Page 11 of Ciao Bella
“Not sure how she pulled that off,” grinned Wilson. “But we’re all glad that she did. Jak said it was pretty remarkable watching her take that man on.”
“I keep saying I want answers, but as I get older, I’m not sure I do. The answers might lead me somewhere I don’t want to go,” said Miller.
“It doesn’t matter what she is,” said Kari. “Elf, angel, demon, voodoo, witch doctor, witch, or leprechaun. It doesn’t matter. She’s your mother, and that woman has done more for all of us than we could possibly fathom. Her hand and her heart have touched all of us in ways we can’t even imagine. I know that I wouldn’t know what to do without her, and neither would any of the other wives.”
Gabe smiled at his sister-in-law, nodding his head in her direction. Kari had always stuck up for Irene, no matter what.
“That’s true,” said Gaspar. “But that old woman brought two grizzly bears to our property as we were leaving, no leashes, no cages, just walking free. There might not be anyone left when we get back.”
“I think if we’ve been able to trust Alvin not to eat everyone, we can trust a couple of bears that your mother adopted. Besides, they might come in handy.”
Gaspar started to speak, opening and closing his mouth in shock, then just shook his head.
“I can’t believe it. She’s even gotten the lawyer on her side.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Can I get you something to eat?” asked Mary, smiling at her husband. He looked up at her with adoration, gripping her hand and pulling her onto his lap. “Angel!”
“What? I love my wife,” he grinned. “I love her more every day, and I never thought that was possible. Did you know that an average of fourteen women for every one thousand gets divorced?”
“No,” she said quietly, pushing back all his gorgeous hair, “I didn’t know that. I didn’t need to know that because I knew I was going to stay married to you forever.”
“Damn right you are,” he smirked, kissing her passionately. “There was never another choice. I knew from the moment that I walked into that kids’ clothing store that you were the woman I was going to marry.”
“And I thought you were delusional,” she giggled. “You stood there looking like a movie star come to life, a Viking god staring down at me. When you asked me for coffee, you could have knocked me over with a feather.”
“If I remember correctly, you refused me,” he frowned. “Something about dating stick-thin models.”
“I’ve apologized a million times for that,” she said sadly. “It was wrong of me to make assumptions about what you liked in a woman. It was my own experiences, my own insecurities coming through, and I just couldn’t help it.
“You just surprised me, Angel. I knew I wasn’t the ugliest girl in the room. I wasn’t hideous, but I was insecure about my appearance in many ways. No man who looks like you had ever even glanced my way.”
“Then they were all stupid,” he stated emphatically.
“Couldn’t agree more,” said Tailor. “We all knew you were a keeper when he brought you home the first night he met you.”
“Well, that wasn’t planned. At least not on my part,” said Mary.
“It was for me,” laughed Angel. “My first task was to convince you to have coffee with me, then dinner with the team, and then to convince you I was the only man in the whole wide world for you.”
“You are the only man in the whole wide world for me. I mean, you gave me triplets,” she grinned.
“I did do that, didn’t I?” he smirked with pride.
“Yes, you did. And you’ve been an amazing father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. But husband has been your starring role,” she laughed. “Husband, friend, lover.”
“You say lover again, and we’re going to join the mile-high club.”
“Didn’t we already do that once?” she smirked.
“Woman,” he said in a low rumble.
“Okay, okay, sorry. But in all seriousness, you have been the most amazing man in the whole wide world. You saved me from my own misery and sadness, my loneliness.”
“And a madman,” smirked Wilson.
“Yes, let’s not forget the madman,” she said, touching the long scar on his face. “You’re still beautiful even with this.”