a reluctant grin tugged at her mother's lips-and broke the ice. "which she will. my daughter is more than a little stubborn."

"and who does she get that from?" her father teased, pressing a kiss to mama's forehead and dropping a hand to her thigh.

"you, of course," her mother quipped.

her father laughed, then bent to murmur something in her mother's ear that made her blush.

little tony squirmed off her lap and ran around to his grandpa with his toys, looking for someone willing to join in the fantastic imaginary car crashes. bella started fussing, and gia's mother took the baby from mila with a fond smile.

jason's gaze bounced back and forth between her parents, seeming to look for any other objections he could stop before they began. honestly, gia couldn't believe they weren't more shocked or angry. in fact, they hadn't really protested much at all. oh, they'd have words later, but she'd been sure the announcement would immediately cause world war iii. so far...no.

of course she was pleasantly surprised, but what the hell was that about?

a harried waitress came over a few minutes later, and gia immediately recognized that the blonde was new. she smiled and asked for their order as nick, the delvecchio's son, brought the bottle of red wine she'd asked for.

"thank goodness," gia muttered as nick poured the wine and gave jason a speculative stare.

the second her glass was full, she took a long swallow and downed half. gia still couldn't relax. she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

dad opened his gifts with thanks and smiles aplenty. he loved what she'd picked for him. wine flowed. food came. mila actually looked happy. little tony sidled up to jason and wanted to play cars with him. her husband was patient and attentive, and gia watched, falling a little more in love with him every moment.

by the time they finished the food, her father was telling jason jokes. her mother patted his shoulder with a welcoming smile. bella woke, and mila stood, placing her in jason's arms. he blinked and sputtered a bit, but her sister-in-law gave him instructions on holding her properly. the girl eyed jason with an avid brown stare, then placed her little hand on his chin with a giggle. he grinned back.

gia breathed through a sting of tears. he looked natural with children. he might have a ruthless bastard side, but he would also be a fierce protector who would move heaven and earth for his kids. when jason caressed bella's head, she also knew he'd be a giving but firm father-exactly like her own.

as the waiter took their food away, jason engaged mila in conversation about the kids and their habits.

her mother rose from the table and kissed dad, then turned to her with a pointed glance. "why don't we go to the ladies' room?"

mama wasn't asking exactly, and gia knew the woman must have questions.

"i'm right behind you."

jason watched as she rose, his expression bolstering her. yes, she could handle whatever happened with her family. gia had put off this introduction, building it up in her head to a terrible confrontation that simply hadn't materialized. he'd been right to give her a shove. she'd wanted to wait until she "knew" they would last to make him an official part of the family, but no couple had a guarantee of forever. it hadn't been fair to him.

she'd made more than one decision about her marriage that she regretted.

as gia and her mother left the table and wended through the growing crowd to the restrooms, she felt jason's eyes still on her. but when they disappeared into the ladies' room, her mother turned to her immediately.

"you've been married nearly a year and didn't tell us?"

gia winced. her mother rarely beat around the bush, but she was often gentle enough not to put someone on the spot. no mistaking her mom's determination for information now.

"i didn't know what to say."

her mother frowned. "you thought the truth would upset us?"

she should have realized mama would see right through her. "i know he's not enzo."

"honey..." her mother's face softened with understanding. "you don't love enzo the way you love jason."

"yeah. i wanted to for your sake, but..."

"don't. i know your dad and i put a lot of pressure on you in the past, but tony's death made us realize that no one is assured a tomorrow. we want every day you spend in this life to be a happy one. enzo doesn't love you the way jason does."

well, since her husband didn't love her at all, according to him, she wasn't exactly sure how to reply to her mother. "it's been a really tough year, mama. i cut jason out of my life and it hurt so much. i don't know why he's forgiven me, why he wants me back, why he chose me in the first place. i'm scared."

"if loving someone doesn't scare you at least a little, then they don't really mean much to you." her mother pulled her into a hug. "he chose you because you're beautiful and giving, because you're selfless and smart. what more could he want?"

"someone like him. someone raised in his circles with all the money and the advantages it buys. hell, sometimes when he takes me out, i'm embarrassed that i don't know which fork to use."

"you didn't fall for someone raised in your circles. do you love him less because he's not italian or a cop or catholic? because he knows which utensil to use when?"

"no." when her mother said it, the whole idea sounded silly. "but i thought you might."

"would you really have left him for good if your father and i didn't approve?" mama cocked her head in a silent scold. "you're a grown woman, gianna."

"i know. you're right." she loved jason too much to leave him again. "it's what's in my heart that matters."

"exactly. does he make you happy?"

"yes, but we have some unresolved issues between us."

"then work them out. that's what people who stay married do. talk. be as honest as you can. share your fears. give him your worries."

gia grimaced. "i haven't been really good at that. when i got the phone call about tony, i just...broke away. i knew the family would need me."

"you gave up your happiness for mila and the kids. did you ever think that adding another member to the clan would make it stronger? that maybe he could help you and lessen the burden for everyone?"

"no." and she saw it so clearly now that sorrow and guilt weren't clouding her. "i didn't really give him a chance. i just assumed he wouldn't want to be knee-deep in diapers and baby vomit and all the depressing reality of tony's death and mila's problems."

her mother shot her a skeptical stare. "he hardly looks like the type who would crumble in the face of adversity."

again, mama was wise. "you're right. i feel like an idiot."

"you may have left originally because of our tragedy, but you didn't return to jason for some reason i suspect is bigger than your obligation to mila and the kids."

she hadn't trusted in what they had, in her appeal and ability to hold him. she had been sure that if she presented him with all her problems instead of her ass for a good spanking, that he'd get annoyed and leave. she'd lacked faith in herself, in him... "i have to fix it."

"there's my baby girl." her mother smiled. "show me your ring. it blinded me across the table so i didn't get a good look at it."

gia laughed and held out her hand. mama took it and peered down at the jewels.

"it's incredible." her mother squeezed her hand.

"so is he."

"then just be you and open up. everything will work out."

they shared another hug before mama disappeared into a stall. gia did the same, then they washed their hands in silence before returning to the table. jason was playing peekaboo with bella and answering her father's questions about savvy investing while mila watched with an indulgent smile.

"are we ready to go?" mama asked as she approached the table.

"not quite." mila grinned, then gestured toward nick.

he came out with a big slice of italian wedding cake all lit up with candles. their waitress followed, juggling forks, a knife, and another bottle of wine.

as gia took her seat beside her husband and gripped his hand, everyone at the table started singing, little tony screeching the words he knew at the top of his lungs. she laughed.

in this golden little moment, all was right with her world. not perfect, but really close. she had to work on herself and cut jason some slack. he didn't understand love...yet. but with time and patience, if she gave him her whole heart, he would.

as the song ended, her family clapped. dad even looked a little misty-eyed-a first for her big, tough-guy father-as he thanked everyone. the group dug into the cake while her father lifted baby bella above his head for an airplane ride, followed by a kiss. the day seemed more complete for having jason beside her.

once the dessert had been devoured, her husband rose and disappeared. frowning, gia watched. what the devil was he up to? he returned a moment later with a smug smile. before she could puzzle that out, nick nearly danced his way to the table with a beaming grin, then handed jason his credit card.

with an absent scrawl, her husband signed the slip, and she looked down. she wasn't surprised that he'd paid tonight's bill, but the family could eat at delvecchio's every week for a year and probably not spend that much.

nick handed her father a gift certificate. "from your daughter and mr. denning. happy birthday."

daddy looked at the slip of paper and scanned it, then handed it back toward jason. "a thousand dollars? you didn't have to do that. i can't accept..."

"now i know where gia gets it from." he sighed. "please take it. if it makes you happy, it makes your daughter happy. and you know the saying... happy wife, happy life."

"but it's too much," her father argued.

"if you enjoy this place, it's just right." jason wrapped an arm around her.

she smiled up at him. he was trying so hard to fit into her family. maybe he'd gone overboard, but she knew jason meant the gesture to please, not bribe. no one had ever done something that nice for daddy, and he deserved it. no doubt he would appreciate it.

"thank you," she whispered.

"you can thank me later," he murmured hotly in her ear as a cell phone rang somewhere nearby.

"not because you bought him something," she scolded.

"then don't thank me. i just can't stay away from you."

gia giggled. "you're so bad."

"oh, just wait. i'll get much worse when we're alone. i might have a new paddle with your name on it. or maybe we'll go for a swim in the pool on my deck and i'll fuck you there."

out in the open, where anyone could see. well...anyone with a helicopter or binoculars in a nearby building. but the idea made her more than wet. "i didn't bring a bathing suit."

"what a shame..." he grinned.

she fought down a shiver and a blush. jason cradled her chin and lifted her face for a kiss as she heard a third ring, then her father answer the phone.

"yes, this is marco angelotti." he pressed his finger to his other ear, trying to drown out the background noise in the restaurant.

her mother grabbed her purse as mila gathered bella's little dish and spoon, then removed her bib. little tony retrieved his toys. and gia glowed with happiness. her family knew about jason and they accepted him. they weren't angry or disappointed or throwing her out of the family.

all that time she'd wasted because she'd been worried about their reaction. if she'd taken jason to meet her parents when they'd been dating, her father would have yelled and refused to let him in the house. her mother would have cried, crossed herself, and asked why her only daughter was trying to kill her. today...a whole different story. she'd never imagined that tony's passing had caused them to change their outlook about the proper son-in-law.

"can you repeat that?" her father frowned.

mama paused to send him a questioning look. he closed his eyes and clenched his fist. gia's stomach dropped like a stone. worry filled the void.

beside her, jason's phone dinged with a text. nothing new since he constantly conducted business, but she wished all the noise and chaos around them would abate so her father could hear and they could all figure out what had him upset.

he pushed past mama and jason and marched toward the door. everyone gathered their belongings and followed him out. apprehension gripping her, she trailed after her family, then looked behind her to see jason reading his phone before he darkened the screen with a satisfied nod.