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“Ow, Mamma. Careful.”
She pulled away, horrified. “My poor baby. You’re hurt.” But before she could fuss over me, she finally noticed Joanna, and her worried frown vanished. “Is this my new daughter?”
I bent to kiss her cheek. “Yes, Mamma. This is Joanna. She’s a detective in the Chicago PD. Jo, this is my mamma, Fiorella Conti.”
Mamma reached for Joanna, but then stopped. “You’re hurt too. Santa cielo, what on earth happened?” She didn’t give either of us time to explain. “No, don’t tell me yet. I’m taking both of you home. I was married to a detective. I know what you need. Rest and a good meal.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Conti,” Joanna said.
Mamma waved her hand dismissively. “None of that. You can call me Fio or Mamma. Now, come along.”
She bustled toward the exit.
Joanna looked at me. “What just happened?”
I stifled a laugh. “My mother adopted you. Come on. Let her fuss over you a little.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “I like her.”
“Don’t worry,” I whispered. “She likes you too.”
“Yes,” Mamma called over her shoulder. “I do.”
We both laughed, and warmth unfurled in my chest as I took Joanna’s hand again. For the first time, I didn’t have to yearn for a future with her that I’d never get to have. She may not be my wife in truth, but one day soon, she would be.
EPILOGUE – 4 MONTHS LATER
JOANNA
I gazed out the window, watching people bustle around the train station outside as the train I was on gently rolled into motion. Snow was falling despite the fact it was spring, creating a sense of isolation that would only be compounded once we left civilization behind.
“Excuse me. Is this seat taken?”
I looked up, and my heart leapt. The most handsome man I’d ever seen stood before me, his green eyes twinkling and a mischievous smile on his lips.
“No.” I instinctively smiled back. “It’s not. Would you like to join me?”
“I’d love to.” He sat and beamed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Weston Conti.”
I accepted his proffered hand, playing along with him. “Joanna Lee.”
He raised my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. “Charmed.”
Butterflies swooped in my stomach.
“What is it you do, Weston?” I asked.
He released my hand and reclined in the seat, makinghimself comfortable as we picked up speed. “I used to be an undercover federal agent. Now I work as a private investigator at a company called King’s Security.”
“That sounds like an interesting job.”
“It is.” He cocked his head. “My father was a detective, but I lost him in a horrible tragedy. I have a wonderful mother who loves cooking and who keeps me in line.”
I laughed. “She sounds great. I also have a mother with plenty of opinions, and a father who lets her get her way because he absolutely adores her.”
His lips twitched. “As he should.”
I glanced out the window. We were on the outskirts of town now, and if I leaned at just the right angle, I could see the outline of the mountains we were heading toward.
