

Gia stared at the cozy little ranch-style abode. It hadn’t been much. Small with an ancient kitchen and a crappy master bathroom. But she’d been proud of the little fixer. She’d bought it with her own money and spruced it up as finances allowed. Seeing it now gave her a terrible pang. She’d lost so much in the last year. Her brother. Her husband in so many ways. She’d also lost her independence and missed it deeply. The thought made her feel selfish, so she tried to squelch it. Truth was, she simply hadn’t been prepared to shoulder the responsibility of her entire family while she’d been in shock and mourning.

“Why are we here?” Her voice shook.

“Why did you sell your house?”

Such a complicated question… “Long story short, after my brother’s death, Mila couldn’t cope without me. I was running myself ragged driving the nine miles between her place and mine, sometimes in the middle of the night when Bella was sick or Tony Jr. had nightmares, and grief was eating her alive. She really didn’t function for a good three months.” Gia paused. “My mom had just had a knee replacement. My dad was a great cop in his day, but he doesn’t know much about being the primary caretaker for two kids under the age of three. It was just easier to move in with Mila.”

“Why not rent your house out while you stayed with your sister-in-law so you’d have a place to come home to?”

She let out a huge sigh. After the way she’d avoided him for months following their wedding day, she owed him this explanation. He’d probably seen her disconnecting her phone and moving away as her means of avoiding him, rather than trying to deal with the tragedy and accept the obligations she’d suddenly inherited.

“When Mila learned she was pregnant again, my brother overextended himself to buy her and the kids the house they now live in. They needed a place with three bedrooms because if they put the baby in with Tony Jr., she’d keep him up half the night. Nothing worse than a cranky toddler.”

Jason grimaced. “I’ll take your word for it. So you…sold your house and gave her the money?”

“My brother would have done the same for me if our roles had been reversed.”

“Your parents couldn’t help out?”

“My mom raised kids and never worked outside the home, and my dad is retired. Their income is fixed and tight. Mila didn’t want to burden them any more.”

“You sacrificed a lot to help your brother’s wife and kids.”

Yes, including her marriage to Jason. “I’d help them all over again. Mila would never have been able to stand on her own this past year. The kids are adorable, but a constant handful. But if I had to do it again, I’d try much harder to include you. In my head, leaning on you so much didn’t seem fair.”

“Giving me up was?”

Her only defense was that she hadn’t believed he’d miss her that much. She still didn’t know what it was about her he’d latched on to. “You’re right. My sense of duty and my pride got in the way.”

Jason sent her a pensive stare. “That can’t happen again, Gia.”

“I know.”

He caressed the crown of her bowed head, a silent gesture of acceptance and forgiveness. “So you grew up around here?”

“Yes.”

“Show me where you went to school.”

It might be stupid, but his request made her feel giddy. Would he ask if he didn’t care? No, nor would he fight for her to stay by his side. She hadn’t bothered to truly open up to him before they said “I do.” It wouldn’t kill her to do so now. In fact, he was trying so hard to keep them together, putting…well, not his heart on the line, but his pride at least.

“Sure. I’d like that. You can tell me about your crazy high school days while I do.”

It didn’t take more than three minutes to reach her alma mater, but he was already regaling her with tales about playing football as a teenager. Even in the schools for the wealthy kids, they still pulled pranks on rivals and coaches alike.

He parked, and several of the male students stopped to gawk at his car. As Jason took her hand in his again, he patiently answered questions and even gave a few a peek at the interior. This relaxed version of her husband was giving, fun to be with. She more than respected the driven, take-no-prisoners man she’d married, but in this moment Gia really liked him, too.

Once the boys had gone, they walked the grounds of the school. The teenagers’ day of learning had come to an end. Behind them, students peeled out of the parking lot as she and Jason walked together. On campus, they ran across the group of color guard girls taking advantage of the last of the nice weather before winter. They danced and tossed bright flags in the air to the beat of a dramatic tune.

After observing their routine and clapping at the conclusion, the girls giggled. Jason led her inside the halls and asked about her favorite classes, teachers, and memories. They watched part of a basketball game in progress and had a little footrace on the track. Since her husband was so athletic and he wasn’t wearing heels, he won by a lot, but she laughed all the way back to the car, surprised to see that sunset was near.

Back at his sleek Porsche, he opened her door. Gia paused before climbing in, curling her hand around his shoulder and stepping on her tiptoes to kiss him. “That was fun. Thank you for a wonderful day.”

His face softened. “You’re welcome. I wanted to hear about this part of your life. Thank you for sharing it.”

Gia blushed. They should be far past the innocent joys of “getting to know you,” but here she was, feeling like an adolescent with her first love. A little backward since they were already married, but she liked feeling the butterflies in her tummy.

She smiled at Jason, wondering again what she could possibly give him to make him half as happy as he made her?

Jason slid into the driver’s seat beside her and looked something up on his phone. Moments later, he revved the engine. It purred out of the parking lot, and she found herself lost in a haze of contentment.

Gia had married her husband once because she’d believed they would be happy together, but she’d never had the opportunity to test that theory. After today in particular, she knew she’d been right. Sex in a dressing room wasn’t something she wanted often, but Jason somehow understood her craving for that edge of wild—within a net of safety. He always delivered. She was the one who had failed him, first that summer night long ago when he’d arranged a sensual tryst in the park. She had failed him again when she’d assumed he would want nothing to do with her family problems. She hadn’t stood by their marriage.

“Thank you for refusing to give up on us.”

He turned to her, stare sharp as he slid to a stop at a red light. “You’re not angry any more?”

“More than anything, I was afraid. And I felt guilty. I knew so much of the blame for our separation could be laid at my feet. I didn’t think I mattered to you any more and that you’d ordered me to your condo to punish me.”

“And now?”

“I know you’re trying to put us back together. Our last nine days have been better than anything I could have dreamed of.”

Gia had a hard time admitting all that when Jason wouldn’t tell her that he loved her. But he cared. Neither of them were perfect. Maybe they would grow together in time. Maybe…but it still bugged her. Could she live the rest of her life feeling his adoration but never hearing the three most powerful words a husband could give his wife? Were they a cliché or some vital glue that held a marriage together?

Jason reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, then punched on the gas pedal when the light turned green again. “I’m relieved to hear you say that. We have another nine days together, and I’ll enjoy every minute of them. But I would enjoy it more if you told me you would stay beyond our anniversary.”

“It’s crossed my mind. We have some issues to work through if we’re going to try.”

“We do. And I want to start now.”

With those cryptic words, Jason took her hand from his and gripped the steering wheel. His stare on the road looked somewhere between focused and grim.

“What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer right away, and she stared at the clock. Five forty. Her family would just be sitting down to her dad’s birthday dinner. She hadn’t had the chance to drop her father’s birthday gift off at the restaurant, and it was too late now. Gia cursed under her breath. She would just have to hang onto it until her father’s actual birthday.

She pictured her family chatting, singing, moaning over good food. They would miss having her there. The kids must be confused. She’d been a constant in their lives for the last year, and not seeing them felt like someone had punched a hole in her heart. They were so close to the restaurant… Gia thought of telling Jason about the gathering and suggesting they go. But as she glanced down at her three thousand dollar outfit and the gorgeous rock on her finger, she knew her parents would be shocked. If she remained Jason’s wife, she would tell her family when they’d married and why she’d hidden the union from them, but not while they celebrated her father’s birthday. Not in public. Not when she wasn’t sure if she and Jason had a future.

As the familiar streets passed, she focused on Jason’s strong profile and waited for an answer. Finally, he turned off one of the town’s main drags and down an ancillary street, slowing down as they approached Delvecchio’s. Her heart stopped as he pulled into the parking lot.

Crap! He’d overheard her on the phone with Mila earlier. “Jason…”

He shoved the car in park and turned to her. “You admitted that we have some issues to work through. The fact that I haven’t met your family is a huge obstacle. I want to remove it now. Hell, do they even know we dated?”

No. She’d been worried when she’d met Jason that her folks wouldn’t understand. He represented so many things her old-school, old-world parents didn’t like—establishment and money. He’d never worked with his hands. He wasn’t a part of the Church. No one in her family—not a single one of her sixteen cousins—had married anyone who wasn’t both intensely Italian and devoutly Catholic. She didn’t care about any of that, but her parents would. They would understand even less that she’d concealed her marriage from them.

Most of all, she didn’t want to put her family through this upheaval unless she believed that she and Jason could truly make a life together.

“It’s complicated.”

“It’s not,” he contradicted. “I’m not who they would have chosen for you. I understand that, but it’s your life and ultimately your choice. You say they ‘love’ you.”

“They do, but—”

“No buts. If they value your happiness, then they will allow you to make the best decision for you and respect it. Am I wrong?”

“You’re oversimplifying. They’re parents; they always think they know best.”

“You’re an adult with your own life.”

He was absolutely right. “But they’ve been the biggest part of it for years. I couldn’t do without them.”

“Well, I won’t be your dirty little secret any longer.” Jason gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath. “We are going to walk into that restaurant, and you’re going to introduce me as your husband. Or you are going to say your safe word. Tell me again what it is.”

“Divorce,” she choked out.

“That’s right. And we will never escape that possibility as long as you hide me from your family. All refusing to introduce us does is prove that you never intended to incorporate me into the important parts of your life.”

“I need time.” But as soon as the plea slipped from her lips, Gia knew she asked for too much.

“You’ve had nearly a year.”

She had more objections, but they were all about her escaping her family’s disappointment. About her not having to endure their shock and anger. Waiting did nothing but convince Jason that he wasn’t important to her. And that wasn’t true. If they could work it out, she wanted to stay with him. She loved him and wanted his happiness.

Her world tilted on its axis for a breath-stealing second. She steadied herself against his car as her thoughts raced. Could she even make him happy? Cold dread gripped her. Gia had no idea what Jason really saw in her. Maybe nothing.

Maybe that’s why he cared but didn’t love her.

God, she needed answers and she simply didn’t have them.

“Gia?” he asked, concern deepening his voice as the setting sun slanted through the windshield and cast a golden glow over his inky hair and bronzed skin. He watched her with blue eyes, fixed and unwavering.

“I’m fine,” she said automatically.

But she wasn’t. She’d been that insecure girl who’d let self-doubt cloud her brain and screw her up. She’d let fear rule her—and still did. She wasn’t a supermodel or a brainiac. She hadn’t come from a gilded background or even finished college. All along, she’d been unclear what she could possibly give him, and the moment her family obligations had separated them, she’d allowed her doubts to creep in and craft a million excuses for why they should remain apart.

Self-flagellation and guilt blistered through her.

“Then it’s time for you to decide. Do we meet your family or are you saying divorce?”

Instantly, Gia knew that if she uttered that word, he would take it literally and file tomorrow. On the other hand, if she stayed with him and he lost interest in a few months or years? It would hurt so much more.

No, she couldn’t look at it that way. She refused to lose him again because of her fears or to save her feelings. It reeked of cowardice and self-doubt, and she would not be that woman. Even if she disappointed her parents, she had to believe they would never stop loving her. She owed it to them to come clean. And she owed it to Jason to try making him a part of her family.

“Let’s go.” She grabbed her purse from the floorboard and shoved open the car door, shaking from head to toe.

They walked through the shadowed parking lot. Jason took her hand, holding her father’s professionally wrapped gift in the other, leading her to the door. He opened it for her, and the heavy wooden thing squeaked on its hinges. Delvecchio’s wasn’t big. The small bar area and takeout counter sat to the right, doing a steady business already. A dining area big enough for maybe fifty people lay beyond the hostess stand in front of a half wall just inside the foyer.

Gia swallowed, her palms turning sweaty as the familiar hostess turned to her. “Hi, Renee.”

“Gia!” The Delvecchio’s youngest daughter, only recently graduated from high school, called out to her with a little squeal. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” She eyed Jason not so discreetly. “Your parents said you weren’t coming tonight. They’ll be surprised to see you.”

Completely. That filled her with an anxious dread, but she wasn’t backing down.

“What corner did you sit them in? You know they’re going to be loud, right?”

“Mila warned me.” Renee winked. “They’re in the big booth right outside the kitchen. Need a menu?” she asked Jason, looking a little star struck.

“I’ll wing it.” He gripped Gia’s hand more tightly.

She flipped her gaze up to her husband. He’d pushed to make this meeting happen…but he was nervous. This mattered to him, and Gia found that endearing. Maybe she should still be mad at him. God knew she was so worried, she probably looked a charming shade of green.

“Can you have your brother bring a bottle of that Cabernet I like?” Gia asked the girl.

“Sure. Nick will take care of you. Holler if you need anything else.”

She nodded at Renee and figured it was time to stop hiding behind the hostess stand.

Sucking in a deep breath, Gia led Jason around the partition concealing the restaurant from the front door. Instantly, she saw her family in the corner. Longing buckled her chest. Dad laughed. Mom held his hand. Mila rocked the baby while smiling at her folks. Tony Jr. played with a pair of plastic cars on the table, crashing them together and making explosive sounds. He looked so much like her brother sometimes that it hurt.

The boy looked their way, his dark eyes piercing, then they lit up with recognition. “An’ Gia!”

As he clambered from his chair, nearly toppling it and his booster seat over, he darted across the restaurant toward her. Jason released her so she could crouch and welcome the happy child into her arms. The moment the little boy crashed into her, Gia reached back to right her balance and laughed. Automatically, Jason braced her with a hand on her back. She sent him a grateful glance before she turned back to Little Tony.

“How’s our big boy? You been good for your mama?”

He nodded earnestly. “I helped.”

“Of course you did.”

“Colleen helped, too.” The little boy grinned.

From his smile, Gia had no doubt that he liked the woman Jason had hired to help Mila and the kids during her absence. “That’s great.”

As she stood and ruffled his hair, Jason took her hand again and nudged her forward. She looked up to see her parents and sister-in-law all gaping and silent.

She held up her palm in greeting as she closed the short distance between her husband and her family. “Hi.”

They all gave her the once-over before their collective gazes slid over to Jason. They studied him unabashedly. Her father frowned.

Her mother stood. “Hello, dear. Mila said you wouldn’t be here. I’m glad you could make it. You brought a…friend.” She smiled wanly. “Why don’t you introduce us?”

Here went nothing.

“They’re not just friends, Sil,” Mila corrected her mother-in-law gently.

His frown morphing to a scowl, her father stood and looked Jason in the eye. “You dating my daughter?”

Gia sighed. “Daddy, be nice. If you’ll give me a minute—”

“No, sir.” Jason held out his hand and waited until her father shook it. “I married her.”

What the hell? She turned a peeved glare at Jason, but he just sent her a cool glance.

Maybe it didn’t matter if he’d blurted the truth. There was no good way to drop this bombshell.

Her mother gasped and blinked at her. “You’re married to Jason Denning?”

He cleared his throat, and they looked around to see most of the restaurant staring at them. She recognized a girl she’d gone to high school with. Their neighbors down the street sat two booths away. She and Jason had managed to keep this marriage secret for nearly a year. Between crazy Twitter peeps and gossipy folks in the neighborhood, the truth would travel so fast, they might make the local ten o’clock news.

“Why don’t we sit down, Mom?” She looked pointedly around her.

Mama pursed her lips. Her short dark hair didn’t quite hide the flush of her cheeks. “All right.”

Her father followed them. Mila just stared. This meeting wasn’t going down as she’d hoped.

Awkward prevailed as they pulled up spare chairs. Gia lifted Little Tony and set him in her lap, glad to hold him again and have a buffer. “Mom, Dad, Mila, you’ve obviously heard of Jason Denning. He’s my husband and he wanted to meet y’all.”

“Why didn’t you do the proper thing and ask me for my daughter’s hand?” Daddy scowled.

Her mother looked uncertain. “Do you love her?”

Mila frowned. “How long have you been married and how did we not know about this?”

Gia slapped a hand over her face. “Can we skip the interrogation, please? Dad, we chose to elope. Mom…” She sighed. “Can you let me handle the whole love thing? I’m a big girl.” Then she turned to her sister-in-law. “We married the night before Tony’s death. When I got the phone call with the news, Jason and I were in Vegas. When we returned, everything was crazy, and I couldn’t bring myself to lay more upheaval on any of you…so I made the choice to live separately from my husband while you needed me.”

Her father’s scowl deepened, then he leaned across the table to glare at Jason. “You supported this decision?”

“Not in the least. She slipped through my fingers for a while, but no more. I’ve been trying to convince her for nearly two weeks that we belong together. She’s proving a little stubborn, but I intend to persevere.”

Her father seemed to like that answer. A little smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “Good.”

“Happy birthday.” Jason set the present on the table between them.

Gia watched the exchange, stunned. Her father hadn’t growled or thundered? She turned to her mother, keenly aware of the woman’s confused stare. She also looked a bit hurt.

“I didn’t marry him to upset you,” Gia vowed.

With a tilt of her head, the older woman acknowledged that truth. “He’s not Italian.”

“Men of other nationalities can be equally wonderful,” she pointed out.

Mom looked at her husband of thirty-two years. “Perhaps. I might be a little biased.”

“I’m not Catholic, either, ma’am,” Jason jumped in, sending her mother a reassuring expression and placing his hand over hers. “But I assure you that I’ll always take care of your daughter and any children we have for as long as she’ll let me.” He smiled. “I’ll probably do it even when she fights me kicking and screaming.”

A reluctant grin tugged at her mother’s lips—and broke the ice. “Which she will. My daughter is more than a little stubborn.”

“And who does she get that from?” her father teased, pressing a kiss to Mama’s forehead and dropping a hand to her thigh.

“You, of course,” her mother quipped.

Her father laughed, then bent to murmur something in her mother’s ear that made her blush.

Little Tony squirmed off her lap and ran around to his grandpa with his toys, looking for someone willing to join in the fantastic imaginary car crashes. Bella started fussing, and Gia’s mother took the baby from Mila with a fond smile.

Jason’s gaze bounced back and forth between her parents, seeming to look for any other objections he could stop before they began. Honestly, Gia couldn’t believe they weren’t more shocked or angry. In fact, they hadn’t really protested much at all. Oh, they’d have words later, but she’d been sure the announcement would immediately cause World War III. So far…no.

Of course she was pleasantly surprised, but what the hell was that about?

A harried waitress came over a few minutes later, and Gia immediately recognized that the blonde was new. She smiled and asked for their order as Nick, the Delvecchio’s son, brought the bottle of red wine she’d asked for.

“Thank goodness,” Gia muttered as Nick poured the wine and gave Jason a speculative stare.

The second her glass was full, she took a long swallow and downed half. Gia still couldn’t relax. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Dad opened his gifts with thanks and smiles aplenty. He loved what she’d picked for him. Wine flowed. Food came. Mila actually looked happy. Little Tony sidled up to Jason and wanted to play cars with him. Her husband was patient and attentive, and Gia watched, falling a little more in love with him every moment.

By the time they finished the food, her father was telling Jason jokes. Her mother patted his shoulder with a welcoming smile. Bella woke, and Mila stood, placing her in Jason’s arms. He blinked and sputtered a bit, but her sister-in-law gave him instructions on holding her properly. The girl eyed Jason with an avid brown stare, then placed her little hand on his chin with a giggle. He grinned back.

Gia breathed through a sting of tears. He looked natural with children. He might have a ruthless bastard side, but he would also be a fierce protector who would move heaven and earth for his kids. When Jason caressed Bella’s head, she also knew he’d be a giving but firm father—exactly like her own.

As the waiter took their food away, Jason engaged Mila in conversation about the kids and their habits.

Her mother rose from the table and kissed Dad, then turned to her with a pointed glance. “Why don’t we go to the ladies’ room?”

Mama wasn’t asking exactly, and Gia knew the woman must have questions.

“I’m right behind you.”

Jason watched as she rose, his expression bolstering her. Yes, she could handle whatever happened with her family. Gia had put off this introduction, building it up in her head to a terrible confrontation that simply hadn’t materialized. He’d been right to give her a shove. She’d wanted to wait until she “knew” they would last to make him an official part of the family, but no couple had a guarantee of forever. It hadn’t been fair to him.

She’d made more than one decision about her marriage that she regretted.

As Gia and her mother left the table and wended through the growing crowd to the restrooms, she felt Jason’s eyes still on her. But when they disappeared into the ladies’ room, her mother turned to her immediately.

“You’ve been married nearly a year and didn’t tell us?”

Gia winced. Her mother rarely beat around the bush, but she was often gentle enough not to put someone on the spot. No mistaking her mom’s determination for information now.

“I didn’t know what to say.”

Her mother frowned. “You thought the truth would upset us?”

She should have realized Mama would see right through her. “I know he’s not Enzo.”

“Honey…” Her mother’s face softened with understanding. “You don’t love Enzo the way you love Jason.”

“Yeah. I wanted to for your sake, but…”

“Don’t. I know your dad and I put a lot of pressure on you in the past, but Tony’s death made us realize that no one is assured a tomorrow. We want every day you spend in this life to be a happy one. Enzo doesn’t love you the way Jason does.”

Well, since her husband didn’t love her at all, according to him, she wasn’t exactly sure how to reply to her mother. “It’s been a really tough year, Mama. I cut Jason out of my life and it hurt so much. I don’t know why he’s forgiven me, why he wants me back, why he chose me in the first place. I’m scared.”

“If loving someone doesn’t scare you at least a little, then they don’t really mean much to you.” Her mother pulled her into a hug. “He chose you because you’re beautiful and giving, because you’re selfless and smart. What more could he want?”

“Someone like him. Someone raised in his circles with all the money and the advantages it buys. Hell, sometimes when he takes me out, I’m embarrassed that I don’t know which fork to use.”

“You didn’t fall for someone raised in your circles. Do you love him less because he’s not Italian or a cop or Catholic? Because he knows which utensil to use when?”

“No.” When her mother said it, the whole idea sounded silly. “But I thought you might.”

“Would you really have left him for good if your father and I didn’t approve?” Mama cocked her head in a silent scold. “You’re a grown woman, Gianna.”

“I know. You’re right.” She loved Jason too much to leave him again. “It’s what’s in my heart that matters.”

“Exactly. Does he make you happy?”

“Yes, but we have some unresolved issues between us.”

“Then work them out. That’s what people who stay married do. Talk. Be as honest as you can. Share your fears. Give him your worries.”

Gia grimaced. “I haven’t been really good at that. When I got the phone call about Tony, I just…broke away. I knew the family would need me.”

“You gave up your happiness for Mila and the kids. Did you ever think that adding another member to the clan would make it stronger? That maybe he could help you and lessen the burden for everyone?”

“No.” And she saw it so clearly now that sorrow and guilt weren’t clouding her. “I didn’t really give him a chance. I just assumed he wouldn’t want to be knee-deep in diapers and baby vomit and all the depressing reality of Tony’s death and Mila’s problems.”

Her mother shot her a skeptical stare. “He hardly looks like the type who would crumble in the face of adversity.”

Again, Mama was wise. “You’re right. I feel like an idiot.”

“You may have left originally because of our tragedy, but you didn’t return to Jason for some reason I suspect is bigger than your obligation to Mila and the kids.”

She hadn’t trusted in what they had, in her appeal and ability to hold him. She had been sure that if she presented him with all her problems instead of her ass for a good spanking, that he’d get annoyed and leave. She’d lacked faith in herself, in him… “I have to fix it.”

“There’s my baby girl.” Her mother smiled. “Show me your ring. It blinded me across the table so I didn’t get a good look at it.”

Gia laughed and held out her hand. Mama took it and peered down at the jewels.

“It’s incredible.” Her mother squeezed her hand.

“So is he.”

“Then just be you and open up. Everything will work out.”

They shared another hug before Mama disappeared into a stall. Gia did the same, then they washed their hands in silence before returning to the table. Jason was playing peekaboo with Bella and answering her father’s questions about savvy investing while Mila watched with an indulgent smile.

“Are we ready to go?” Mama asked as she approached the table.

“Not quite.” Mila grinned, then gestured toward Nick.

He came out with a big slice of Italian wedding cake all lit up with candles. Their waitress followed, juggling forks, a knife, and another bottle of wine.

As Gia took her seat beside her husband and gripped his hand, everyone at the table started singing, Little Tony screeching the words he knew at the top of his lungs. She laughed.

In this golden little moment, all was right with her world. Not perfect, but really close. She had to work on herself and cut Jason some slack. He didn’t understand love…yet. But with time and patience, if she gave him her whole heart, he would.

As the song ended, her family clapped. Dad even looked a little misty-eyed—a first for her big, tough-guy father—as he thanked everyone. The group dug into the cake while her father lifted baby Bella above his head for an airplane ride, followed by a kiss. The day seemed more complete for having Jason beside her.

Once the dessert had been devoured, her husband rose and disappeared. Frowning, Gia watched. What the devil was he up to? He returned a moment later with a smug smile. Before she could puzzle that out, Nick nearly danced his way to the table with a beaming grin, then handed Jason his credit card.

With an absent scrawl, her husband signed the slip, and she looked down. She wasn’t surprised that he’d paid tonight’s bill, but the family could eat at Delvecchio’s every week for a year and probably not spend that much.

Nick handed her father a gift certificate. “From your daughter and Mr. Denning. Happy birthday.”

Daddy looked at the slip of paper and scanned it, then handed it back toward Jason. “A thousand dollars? You didn’t have to do that. I can’t accept…”

“Now I know where Gia gets it from.” He sighed. “Please take it. If it makes you happy, it makes your daughter happy. And you know the saying… Happy wife, happy life.”

“But it’s too much,” her father argued.

“If you enjoy this place, it’s just right.” Jason wrapped an arm around her.

She smiled up at him. He was trying so hard to fit into her family. Maybe he’d gone overboard, but she knew Jason meant the gesture to please, not bribe. No one had ever done something that nice for Daddy, and he deserved it. No doubt he would appreciate it.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You can thank me later,” he murmured hotly in her ear as a cell phone rang somewhere nearby.

“Not because you bought him something,” she scolded.

“Then don’t thank me. I just can’t stay away from you.”

Gia giggled. “You’re so bad.”

“Oh, just wait. I’ll get much worse when we’re alone. I might have a new paddle with your name on it. Or maybe we’ll go for a swim in the pool on my deck and I’ll fuck you there.”

Out in the open, where anyone could see. Well…anyone with a helicopter or binoculars in a nearby building. But the idea made her more than wet. “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

“What a shame…” He grinned.

She fought down a shiver and a blush. Jason cradled her chin and lifted her face for a kiss as she heard a third ring, then her father answer the phone.

“Yes, this is Marco Angelotti.” He pressed his finger to his other ear, trying to drown out the background noise in the restaurant.

Her mother grabbed her purse as Mila gathered Bella’s little dish and spoon, then removed her bib. Little Tony retrieved his toys. And Gia glowed with happiness. Her family knew about Jason and they accepted him. They weren’t angry or disappointed or throwing her out of the family.

All that time she’d wasted because she’d been worried about their reaction. If she’d taken Jason to meet her parents when they’d been dating, her father would have yelled and refused to let him in the house. Her mother would have cried, crossed herself, and asked why her only daughter was trying to kill her. Today…a whole different story. She’d never imagined that Tony’s passing had caused them to change their outlook about the proper son-in-law.

“Can you repeat that?” Her father frowned.

Mama paused to send him a questioning look. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. Gia’s stomach dropped like a stone. Worry filled the void.

Beside her, Jason’s phone dinged with a text. Nothing new since he constantly conducted business, but she wished all the noise and chaos around them would abate so her father could hear and they could all figure out what had him upset.

He pushed past Mama and Jason and marched toward the door. Everyone gathered their belongings and followed him out. Apprehension gripping her, she trailed after her family, then looked behind her to see Jason reading his phone before he darkened the screen with a satisfied nod.

“I need to see what’s wrong with my dad.”

“I’m with you,” he promised, pocketing the phone. “Is he upset?”

“I can’t tell for sure.”

Jason grabbed his coat and escorted her out the door just as her father hung up the phone, his face pale and shocked. He stepped closer to his truck, shaking, then balanced himself against it, head bowed.

Mama curled up against him and lifted a palm to his cheek. “Marco?”

Gia ran to her dad, flanking his side and taking hold of his arm. “What is it?”

He tensed, swallowed, then lifted his head to stare at them all for a long moment. His weighty gaze steadied on Mila before shifting back to his wife. “Ricky Wayman is dead.”