Starting Point (3 page)

I guess in my head, I’d imagined Yumi throwing herself at us, or at Kira at least. But she didn’t. She just stood there, as though she’d not heard what Kira had just said. Or, that she wasn’t too pleased with what she had heard.

“It’s okay, Yumi,” I started. “I know I haven’t been perfect, and I’m really working on being a better person for Kira, but I love him and I know I hurt him
and
you and Sal, but I promise—”

My words stopped cold with the first of her tears. “Oh, please don’t cry,” I whispered, not really meaning to say it out loud.

Kira left my side and wrapped his arms around his mom’s tiny shoulders, and I was about to panic at her reaction when Kira turned to face me. He was smiling.

I looked at Sal then, who was also smiling. “Speechless?” he signed.

Kira nodded.

Sal chuckled and the big man threw his arms around me. When he let me go, he turned to his wife and put his hand on her shoulder. Yumi pulled away from Kira and smacked his arm. “You make me cry!”

Then she turned to me, and still teary-eyed, she hugged me. “Oh, Matty.”

Sal hugged Kira in congratulations, and Kira asked him, “Did Matt really ask you for permission to marry me?”

“Sort of,” Sal answered. “He tried, but his hands were shaking. All I got was something right, terrible and married.”

Yumi, now tucked into my side, swatted her hand at Sal. “You leave my Matty alone.”

“Mom,” Kira said. “We thought you might like to organise it.”

“The wedding?” she asked quietly.

“Well, yes,” Kira said. “When we’re ready. We haven’t talked about dates or anything. We’re not in any great hurry, are we?” he asked, looking at me.

I shook my head. “Well, I’d marry you tomorrow, but I’d also wait years. Just whenever it’s right.”

Kira smiled warmly at me, as though I’d said exactly the right answer.

Yumi looked up at me, then to Kira. “You really want me to?”

“Yes, Mom,” Kira answered.

Then she started to cry again and nodded into my chest.

“We can discuss the rules later,” Kira added.

“Rules?” she asked standing up straight, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve.

“Yes, Mom. Rules,” Kira said with a smile. “But we don’t have to go through that now How about dinner first?”

We sat at the table for one of my favourite dishes Kira cooked. It was a meatloaf style dish, with vegetables in it and some kind of sauce that was a Franco family secret, apparently. It was savoury, spicy and sweet somehow.

“This is so good,” I said. I scooped up another forkful. “I tried to copy it once.”

Kira looked at his parents and shook his head slowly. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“Or edible, for that matter,” I said with my mouth half full.

Yumi gasped. “That’s why you want to marry my Kira! For the family recipes!”

I laughed and swallowed my food. “Yes, yes, you got me. That’s it, the only reason.”

Sal grinned and put down his fork so he could sign. “I don’t think the recipe would help Matt’s cooking.”

Kira laughed really loudly and Yumi’s lips twitched as she obviously tried not to smile. I just shrugged. “True,” I signed. “I can make eggs on toast,” I said and signed at the same time.

Kira tilted his head thoughtfully. “Well…”

“I said I can make them. I didn’t say they tasted any good,” I clarified.

Kira laughed and Yumi scolded him. “You leave my Matty alone.”

“Thanks, Yumi,” I said.

She frowned at Kira. “He can make coffee. And the bed. I see him make the bed one time.”

Kira laughed again, and I sighed dramatically. Sal chuckled and signed, “And you want to be part of this?”

I smiled at him and nodded. “I do. But it’s okay. If they keep it up, they won’t get any of the pie I made.”

“The pie you
bought
,” Kira corrected me.

“Bought, made, same thing.”

The usual banter continued and when our plates were empty, I offered to make everyone coffee to have with the pie. I placed the coffee pot on the table and bought out a tray with cups, sugar and cream. I put the pie in the middle of the table. “Pecan and caramel,” I said.

“That’s my favourite,” Yumi said.

“I know. That’s why I bought it,” I told her. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”

Yumi sat back in her chair and sighed with a smile. “Because you wanted to tell us you were getting married.”

“Yes,” I answered. “And because if you thought maybe it wasn’t such a great idea, then at least we’d have pie.”

“Why you think we wouldn’t think it was a good idea?” she asked. “Matty?”

“Well,” I said slowly. “Given what I put you all through…”

Sal shook his head. “We’ve forgiven you,” he signed. “Kira has too. Maybe it’s time you did.”

I smiled and swallowed hard. “I’m working on it. I really am. I want to the best man I can be, for Kira,” I said, looking at Sal so he could read my lips. Then I signed, “He deserves the best I can be.”

Kira startled me, suddenly appearing at my right side. I hadn’t heard him move, which was something we were both still adjusting to. He kissed my cheek. “You’ll do,” he said with a smile. “Now cut the pie.”

I served each of us a slice and poured the coffee. When I handed Yumi hers, she said, “Okay so, boys, tell me these rules you make me do.”

“Well,” Kira started. “We don’t have a date yet, so no pressuring us.” He took a spoonful of pie into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Nothing big, fancy or too expensive. It’s not a competition with the ladies at your book club.”

“Bridge club,” she corrected him.

Kira kept going, “Matt and I are paying for everything, so don’t get any ideas about having to spend a cent. But apart from that, I think that’s covered everything.” He looked at me. “Matt? Anything to add?”

I sipped my coffee then put my cup on the table. “Well, maybe we should pick out our suits,” I said, looking to Kira. I turned to Yumi. “The rest is your department.”

“The rest?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“The rest?” Sal signed. “Everything?” He looked hard at Kira, then to me. “What are you doing to me? Do you have any idea how much I will suffer?”

“Oh, shush,” Yumi said, which was rather funny, considering he never spoke.

I smiled. “Okay, Yumi, another rule. Be kind to Sal. Don’t torture him too much with all of this.”

Sal leant back in his chair. He looked genuinely afraid. “I need more pie.”

I laughed. “We have a spare room,” I signed to him.

“Hey!” Yumi chided me with a pointed finger. “I saw that.”

I stood up and walked around to her side of the table, leant down and hugged her. “But I bought your favourite pie!”

I looked up in time to catch Kira sign to Sal. “Just be grateful he didn’t cook it.”

“I’m not that bad a cook,” I said, pretending to be offended. “It’s just that my areas of talent are not in the kitchen.”

Yumi swatted my arm. “I not want details,” she said, shaking her head.

Kira gave me a warm smile, and I ran my hand up his arm as I walked past him to the kitchen. I put the pie back into the white cardboard box it had come in, and when I slid it in front of Sal to take with him, he smiled. “Is this bribery?”

“Whatever it takes.”

“He not eat all that,” Yumi snapped. “Not good for his cholesterol.”

Sal signed something quickly, which I didn’t quite catch, but it looked like he told her he’d eat what he damn well wanted. Kira laughed anyway, Sal grinned and Yumi sighed. “Now I have you to take my side, Matty.”

“I don’t take anyone’s side…”

“No,” she said sharply, putting her hand to her chest. “You take
my
side.”

Sal burst out laughing, and looking at me, signed, “Welcome to the family.”

As much as they joked, those words warmed my heart.

When Sal and Yumi were leaving, they hugged us both. Yumi was more excited now, and at least the tears had stopped. She had spent the last half hour talking about research on menus, venues, fabrics and what websites she could look at, and as Sal ushered her out of the door, he just rolled his eyes and sighed.

Kira closed the door behind them, leaned against it and looked at me for a long, quiet moment. “I can’t believe you asked my dad for permission.”

“Not permission,” I amended. “But I wanted to try and do it right. I got the words wrong though,” I admitted.

He pushed off the door and walked over to me. He slid his hand along my jaw. “I’ve never seen my mother speechless.”

“I thought for a minute she was going to say no.”

Kira smiled. “Never. She adores you.” He kissed me softly, but then he pulled away. “What would you have done if she’d said no?”

I thought about that for a long moment. “I’d marry you anyway, but it wouldn’t be the same without having your parents’ blessing.”

“When dad said ‘welcome to the family’ it kind of stuck with you, didn’t it?” Kira asked quietly.

I nodded and leaned my face into his hand. He kissed my forehead, my temple, my cheek. Such gentleness, such love—it still amazed me that this man was still with me.

And I would never take him for granted again.

“I love your parents,” I whispered. “And I love you.” I looked into his eyes and said, “I don’t think you realise just how much you’re giving me.”

He smiled. “My parents?”

I nodded and closed my eyes. “A family.”

“Oh, Matt,” Kira murmured, and slipped his arms around me.

I sighed against him and simply enjoyed his embrace, his strength, his warmth. “Not just any parents.
Your
parents.
Your
family. They’re amazing.”

He kissed the side of my head. “To bed?”

I nodded against him. “Though you’ll need to be gentle with me.”

“Are you still feeling dizzy?” he asked, concerned.

“No. I ate too much pie.”

Kira laughed, took my hand and flipped the lights off as he led me to bed.

* * * *

“Hey, Arizona,” I said, smiling at the huge man. He was wiping down the gym equipment before we opened, like we did every morning. I hadn’t seen him since Friday. “I missed you yesterday. Everything okay?”

The tall man stood up to full height and smiled. His teeth looked so white against his dark skin. “Lashona had a doctor’s appointment.”

“Is she okay?” I asked.

“Oh, man, she’s so good.” His grin got wider. “She’s gonna have a baby!”

I’m sure my smile matched his, and I gave him a hug. “Oh, Arizona, that’s excellent news!”

He laughed. “It’s still only early days. Twelve weeks, to be exact. We were fairly sure before, but the docs say not to tell anyone till that first trimester is done, and anyway, he confirmed it yesterday.”

“I’m really happy for you, man,” I said again. “I have some good news too.”

Arizona’s eyes lit up. “Whassup?”

“I asked Kira to marry me.”

He grinned again. “Really? Yeah? Did he say yes?”

I nodded and laughed. “He said yes.”

He looked down at my left hand. “Where’s the ring, man?”

I looked at my ring-less finger, then back to Arizona. “Do guys wear engagement rings? Because I haven’t got a clue.”

“Well, I didn’t when me and Lashona got engaged, but we didn’t have no money for shit like that,” he replied. “But I dunno. I wear a wedding ring now. When I’m not workin’ that is.”

“I didn’t even think of rings,” I admitted. “To be honest, I’m not sure Kira’s the ring-wearing type.”

Just then, Boss, the short, gruff man in charge of the centre, walked over. He looked at the both of us like we’d sprouted second heads. “Quit ya smilin’,” he barked at us. “You’ll scare the shit outta the customers lookin’ like that.”

I laughed at him. “Good morning, Boss.
How was your weekend, boys?
Fine, thanks for asking. How was yours?”

“Don’t get smart, Elliott,” he said flatly. Then he said, “I got something I want you to have a look at. You got ten minutes?”

I looked at my watch. “Sure. I have to open up soon, or those kids will be knocking my door down,” I said.

“They can wait,” he said seriously. “This is more important.”

Chapter Three

I viewed the papers he’d handed me. They were spreadsheets. Financials on the first six months trade of the Harbor Fight Club.

“Got them last night,” Boss said. “The admin lady gave ’em to me. Do they say what I think they say?”

I nodded and looked from the paper in my hand to him. “Yeah. We’re not trading real well.”

“What do we do?” he asked. “I’m a trainer, not an accountant. What the hell do I know about running a business—”

I put my hand up to stop him mid-rant. “Boss, no need to panic. We knew this would be tight, and we knew we’d have to do some self-funding. They’re not about to shut the doors on us or anything, we just need to create more income.”

He ran his stubby fingers through his grey hair. “How do we do that? People that come here ain’t got no more to give. And I can’t lay any of those boys off. It’d kill ’em to lose this.”

I clapped my hand on his shoulder. Despite his rough exterior, despite the way he barked at everyone, Boss was a genuine man, who really loved the FC. “We’ll fix this. We need to call a meeting, brainstorm a bit, put all our ugly mugs together and come up with some ideas. It’ll be okay, Boss. We’re not losing anything.”

He exhaled loudly and after a pause, he nodded. “Figured you’d think more rational than me.”

I smiled at him. That was as good as a compliment coming from him. “I’ll round up these boys and see about calling a little meeting, huh?”

“What should we tell ’em?”

“Everything,” I replied. My answer obviously surprised him. “Boss, no secrets. We’re a team, yeah?”

He rolled his eyes. “Is that what bein’ a cop taught ya? Team work and bonding and shit?”

“Yep. But don’t worry, I won’t make us hold hands when we sing Kumbaya.”

He glared at me and snatched the spreadsheets out of my hand. “Get the fuck out of my office, Elliott.”

I laughed as I walked back out across the gym floor to my ‘office’, or so I called it. It used to be an old kitchen-come storeroom when it was privately run by Leon Tressler—the man I went undercover to take down. But we’d cleared it out, cleaned it up, and it was now like a community meeting room for the local kids.