Since Maggie’s church wasn’t far, we decided to walk and take in all the sights and sounds of the city. After making a phone call, Uncle Joey joined us. It surprised me a little, but I picked up that it meant a lot to Maggie.
After arriving, she took us through the garden where I’d told her about Uncle Joey and how I’d first met him. I remembered that she hadn’t been surprised about anything I said, and it was great to confide in someone who was used to the whole mob-family thing. Just the fact that she used to babysit Uncle Joey had made it easier for me to cope with the situation.
As we wandered along the paths, I stopped to study one of the statues. I didn’t know who it was supposed to be, but I loved the way she looked down on me, almost like she was assuring me that everything would be all right.
“Saint Therese of Lisieux is the patron saint of wisdom and hope,” Uncle Joey said. “At least I think that’s right. You’d probably have to ask Maggie to know for sure.” He studied the statue, then glanced at me. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” At my raised brows, he continued. “He’s inside.”
“Okay, sure.” I listened closely to his mind, but he’d blocked his thoughts, so I had no idea who it could be.
I followed him inside the church and down the aisle toward a bench occupied by a man. He looked up as we entered and gave Uncle Joey a slight nod before focusing his attention on me.
“Shelby, this is Lucas. I wanted you to meet him since he was so helpful yesterday.”
He resembled Milo and Enzo, but his features weren’t as sharp. He held a quiet humility about him that neither of them possessed. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, shaking my hand. “I’m sorry for what my father put you through.”
“Oh… well, it certainly wasn’t your fault. In fact, it all worked out because of you. Thanks for your help, by the way.”
He shrugged. “It was the least I could do.” I picked up that he was genuinely embarrassed by his family. Because Lucas was the youngest, his father hadn’t been as involved in his life, so Milo never knew how much Lucas despised him. But it wasn’t until Merilee was murdered that Lucas finally faced what his father truly was. It was the catalyst that turned Lucas against his father.
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to help us and turn your father in.”
He shook his head. “I should have done it long before now. Merilee and her friends might still be alive.” He sighed long and hard. “But I’m glad he can’t hurt anyone again.”
He glanced between me and Uncle Joey. “I went to the hospital with my mother early this morning. She… needed me there. He’d just come out of surgery, and I was allowed to see him for a few minutes. He hasn’t wanted me anywhere near him for the last few years, but my mother hoped we’d make peace between us, considering his brush with death.
“His vocal cords were damaged, so he couldn’t speak, but when he saw me, his eyes… they turned so cold. I could sense his disappointment, and I saw that there was no love in him for me, so… I told him what I’d done.
“His anger came on so strong… it was like a living thing. His heart rate spiked on the monitors, and his face turned red. All the medical equipment started beeping, so I left to get the nurse and hurried back to sit with my mother. About half hour an later, the doctor told us he was dead.”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t know if I killed him, but, if I did, I’m not sorry.” He looked at Uncle Joey. “I have a cousin who will probably take over, but I’ll make sure they never bother the Manettos again. You have my word.”
“Thank you Lucas. If you ever need anything, let me know.”
He nodded at both of us, then got up and left the church.
As we walked back to the garden, Uncle Joey spoke, “I guess that explains Milo’s death. Was he telling the truth?”
“Yes.”
“The shock and anger must have done Milo in.” Uncle Joey was thinking that he hadn’t expected Lucas to say anything about Milo’s death, but he knew that meeting in a church had a way of making people confess. It had certainly worked on Lucas.
He’d wanted me to meet him so I’d hear if he’d killed Milo, but it turned out that we’d both heard his confession. It was surprising that Lucas hadn’t touched Milo, but he’d killed him all the same.
“What’s that saying?” he asked me. “’What goes around comes around?’”
I nodded. “That works, but I think in this case it’s more like, ‘live by the sword, die by the sword,’ right?”
His brows drew together. “Maybe.” But he didn’t like hearing that saying much, since it might apply to him.
“Or how about, ‘The chicken always comes home to roost?’ That one works,” I added, hoping he’d like that one better.
“Yes.”
“Or my favorite: ‘no good deed goes unpunished.’ But, on second thought, maybe not that one.”
“No. That doesn’t work at all.”
“True,” I agreed. “Maybe not for Milo, but it seems to work for me. I’m always trying to do good things, and I’m always getting in trouble for it.”
He chuckled. “Now that’s definitely true.” He thought he might have to order a plaque with that saying on it for my office. They’d all get a kick out of that one.
“Ha ha,” I said, but I had to agree that he was right.
Later that evening, we all gathered for one last family dinner before leaving New York. I’d managed to get in a two-hour nap, but I was still exhausted. Sitting at the table, and looking at all the faces I’d come to know and treasure, it surprised me that I had mixed feelings about leaving the New York Manettos. We’d all miss Miguel, but Maggie had a special place in our family too.
Across the table, our gazes met, and Maggie smiled. I picked up intense satisfaction at having our family in her life. She loved all of us, more than she thought possible. Her gaze moved from me to Chris, then to Josh and Savannah. We’d brought something into her life that she didn’t know she was missing.
How was she going to get along without us? She’d just have to make sure we came back. That was all there was to it… and maybe she could visit us? How would that work? She could stay with Joe and Jackie. Maybe we’d miss her too? If we felt the same, it was more than she could hope for.
My heart warmed with love for Maggie. She’d been great with the kids. I knew they’d miss her, and they’d want her in their lives as much as I did. She’d get her wish if I had anything to say about it.
Josh and Miguel spoke to each other like brothers. Savannah’s crush on Miguel was still going strong, but, after spending every morning with him for the last several days, she wasn’t quite so enthralled. She seemed more relaxed, so that was good, although I did pick up her wistful, romantic imaginings. I never listened to those for long, I mean… I had to draw the line somewhere, right?
After a lovely dinner, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Frank and Sylvie’s grown children had left, taking their kids with them, while the rest of us finished up our dessert. I couldn’t stop yawning, and my eyes felt full of sand.
“I’d better get Shelby to bed,” Chris said, then quickly added, “Uh… because she was up half the night.”
“Can Josh and I stay a little longer?” Savannah asked. She wanted to spend every last minute that she could with Miguel. She couldn’t believe our vacation was coming to an end and we had to go home. Miguel hadn’t even held her hand once, let alone kissed her like she’d imagined. None of this had turned out the way she’d wanted, and now it was ending.
“I’m tired,” I said. “But I don’t want to break up the party.”
“Nonsense,” Uncle Joey said, feeling every bit as tired as me. “It’s late, and we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” He glanced at Savannah. “I don’t want it to end either, but we’ll be back. And Miguel will be coming home for a visit on his next break, right Miguel?” Sitting beside his son, Uncle Joey placed a hand on his shoulder. Pride and joy reflected from his face, and Migue
l smiled back.
“That sounds good to me,” Miguel said. He’d never been more grateful for everything his father had done for him. The threat from the Bilottis had nearly derailed his career, but his father had taken care of it. Miguel didn’t know how, or what his father had done, but he knew it hadn’t been easy.
He looked at me, knowing I’d been involved. The day the hitman nearly killed me made him realize how serious the situation had been. His heart swelled with gratitude. “Thanks for being here.” He glanced around the table. “All of you. It’s great to have such a wonderful family, and I couldn’t be happier that we’re related.”
“But… you know we’re not really related, right?” Savannah said. “I mean… we’re like family, but we’re not blood relatives. There’s a difference.”
“Savannah,” Josh said, his eyes big.
My mouth dropped open. Holy hell. I hadn’t been listening to her thoughts, and now I was paying the price. Why didn’t I see that coming? And what was I going to do about it?
Miguel’s brows drew together. “But… isn’t Maggie your grandmother?” He glanced between me and Maggie, then at Uncle Joey.
Miguel, Frank, and Sylvie were looking at me and Uncle Joey like we’d just kicked them in the stomach.
“What’s this about?” Frank asked.
“A misunderstanding,” Uncle Joey said. His gaze caught mine, and his lips twisted. “Shelby is… well… not exactly my niece, although I’ve always thought of her like that. Maggie…” He looked at Maggie’s stricken features and winced. “Oh hell.” He shook his head, knowing he’d been found out. He wanted to blame it on Savannah, but she was just a kid.
“I may not be his real niece,” I said, trying to help him out. “But I’m his niece, here… where it counts.” I placed my hand over my heart. “And Maggie is like a mother to me.” I smiled at her before looking at Miguel.
“Miguel, do you remember meeting me for the first time?” He nodded, so I continued, “You thought it was great to have a cousin, right? You’d never had one before, so you were happy to have an extended family. Right?”
“Well yeah, sure.” He knew where this was going, and he suddenly felt like a fool. He’d believed me and his father, but we’d been lying to him this whole time?
“We may have stretched the truth a little… but we weren’t exactly lying,” I said. “Whether we’re related by blood or not, we’re still part of your family, and that will never change.”
“So you’re not really my cousin?” he asked.
“No.”
“Well, she sort of is,” Savannah chimed in. “Uncle Joey was married to my other grandmother’s sister, or something like that. They got a divorce, but Mom’s always called him Uncle Joey, see? So there is a family connection, it’s just not what you thought.”
“But what about Maggie?” Miguel asked, settling his gaze on her. “Isn’t Shelby your daughter?”
Maggie shook her head. “No. I’m sorry to say she isn’t. But these last few days with her, Chris, and my pretend grandkids, have been some of the best of my life.” She glanced around the table, knowing she carried some responsibility for her part of the lie. She could see that it had hurt those she loved, and her heart lurched with sorrow.
Still, she wasn’t about to let it determine what happened next. “Miguel, Frank, Sylvie, I’m sorry I lied about Shelby and her family, and I hope you can forgive me… as well as forgive Shelby and Joe. Although… I have to say Joe bears the biggest responsibility, but that’s because he loves his son.”
She caught Miguel’s gaze. “Miguel, Joe didn’t want to disappoint you. Don’t let this be a wedge between you and him… okay? There’s nothing here for you to feel bad about.”
Miguel’s face drained of blood, and he glanced frantically from one person to the next. “It’s all lies.” It was easy to hear the devastation in his voice, and my heart broke for him. “I feel like a fool.”
Realizing what she’d done, Savannah burst into tears. “This is my fault. I’ve ruined everything. I’m sorry.” she jumped from the table and ran out of the room.
“Savannah wait!” I tried to grab her arm, but she was too fast, so I hurried after her. Instead of heading to the elevator, she ran to the hotel lobby and out the doors to the street. Alarm tightened my chest. I did not want her out on the streets of New York alone after dark. What was she thinking?
I burst through the doors and looked up and down the street. My heart in my throat, I caught sight of her and took off running. “Savannah! Stop!” She glanced over her shoulder, but shook her head and kept going.
She closed in on the intersection ahead. The street light was red, and sudden fear jolted through me that she wouldn’t stop. With all the tears in her eyes, I wasn’t even sure she could see the light.
“Savannah!” I yelled as loud as I could. I knew I couldn’t reach her before she came to the intersection, and fear for her life swept over me.
To my relief, she slowed, but she didn’t stop before taking a couple of steps out into the street.
“Savannah!”
A man waiting for the light grabbed her arm and yanked her back to the sidewalk, just seconds before a car raced by. Gasping in deep breaths, I reached her side and pulled her into my arms. With tears streaming down my face, I caught the man’s gaze. “Thank you. Thank you.”
He nodded, thinking she’d nearly given him a heart attack. He had a daughter of his own and hoped she’d never do anything that stupid. Then he felt sorry for me. The light changed, and he hurried across the street, grateful he’d stopped the girl in time. Seeing someone get killed right before his eyes would have been horrifying.
“Mom… I’m so sorry… I ruined everything… I shouldn’t have said anything… it… It was stupid.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.”
Suddenly Miguel was there, and I picked up that he’d seen the whole thing. Chris and Josh were right behind him. Miguel threw his arms around us, then Chris and Josh did the same. After a moment, we broke apart.
Embarrassed, Savannah wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry you guys. I shouldn’t have run off like—”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Miguel said. He slid his arm over her shoulder. “It’s not a big deal. Okay? Everything’s cool.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice shaky and uncertain.
“Yes, I’m sure.” He took in her remorse-filled eyes, and his heart swelled. “It’s fine. I don’t want you to worry about it. Okay?”
She pursed her lips and wiped her eyes, then finally nodded.
“You ready to go back?” Miguel kept his arm around her and waited for her to nod again. Once she did, he pulled her under his arm protectively. Josh stepped beside them, on the other side of Savannah, and they began to walk back to the hotel.
Chris put his arm around me, and we leaned against each other for support. He was thinking that we’d nearly lost her, and his legs still shook from the fear of seeing her step into the street. That man had saved her life. We were so lucky he was there, and we didn’t even know who he was.
“I know,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. His arm around me tightened, and we walked as close to the kids as we could, not wanting them out of our sight for a second.
“Do you think Maggie will forgive me?” Savannah asked. “She really liked being a grandma… and I’ve… ruined it.”
“No you haven’t,” Josh said. “She’s known all along, so it’s not going to be any different. The only one who didn’t know was Miguel. He’s the one you have to apologize to.”
Fresh tears came to her eyes. “Miguel, I’m so sorry—”
“I forgive you,” he said. “It’s not your fault.”
“Then what about Uncle Joey? Will you forgive him too? He looked so… sad.”
“Yeah… I might not be real happy that he lied to me… and made you lie too. But he’s my dad. He’s not like most dads, so I have to cut him some slack, you know?”
&nb
sp; “That’s for sure,” Josh said. “I don’t mean that in a bad way… I just. Well, you know.”
“I do,” Miguel said. He glanced over his shoulder at me, thinking I probably knew better than most what he was talking about. I let out a relieved breath and sent him a nod, grateful there were no hard feelings.
We entered the hotel lobby and found Uncle Joey waiting for us. He’d watched us coming back to the hotel and had stepped back to wait inside. He’d also seen Savannah nearly run down, and it had shaken him to the core. “Please come back to the table. I have something to say to all of you.”
We followed him back to the table where Jackie, Maggie, Syd, Frank, and Sylvie waited for us. Uncle Joey took a few deep breaths to calm down while we all took our seats. He stayed standing, and I picked up his mortification and regret at the fiasco he’d created.
“I owe you all an apology,” he began. “Especially you, Miguel. I handled that wrong, and I’m sorry. I just want you all to know that… I…” He choked up and tried to cover it by clearing his throat. “I’m not very good at this.”
He was thinking that he could run a business with calculating accuracy, track down anyone who crossed him or owed him money, and even take down a rival mob boss… but being a dad… he was lost. His mistake could have gotten Savannah killed tonight, and he ached with remorse.
“It’s okay, Dad,” Miguel said, coming to Uncle Joey’s rescue. “We love you too.”
Uncle Joey’s eyes widened. With his chin trembling, he nodded, unable to speak.
Syd jumped from his chair. “I propose a toast.” He picked up his glass and held it high. “To the Manettos. Let us remind ourselves that we all make mistakes. It’s what we do next that counts.”
“Here, here,” Maggie said. Everyone smiled, and we all raised our glasses.
Uncle Joey gratefully sat down, and Jackie put her arm around him. She accidentally squeezed his hurt shoulder, and he winced. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
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