by C. A. Szarek
Maddie laughed again, wiping her tears away for the last time—she hoped. “Yes, buddy, we’re gonna get married.” Joy filled her heart, pushing into every inch of her body. She hugged Jake and Gio as tight as she could.
“Champ, how did you know I was going to ask Mom to marry me?”
“Aunt Elise told me she gave you Grandma’s ring.”
Gio and Maddie exchanged a glance and laughed again.
Jake was either going to be a therapist or a detective when he grew up. People seemed to volunteer information, as much as he successfully eavesdropped it.
“I’ll be damned,” Gio whispered, shaking his head.
Maddie threw him a death look for the cuss word, even if it was minor.
“Hey, Mommy.”
“What, bud?”
“What’s a showgirl?”
She tossed her fiancé another black glare, but he just threw his head back and laughed.
Epilogue
Gio had to tell himself he wasn’t really a pussy. Over and over he had to chant it, and it wasn’t doing shit.
Maddie squeezed his hand and he shot her a grateful look.
He had to take a breath.
Then another.
He counted, and when he got to ten, his chest loosened, but only a little.
Jake had his other hand and was smiling up at him.
He told himself to nut up.
“It’ll be okay,” the love of his life whispered.
No, it really won’t be.
He couldn’t say it out loud. His voice had packed bags and moved the fuck out.
“Do you want us to go in with you?” Maddie asked.
Gio nodded.
“Dad, it’ll be okay,” Jake echoed. “Aunt Elise said Grandpa want to see us.”
He had to close his eyes.
Fuck. Me.
His freaking seven-year-old was reassuring him.
How could he face guys with AK-47s and mobsters with a knife to his sister’s throat, but he couldn’t walk down the hallway of a hospital to see a sick old man?
Maybe he really was a pussy.
“What the hell—heck—am I supposed to say to him?” he croaked.
Maddie’s smile was soft. Sweet. Loving.
Damn, he needed it.
“Start with hello.”
Such a simple suggestion. Could he even do that?
They headed down the wide corridor, people passing; nurses, patient techs, family members of other patients, and even an older man clutching an IV pole. He was dressed in a johnny and hobbling along.
Muttering voices and calls for doctors on loudspeakers tuned out along the walk of fear. The closer they got, the more Gio saw a glow of light around the doorframe of the room at the end of the hallway. Like a spotlight, calling to him.
Or was it repelling him?
He halted when they were about five feet away. “I can’t do this.”
Maddie slipped her hand from his and came around to face him. Her soft warm palms cupped his cheeks.
Gio couldn’t peer anywhere but into her beautiful hazel eyes.
“You can.”
Jake tugged on his hand. “It’s okay, Daddy.”
He met the eyes so like his own, then hauled the kid into his arms as if he was a baby. Hell, the kid was stronger than him already.
He drew Maddie against his chest with his other arm.
None of them spoke through their group hug moment. An odd peace settled over him as he held his wife and son. The rhinoceros lifted off his chest and he inhaled a big breath that stretched his lungs.
The astringent hospital smells permeated his senses and he set his son to his feet.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
“That’s what family’s for,” Maddie whispered back.
Jake retook his hand and they entered room 305 together.
Elise and Sam had left a few minutes before, so they could have privacy with Big Tony, but Gio wished all three of his siblings were there right now.
He didn’t feel alone, since he had Maddie and Jake by his side, but he felt…incomplete. And so damn guilty. It swirled in his gut and made him want to puke.
He blinked when his vision wavered, but he told himself there was just something in his eyes.
It was so fucking hard, seeing his father in that bed.
Big Tony sat up and smiled.
The bastard had the nerve to smile at him? Gio didn’t know whether to scream or run.
“Hi, Grandpa!” Jake tugged free of his hold and rushed to the old man’s bedside.
It wasn’t their first meeting; his sister had been the first to introduce the two, because Gio hadn’t been able to, even after he’d married Maddie in a small ceremony at the casino’s chapel.
All his siblings had been present that day two weeks ago, even Dom.
Jamie had been Maddie’s Maid of Honor, and Sam had been Gio’s Best Man. His brother had walked her sister down the aisle.
Maddie hadn’t worn a traditional dress, but it’d been short, tight and off white, and he’d wanted to strip it off her right then and there. She’d been so hot. So his.
Dom had walked her to him, even though he was still irked at Gio. But walking his bride down the aisle proved that at least to Gio, his brother was open to repairing their relationship.
Jake, of course, had been their little ring bearer, but he’d been so ecstatic his parents were getting married, he’d darted like a bullet, and everyone had laughed.
Hell, Gio had even invited Hector Garcia. The guy had been all grins, and I-told-you-so’s.
Despite his beef with his father, he’d regretted that the man hadn’t been able to be there. Of course, Elise had used the casino’s best cinematographer to record it all, so Big Tony could watch it.
His sister had told him their father had praised Maddie’s beauty and grace.
What about him?
Big Tony looked up from his grandson, and their gazes collided.
His father’s dark eyes—so like Elise and Dom’s—were clear and pain-free, something that was a bit of an oddity lately. The doctors had told them the bad news just the day before.
Dad was stage four, and it wouldn’t be long now. Chemo and radiation wouldn’t fix it, even if he’d agree; which he still wouldn’t.
Pancreatic cancer had a high mortality rate even when caught early, and his father had ignored it for months, so his sister had said.
Gio had to bite his bottom lip.
Maybe he was a pussy.
He cleared his throat so he wouldn’t lose it.
Maddie still clung to his right hand, and her body heat at his side gave him strength.
His feet froze just inside the door. He was fucking afraid to approach the bed. Yup, he might as well pack his shit and move to Pussyville.
“C’mon,” Maddie whispered. She tugged his arm, and somehow his feet obeyed.
“Hi, Dad.” The words breeched his lips and Gio fought and honest-to-God sob.
His father had always been a mountain.
To see him so small…fragile between the rails of the adjustable hospital bed hit him like a dagger to the gut, spreading regret and guilt all over him.
Gio needed to sit, before he slid to the floor on his ass.
His kid must’ve been a Grade-A mind-reader, because Jake dragged a chair from the periphery and put it right beside his grandfather’s bed.
Instead of sitting, he glanced up at Gio. A silent invitation he would’ve rather fled.
“Nico, it’s good to see you.” Big Tony reached for him with both hands.
Gio stared at hands he’d always seen as unbreakable.
Hands that were lined, wrinkled. Creased with years he’d wasted—they’d both wasted—with their estrangement.
Callouses that were no shocker, his father had always been a hard worker, but now they stood stark against skin that’d once been lush and olive-toned, dotted with liver spots that weren’t there before.
Was it from
the cancer?
Hands that’d once been so strong were now as brittle as butterfly wings.
When had Big Tony aged so much?
Gio sat hard on the edge of the chair, but he immediately leaned forward and did his father’s bidding, putting both his hands in the pair that’d beckoned for his touch.
He tore his gaze away so he wouldn’t compare the differences and met his father’s eyes again.
“It’s so very good to see you, Nico,” Big Tony repeated on a sigh.
“It’s good to see you too, Dad,” he managed, but his voice shook harder with every word.
They sat there like that, with his father still holding his hands in a firm-yet-gentle grip. At least his father’s hold belied the delicate appearance of his skin.
They didn’t speak for a long time.
That was all well and good for Gio, because he didn’t know what the fuck to say.
Jake climbed on his lap, and Maddie came to his side, quietly reacquainting herself with his father.
They’d met years ago a few times, but nothing more than a passing hello.
“I cannot change the past,” Big Tony said after minutes that felt like hours.
“Dad, don’t—”
His father lifted a much-too-slender palm and demanded silence. “I have many regrets in my life, but now that’s its nearing the end, I owe apologies to many. You are one that deserves more than I can say.”
Gio took a stuttering breath and shook his head.
Somehow, he couldn’t hear it.
Didn’t need to hear it, for the first time in his life.
He squeezed the hand he still held. “I don’t want you to, Dad.”
Big Tony’s mouth set in a thin line and he shook his head. “I don’t care.” The declaration was strong and even.
He smirked. “There’s my dad. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“But you have.” This was a whisper.
Gio’s heart dipped to his gut.
“You are a good man. I’m proud of you.”
He blinked because his eyes teared, and this time he couldn’t fight it. Relief washed over him that Big Tony hadn’t used the words, “I’m sorry.”
That, Gio couldn’t have taken.
I’m proud of you was something he hadn’t known he’d needed to hear from his father. Funny, things he’d always thought he’d wanted had dissipated before the old man had even opened his mouth.
“Thanks, Dad. You’re a good man, too.”
His father’s smile was shallow, and sad. “I wasn’t always.”
He looked away from the old man’s sunken cheeks and grayish pallor. His brown eyes were huge in his face, and cheekbones that’d always been high and regal stood out with a skeletal sharpness that made them blunt instead of attractive.
Elise had delivered the bad news with sobs, but he hadn’t really believed it. Their dad was a stubborn prick who couldn’t die.
Seeing how sick he really was jarred Gio to his soul. Things hadn’t been right between them for years, but he wasn’t ready for him to die.
“I always wanted the best for my family.”
His father’s voice brought his attention back to his face.
“Your mother was the love of my life. She was the heart of our family, and I’m relieved to be able to see her again soon.” This time, Big Tony’s was wistful.
Gio averted his gaze, and met Maddie’s eyes.
His wife smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
Jake nestled closer, tucking his head under Gio’s chin. His son’s soft hair tickled but he ignored it and smiled for his father.
Words weren’t really going to happen, so he just listened to his father talk about his mother in a way he’d never heard before.
Big Tony told the story of when they’d met, a beautiful blonde girl he’d claimed was too good for him. He said the first time he’d seen her in a Chicago nightclub, he’d known his fate was sealed.
Gio sat up, sliding his arm around Jake’s waist so the movement wouldn’t knock the kid off the chair. “Dad, Mom never lived in Chicago, you met her in Vegas.”
His dad shook his head, a smile still firmly in place. “No, your mother grew up in Chicago. It was her idea to start the casino. She was the one who gave me the initial investment. The Giovanni was really all hers.”
He looked up, exchanging a glance with Maddie.
“She kept all the records in a little brown book. I still have it, in my office.”
Gio shook his head and Maddie’s eyes went wide. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered. “Mom hated the casino.”
Big Tony shook his head. “She didn’t. It was her legacy. Your mother was behind it all; it was all her idea to get out of Chicago.” Fatigue asserted itself; his voice was heavier, the words slower.
The older man leaned back into the bed, and Gio helped him adjust it so it reclined, and he could lie back on his pillows.
“Dad, the money wasn’t from the Falcones?” He pitched forward again, still clinging to his son. He didn’t want to yell at his dad, but he wanted an answer.
Big Tony shook his head. “No. Your mother won it at the races.”
“Races?” Maddie asked.
His father focused on her and smiled. A tiny thing, as though he relished the small secret he’d kept for decades. “Yes, she liked to bet on horses. She was so good at it.”
Gio smiled. He couldn’t help it.
“She picked me. Not Luciano. She picked me.” His father’s repetition came out on a soft breath, and he closed his eyes.
Panic tickled, but only for a second. He watched his father’s thin chest move up and down in repose, not something...worse.
Maddie shook her head. “I can’t believe it.”
Gio snorted. “Me, either. Man, was I wrong. And Luciano Falcone had a thing for my mom? Jesus, wouldn’t life have been different?” He shook his head.
His father hadn’t started the casino with mob money, after all.
“Let’s let your dad sleep,” Maddie whispered.
They quietly slipped from the room.
“It’s not always a bad thing to be wrong, you know,” his wife said, as she weaved her fingers in his again.
“Oh yeah?”
“I was wrong about you.” She flashed a mischievous grin.
Gio snatched her to him and claimed her mouth.
“Ewww!” Jake yelled, interrupting before he could get lost in the kiss.
Probably not a bad thing.
“Get a room!” the little boy added with a grin.
Maddie pulled away and mock-glared. “You have got to stop hanging out with your Aunt Jamie!”
Gio laughed and shook his head. He grabbed Jake’s hand, then Maddie’s with his other one. “I’m glad you were wrong about me. I’m glad you came back to me. Both of you.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.”
“I love you, three!” Jake yelled loud enough to make his mother wince.
Losing his father was going to be hard, but as long as Gio had Maddie and Jake at his side, he could get through anything.
The whole deck of cards was his.
The End
Other Books by C.A. Szarek
Crossing Forces—Romantic Suspense—WHOLE SERIES ALSO IN AUDIO!
Collision Force (Book One)
Cole in Her Stocking (A Crossing Forces Christmas)—FREE read!
Chance Collision (Book Two)
Calculated Collision (Book Three)
Collision Control (Book Four)
Weekend Collision (A Crossing Forces HEA Story)—FREE read!
Superior Collision (Book Five)
Incendiary Collision (Book Six)—Coming soon!
The King’s Riders—Epic Fantasy Romance—WHOLE SERIES ALSO IN AUDIO!
Sword’s Call (Book One)
Love’s Call (Book Two)
Rogue’s Call (Book Three)
Fate’s Call (A Novella from the World of the King�
��s Riders)
Highland Secrets—Historical Fantasy/Time Travel
The Tartan MP3 Player (Book One)
The Fae Ring (Book Two)
The Parchment Scroll (Book Three)
Highlander’s Portrait (A Highland Secrets Story)—Coming soon to Audio!
Highland Valentine (A Highland Secrets Story)—only .99
The Princess and The Laird (A Highland Secrets Prequel)
Highland Treasures—Historical Fantasy/Time Travel
Highland Oath (Book One)
Highland Essence (Book Two)—Coming soon!
Anthologies
Deep in the Hearts of Texas—FREE read!
Story: Promise (A Crossing Forces Companion)
About The Author
USA TODAY Bestselling, award winning author of historical and epic fantasy romance, as well as romantic suspense, C.A. loves to dabble in different genres. If it’s a good story, she’ll write it, no matter where it seems to fit!
She’s a hopeless romantic and always will be.
Risking it all for Happily Ever After is what she lives by!
C.A. is originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She’s happily married and has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
She works with kids when she’s not writing.
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