Page 40 of Believe
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The others watched, smiling, as Tara and Hawke enjoyed their intimate lunch. Intimate if three hundred people watching you could be called intimate.
“You knew they’d hit it off,” smirked Miller, staring at his wife.
“Let’s just say I’ve had some lessons, along with the other wives. We’ve got a lot of matchmaking to do and we have to get busy doing it.”
“Honey, maybe Mama’s legacy of matchmaking isn’t such a good idea,” said Miller. Kari stared at him, her hand on her hip.
“And why would you say that? We were a match made by your mother, whether you want to admit it or not. She had her hand stirring that pot.”
“I’m sure she did, honey,” he smiled. “Okay, okay. I won’t interfere in the matchmaking. Maybe we should start a matchmaking business.”
“Hey,” said Alexandra, smiling at the other wives. “That’s an interesting idea.”
“No. Absolutely not,” said Gaspar. “No. Please don’t do this. Do you know how complicated that could get? My blood pressure and heart can’t take it and don’t leave that kind of legacy to Luke and the other boys. Please.”
“Relax, honey,” smiled Alexandra, kissing her husband. “We wouldn’t tell you even if we were going to do it.”
They watched their wives as they walked away and they couldn’t help but chuckle. Coming through the doors, were Tailor and Alec.
“Well?” asked Nine.
“We found him. He admitted to shooting the eagle. Thought it would be funny. Wildlife and Fisheries arrested him. He’s going to have a heavy fine to pay and may never get a hunting license again.”
“Good job,” nodded Gaspar. “Now, if we could stop our wives from taking lessons from our mother.”
“I don’t think I want to,” said Jake. They all turned to look at Claudette’s husband and frowned. “Listen, it was your mama and daddy that made sure Claudette and I met up again. Especially your daddy. I would have still been fixing cars in my garage to kill time until I died. I don’t think any of you understand how much I love that woman, how much I missed her and thought of her. She can play matchmaker until the cows come home for all I care.”
Gaspar nodded at his brother-in-law. He knew that Jake and Claudette had been in love in high school but at a time when the general public frowned on interracial relationships, Jake hoped to spare Claudette any backlash or scar on her reputation.
In the end, it only led to them both regretting their choices. Matthew made sure their paths crossed again and the love was still there, bubbling at the surface.
“I hate to agree with Jake,” said Gabe, “but we all know that Mama, or Pops, or both had a hand in us being blissfully happy. I don’t take that for granted at all. And look around us at our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, all the kids and the kids of the kids, happy, healthy, and loving their spouses. It’s pretty magical if you ask me.”
“Okay,” nodded Gaspar. “Okay. We let them do their thing. No interference.”
They watched as Hawke and Tara stood, holding hands as they left the cafeteria.
“Well, that could be the first one for the new generation,” smirked Ghost. Kane laughed, shaking his head.
“Brother, we can only hope.”
“So, Gideon’s father is gone?” asked Hawke.
“He is. Just said he wasn’t cut out for family life and walked out when Gideon was just one. I was already a paralegal working part-time but I knew that I had to go to work full-time.”
“That must have been hard,” he frowned. “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.”
“I’m not,” she smiled as they took a seat near the fountains. “It made me stronger and Gideon is such a great kid. What he did, selling his cards for those appliances, made my heart sing.”
“It should. Not many kids would think to do something like that.”
“Why aren’t you married, Hawke?” she asked quietly.
“It’s been hard being who I am, what I am. For a while, we, Kane, Aislinn, Flip and the others, we were on the run from the same government agency that made us this way. If it hadn’t been for Nine and the team here, we might still be out there.”
“I’m glad you’re here, safe.”