Chapter Nineteen

They arranged for the wedding to be held at the courthouse just a few days later, as soon as Laura was able to stand in front of the judge. Her parents didn’t feel safe sticking in one place too long. They had been touring the country in an RV, stopping at campgrounds along the way, and learning to like the simple life. Mama Vita was even cooking and cleaning.

“Mama Vita!” Laura called out from her place on the couch in the main room of the ranch. “Vinny’s on the news. He’s been arrested. Aw, hell.” She punched the volume on the remote higher to hear the Chicago anchorman elaborate on the crime.

Racketeering.

Laura’s parents rushed in from the kitchen, where they had been visiting with Caleb and his mother and joined her on the couch.

Caleb stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “He certainly looks like you.”

The FBI wanted to flip Vinny, to get him to testify against the Garbaldo family. To this point, he’d refused to rat on the mafia boss—doing so could very well implicate himself in illegal activities. Vinny knew far more than Laura or Maria knew about the business end of the Garbaldo family. Their testimonies would help build a case against Garbaldo, but then Vinny could put him away for a very long time. He was Garbaldo’s stockbroker, and only he and the Lord knew where some of the Garbaldo money had been stashed and laundered.

“Damn.” Bobby Marconi watched his son being led away in handcuffs. “They’re bringing him from North Carolina back to Chicago.”

“What will he do?” Caleb asked.

Laura turned over her shoulder to look at her new husband, still shocked they were married. His gaze was fixed on the TV.

“Depends what kind of deal they offer him.” Laura squeezed the hand still resting on her shoulder.

“That’s Garbaldo, huh?” Caleb asked as the bald, fat, late-middle-aged man walked in front of cameras, that signature cigar hanging from his mouth.

“Bastard,” Laura’s father said. “He ought to be dead.”

“What can we do, Pop?”

She felt helpless, didn’t know if there was anything anyone can do to help Vinny but Vinny himself. It wasn’t as if he was the only one still in danger either. Anyone in the room could be next.

“We better be leaving, Bobby,” Mama Vita said. “I don’t think it’ll be good for us to be around here much longer. We are like sitting ducks out here.”

“Quiet, Vita, he’s talking.”

Sure enough, Ernesto Garbaldo sauntered up to the microphones.

“Let me tells you all something,” he started. “Vinny Marconi ain’t done nothin’ wrong.” He pointed his finger holding the cigar at the reporters.

“What about the rest of the Marconi family?” a reporter yelled. “How about Bobby Marconi’s daughters? Mrs. Marconi?”

“Vita? I got too much respect for her to be in any further contact. Sabrina ain’t got nothing to worry about neither. She took a bullet for her worthless father and made her amends to me another way.”

He stepped away from the reporters, flipping them the bird after he shoved his stogy back into his mouth.

“Maria?” Laura squeaked, her stomach knotting itself.

“He didn’t mention her, did he?” Bobby stood and started to pace. “That’s probably a good thing. At least he thinks I’m dead. Vinny’s got a damn hard decision to make. Damn, I wish I could help him.”

“Laura, what did he mean that you made amends to him?” Caleb walked around the couch and sat in a nearby chair.

“Let me guess.” Mama Vita turned to her. “Bella Vita.”

Laura nodded, the lump in her throat holding her back from saying anything.

“You gave him your restaurant, Laura?” Caleb’s sad expression surprised Laura. “You gave him everything you had?”

“Not quite,” Vita answered for her. “Our Sabrina is about as thrifty as they come. Vinny would spend every penny he got. Laura squirreled it all away.”

“I have enough to get by,” Laura answered. “I guess now that we’re married, it’s yours too.” She chuckled. “You really won’t need an outside investor anymore.”

“That much?” The muscles at the sides of Caleb’s jaw tensed as he ground his teeth together.

“We’ll talk later,” Laura said. “Where are you going to go?” she asked her parents, looking from Mama Vita to Pop.

“I want to be in Chicago, but I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” Mama Vita said.

“He’s not out for you though,” Laura told her. “Could you go and give Vinny your support and advice?”

“No,” Pop said. “She ain’t going nowhere near Chicago. Vinny’s an adult, he’s going to have to dig himself out of this one.”

“Alaska?”

“Not now, no,” Pop said. “Alaska in November doesn’t sound too appealing. Plus, Maria isn’t in any danger.” He stood. “We only came here because you were hurt.”

“Thanks.” Laura smiled.

Mama Vita stood. “Let’s go, old man.”

She bent down and kissed Laura on each cheek and then kissed Caleb too.

“You take good care of her, Caleb,” Pop said. “I still have connections.” He winked. “Email us when we become grandparents, would you?”

 

* * *

 

Later in bed that night, in the silence of the western Nebraska Sandhills ranch, husband and wife contemplated their future together.

“So, you’re telling me we’re rich?” Caleb stroked her back, right where the bullet went through her side.

“Not rich, maybe, but now you’ve got money to play with, to make the ranch grow sooner rather than later.” She rolled on top of him, careful not to kick him with her walking cast or hit him with her wrist cast. “’Course, once my cookbook makes the bestseller list, we might be. And when Morning Glory Organics takes off, the sky’s the limit.” She chuckled. “I love you.” She kissed him on his collarbone, loving the feel of his warm skin beneath her lips.

“Remind me to tell Josh thank you.”

“Your naked wife is lying on top of you and you’re thinking about your brother?”

He pinned her on her back. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have you.”

“Wonder if I would have won if Angel hadn’t screwed up and if Phyllis hadn’t gone off with Jasper to get married?”

“What do you think?” His hands were working their magic, taking away any doubt in her mind.

She was the winner, in more ways than one.