“Baby, I’ve been so focused on my father, you and the baby. I still haven’t gotten the answers I came here for.”
I look into his eyes and search his face. There is pain clearly there.
“Listen, babe, as much as you and I both wish Ava and Auntie Gwen would jump out of one of the closets to be here with us now. That’s not going to happen.
“Whatever you find out, it’s not going to change that and we can’t get our hopes up over gifts that appear in the middle of the afternoon,” I say softly.
“That’s just it, Car. I don’t know about your aunt, but I don’t think my mother is gone. Nonno and Gio are still holding a trump card and I have this feeling it’s going to pack a hell of a punch.
“Learning the man I thought was my father all my life isn’t will pale in comparison. I can almost promise you that,” he says.
“And I’ll be here for you, whatever the outcome. For now, let’s go have our date. Today we live the dream.”
Dario
My father’s words have stuck with me since the night he said them. Carleen and the baby could be in danger if news gets back to America. Riccardo stopped calling for weeks after I arrived in Italy. Suddenly, he’s back to calling nonstop.
I swear, I’m going to be the one to bury him. He’s working my last nerve. I still owe him for his words to my wife. Who talks to a child that way?
I seethe every time I think about it. However, I force all of this to the back of my mind as I lead Carleen into the backyard where our date will be tonight. I know she needs this.
I have been high handed about her safety. However, knowing she’s here safe helps me to think more clearly. Nonno says the other families back in the States have been acting strange.
That doesn’t make me want to head back anytime soon. The instability is something I want to avoid until Gio does whatever he has planned.
Even when Gio gives the all clear. I have to think about my little family. What if Vito wasn’t the only one who decided to be bold enough to come for me and mine? I don’t want to take that risk.
“Rio,” Carleen growls at me.
I focus on her and smile. I give her a wink. This is what happens when you marry your best friend. They know you too well for you to hide when your mind is elsewhere, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve enjoyed being married the last few months.
“Come on,” I say and tug her through the bushes that lead to the private area I had set up for us.
“Oh my God,” she gasps. “Yes,” she cheers as she spins in a circle. “A popcorn machine, candy, slushes. Babe, this is so cool. I love it.”
I smile wide at her happiness. She mentioned wanting to go to the movies. I had the garden area turned into a private viewing area. Our own outdoor movie theater.
I move to the soft pallet-like seating. I hold a hand out to help Carleen sit. She’s still smiling from ear to ear, looking around like a kid in a candy store.
“Seriously, babe, when you do all the romantic stuff, you nail it. Like over the top, nail it. I’d be so jealous of your wife if she weren’t me.”
I sit behind her and tug her into my chest, banding an arm across her chest. Kissing the side of her face, I move to talk into her ear.
“That would never happen. I wouldn’t be married if I couldn’t have you.”
She looks over her shoulder at me. “Really, you never planned to marry?”
“Nope.”
“I thought I could try, now I know I would have been miserable. It was you or nothing. I was kidding myself otherwise.”
I scoff. “I would have lit his ass on fire eventually. Anyway, new subject. What do you want first? There are honey barbeque chicken skewers, popcorn, jelly beans, roasted nuts.”
“I’ll have a slushy and two skewers with a side of popcorn and jelly beans.”
“I still think that shit is disgusting. Jelly beans in all that butter with popcorn. Yuck.”
“The joys of carrying your child. Come on, let’s get to this movie, buddy.”
I kiss her lips and stand to get her goodies. Filling a box with popcorn and shaking my head as I pour in jelly beans. I toss two hot skewers on a plate and walk them over to her before I go back for slushies for us both.
“What are we watching?” she asks as I take my seat behind her again.
I grin. Now we can’t have a movie night and not watch her favorite movie. Purple Rain is always the choice when she wants a movie night. She starts to laugh.