“Ahh, Angelo.” Luigi got up and hugged him. “How are you feeling?”
“A lot more like myself, to be honest.”
“Good.” Luigi placed his hands on Angelo’s shoulders, studying his face deeply. “And Kara? She is good?”
He nodded. “Kara is wonderful.” He meant it.
The last few days had been like a strange and wonderful dream. It was a taste of the life he had wanted for so long and it made him that much more determined to find a way to keep it,keep her. If there was a chance Kara could fall in love with him, he was going to fight for it at all costs.
In the last few days he had teased out details about her life, her hopes, and dreams. Now he wanted to have those dreams fulfilled, for her to have a chance to live and discover herself.
“Love looks good on you, nephew,” Luigi said, his searching expression turning gentle.
“Thanks.” He grinned. “Now let’s look at some of the cooking schedules for the gala. I want to make sure the catering staff will be comfortable with the instructions for the kitchens.”
He stayed at the restaurant until around six o’clock. Then he called his mother to see if she and his father were at home. Thankfully they were.
Francesca met him at the doorway, hugging and kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him in years.
“Come in.” She waved him inside the house. “Where’s Kara?”
“At home.”
“Oh?” His mother’s happy gaze turned serious. “Is she all right?”
“Yes, she’s fine.” He took his mother’s hands in his own. “Mom, I came to ask for Nonna’s ring.” He drew in a steady breath. “I want to give it to Kara.”
For a moment his mother was quiet, then tears formed in her eyes. “Oh yes, of course.” She hugged him again. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask for it.”
“I wanted to wait, to make sure we were both ready and I think I am.” Lying to his mother didn’t sit well with him, but he did want to give Kara the ring.
“Is she ready?” His mother asked.
“I think she might be.”
“What’s love without a little risk?” Francesca chuckled. “Just be sure to let her have time to think, even after you ask. I do notknow her as well as I would like, but I sense she’s very cautious, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I understand.”
He knew so much more about Kara’s life now, the need to be cautious, to leave no ties, no trace. And he was going to give her his grandmother’s ring in hopes she’d realize she could tie herself to him and his family, leave a trace of herself in the world, and make a life with him if that was what she wanted.
It was a gamble, but one he had to take.
He followed his mother to the bedroom where she kept a small jewelry box that was decorated with painted flowers and birds. She used a key she kept hidden under a book to unlock it and sorted through the jewelry pieces and mementos of his grandmother before she found the ring. The ring was a freshwater pearl nestled in a circle of small diamonds. It had cost his grandfather dearly at the time, but as Angelo took the ring, he felt the promise of happiness, the same happiness it had brought his grandparents. This ring held love and hope. He prayed it would grant them a future as bright, if not brighter than anything they ever could have imagined.
“Do you think she will like it?” he asked his mother.
“If she loves you, she will love it.”
It wasn’t a huge ring, nor was it flashy or expensive. But it carried the love of two generations of his family. He tucked the small ring into the velvet box his mother handed him and tucked the box into his coat pocket.
“Angelo… who’s that?” His mother nodded at the shadowy presence of Colton in the passenger seat of Angelo’s car outside. Colton had strict orders to as unobtrusive as possible by everyone in Angelo’s family except Dante.
“He’s a server from the restaurant. His car broke down and I offered to give him a ride.” Another lie. But what could he do? He couldn’t tell his mother the truth.
“Oh…” her tone held none of confusion.
“I’m dropping him off before I head home,” he added.
