Overflow: The Carpino Series (26 page)

So watching Gabby go through the laborious process of
flipping on all the Christmas lights, I can’t help but think how much I’m
looking forward to it this year and I haven’t truly enjoyed Christmas in a
really long time.  But I need to make sure Gabby’s okay first.  She hasn’t
talked about everything that’s happened.  I’m afraid she’s burying shit and not
dealing with it. 

“Gabby, come here,” I say.

“Hang on, I need to turn on the lights in the basement.  I
want them on for Leigh when she gets home from work later tonight,” she answers
without looking at me. 

“Sugar, it can wait, she won’t be home for hours.”

“It will only take a second, Jude,” she argues. 

That’s it.  I move to cut her off after turning the lights
on over the fireplace hearth as she starts to move toward the stairs.  I tag
her hand and surprised, she yells, “Jude!  I said one second!”

“Babe, the lights can wait.”  I pull her over to the sofa as
she tries to yank her hand out of mine.  I turn to sit, give her a good tug and
she lands in my lap sideways.  I right her, turn her to the side to look at her
and say as she narrows her eyes glaring at me and I say, “There.”  Now I’ve got
her where I want her.

“You know that’s super annoying, right?  You couldn’t have
waited three minutes?”

“No.”

She huffs out a breath and says, “Fine.  What?”

I take a few moments to let her cool down, take in her
beautiful features, her blue eyes and put my hand up to the side of her face. 
Pushing my fingers through her soft, thick hair, I hold the back of her head
with a grip.  Her eyes immediately look to mine.  The look on her face changes
and she gives me a retiring look as her body slumps ever so slightly.  Finally
knowing she’s ready to listen to me, I say softly, “It’s been a hard few days,
sugar.  I need to know you’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” she returns immediately. 

I tighten the grip on her scalp even more, pull her to me a
bit and say, “Gabby.  You were kidnapped by an awful man.  You learned he
ordered your parents death and found out their car accident was no accident. 
Then you witnessed your cousin, who you love and are closer to than anyone, get
shot.  For you, no less.   To top it all off, you saw me kill a man, even
though it was justified.”  She takes in a small breath and her hands fist in my
shirt while she bites her lip.  Lowering my voice even more, I say, “Babe, I
need to know you’re okay.  And if you’re not, that’s fine, but we need to make
you okay by talking it out or getting you to someone who can help you
straighten that shit out in your head.” 

She sucks in air and pulls on my shirt, closing the distance
between us and closes her eyes.  She shakes her head a bit as she says so
quietly, “They’ll never know you.”

“What,” I ask?

Opening her eyes, she returns, “My mom and dad.  They’ll
never know you.  See us together, see me happy.  It’s awful what happened to
Tony, and don’t get me wrong because you know I love him.  I’m so thankful he’s
going to be okay and will make a full recovery.  And Pope deserved everything
that came to him, I’m losing no sleep over you shooting him.  But what I can’t
get out of my head is that my parents won’t know you and see me with you.  They
won’t get to be grandparents or enjoy that part of their life that they should
get to live.  That was stolen from them and me.  Knowing it’s no accident that
they won’t get that, but that life was taken from them deliberately hurts in a
whole new way.”

I pull her in, crushing her to me.  I put my lips to her
hair and whisper into her ear, “I’m sorry, sugar.  I am so sorry they won’t get
that.  I would love anyone you love, so I’m sorry I won’t know them, either. 
But I think they know you’re happy.  And I hope and pray they know how much I
love you.”

At that, Gabby squeezes me tighter and burrows even deeper.  “I
hope so, too,” she mumbles in my neck. 

“Babe, you need to talk to me about this stuff in your head,
I can see you’ve been holding it in.  Are you sure we don’t need to find
someone for you to talk to?  A professional?”

“I’ll let you know if it doesn’t get better, but I promise
to talk to you,” she whispers.  She pulls back and wraps her arms around my
neck, her hands going into my hair.  “I love you,” she whispers, then kisses me
lightly. 

“I love you, too sugar.  And thank you for talking to me.  I
need you to talk to me so I can take care of you,” I say.  Changing the
subject, trying to lighten the moment and get her mind on something else, I go
on, “I’m hungry.  Are you ready for dinner?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.  Go flip on the rest of your lights, I’ll pour you a
glass of wine and try to find something for dinner.”

She pulls back, her brow is furrowed and looking surprised,
she asks, “You’re going to make dinner?”

“I did eat before I met you, Gabby,” I return.

“But it’s too cold to grill,” she says.

“I’m not grilling, but I’m pretty sure I can figure
something out,” I say sarcastically.

“Ooookaaaay!” she drawls out, just as sarcastically.

“Enough,” I need to end this, so I put her on her feet,
point her toward the basement and smack her ass lightly.  “I’m not promising
anything fancy or homemade, I just said dinner.  There is a difference.”

“I can’t wait,” she mutters under her breath.

I grab her hand again and pull her into me for a kiss. 
Barely pulling back, I say against her lips, “Go turn on your Christmas lights,
sugar.  I’ll get your wine, find something to feed you and then we’re goin to
bed early.  It’s been a long few days.”

With her forearms up my back, she pulls up for one more kiss
and whispers back, “Okay.” 

She heads to the basement.  Shaking my head I turn and move
to the huge ass walk in pantry in the kitchen that is usually stocked with
everything under the sun while hoping like hell there’s a jar of store bought
spaghetti sauce.  But seeing as my girlfriend is half Italian, from an Italian
family and since she does all the shopping, I’m thinking my chances at finding
store bought jar sauce are slim to none.  I smile to myself, not caring what we
eat but just happy that we’ll eat it together.  Whatever it is.

Jude, Mia and I walk through the house as I start flipping
on Christmas lights.  We just got home from Gino and Emma’s where we celebrated
Christmas with my whole family.  It’s late, but not that late.  My cousins with
little kids needed to get home to get their little ones in bed and asleep to
prepare for Santa. 

It was a great night with my family.  Tony is looking
stronger, although I don’t think he’ll be playing basketball anytime soon.  Even
though he seems to be in a perpetually grumpy mood since he’s been released
from the hospital, I’ve not pursued him as to why this is because I figure I’d
be a bit grumpy, too, if I was shot.  I’m just so thankful he’s okay and I try
not to let my brain think about how our Christmas could be a lot different this
year if things had not turned out like they did last week.  I look over at Jude
and smile at him as he’s carrying in boxes and bags of presents my aunts and
uncles showered on us unnecessarily. 

Grinning back at me, he says, “Your family is something
else, sugar.  That was Christmas mayhem at its best.”

He is not exaggerating.  The Carpino’s are a crazy group any
day of the year, but at Christmas, it’s raised to whole other level altogether. 
The kids are hyped on sugar and pure Santa adrenaline as the adults try to keep
up while loving it all the same.  Drinks flow freely and food is aplenty during
this favorite holiday.  “Yeah,” I agree.  “We’re quite a clan, that’s for
sure.”

Jude and I set about putting things away, Leigh is working a
double holiday shift at her new job, so we are here by ourselves.  I tried to
get her to come with us tonight, but she insisted on volunteering to work
Christmas.  She has no desire to see her mom or sister and informed me that if
she worked, other nurses could be home with their families.  She’s really
throwing herself back into her job, enjoying it for the most part, but it’s
plain to see she’s using it as a distraction so she doesn’t have to focus on
her own life, messy divorce and thinking about the baby she lost at the hands
of her soon to be asshole-ex-husband.  She keeps telling me she’s saving money
to set herself up so she can move into an apartment, but I’d rather her stay
here.  I hate the thought of her burrowed up in an apartment by herself,
depressed and lonely with no one to keep an eye on her.  She’s keeping herself
tied up tight, not talking to me at all about what happened with Preston, the
baby or anything for that matter.  Getting to the bottom of all things with
Leigh is my number one New Year’s Resolution. 

“Gabby, come here,” Jude bosses gently, pulling me from my
thoughts of Leigh.  He’s started the fire and is standing by the Christmas
tree.  He’s also looking hot in his cargo style khakis, a black V neck sweater
that fits great across his chest with a white t-shirt peeking out of the V. 
His hair is messy like usual and even though it is Christmas Eve, he didn’t
shave today, so he has two days of growth on his face, which is seriously my
favorite of all of his looks.  Without thinking twice, I go right to him.   He
pulls me into his arms tight and says, “Did you have a good night?”

“Yes.  It was perfect.  Thank you for spending it with my
crazy family.”

Grinning down at me, he says, “It was fun, but you know I’d
do anything for you.”

Letting that seep through me, knowing that he would do absolutely
anything for me, I hold on tighter and say, “Tomorrow it’s just you and me. 
But I have to warn you, it’s not unheard of for the Carpino’s to make late
Christmas visits, pulling out left overs creating a whole new party.  We should
appreciate the quiet while we can and then brace for a possible second round. 
I am looking forward to spending time with your dad, brother and his family in
a few days at your mountain home.  That will be fun, too!”

“Babe, quit calling it a mountain home.  It’s a cabin.”

“Whatever,” I shoot back.  “Cabin’s don’t have granite,
stainless steel appliances and newly made over kitchens!”

Jude looks to the ceiling and shakes his head while
sighing.  I grin at him when he looks back down at me.  I know it bugs him for
me to call his so called cabin a mountain home.  But it’s not a cabin, so I’m
not calling it one!

“Okay,” he says with a sigh.  “Moving on.  It’s time for
your Christmas present.”

“What?  You weren’t supposed to get me anything!  We agreed
the appliances and granite were enough to cover presents for at least the next couple
of years!” I argue, but at the same time think about the present I have for him
that I wasn’t supposed to get, either.  Although I didn’t spend any money on
him, I want him to have my dad’s TAG Heuer watch.  I would love for him to have
something of my dad’s and even though it’s old, a TAG never goes out of style
and they last forever. 

“Don’t forget about the backsplash,” he says, smiling down
at me.  Then adding, “And the grout.”

“Exactly!  You weren’t supposed to get me anything else! 
You wouldn’t even let me help pay for the kitchen remodel and it was my idea.”

“Well, it’s just one more thing, but I would’ve gotten it
for you anyway.  You need it,” he says. 

I semi frown at him, thinking there is nothing more on this
Earth that I need more than I already have.  But he pulls his hand out of his
pocket and produces a small rectangular black velvet box with a simple pink organdy
bow tied around it.  I pull in a breath because really nice expensive things
come in velvet boxes.  He pulls back a bit but doesn’t hand it to me.  He pulls
the end of the simple pink bow himself unwrapping my present for me, dropping
it to the floor.  I look up to his eyes only to find his on me, his face
looking intense and meaningful.  I hear a snap and look back down to his hands
where he has popped up the hinged box only to find the most beautiful solitaire
diamond that looks like it’s almost two carats, in a delicate setting hanging
on the most delicate white gold chain I’ve ever seen.  “Jude,” I whisper, but
he still says nothing as he pulls out the necklace, releasing the chain, letting
it hang in his fingers and tossing the box with the bow.  I decide to give him
grief later for unwrapping my Christmas present because I’m too in awe of the
necklace dangling from his fingers.

“Turn around, sugar,” he rasps.  I turn as he brings his
arms in front of me, working the double locking clasp and then pulls it around
my neck.  It’s a shorter chain, so I hold my hair up for him as he works the
clasp at the back of my neck.  I feel the diamond settle at the indention of my
collar bone and bring my fingers up to feel it since I can’t see it now. 

Jude’s left arm comes around me, yanking my back into his
chest, his lips to my ear and says strangely, “Talked to Lizzie.”

“What?” I breathe out, wondering what he’s going on about,
not having time to process my beautiful necklace.

Then his right hand grabs my left one as his left arm snakes
around me to hold me tight.  I look down to see what he’s doing and gasp when I
see my mom’s engagement ring sliding on to my left ring finger.  It’s been in
my safety deposit box and I haven’t seen it since I put it there after she
died.  Seeing it now, I realize how much I’ve missed looking at it.  It’s a
princess cut diamond set high in a platinum delicate band with a string of
diamonds down all three sides of the band on either side.  Everything becomes
blurry as tears fill my eyes and I hear Jude rasp on, “She said you’d want to
wear your mom’s ring.  I can’t imagine she’s wrong, so I had to put my diamond
on you another way to show that you’re mine forever.”

My sob hitches and I look down at my left hand and feel the
diamond at my throat with my right.  All I can do is nod in agreement against
Jude’s face that is still at the side of my head, because nothing would be more
perfect than wearing my mom’s ring and having Jude put it there. 

“You’ve got three months, babe,” Jude goes on.  “We can have
whatever kind of wedding you want, you plan the whole shebang.  But I get to
plan the honeymoon.  Do we have a deal?”

“Deal,” I barely get out my one word acceptance to his bossy
non-proposal slash demand.  Although three months is not near enough time to
plan a wedding, but we’ll talk about that later. 

Jude turns me around and I look up to him as he frames my
face with his big hands and rasps, “I love you, Gabby.  Thank you for making me
happy.”

“I love you, too, Jude,” I whisper and realize my happy that
I never thought would happen is going to happen.  And having Jude fill me up
with that happy it is the most wonderful feeling I’ve ever felt.