Page 19 of Their UnBearable Destiny

He nodded. “You’re my mate. I want to make you happy. I need to make you happy.” He shook his head. “I did a horrible job in the past. The only thing I did right was leave. And now-”

“Now you’re here for the elder’s meeting, and I shouldn’t have given you a problem about coming home. What I wanted-”

He pulled in a breath and waited for her to tell him she wanted him gone again.

“What I wanted back then was because I didn’t understand who I was. Your mate was one thing. But I was a woman who could shift, and all I wanted to do was figure out one thing at a time. Between you and my father, there was only so much time and energy that I had for my own. I was selfish when I asked you to leave.” She shrugged. “Truth be known, I didn’t think you’d actually go. It was probably the first time you’d ever stopped arguing with me.”

“Then why didn’t you stop me?”

She shook her head. “Because I thought, foolishly, that if I did, you’d never let me hear the end of it and then you’d never listen to me again.

“I was half hoping you’d come right back home a few weeks later.”

He listened to her and wondered if that was why she’d moved into his room, waiting for him to come back. Whether or not that was her reason, this wasn’t the time or place to bring it up.

Still, there was something he could do, for her. Taking hold of her shoulders he stepped up and pressed a kiss on her cheek, trailing the gentle touch up to her temple. “Wait one moment.” He saw the way she raised her brows at him and added on one word. “Please.”

She nodded, and her shoulders shook with laughter.

Crossing to the door, Uberto pulled it open and looked inside. Clara?”

She popped up, peering over the glass display case. “Mmmhmm?” She looked at the empty space behind him. “She’s not coming with you?”

He shook his head. “We won’t be able to stay.”

He wasn’t sure what kind of disappointment crossed her features, but he didn’t worry about it. She was still smiling.

“No problem, Uberto. If you have time some other day, bring her with you.”

He nodded. “Grazie, Clara. Grazie.”

She waved him off. “We’ll be here.”

#

Neither of them made a big deal of the change in plans, but when Uberto gave her a pointed look and asked her where she wanted to go, she told him. Laughing, they continued down the street and down a side street to one of Emiliana’s favorite places. They were greeted at the door by the rounded form of Maria Bianci, daughter-in-law of the owner. With one hand on the lower swell of her belly and the other holding their menus, she showed them to a table near the window.

Uberto watched as Emiliana spoke with Maria, asked after her health and her family. Maria’s already rosy complexion deepened to a becoming flush as she enjoyed the conversation and assured them that her husband Daniel would come out to speak with them when he could be spared from the kitchen. With a quick word to Uberto, Maria disappeared into the kitchen with their order of wine.

When a hand slapped down onto his shoulder, Uberto hardly moved. He turned to look over his shoulder but kept in his chair when Dante Bianci kept his hand leaning on his shoulder. “Give me the menu.” The man would have barely reached Uberto’s shoulder if the two were standing beside each other, but neither of them questioned his order, holding up the menu. Dante plucked the menu from Uberto’s hand and gave him an approving smile. “I made gnocchi this morning.”

Uberto could see Emiliana’s smile brighten across the table. She leaned on the edge of the table, clasping her hands together in an eager gesture.

Before he realized his own intent, he reached across the table and covered both of her hands with one of his.

“And Daniel has made Pesce Marinato,” he paused when Uberto’s stomach growled at the thought, and continued with a hearty chuckle, “I will tell him to bring you a large serving.”

Uberto nodded in approval. “If it’s anything like yours, there may not be any left when we are done.”

The older man seemed to straighten his age-curved spine as he held the menu against his heart. “My son has great skill in the kitchen. You will be pleased.”

Lifting his hand from Ana’s, Uberto took hold of the older man’s forearm and gave him a bright smile. “I am pleased to see you in good health. It has been too long.”

Dante readily agreed. “Yes. Too long, but now you have returned and the Orsino family is back in its rightful place.” The older man cast a sly smile in Emiliana’s direction. “And soon, another generation?”

Uberto turned to look at Emiliana and felt his heart swell in his chest. He saw Emiliana lean down to look into the face of a little girl standing near the table. He didn’t hear the words that she gave the little girl, but there was something between the two that didn’t need a voice to communicate.

A smile.

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