Footsteps (47 page)

Their wedding had been a simple affair, for
a Catholic wedding in an Italian family. The pews were filled by
family and friends, and they’d decided not to stand on the
tradition of ‘bride’s side’ and ‘groom’s side.’ Bina had no family
but his own, and they shared friends, as well. There was no
distinction to be made. Instead of ushers, they’d had a simple sign
at the entrance to the nave reading
Welcome! Pick a seat, not a
side.

She’d worn a sleeveless lace dress in a
color like vanilla, hemmed above her knees, with a neckline so deep
he’d had to wonder if she was commando again, because he couldn’t
figure out where a bra could be hiding. The woman knew how to
dress. Though his father had offered, she’d chosen to walk down the
aisle on her own, behind Andi, Rosa, and Carmen, her bridesmaids.
His brothers had stood with him.

Trey, too, had stood at his side, and he had
walked back up the aisle between them, the three of them hand in
hand.

Family.

“You are a man without a beer. I come to
remedy that problem.” Carlo turned to see Luca at his side, holding
out a beer. He grinned and took it.

“Thanks.”

“You know, you don’t have to stare
longingly. You could actually go and talk to her. Touch her, even.
I think that’s one of the few perks of marriage. I’m not an expert
or anything, but I’ve heard it said.”

Carlo chortled. “If I touch her right now,
we could end up putting on a show. Plus, I like watching.” He
opened his beer and took a long drink. “She looks happy, huh?”

“Big brother, that one’s got it bad for you.
And this time, I think that’s a good thing. She is way out of your
league.”

“I know.” He looked around. “Where’s
Joe?”

“Inside. Watching Carmen’s television.
Walking around on the sand out here was wearing him out, I
think.”

“Damn. I really thought he’d be doing better
than this by now.” Joey’s recovery had been slow. Almost glacial.
He was a belligerent, unwilling patient. He’d tried to fire Louisa,
his nurse, just about once a week, and then Carlo had had to
scramble to smooth things over between them. A couple of months
ago, she’d suggested that it was time to be fired, that she could
be more productive with somebody who wanted to be well.

Now Joey spent his days watching
television.

Luca shrugged. “He’s not really trying,
though, is he?”

“He thinks he’s as good as he can get. Bina
thinks we’re too easy on him.” She’d been right about Rosa; he’d
had no idea how disconnected his baby sister had felt from the
family until he’d sat her down and talked to her about it. But he
didn’t think Bina was right about Joey.

“What are we gonna do? Kick his ass? He’s an
invalid.”

“That’s what I say. And maybe he
is
as good as he can get.”

“He should work or something, though. Just
to get out of the house. Maybe Pop and I can put him back on a
crew.”

The one bright spot in Joey’s predicament
was that his mobster days were brief and over. Carlo was glad for
that, even though his own business, and Luca’s, with the Uncles
remained unresolved. Someday, they would have to pay for helping
Joey out of a jam. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to pay too
dearly.

He was glad those days were behind Joey. But
Carlo didn’t see him returning to the other family business,
either.

“Luc, he can’t walk across the beach without
passing out, and he’s still carting that tank around. What’s he
gonna do on a construction site?

“I know. Fuck. Seems like there’s gotta be
something, though.” Luca drained his beer. “We shouldn’t be talking
about this shit now. This is your day, big man.” He slapped Carlo
on his bare back. “Got your mulligan. Make it count.”

“Um, hey—excuse me?”

Both brothers turned to find a tiny,
black-haired girl behind them. Dressed in a miniscule black skirt
and fishnets with big, clompy boots and some kind of corset thing
with a striped shirt under it—not remotely appropriate for the
beach—she shoved a hand onto her hip and scowled up at them. “Some
asshole with a tiny dick parked his big black Hummer right in front
of the access to the beach. I’ve got a gig to set up, and he’s in
my way. Do you know where I can find…um…Carlo somebody or
other?

Carlo and Luca turned to each other and
grinned. They turned back to the little midget bitch, and Luca
said, “Well, this here is Carlo somebody or other, and I’d say it
was my Hummer parked over there, but you must mean somebody else.
Cuz my dick ain’t tiny, sugar.”

Instead of being abashed, she smirked and
looked him over. “Well, you’re obviously compensating for
something. Could you move your giant phallus? Please?” She turned
to Carlo. “You hired a band, playing seven to ten?”

“I did. You’re it?”

“I’m their manager. Where d’you want us?”
She shoved her Day-Glo orange Ray-Bans up on her head, revealing
shockingly blue eyes rimmed with heavy black liner. “Please don’t
expect us to just camp in the sand.”

“No, no. We built a stage—it’s over there,
near some power. C’mon…what’s your name?”

“Manny.”

He raised an eyebrow at that and looked at
Luca, who was enjoying the fuck out of this acerbic little shit.
“Okay, Manny. Luca will move his giant phallus, and I’ll show you
where to set up.”

~oOo~

The band was good—loud and raucous, a
punk/grunge/metal thing. Carlo loved it. Hardly dinner music, and
it had surprised Bina, whose musical tastes and interests
were…stunted, in Carlo’s opinion. But the band was perfect for
their wedding reception, which had, as they’d expected, become a
whole-town affair. His father was still throwing his usual Memorial
weekend bash in a couple of weeks, but Quiet Cove was getting a
bonus Pagano party this year. It was difficult to dance in sand,
especially at the end of a party with a lot of booze, but people
were managing it. Mostly.

When the sun went down, the air got a
distinct chill, and Bina had pulled on jeans and one of his
hoodies. But he’d made sure she still had that ‘bride-kini’ on
underneath. They were sitting together at the bonfire, Bina on his
lap. He had his hand under the hoodie, rubbing soft swirls on her
belly. Every now and then, he moved up and over her breast. Every
time, she made a small, sweet noise in the back of her throat.

Trey was asleep in Carmen’s house; he was
staying with her tonight. They weren’t going on a honeymoon, at
least not for the foreseeable future. He had the Connelly project,
and neither of them wanted to leave Trey for any length of time.
Even though it had been nine months since Jenny had taken him, and
even though she could not ever do it again, both Carlo and Bina
felt protective and watchful of his son.

Their
son.

They didn’t want to take Trey on some
expensive vacation, either. He was too young to appreciate it, and
he had everything he wanted right here in the Cove. Anyway, what
was a honeymoon if you couldn’t have sex any time, anywhere? So
they’d decided to wait. What they had was a night in the Captain’s
Suite at the Quiet Cove Inn.

She tipped her head on his shoulder and
kissed his throat, letting her tongue flick lightly over his skin.
His balls tightened, and his hand squeezed her breast.

“Can we go soon?” Her voice was like a purr.
“I would like to be in bed with my husband.” Her hand moved under
his shirt and made his belly twitch.

“We can go right now, baby. This party’s not
about us anymore.”

She sat up. The firelight behind her and the
moonlight above her made her glow as if she were enchanted. She had
certainly enchanted him. From the night he’d walked her up the
beach, he thought, he’d known that she was special. Her strength
and wisdom, fire and beauty had blazed from her even while she’d
been trapped under James Auberon’s twisted thumb.

Everyone thought she’d been a damsel in
distress, and she had been in dire straits. She had needed his
help, and the help of others. But she’d needed to lean only until
she’d had room to stand. Even on that first night, when he’d walked
her home through the sand and over rocks, she had not taken his
offered hand. She had walked on her own, allowing him only to walk
beside her, not to carry her.

But since she had been with him, she had
carried him time and time again.

“I love you, Sabina Pagano. Thank you.”

She smiled, cocking her head a little. “For
what do you thank me?”

“For saving me.”

THE END

~oOo~

COMING SOON

Touch
: The Pagano
Family, Book Two

Luca likes his uncomplicated life. Manny is
nothing if not a complicated girl.
She’s untouchable. But unforgettable.

RELEASE DATE: 27 September 2014

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