The words were said with a combination of desperation, fear, and defiance that made Gramps’s heart hurt. “I know,” he told him.
Mario stared in surprise. “You do?”
Gramps laughed then. “Yeah.”
“And?”
“And what?” Gramps asked.
“Do you still love me?”
In response, Gramps reached out and embraced the boy he loved as if he were his own flesh and blood. “I’ll love you no matter what,” he said. “You’re my son in all the ways that matter. Nothing will ever change that.”
Mario’s eyes had watered, and Gramps could tell he was doing everything he could to keep from bursting into tears. “I love you too.”
Looking at Mario now, standing tall and confident, waiting for his cue for his part in the ceremony, Gramps couldn’t have been prouder.
His eyes wandered to the front row, and he smiled yet again at his soon-to-be mother- and father-in-law. Cassidy had convinced them to move to Indiana several months ago, and they were all extremely happy with the arrangement.
Next, Gramps lifted his chin in greeting at the large man sitting next to Cassidy’s mother. Big Red. The trucker who’d spotted Lloyd’s car. Gramps had tracked him down so he could thank him personally, and he and his wife had ended up being frequent guests at their house when Big Red wasn’t on the road. He owed the man everything.
His attention jerked back to the aisle when the wedding march sounded from small speakers that had been set up. Then he saw her.
Cassidy.
His woman.
The other half of his soul.
She was wearing a cream strapless dress that went down to her calves. It was formfitting at her torso and flared out at the hips. Her hair was swept into a fancy updo, supporting the tiara Mario had insisted she had to wear.
The second her gaze met his, Gramps sighed in contentment. She looked carefree and happy. It was a look he wanted to see on her every day for the rest of their lives.
Mario stepped forward as Cassidy started walking. He met his mother halfway down the aisle and took her arm in his. Then the two most important people in his life made their way toward him, and Gramps couldn’t help but wonder how he’d become so lucky. He’d gotten one hell of a second chance with Cassidy. He’d thought he was too old to find a woman who could put up with him. His only regret was that he hadn’t gone back to claim her years ago.
The second Cassidy reached him and put her hand in his, everything within Gramps relaxed. She was here, and in a few minutes, she’d legally be his. Later that week, Mario would officially be his son.
This was the best week of his life, and Gramps couldn’t stop smiling.
He didn’t remember much of the ceremony. He knew he’d get shit about that from his friends later, but all he could do was look into Cassidy’s hazel eyes and marvel at his luck. When it came time to kiss his bride, he had to laugh at the warning look Cassidy gave him.
Gramps tried to control himself; he didn’t want to embarrass his wife in front of their friends. He bent her backward and kissed her quickly, but passionately. He kept her bent over his arm for a long moment, simply staring into her eyes. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for this right here. For the reward of having you here, wearing my ring and in my arms,” he told Cassidy quietly.
She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, they were full of tears. “I’ve loved you almost my entire life,” she admitted. “But I think we both needed to live a bit before we could be together.”
Gramps wasn’t sure about that, but he was so grateful they were together now, he wasn’t about to contradict her. He’d missed twenty years with her, but he was going to do everything in his power to make up for that in whatever years they had left together.
He pulled her upright, and they turned to face Shawn Archer, who’d battled with Bart for weeks to get the honor of being the officiant for their wedding. Mario stepped to his mom’s other side and took her hand.
“May I present Cassidy, Mario, and Leo Zanardi!” Archer exclaimed happily as he gestured to the threesome.
Everyone burst into cheers, and Gramps knew he’d never forget the image of Cassidy smiling from ear to ear, their son at her side, as they walked back across his yard.
Later that night, after one hell of a party, Gramps stood on the edge of his backyard with Bull, Smoke, and Eagle. Their women were all sitting at a table nearby, laughing and gossiping. Skylar was holding Kevin, who’d zonked out a couple of hours ago. Molly had her little girl tucked against her chest, and Mario was in the yard dancing with Sandra.
Eagle had his newborn daughter in his arms, and Gramps couldn’t remember ever being as relaxed as he was now. In the past, he’d always been keyed up. Ready for danger to strike. Ready for the phone to ring and for them to head off to the farthest edges of the earth to keep the world safe. Tonight, and for the last year, his biggest worries were making sure shifts at Silverstone Towing were staffed adequately and juggling his schedule with Cassidy’s so they never missed one of Mario’s many practices or performances, or driving him to one of his social outings.
“Do you miss it?” Bull asked, as if he could hear what Gramps was thinking.
“The excitement, adrenaline rush, and the euphoric feeling of knowing we had a hand in making the world a safer place?” Gramps asked.
“Yeah, that,” Bull said with a laugh.
“Not at all. You guys?”
“Nope,” Smoke said.
“No,” Eagle agreed.
“I’m proud of what we did,” Bull said. “But I don’t miss it. I’m more than content to drink a few beers with my best friends and wonder how the hell the four of us ever conned our beautiful wives into loving us.”
Everyone chuckled.
“Every time I look at my kids, I can’t help but feel extremely grateful for you guys,” Eagle said.
“Same,” Smoke said, staring at his wife.
“I thought I was a badass,” Gramps said with a headshake. “I know how to kill someone a hundred different ways. But one word from Cassidy, and I’m putty in her hands.”
“And you love it,” Bull said, grinning.
“Fuck yeah I do. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know that it’ll be good. That with all of you by my side, I feel as if I can do anything, get through any situation life might decide to throw my way. I love you guys. Seriously.”
Gramps didn’t know what had come over him. He and the others never really talked about their feelings for each other. They had a close bond, and they all knew it. But today, of all days, he felt the need to make sure Bull, Smoke, and Eagle all knew how much he loved them. How much he needed them in his life.
“Same,” Bull said quietly.
“Wouldn’t be able to do this family thing without you guys,” Smoke agreed.
“We’re in this thing together,” Eagle said.
Gramps smiled. He remembered Eagle saying the same thing when they’d first been put together as a Delta Force team. They’d vowed to have each other’s backs then, and even though everything had changed . . . nothing had changed.
“Gramps?” Smoke asked.
“Yeah?”
“What the fuck are you still doing here? Take your wife and leave already.”