As though he sensed her inner struggle, Ric said, “I need you in my life. I’ve missed your smile. I’ve missed your coffee. I’ve missed our talks. I’ve missed everything about you.”
Gia stared up into Ric’s eyes. If she had any doubt about his feelings, they were quickly put to rest as the love was right there for her to see.
She had some of her own explaining to do. “I’ve been searching for my biological father because I thought he was the only true family I have left.” Her voice grew thick with a rush of emotions.
“Gia—”
She shook her head. “Let me finish.” She quickly gathered her thoughts and searched for the right words. “I was so hurt when my parents died and then when that journal turned up, taking away what was left of my family. I’ve never been so lost—so hurt. And then you came along. You didn’t try to stop me from finding the truth. Instead, you helped me. You were by my side the whole time. Thank you for that. It meant so much.”
“There’s not any other place I’d rather have been.”
She needed to tell him the rest. It was too important not to say it all.
“But when I found my biological father, it was not what I’d imagined. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was so devastated that it took me a bit to regain my balance. But I have now, and you know what I figured out?”
Ric stared deep into her eyes. “What?”
“I didn’t need him to complete me. My parents didn’t tell me about him because they didn’t want me to be hurt. My parents loved me. And I always had a father. He may not have been of the same blood, but that just means his love for me was so great that it superseded any biological connection, and for that I am grateful.” Tears of joy and of loss spilled onto her cheeks.
Ric swiped away her tears. “I didn’t know your parents, but after getting to know you, I have to believe they were good and loving people. They only wanted the best for you.”
“I know that now. I know that I still have my family. I never lost them. My siblings are still there for me and I for them. And my parents are right here.” She placed her hands over her heart. “It just took me a bit to realize all of this.”
Ric smiled at her. “I’m happy for you.”
“And there’s one more thing I realized.”
“What’s that?”
“How much I love you.”
Ric’s smile broadened, lighting up his eyes. He reached out and drew her to him. “I love you too. You are my family.”
More tears spilled onto Gia’s face—tears of an overabundance of love. She placed her hands on his firm chest as she lifted up on her tiptoes—
Arff! Arff!
The echo of barks filled the room. They both turned to find two happy puppies running toward them through the open door.
Gia turned to Ric. “You brought them?”
“Of course I did. I wasn’t the only one who missed you. And I wasn’t taking any chances. If you turned me down, I was going to pull out my secret weapon—puppy kisses.” Ric stared into her eyes. “I would do anything for you.”
Gia leaned into his arms and their lips met. His touch sent her heart soaring. She would never tire of his kisses—just as she would never get enough of them. How had she gotten so lucky to find Ric? Now that she had him, she was never going to let him go.
Arff! Arff! Arff!
The puppies pawed at their legs, wanting some attention.
Ric and Gia pulled apart to look down at their adorable family. She could hardly believe this was happening. Her life was overflowing with love, from the enduring passionate kind to the furry adorable kind. The puppies fussed to be picked up.
She laughed. “Bringing the puppies for backup definitely would have worked.”
They both knelt. Each picked up a puppy and then straightened. As though on cue, Blossom—she’d named the female dog before they’d left for Rome—stretched up and licked Gia’s cheek.
“I see you weren’t kidding about the puppy kisses.”
“I’d never joke about something that important. I just don’t know how they got down here,” Ric said as he ran a hand down over Gin’s back. “I left them with your brother and sister at the hotel.”