Thicker than Water

by Danae Ayusso

  As ridiculous as it was, a cop being the Boss of one of the Five Families, Cat wanted no part of NYC anymore. The only people she loved, who called the Big Apple home, were buried in her womb now, so there was nothing left for her there.

  At the sit-down, which Colt fought with her for two days straight about going to, Cat turned over control of the Calandriello family to her Uncle, the one her father had once mentioned would be a good predecessor if Daniele left the family business: Angelo Moretti.

  The decision was acceptable to all parties involved, Angelo was a standup guy and didn’t have beef with anyone. His first act of business was to uphold Micheli’s wishes: his daughter wouldn’t be touched.

  On the flight back to Montana, Colt said very little. He didn’t know how to approach the situation of Cat leaving. There was nothing keeping her in Eureka now. She didn’t have to hide, for the most part, and all ties that she once had in NYC were gone minus Frankie’s family and her old colleagues—half of which won’t talk to her since she revealed that she is the daughter of a mob Boss—so she could go anywhere now. What was there for her in Montana?

  Colt quickly found out what there was in Montana when she pointblank asked, “So do I need to get down on one a knee to ask you to marry me or what?” He didn’t know what to say, and he was, for the first time in his life, completely speechless…he couldn’t even manage a thought. So he did the next best thing to talking, he kissed her.

  Unbeknownst to Cat, Colt had been walking around with a ring in his pocket just waiting to ask her.

  When Emma was released from the hospital before they left for NYC, she didn’t cry for the loss of her grandson, or her granddaughter for that matter. She was eerily calm and okay with the fact that her grandson killed her daughter and son in-law, killed her granddaughter and a bunch of other people, and tried to kill her. Colt was concerned, even Cat was, but she assured them that she was fine and that she can finally move on with her life, and now that her grandson was getting laid, she could as well.

  Cat laughed and went to make her some tea, without blowing the kitchen up that time, and while she was gone, Emma handed Colt a velvet ring box and told him to be the man she knew he always was, and that her wedding ring was now his to give to the woman he loved.

  The art deco antique ring was beautiful, and Colt could picture it on Cat’s finger. The delicate filigree engraved sides housed eight white diamonds in channels and a princess cut pink diamond in the center. It wasn’t a gaudy ring, but it was beautiful and matched Cat’s personality, even though it was pink. If needed, he’d invoke his one veto for pink like Frankie did. When he opened the ring box on the plane, after Cat proposed to him, she looked at the ring and back to him a few times before a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “Veto accepted,” she grumbled under her breath as he slid the ring on her finger.

  They weren’t in a rush to get married. In their opinion, they had years so neither of them was going to rush it. They split their time between both cabins, mainly so they could keep an eye on Emma while she attempted a new business venue: a bed and breakfast. Colt took the job as Sheriff, to his dismay—he hates paperwork—and he promoted Mickey to Detective since he’d proven himself many times, in Colt’s mind. With Raven being gone, there was a position available and he pouted his bottom lip out and reminded Cat that there would be no better way to spend the day together, while armed, than to have both of them on the force. Cat caved, pointed out that he should have started with the promise of being armed, and reluctantly took the job offer. But she said it’d be a cold day in hell when she’d wear a cowboy hat, would be a rookie or deputy, so she conceded to Detective even though there was no need for two in the small department. The transition was relatively easy with Colt doing most of the clerical work while Cat barked orders and implemented changes that would get the deputies in shape.

  Now all they needed to do was focus on their future together.

  “What are you thinking about?” Colt whispered, noting the indention which had formed between Cat’s brows.

  She shrugged. “Thinking about Padre,” she admitted. “I never thought I’d be getting married…I was always married to the job, and I didn’t think I could find someone that’d complement me like you, and now he won’t get the chance to give me away if we have an actual wedding. It’s almost as if I took away all of his firsts from him, when it pertained to me. He never got to know that he was going to be a grandfather until ten minutes before his son killed him. He thought he lost his daughter, then she came back just to reveal that it was his own son, someone he trusted, that took her from him. It’s hard to wrap my mind around, and I think I’m feeling guilty about it…I didn’t tell mio padre that I loved him until he was dying.”

  Colt nodded his understanding. “It wasn’t until I met you and realized that I was in love with you that the words of wisdom my Dad had given me in the short time that I had him in my life, before he was taken from me,” he paused, trying to force the anger that always accompanies thinking about why his Dad was no longer with him back down, “that I realized he was a romantic and a very wise man. He deserved so much better than my mother, but he stayed solely because of me. If you think about it, he’s dead because he loved me, and I didn’t tell him that I appreciated him and needed him and his love and words, wisdom and selflessness. Believe me when I say, I get it.”

  She sighed. “We’re so damaged it isn’t even funny.”

  He chuckled. “Not damaged, just slow to mend. We aren’t the only ones,” he reminded her. “Emma is mending as well. She’s opened the estate up and turned it into a bed and breakfast.”

  Cat gave him a look. “Oh yeah, that’s healthy and a great financial move.”

  “It’s booked solid for the rest of the year,” he said in disbelief.

  She shook her head. “Regardless of it being rented at the moment, how well do you think that’s going to work since the only notable thing in Eureka was a serial killer that’s been dead for barely two months? Oh, and let’s not forget that said serial killer once called that estate home, tried to ice his grandmother, the hostess, there even before going after the hot Sicilian out in the guest cabin. So yeah, I don’t think that has much of an appeal.”

  Colt shrugged. “I think that was too long to put on the brochure so Mickey just left it as Eureka Bed and Breakfast, the one place a sick sonuvabitch won’t kill you because we already killed him. It does have a nice ring to it.”

  Cat roared with laughter.

  “Emma says that you’re starting to rub off on me,” Colt informed her. “Something about your dry and slightly deranged sense of humor mixed with my boyish good looks is a dangerous combo.”

  She laughed even harder, falling against him.

  “It has been years since I’ve heard you laugh like that.”

  Cat instantly pulled her sidearm and pointed at the interloper before she lowered it. “Padre?” she gasped.

  “Catalina,” Micheli greeted with a nod.

  Colt helped Cat to her feet and kept her upright while her knees shook.

  “You’re dead?” she stammered.

  Micheli smiled, his light blue eyes sparkling with moisture. “For all intents and purposes, yes, I am,” he agreed. “Did you think that you were the only one who’d spend twenty-five grand on personal protection?”

  Her eyes widened before they narrowed. “And you just now decided to tell me you’re alive?!” she shrieked. “I’ve been consumed with guilt over your damn death.”

  Micheli shook his head. “Hypocritical,” he teasingly sang and she glared at him. “I mourned your death for well over a year, visiting your grave every Sunday, but,” he quickly added when she opened her mouth, “I had some loose ends to tie up. Micheli Calandriello is dead. It’s now Rossi, your mother’s maiden name, if that is all right with you. Your Uncle, nice choice in my predecessor by the way, agreed to keep the truth quiet. Besides, when was the last time I took a vacation? And I hear that there is a wed
ding that requires my assistance and blessing.”

  Cat continued to stand there speechless.

  Colt chuckled. “You’re the person who rented out the entire Bed and Breakfast,” he surmised.

  Micheli smirked. “Yes, after my lovely, paranoid daughter got done with it, I can confidently say that it is the safest place on this side of the Rockies. The security system is impressive, my guards are content with the arrangements, and the feisty English broad that lives there has mentioned more than once that she has a thing for Italians and she sleeps naked.”

  Colt and Cat both cringed.

  “Sorry,” Micheli chuckled. “Where do you think my lovely daughter got her bluntness?”

  “True,” Cat conceded. “What are you going to be doing here? You don’t think you’re going to set up some type of Montana mafia do you?”

  He snorted. “No. I am retired, dead in case you haven’t heard, so I was thinking of possibly helping around the bed and breakfast and enjoy my retirement. If that’s all right with you.”

  Cat sighed and headed towards him then offered him a hug that he gladly took. “If you break the law, in any way, even a parking ticket, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later,” she warned. “Got it?”

  Micheli chuckled. “That’s my little girl.”