“I know.” Angelo’s throat tightened.
Teaching Kara to trust him wasn’t going to be easy, but she was worth fighting for. He had been gifted with a heart that gave and gave. It would come in handy when loving and caring for a woman who’d never been given anything.
Veronica’s eyes were gentle and filled with an ancient sense of wisdom.
“I think if anyone could give her the life she deserves, it’syou. You’ve given everyone in your life so much.” She smiled. “When Thad and I first met, I had a terrible flu. I passed out in my coffee shop before one of our dates. He took me home and met Lyra. He didn’t even know I had a daughter until that night. The first thing he did was care for me and my child. He brought me soup from your restaurant. He said you made the best chicken noodle soup and he was right.” The look she gave Angelo then said the soup had meant so much more to Veronica and Thad than just being an easy dinner for someone who was ill. His food had brought Thad and Veronica together, bonding them.
He cleared his throat, suddenly so touched by Veronica sharing something so intimate. “I remember when he dropped by and asked for some. He said it was for a friend who was ill and needed comfort.” Angelo remembered that day among so many others where Thad came to pick up food from his restaurant. Perhaps because Thad had looked so worried… and yet there had been something else in his eyes, something Angelo had later realized waslove.
“You know what I love about that memory most?” Veronica asked him.
Angelo shook his head.
“It wasn’t that he brought me soup or that he was taking care of me and my child.” She swallowed and her eyes were over bright. “It was because I learned the man I was falling in love with had a good friend. He hadyou. You were held up so highly in his eyes that he came to you when he needed to help me. He trusted you when I don’t think he would’ve trusted anyone else to heal me the way your soup did.” She paused, her face glowing as she smiled. “You deserve to have someone be your chicken noodle soup, your comfort. I believe with time and love, Kara could be your comfort. You both deserve happiness and a relationship built on mutual trust and love.”
Angelo didn’t know what to say, his lips parted, but he simply couldn’t speak. Veronica had perhaps said the single most wonderful thing about him and he had no way to respond, no way to thank her for it. She smiled wider as if in on some secret. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.”
She turned and headed back into the dressing rooms.
“Good to know Roarke was right about you. That you’re a person worth protecting. A good man. And it sounds like Kara might be a good woman.” Asher replied. He’d clearly been listening in, yet Angelo had forgotten the bodyguard was even there. Asher clapped a hand on Angelo’s shoulder for a brief moment.
Angelo didn’t believe he deserved anything in life, but he diddesiresome things… and the most important of those was love. To have the chance to give it, to receive it in return. It was the only thing that truly mattered to him, and so far the only thing he’d never been able to reach.
“You are a giver…”His Nonna’s words replayed in his head.
In that moment he knew he wanted to give his heart to Kara… if she trusted him enough to take it.
Chapter Twelve
They never made it past the first big department store. The clothing they bought was too much to carry in one trip to the car. Kara’s head was still spinning at the amount of money that must had been charged to Angelo’s credit card. She’d lost count on the price tags after the first five hundred dollars, and Shana had hidden the receipts from her when Angelo had joined them as the last of her new clothing was rung up. When she’d tried to ask how much it had been, Angelo had merely leaned into her with a smile and tucked a lock of her red hair behind her ear with gentle fingertips and a mischievous smile, telling her not to worry. She hadn’t missed the delighted looks of the Shana, Felicity and Veronica who hovered nearby. It was clear they were all so thrilled that Angelo had found someone.
How could they forget that this isn’t real? That Angelo and I are just pretending?
Kara had no answers, so she forced herself to figure out what she was going to do about the entire wardrobe that Angelo had bought her.
She had more outfits than she would ever have an occasion to wear. It would take four or five large suitcases to carryeverything they’d bought today. All Kara could think was that so much of that would need to be left behind if she had to leave.
She hugged Shana, Felicity and Veronica goodbye and then she and Angelo helped Asher load the bags into the back of the SUV.
“Asher, we have one more place we’d like to stop,” Angelo said. “Go here.” He leaned forward toward the driver’s seat and pointed to an address on his phone.
“Sounds good.” Asher said casually as he pulled out into traffic.
Then he settled back and pulled Kara into his side. “Please tell me it’s not more clothes.” It had been fun to shop for a little while; she was definitely done now and refused to try on anything else. She was exhausted.
“I thought a bookstore might make up for the torture of buying a whole new wardrobe.” Angelo pulled her closer to him in the middle seat and put his arm around her waist, tucking her into his side.
She was getting more and more comfortable each time he touched her. Every touch felt so wonderful. She leaned into him, rested her head on his shoulder and nearly fell asleep before they reached the bookstore.
The bookstore was crowded with shoppers and the shelves were full of hundreds of books and almost instantly Kara relaxed. Normally crowds upset her, but not bookstores. Books and the stories inside them were the one place that she could truly escape and feel free. She wasn’t going to buy anything. She couldn’t take anymore of Angelo’s money, so instead she’d just browse and make up a mental wish list for later.
She wound her way over to the romance section and noticed Angelo had followed her.
“Get whatever you want,” Angelo said as he watched her confused face.
“Angelo, you’ve already spent too much money on me.”
Angelo put his hands on her waist and gently pulled her toward him. He leaned down, nuzzling her neck before he brushed his lips over her cheek. His eyes were so brown and warm, pulling her into that sense of safety that she couldn’t deny. His palms were hot enough that his heat sank through the fabric of her clothes.
