Page 214 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“Why would I be angry, Gian?”

How could she be angry?

“You don’t like surprises,” he said.

She had assumed, given the circumstances of the pregnancy and Gian’s marriage, and how busy her last few weeks before birth would be, that something like a shower was out of the question. She didn’t even think she knew enough people to have a proper shower, not that it was acceptable for her to plan her own, anyway.

She didn’t have to worry about anything, apparently.

Gian took care of things.

Always.

“It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

Gian kissed the back of her head, never hesitating with all of the eyes watching them. “Enjoy your party, Cara. I love you, pretty girl.”

“I can certainly understand why Gian adores you so much,” Crystal said quietly, giving Cara a small smile.

“It’s a shame things are so … complicated,” Celeste added.

Cara cleared the awkwardness from her tone before speaking. “Thank you for coming, and for helping them set up, and everything else. Really, it was too much.”

“Nothing is too much. Not for my grandbaby.” Celeste waved her hand as if to dismiss that statement. “What a silly thought.”

“Cara, are you ready?”

She looked over her shoulder to find Gilles—the enforcer Gian had said was non-negotiable for the unforeseeable future—waiting at the front doors of the restaurant.

“Just a second,” she told the man.

“I’ll grab the last bit of stuff and put it in the truck.”

“Thank you.” Cara turned back to Celeste and Crystal, the last two guests she had yet to say goodbye to. Everyone else had already gone and the staff had mostly cleaned the place. Cara had managed to sneak a few keepsakes to put in her baby’s memory box of the day. “Time to get home and sleep, I do have to put in hours tomorrow at the shelter. It was very nice to meet you, Crystal. Thank you for coming, again. Really.”

The woman shrugged. “Maybe we’ll do something again soon, Cara. It just all depends.”

Cara didn’t ask what their future meetings would depend on, because she already knew. Privacy. Public opinion. Gian’s wife. She didn’t need the verbal reminders. Her mind never let her forget, now.

“Okay, let her go,” Celeste ordered. “And I want one more of those pretty blue drinks before we go, too.”

One more hug later and Cara headed out of the restaurant behind Gilles, whose arms were filled with his fifth round of baby shower gift bags, filled with too many items to count.

“Do babies really need all of this?” Gilles asked.

Cara helped to open the back of the truck, since her enforcer’s arms were otherwise occupied. “I don’t think they need all of it, but it certainly is cute.”

And Cara swore everybody oohed and awed over every little outfit, pair of shoes, and tiny rattle she pulled from the gift bags.

“But look at it. Look at all of it.”

She did.

The truck bed was filled.

It was a lot.

“I’m grateful,” Cara said, laughing.