Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Kara held her breath as Dante and one of the nurses helped Angelo slide off the hospital bed and onto his feet.
He winced a little, clutching his abdomen as he straightened up.
Kara’s belly tightened in sympathy and anxiety.
His face looked strained, but as soon as he noticed her concern, he flashed her a warm smile as if reassure her.
In a moment of blinding clarity she understood something about Angelo that she doubted others knew.
He constantly did as much as he could to prevent others from worrying about him.
She tried to smile back, but inside her heart was fracturing in places she didn’t know it could.
We’re alike, he and I.
“Kara?” he spoke her name and his eyes were warm and welcoming.
It reminded her all too easily of that kiss he’d stolen, the one that had changed her world with the brush of his lips.
She remembered tasting his smile, feeling the curve of his lips against hers and being overwhelmed and delighted by that intimacy.
A kiss that hadn’t been because of the morphine, but because he’d wanted her.
“Yeah?” she finally realized she hadn’t answered him.
“I’ll take the pants, socks, and shoes.” Angelo nodded at her arms where she held a pair of dark gray sweatpants.
The hospital had cleared him this morning, and Angelo was eager to get home.
She’d dug through his drawers and managed to find pants, a soft t-shirt, a sweatshirt, running shoes, and socks.
She handed him what he asked for, and when Dante tried to follow him into the restroom, he waved his brother away and shut the door to change.
The rest of the family had agreed to stay at home to make things less hectic at the hospital, which Kara was thankful for. She was nervous enough about Angelo leaving the hospital so soon after surgery, and didn’t want to balance that along with pretending to be his fiancée.
The nurse called Kara over. “Now, you’ll be using something called island dressing for him.
It’s an all-in-one sterile bandage with an absorbent pad that covers the wound, surrounded by adhesive material.
The bit in the middle creates a protective environment without tape or gauze.
It’s ideal because it allows for light drainage of the wound. ”
Kara nodded as the nurse showed her the box of bandages.
When Angelo came out of the bathroom, the nurse showed Kara where to place the bandage over the stitches.
Unfortunately, she had trouble paying attention.
It was difficult not to get distracted by Angelo’s sculpted bronze chest and smattering of dark hair.
Kara had the sudden urge to kiss that skin, to press her cheek against it and—
The nurse cleared her throat and Kara forced herself to focus.
“We’ll remove the staples in about ten days,” the nurse continued. She took the T-shirt and sweatshirt Kara had been holding and helped Angelo into them. “There you go. You’re ready for discharge.” The nurse patted the wheelchair that she set the corner of the room earlier.
“Is that really necessary?” Angelo asked the nurse with a mortified expression.
The nurse patted the back of the wheelchair with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, hon, hospital policy.”
“Okay…” Angelo sank into the wheelchair with a sigh. Then before Kara knew what was happening, he’d hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her right down onto his lap. She squeaked in surprise.
“Mr. Vertucci!” The nurse gasped. “No extra guests in your wheelchair!”
“Oh my God, let me up!” Kara struggled to get up not because she didn’t want to be on his lap, but because they had an audience. Angelo held her fast a moment longer, brushing his lips over her ear.
“This okay?” he asked in a faint whisper. She relaxed ever so slightly as something inside her melted. How could he always do that? Just turn her into a heated mess of longing with just a little bit of flirting?
Her response wasn’t fully coherent, just a string of confused syllables as she buried her face against his neck, her face hot with a blush. He chuckled and kissed her cheek softly, his mouth lingering on her skin before he let her get up out of the chair.
“I’m sorry about that,” Kara said to the nurse, expecting her to be completely mortified.
“Honey, if my man looked at me like that, I’d never apologize.” The nurse took charge of the chair. “Let’s go.” She pushed Angelo forward and Dante and Kara followed behind.
Once officially discharged, they climbed into Dante’s Bronco and headed home. Kara sat in the backseat, thinking about the stapled wound and changing his bandage.
Dante and Angelo talked about the Christmas day football game which Angelo had missed. But Kara had never really followed sports, and her mind was so full of other thoughts that their voices soon faded into the background.
She wondered how it was going to work with her and Angelo at home at the same time as his family.
How would they play their parts as an engaged couple.
What was that supposed to look like? What was she supposed to do?
Angelo hadn’t given her any suggestions and she hadn’t even considered the problem until now.
Now she was terrified that someone, like Alessia or Francesca would realize something was off between her and Angelo.
She couldn’t afford to let the rest of his family know about her situation.
That was too many innocent people to put at risk.
Her gaze moved over the snowy streets and the sparkling lights on the roofs or windows of the houses.
It occurred to her that she’d stopped noticing the beauty of winter after her mother died, especially around Christmas.
Even when they’d been living on the run, her mother had found moments to make the world hold a glimmer of hope and beauty.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed those moments until now.
Kara swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.
Perhaps it was because she’d felt like losing her mother had been like losing the last of her hope.
That was the thing no one ever warned you about when you lost a parent you loved.
When they died, that sense of safety and a better tomorrow vanished with them.
But now… now she was feeling hopeful again, even if she was still confused and scared by the crazy sequence of events that had happened in the last few days.
Angelo reached back from the front passenger seat, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. It was as if he could reach her thoughts. That somehow he could tell she was frightened by all the sudden changes in her life. She tucked her hand into his, relishing the warmth of it and squeezed back.
I’m safe. I’m safe with him.
She caught Dante glancing at them and then he frowned slightly, before he turned onto Angelo’s street. He parked in front of Angelo’s brownstone. “Mom will be glad to see you out of the hospital.”
“I’m sure she will,” Angelo chuckled. “We’d better get inside so I can cook dinner.”
Dante snorted. “You know mom won’t let you cook after being in the hospital.”
Kara climbed out and landed calf-deep in the snow. She came around to the passenger door to help Angelo out.
“Put an arm around my shoulders,” she said. He gingerly put his arm around her, the heat of his body sinking into the sweater that she wore, and lowered himself to the ground.
“You need my help?” asked Dante.
“No, I think I’m okay.” Now that he was down, Angelo leaned on her a little less, and they moved up the stone walkway together. Angelo’s front window beamed like a lighthouse into the cold dark night. It started to snow again as they reached the door. Kara looked up into Angelo’s face.
“Are you ready?” she asked so only he could hear her.
His dark lashes, glittering with melting fractals of snowflakes, fanned down as he met her gaze.
“I am. Are you?” There was a hint of mischief in his eyes and she knew from their text messages this morning before she’d gotten to the hospital that he was looking forward to playing her fiancé in front of his family.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded that she was ready to play her part too although she felt guilty about it rather than amused like him.
Up till now, everything they’d done had been easy, because concern over Angelo would have come before any deep questions about their relationship.
But now? Now they would be under the full scrutiny of his family all the time.
She only hoped it wouldn’t be a long night since Francesca or Matteo might ask questions about her and Angelo that they might not be prepared for.
Dante opened the door for them, and Kara could feel the energy inside change immediately. That feeling of belonging she’d felt yesterday had intensified. It was as though Angelo was the glue that held this family together.
“Angelo!” Matteo boomed and rushed to the door to hug his son, then Kara, as if he had not just seen her an hour ago.
Within seconds, they were swallowed up in hugs and well wishes from everyone in the family.
“We ordered pizza!” Millie announced, holding up a half-eaten slice of pepperoni.
“Pizza?” Angelo sighed dramatically. “Aye, Mama, I could have cooked something for everyone.”
“At least it’s not tapioca pudding,” Francesca said as she gave her son a motherly glare and then gave Kara a look that said, “Can you believe him?”
“She’s right, that hospital food looked terrible. Pizza is definitely a step up.” Kara agreed. And she was glad that he wouldn’t have to cook tonight. He shouldn’t be doing anything that would tire him out and she imagined cooking for his family would be too much. He needed to rest and heal.
“You could have least order from Lou’s,” Angelo said. “You know his pizza is the best.”
“Who’s Lou?” Kara asked.
“Lou Malnati’s pizzeria is the best in the city, at least in my opinion,” Angelo answered with all the amusing arrogance of a true chef.