Page 22

Chapter 22

Gabi

I t's almost midnight, and I'm sitting in the eerily quiet room with Nonna at Chicago General Hospital. The rhythmic, soft beeps from the machines blend with the sounds of my racing thoughts.

Right before the game ended, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I almost ignored it, the fight between Gio and Jacob still on my mind.

Until something in my gut—not the baby, this time—told me to look.

My heart nearly stopped when I saw Shera's name flashing on the screen.

Nonna Chiara's nurse.

I answered on the second ring, pressing the phone tightly to my ear.

"Miss De Luca?" she'd asked the moment I picked up.

"Shera?" I strained to catch her whispered words over the roaring crowd. "What's going on? I can barely hear you."

"Maybe that's for the best." She pauses. "Your grandmother needs to see you. Now."

"Now? What's happened? Ugh, I knew it. But I didn't want to believe it." I exhaled a huffy breath. "Don't tell me she's drunk off her penne vodka sauce again."

Shera's voice remained calm and steady despite my sarcasm. "No, Miss De Luca. She's...we're in the hospital right now. Your grandmother took a hard fall yesterday evening."

My body went numb, my lips parting soundlessly."Wh-what?"

"Yes, she's just been admitted. But let me tell you, Nonna Chiara wasn't too pleased about me calling you. She nearly threatened me with a bottle of prune juice if I did."

"So, she's up?" I swallowed. "She's talking?"

"Oh yes. She's very much awake and alert, though she does have a mild concussion."

A mild concussion.

At her age, a mild concussion could be deadly.

I tried to force myself back into the game, but my mind couldn't focus on anything else other than Nonna Chiara lying in a hospital bed.

"Okay, okay. I'll be there as soon as I can." My voice shook.

"Take your time, Miss De Luca. Drive carefully."

And now, here at Nonna's bedside, my heart feels heavy as I look at her fragile form. She's still the feisty Italian grandmother I've always known and loved, but seeing her vulnerable like this breaks my heart.

I take Nonna's hand in mine, and she squeezes it weakly.

"Nonna...you're awake." My voice cracks.

"Of course I'm awake, mia cara." Her voice is hoarse but steady. She blinks, her brown eyes crinkling in the corners. "What do you take me for? A sleeping beauty?"

I smile through suddenly hazy eyes. "You always were."

She pats my hand weakly. "Oh no. No crying now. You'll make an old woman thirsty. Hell, I'm thirsty enough already."

"I'll get you some water." I quickly grab a cup from the bedside table and help her drink.

We sit in silence for a few moments before I finally find the composure to speak again.

"Nonna, what happened?"

She looks up at me with a playful twinkle in her eye. "I was trying to show off my salsa moves and slipped on a tomato."

I can't help but laugh through my tears. Classic Nonna Chiara.

But then she turns serious. "I'm sorry for scaring you, mia cara. But it's good to see you here by my side." She looks over my shoulder, eyes scanning the door behind me. "Where's Gio?"

"He's just outside. In the waiting room. He wanted to give us some time alone."

"Good. And Jacob?"

"How did you know that Jacob's here?"

"Because he adores the ground I walk—or should I say, dance—on." Nonna winks at me and I can't help but roll my eyes. "And he's here because you're here." She looks at me steadily, her eyes seeing more than she lets on. "I'm sorry for putting you in this situation, mia cara. But I'm glad he's here for you."

"Me too, Nonna. Me too."

I don't say the rest of what I'm thinking to her; that I'm glad Jacob's here now because he won't be around soon. That I had made rules with him about our fake relationship for a reason. That despite my growing feelings for him, I know it can't last.

And Nonna fills the silence anyway, smiling up at me.

"You know, this fall wasn't so bad after all," she says. "It made me realize how lucky I am to have such wonderful people around me."

I feel another wave of tears coming on and I try to blink them away. "We're the lucky ones, Nonna."

She pats my hand again. "Of course you are. Look at me, I'm a treasure." She chuckles but then her face turns serious. "But seriously, thank you for being here, mia cara. It means everything to me."

I squeeze her hand and kiss her forehead gently.

"Always, Nonna."

"That's what I like to hear. Now...will the two of you do me a favor? Will you go to my house and try to get that kitchen of mine in working order? After the fall I took, I'm not sure when I'll be able to cook for all of you again. Let alone run the damn pasta sauce company." She sighs and shakes her head. "I can't have my kitchen just sitting there, unused."

I nod, knowing that she'll never fully retire from her beloved pasta sauce business. "Of course, Nonna. Consider it done."

"Good. And bring Jacob's lasagna recipe with you. It's about time he teaches me how to make it."

"Will do, Nonna."

"Great. Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow? You want me and Jacob to go to your house right now?"

"Of course, mia cara. You think I'm going to stay in this hospital with this sub-par food? Nonno would roll in his grave."

"And who's going to stay here with you?"

"Why, I do have another grandchild, Gabriella. And if memory serves me correctly, you did say he was in the waiting room waiting for me. Plus, Shera's here. And she'll take good care of me."

I scoff, wiping the wetness under my eyes. "I don't know. After you threatened Shera with 'attack by prune juice', she might not be so inclined to stick around. I mean, you've seen what kind of container that juice comes in. The glass is thicker than my head."

Nonna laughs, a sound that's strong and clear, and I join in.

"Oh mia cara, you always know how to make me laugh." She pats my hand before taking it back. "Now go on. Grab Jacob. Get that kitchen in order and teach this old lady something new. Who knows when I'll be back on my feet?"

I feel my heart squeeze at the thought of Nonna never getting on her feet again.

I lift my chin. "We'll be back tomorrow, Nonna. Lasagna in hand."

"Good girl." She pats my hand one more time before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Grunting as I get to my feet, I head toward the door and open it carefully. I make it about two steps before I run into a hard, unmoving chest.

It belongs to Jacob, who stares down at me, his sandy-brown hair disheveled, his sea-blue eyes almost sunken in as he blinks.

"Hey," he whispers.

"Hi." I glance back at Nonna's room. "How long have you been standing outside the door?"

"A while now." He clears his throat. "I didn't want to intrude on your moment with Nonna."

I nod, sniffling. "Uh, of course. Where's Gio?"

"Still in the waiting room. I think he's trying to offer some space..."

"To me, Nonna, or you?"

Jacob's jaw ticks. "All three of us. He's not the happiest camper with two out of three right now."

"Yeah, I figured that. Well...in case you didn't overhear, you and I have been issued a mission. Go to Nonna's. Make her some food that's actually edible. Bring it back to her tomorrow. I know we could make her food at your place but it’s obviously important to her that we do it at her house."

"I see. And Gio?"

"His mission is to keep watch over her tonight."

"Got it. So...our moratorium on being around each other is on hold then?"

"Jacob..."

"I know. I know. I'm just..." He sighs. "It's been a long fucking day. And I'm not handling it well."

"Me too," I admit, reaching out to squeeze his hand briefly before pulling back. "But we have more important things to focus on right now. Nonna's hungry and we need to make sure she gets some decent food in her system."

Jacob nods, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I guess that means I'll be doing the bulk of the cooking then."

I lift a brow. "Is that a dig at my cooking skills?"

His blue eyes sparkle somewhere from within. "Only the ones you have when it comes to making lasagna."

"Hey, I'll have you know my lasagna is a crowd-pleaser."

He chuckles. "If by crowd, you mean the local raccoons when they dig through the trash, then sure."

I swat at his arm before standing up straighter. My back is aching, my rounded belly only adding to the discomfort. "All right, let's go to Nonna's and see what we can whip up that won't make her stomach turn."

Jacob steps aside and gestures for me to walk through. "Lead the way, chef."

"You better be ready to eat your words when I make a delicious meal."

"You know I'm always ready to eat, especially when it comes to you."

He grins, a single dimple making an appearance that makes me weak in the knees. It’s an act that reminds me of just how much I'll miss that smile.

If Nonna's hospital stay and his fight with Jacob have taught me anything, it's that my family means everything in the world to me.

It's the one reason why I never wanted to get involved with Jacob in the first place.

As a ladies' man through and through, I wasn't sure I could trust him with my heart. Now, I realize that I might be willing to put my heart on the line for Jacob Walker.

But my family's hearts? That's another matter entirely.

I'd broken my own rules when it came to Jacob. It was time to put them back in place before things got too complicated. "I'll make the pasta, you can work on the sauce."

"Deal." He holds out his hand and I take it without hesitation.

Without another word, I walk past Jacob toward the exit with him on my heels and tears in my eyes that I try not to let fall.