Page 44 of A Touch of Fate

He shrugged.

“How are your children?” Ines asked.

“The boy’s going to give me a heart attack. I should have been happy with my four girls and not tried for a fifth.”

I burst out laughing. I could tell he loved his son very much and wasn’t serious. “How old is he?”

“Seven.” He made a suffering face. “My wife wants another one, but I told her only if she wants to kill me. I’m too old.”

“You’re not old! You’re my age,” Ines said.

“I can’t argue with that.”

I grinned, relieved that I had such a nice bodyguard. It could get awkward if someone sour or moody guarded you all day.

“Do you need help with unpacking?” he asked, nodding toward the boxes.

“No, thank you.” I preferred to sort my clothes into the wardrobe without a male presence.

He tipped an invisible hat and moved outside. “You know where to find me.”

I turned to Ines once he was gone. “He’s really nice.”

“He was Sofia’s favorite. She had another bodyguard who shared the job with Leo, but he’s a bit broodier to say it nicely.” Ines gestured to the boxes. “Should we get started?”

I nodded. I really wanted all of my clothes within reach.

We began with the shoes, then quickly moved on to my suitcases. When I removed a few dresses that I had packed for nostalgic reasons, even if I hadn’t worn them in more than a year, a few photos fell out. Photos of myself before the accident. Photos of me dancing on stage, photos of me doing a grand jete, my favorite ballet jump. I swallowed hard. I had forgotten I’d hidden them beneath my clothes. In the past, I’d often takenthem out and looked at them, feeling wistful, and a part of me still did. It would probably never change, but another part longed to dance again. I had always suppressed any thought of dancing, but since my wedding, a new desire to dance had formed, and I was determined to finally give in to it.

Ines cleared her throat, a look of uncertainty on her face. “Are you okay?”

I smiled. “I am, yes.” I held up the photos. “I forgot about these.”

Ines scanned the photos and touched my arm. “I can tell you did ballet from the way you hold yourself and move your fingers and arms. You exude elegance.”

“Oh wow, thank you. Did you do ballet?”

“For a while as a girl before my father decided I shouldn’t wear leotards.”

I nodded. I put the photos into one of the drawers.

“I loved seeing you and Samuel dance. Maybe you could take lessons? If you miss dancing.”

“I do. I guess I’ll have to think about it.” I decided to change the topic as dancing felt personal in a way I couldn’t explain. “Are people still talking about the marriage? About me?”

I didn’t even want to imagine the vicious turn the gossip would take if people found out about a mistress. I hated being pitied. I needed to figure out a way to handle the situation in a way that saved me from heartache and pathetic glances.

“Some do,” Ines said hesitantly, then gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t mind them. You’re now Samuel’s wife, and that’s all that matters. I’m very happy about it.”

I tilted my head, trying to gauge if Ines really meant it. She was a kind woman, but she was also raised in the mafia, and tolerating people who weren’t perfect by our society’s standards wasn’t our world’s forte. “That’s very sweet of you to say.”

Ines put down a scarf she was about to put on a higher shelf for my winter wardrobe. “I’m being serious, Emma. I’m going to be very open. I was concerned in the beginning. Samuel’s had a few tough years with his sister being kidnapped and some of his friends dying, and just the overall conflict with the Camorra. I wanted a strong but caring woman at his side.”

People needed to stop thinking my wheelchair made me weak in any way. If anything, my struggles have made me stronger. I was fairly sure I could handle almost anything.

I opened my mouth to tell her that my wheelchair didn’t mean I wasn’t strong and caring, but she raised a palm to stop me and continued, “I don’t know you very well, but what I’ve seen so far convinced me that you can be that woman for Samuel.”

“I’ll do my best to be a good wife,if he lets me.”

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