Nathan,” Stella said, laughing. “You’ve got all the makings of a mob mentality brewing here.”
Nathan lowered Gia back to his chest, pulled the little knitted cap of her head, and tossed it to Stella. As he pulled the top of her snowsuit off her arms, Gia reached out her hand to touch his stubbled jaw, grinned, and said, “Dadadada.”
Nathan grinned right back and kissed her chubby little cheek a bunch of times, which made Gia laugh and get louder. “ Dadadadada! ”
Nathan laughed. “Yes, my sweet little angel. Dada.” He kissed her again before setting her on the floor. Gabby and Sam swarmed and everyone let out a collective laugh when Gia started crawling around like crazy.
Danny slowly and quietly slipped inside the front door behind Nathan. With the girls monopolizing all of the attention, no one noticed him come in.
Well, no one except Kat.
Danny looked so different standing there quietly, hands shoved into the front pockets of his khakis. A tight, frozen smile had taken the place of his typically easy grin and his posture seemed stiff.
He looked uncomfortable. Uncertain. And maybe even a little wistful as he watched Nathan lean Gia back and pull the bottom of her snow pants off.
Kat’s stupid, ridiculous, traitorous heart suddenly hurt.
“Kat?”
She turned to find Stella studying her thoughtfully. But Stella didn’t say another word…
Because she didn’t have to, damn her.
“Danny! So glad to see you!” Marco’s voice boomed over the cacophony of the three girls’ squeals and giggles as he ambled over and extended his hand. “Welcome! Come in, come in!”
Nathan’s sister-in-law, Gigi, bustled into the front room, a red and white checked dishtowel slung over her shoulder.
When she spotted Danny, her face split into a huge smile and her eyes lit up. “Danny! So glad you came!”
Each of the Ciaramitaro sisters had their own distinctiveness about them and Gigi’s included her sturdier build, kind eyes, and warm nature. Danny doubted the woman had ever met a stranger in her life.
She made a beeline for Danny, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him into the living room. “Come in! Sit down! We’re so glad you’re here!” Gigi grabbed the cuff of his jacket and tugged, getting his jacket half off before Danny even knew what hit him.
He wasn’t sure whether to feel welcomed or violated.
Marco laughed a loud belly laugh. “Good God, Gigi, stop disrobing the man! I think he can take his own jacket off.” He shot Danny a rueful look. “I’d like to promise it won’t happen again, but I’d be lying,” he said with a wink.
Gigi pulled his jacket all the way off and slung it over her arm, giving Danny’s tucked-in Nautica dress shirt, khaki pants, and shiny oxfords a once-over. “You look so nice, Danny.”
Before Danny could answer, Gigi and Marco’s three boys – Carlo, Giovanni, and Anthony – bounded into the room and the volume level went up 1,000 decibels. When Stella’s other two sisters, Nina and Fiorella, and her sister-in-law, Carla, came in seconds later, Danny felt like he’d gotten caught up in an Italian-American flash mob.
“Hey! What happened to everybody?” Stella’s dad, known only as ‘Pops,’ called from the kitchen. “I’m starving!”
Pops mostly lived in the basement because that’s where he and his late wife had had spent their time together. Even though Stella’s mom had been dead for about ten years, Pops still had everything set up down there just like it had been while she was alive. He’d attempted suicide shortly after his wife’s death, but seemed to be doing much better now. Having his family close and watching it grow had done Pops a world of good, Stella had said.
Not that Danny would know a goddamned thing about that.
“Coming, Pops!” Fiorella called back.
‘Fi,’ as she was known, was the baby of the family and a very beautiful woman. She was petite like Stella and Kat and had long, dark, wavy hair she
Nathan lowered Gia back to his chest, pulled the little knitted cap of her head, and tossed it to Stella. As he pulled the top of her snowsuit off her arms, Gia reached out her hand to touch his stubbled jaw, grinned, and said, “Dadadada.”
Nathan grinned right back and kissed her chubby little cheek a bunch of times, which made Gia laugh and get louder. “ Dadadadada! ”
Nathan laughed. “Yes, my sweet little angel. Dada.” He kissed her again before setting her on the floor. Gabby and Sam swarmed and everyone let out a collective laugh when Gia started crawling around like crazy.
Danny slowly and quietly slipped inside the front door behind Nathan. With the girls monopolizing all of the attention, no one noticed him come in.
Well, no one except Kat.
Danny looked so different standing there quietly, hands shoved into the front pockets of his khakis. A tight, frozen smile had taken the place of his typically easy grin and his posture seemed stiff.
He looked uncomfortable. Uncertain. And maybe even a little wistful as he watched Nathan lean Gia back and pull the bottom of her snow pants off.
Kat’s stupid, ridiculous, traitorous heart suddenly hurt.
“Kat?”
She turned to find Stella studying her thoughtfully. But Stella didn’t say another word…
Because she didn’t have to, damn her.
“Danny! So glad to see you!” Marco’s voice boomed over the cacophony of the three girls’ squeals and giggles as he ambled over and extended his hand. “Welcome! Come in, come in!”
Nathan’s sister-in-law, Gigi, bustled into the front room, a red and white checked dishtowel slung over her shoulder.
When she spotted Danny, her face split into a huge smile and her eyes lit up. “Danny! So glad you came!”
Each of the Ciaramitaro sisters had their own distinctiveness about them and Gigi’s included her sturdier build, kind eyes, and warm nature. Danny doubted the woman had ever met a stranger in her life.
She made a beeline for Danny, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him into the living room. “Come in! Sit down! We’re so glad you’re here!” Gigi grabbed the cuff of his jacket and tugged, getting his jacket half off before Danny even knew what hit him.
He wasn’t sure whether to feel welcomed or violated.
Marco laughed a loud belly laugh. “Good God, Gigi, stop disrobing the man! I think he can take his own jacket off.” He shot Danny a rueful look. “I’d like to promise it won’t happen again, but I’d be lying,” he said with a wink.
Gigi pulled his jacket all the way off and slung it over her arm, giving Danny’s tucked-in Nautica dress shirt, khaki pants, and shiny oxfords a once-over. “You look so nice, Danny.”
Before Danny could answer, Gigi and Marco’s three boys – Carlo, Giovanni, and Anthony – bounded into the room and the volume level went up 1,000 decibels. When Stella’s other two sisters, Nina and Fiorella, and her sister-in-law, Carla, came in seconds later, Danny felt like he’d gotten caught up in an Italian-American flash mob.
“Hey! What happened to everybody?” Stella’s dad, known only as ‘Pops,’ called from the kitchen. “I’m starving!”
Pops mostly lived in the basement because that’s where he and his late wife had had spent their time together. Even though Stella’s mom had been dead for about ten years, Pops still had everything set up down there just like it had been while she was alive. He’d attempted suicide shortly after his wife’s death, but seemed to be doing much better now. Having his family close and watching it grow had done Pops a world of good, Stella had said.
Not that Danny would know a goddamned thing about that.
“Coming, Pops!” Fiorella called back.
‘Fi,’ as she was known, was the baby of the family and a very beautiful woman. She was petite like Stella and Kat and had long, dark, wavy hair she
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