It was the day after Christmas. Everyone was sitting in the restaurant, eating the amazing food Sharlene arranged for Hal's and my official wedding reception. My phone buzzed and I removed it from my purse. I had expected it to be Ranger with details about the hotel Hunter was purchasing for RangeHaven. Instead, I stared at my phone in shock. Everyone in the restaurant stopped talking when I said, "Holy shit. I never saw that coming."
"Language, Stephanie," Mom admonished. I don't understand why she was worried about how I sounded to everyone. Looking around the table, I realized Lisa was staring at me intently.
"Oops, sorry, Valerie," I quickly replied. "Lisa, I'm sorry for saying a bad word. It isn't okay for me to swear."
Mary Alice added her two cents, "Auntie Steph, we heard worse words from Mom." Valerie flushed in embarrassment at getting tattled on by her second daughter. Mary Alice concentrated on eating. She loved the food and asked for seconds from the buffet.
Sharlene rented the restaurant for the day, though Hal and I would pay for the meal. I was happy that Mom and Sharlene hit it off. They made plans for Mom and Dad to visit during the summer for the rodeo and music festival. Dad would enjoy the events while Mom would help Sharlene run the Bed & Breakfast. I could tell it meant a lot to Sharlene.
"Are you planning to tell us why you cussed?" Sharlene asked.
It wasn't an appropriate conversation for the dinner table. Sensing I wasn't planning to share with the young children at the table, Valerie and Helen gathered the kids to wash their hands. Once they were out of earshot, I asked, "Hal, do you remember Barry Gunther?"
Hal thought for a minute before nodding. "Isn't he in lockup?" Hal asked.
"Yes. Gunther's cellmate is Jesse Gilman," I replied.
"What does that Gilman boy have to do with Gunther?" Junior asked.
"I'm getting there," I laughed. "It seems Morelli got moved from his temporary isolation to the general population. Gilman created a diversion while Gunther shanked Morelli. The doctor just announced Morelli's time of death."
"Why would Gunther kill Morelli?" Dad asked.
Smiling, I replied, "He heard what Joe did to me at Grandma's funeral and took offence to Joe's attempt to murder me. Gunther might be a Bluebeard, but he never murdered the women to get their money. He felt it was a line Morelli never should have crossed. Have you ever heard about Anthony Sr's brother, Giuseppe Morelli?"
Dad furrowed his brows. "He married Ellie Esposito a year after she lost her husband," Dad recalled.
I nodded. "Ellie's maiden name was Gunther. She was Barry Gunther's daughter."
The men sucked in a breath. "It gets better," I said.
"How?" Hal questioned.
"Every woman Gunther married was a woman Giuseppe Morelli lavished with gifts. Giuseppe spent Ellie's money on the unfaithful women. It never turned up in his background. Well, Ellie did, but someone must have removed the record where she married Joe's uncle," I explained, referring to the message I received from Hunter.
"Gunther married women in their seventies and eighties. Are you telling us that Giuseppe had affairs with women his mother's age?" Hal asked, sounding incredulous.
"Yup. Their husbands were too busy chasing the young girls, leaving their wives vulnerable to Giuseppe Morelli. Everything Gunther had done was to retrieve the money belonging to Ellie," I replied. "He gave every cent to his granddaughter, Lenora, since his own daughter passed away from breast cancer last year. Lenora needed the money to pay the hospital bills for Ellie's care."
"That's one less Morelli polluting the air," Dad muttered, speaking Italian. "Where is Giuseppe these days?"
"Probably floating in the Delaware wearing cement shoes or buried in the Pine Barrens. He married Terry's mom and tried to get her money," I said, reading that detail. "Vito Grizoli didn't appreciate a Morelli trying to take the family fortune. Giuseppe disappeared a few months after marrying Terry's mom."
My phone buzzed. It was a message from Terry Gilman. "You're welcome," Terry wrote. I couldn't believe she sent that.
"Would Jesse be implicated?" I typed.
"Probably, but he's willing to sacrifice his freedom for mine," Terry replied. "I'm moving to Italy. Have a wonderful life with your family. The Morelli clan will leave you and your family alone." Terry implied that she would harm the Morelli men if they came after me or my children. Maybe Mooch, Angie and Anthony would leave Trenton. Then I remembered Mooch and Anthony were in jail. The two remaining Morelli men would serve their sentences in the same prison as Joe, and the thought made me smile.
I tried to respond to Terry but received a message that the number was no longer in service. "Sorry about that," I quickly apologized for my rudeness. "We don't have to worry about the Morellis. Joe's dead. Anthony and Mooch are in the TPD cells awaiting their trial." I tucked my phone away in my purse after ensuring I relayed all the intel provided by Hunter. Hal kissed my cheek and waved to the servers to collect our plates.
Mom, Valerie and the children returned when the server arrived with a three-tiered wedding cake. I looked between Mom and Sharlene. The two women grinned and motioned for the server to set the dessert cart closest to Hal and me.
"Does the icing have almond extract?" Valerie asked.
I knew it wouldn't, but Mom replied, "No. I told Sharlene Lisa was allergic. She assured me neither the cake nor icing contains any allergens."
"Thank you, Sharlene," Valerie said. Sharlene waved her hand, motioning it wasn't any trouble to ensure Lisa's safety.
Mom smiled at me and asked, "Are you adopting Julie?"
"I'm leaving that up to her. The courts granted Hal and me temporary guardianship. We should receive permanent custody in the new year. Rachel won't sign away her rights, so Julie would have to file paperwork to divorce her parents. It's a bunch of unnecessary court appearances, and I don't want to impact Julie's education," I replied.
Mom looked at Julie, who quickly agreed with me. "It would involve more visits from the social worker, too. Stephanie and Hal would have to move to Miami, and that isn't fair of me to ask them to commit five years when I only have four more years until I turn eighteen," Julie explained.
"Well, I suppose that's a reasonable plan," Mom said, sounding upset.
"Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Nelson, since Steph and Hal are my guardians, do either of you mind if I call you Grandma?" Julie shyly asked. She glanced at Lisa and Bert before adding, "It would be less confusing for the younger kids."
"Of course," Mom replied.
"On one condition," Sharlene said. Julie and I were afraid Sharlene would say no. "I want to be called Nana, not Grandma."
"What about Frank and me?" James asked, winking at Julie. She blushed and asked about calling them Grandpa. "I suppose that would be fine with me. What about you, Frank?" Dad pretended to think about it before agreeing.
Lisa seemed confused. She looked at Sharlene and asked, "Awe you me nana?"
"No, sweetie. Whenever you visit me with your Aunt Stephanie, you may call me Nana," Sharlene said. Lisa grinned and excitedly clapped her hands. Sharlene winked at me. She knows Lisa likely won't be visiting Bozeman with me in the future.
Hal and I cut the cake as Sharlene and Mom took pictures. They wanted us to feed each other a piece of cake, which we did, but Hal and I refused to smash it into the other's face. Mom got the waitress to bring a cake box to put the top tier inside. Hal and I had to take it home and freeze it for our first anniversary as if I would let the cake sit in the freezer for a year. Does Mom even know me?
The waitress arrived with the bill. I used the portable debit system to pay for the meal and left a sizeable tip with a little extra because the waitress offered to clean Lisa's mess. It was the least I could do for the inconvenience. I don't understand why Valerie and Albert allowed Lisa to throw her food. Hopefully, my twins wouldn't go through that phase.
Valerie gathered Bert from the booster seat, leaving Mom to wrangle Lisa. What the hell? Why wasn't Albert helping Valerie with his daughter? Albert noticed me glaring at him, and he jumped into action to help Valerie with Bert. Mom took Lisa to the washroom to change her clothes and wash her face and hands.
"Helen and Valerie told me not to help with the children. That's Valerie's job," Albert said.
I pulled Albert to the side to have a private conversation. "Al, you have four children and one due in six weeks. Lisa won't be three until mid-March. Bert will turn one a few weeks after Valerie's due date. It's great that you've taken care of your birth control issue, but chasing after children is challenging when you're not pregnant," I said.
Albert's face turned red. "Val will get upset," he argued.
"She might grumble the first few times, but eventually, she'll accept your help. Assert yourself," I explained.
"Is Hal planning to help you with the twins?" Albert asked.
"Absolutely," Hal replied, making Albert jump. I snorted and laughed at Albert's reaction. Hal loved catching him off guard. I had to admit it was rather amusing, and I understood that was why the guys used to sneak up on me all the time. They had to find something fun to keep them from disappearing into the darkness caused by their military deployments.
Sharlene grabbed the boxes containing the cake. She promised Mom and Dad tea when they got home. Mom and Dad helped Valerie take the children to my SUV. Julie, Hal and I would ride with Hal's family, leaving our guard to their SUVs.
"That went better than I expected," I said when we were on our way home.
"Your niece, Lisa, is adorable but messier than her father," Jamie laughed. Julie covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Albert's so enamoured by Valerie and his children that he ignores himself. I have never seen an adult spill so much food into his lap," I added. Without looking at Hal, I know he quirked his brow, thinking about the few times I spilled cream or jelly from a donut. "That's different, Hal."
He laughed but didn't tell the others what he had on his mind. "Was Albert raised by both parents?" Sharlene asked.
"His father left after his birth, but I know many single mothers who never had issues with their children feeding themselves properly," I replied. "I think Albert has an attention issue when a lot is happening around him. He can concentrate at work, but at home, he doesn't know where to apply his focus, which affects his motor skills."
"He doesn't know how to read a room," Hal said. I noticed the same thing when I met him. He was very outgoing but never took the social cues to back off. Albert had a valid reason for his lack of social skills.
"His mom homeschooled Albert until he went to college. Albert's dad paid spousal and child support, so his mother never had to work. It's a shame Albert never socialized and concentrated on his education. At least, that's what he shared with me," I added. "Had his mother arranged play dates or taken him to the park, Albert wouldn't bumble as he does around others. This is just my opinion based on what Albert shared. I'm sure it doesn't apply to all homeschooled children. His mother wasn't a hermit, but she was wary about having Albert around other adults and children."
Everyone thought about what I told them about Albert. "She must have taken him grocery shopping," Sharlene said, trying to find ways Albert's mom could have socialized him.
Nodding, I replied, "Yes, but she only took him while other children were in school. He learned how to react around adults but not his peer group. Everything we see now is a product of his mother not allowing him to associate with his peers. Even in college, Albert had to come home between or immediately after classes to complete his homework and assignments. There's a reason he's an impeccable technical lawyer and a shark with writing contracts. What he can't vocalize, he can write. It's rather amazing and impressive."
"Albert's better than he was," Hal said. "Working at PTES is building his confidence. He doesn't trip over his words as much. Albert just has to work on reading a room and learning when to back off or assert himself."
I agreed with Hal's assessment. Since Albert started working at PTES, his communication skills have improved. He never spilled his food either, but I know he ate lunch with Valerie and the children at home. It was possible he had spilled his food and changed it, or he had worn a bib like Lisa and Bert had.
Shifting the focus away from Albert, I asked Julie, "How's your arm feeling? Do you need pain meds?"
"It's throbbing a bit, but I can tolerate it for now. Maybe I'll take some pain meds before going to bed. They make me drowsy," Julie replied. I reached behind me to tap her leg. She was sitting beside Jamie in the third row of seats in the SUV. Hal and I were in the middle seats. James drove with Sharlene sitting in the preferred shotgun position.
I enjoyed listening to the banter between Hal and Jamie. It was easy and respectful, unlike the discussions between Valerie and me. Hal once told me he never got along with Jamie while they were children, but I could tell they always respected each other because their banter lacked that biting edge that people often heard whenever Valerie and I talked. We aren't aware of the barbs we add to the conversation.
A courier awaited our arrival at the Nelsons' home. I recognized the label on the package and approached the delivery man with Hal. The envelope was labelled as confidential, and I had to sign the tablet indicating receipt of the parcel.
My smile was radiant and large as I entered the house. Sharlene rushed to the Bed & Breakfast side to prepare tea and snacks for Mom and Dad. I wondered if Valerie would join them or stay in her assigned room to put Lisa and Bert to bed.
"Good news?" Hal asked when I tore open the envelope.
"Yes," I replied. "It's the transfer of ownership for the house Al and Val are renting. I might have mentioned to Albert that the house was rent-to-own. He thinks Uncle Vincent owns it and expressed interest in purchasing the house. Since Hunter already did the title search on the house, it's easier to sell it privately. Albert would continue transferring payments to the shell company's bank account. I have to charge interest, so Hunter set it at point one percent. Basically, Albert is paying a meagre interest amount."
"Why aren't you charging a higher interest rate?" Hal questioned.
"I'm doing this for my nieces and nephew," I explained, waving over the papers. "The affordable mortgage would allow the children to participate in extracurricular activities. Mary Alice wants to play soccer, and Angie wants a guitar and lessons. Albert will repay the cost of the house. I'm leaving the yard maintenance under PTES's contract. However, if the appliances or other items in the house break, Valerie and Albert are responsible for replacing them."
Hal made a noise of approval in the back of his throat. It wasn't the first time I heard the noise, but I noticed Hal only does it when we're visiting with his family. "Do you need me to ensure all the signatures and initials are on the page?" Hal offered.
"If you don't mind," I replied. Once Hal reviewed the paperwork, he signed his name as a witness. I texted Dad and Albert, asking them to visit us on the Nelsons' side of the house.
A few minutes later, I heard Dad knock on the door. Albert entered behind Dad and looked around the living room, noticing the differences between this side and where they were staying. I let Hal manage the documents, having decided to get mint chip ice cream for Julie and me.
Hal put the paperwork in the courier envelope. We would drop it off in the morning to ship back to Trenton. Uncle Vincent would handle everything else with the lawyers.
Julie smiled when I brought her the treat. "Thanks, Steph." I placed the bowl on her lap. She moved it to rest between her thighs and ate.
We enjoyed our ice cream and smiled when Hal arrived to take the dishes to the kitchen. I heard the water running, likely Hal rinsing the bowls, followed by the click of the dishwasher closing. Sharlene would start the dishwasher before heading to bed. It was part of her routine, and we left it for her.
Jamie rushed into the room, waving the DVD for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Every night, we watched another Harry Potter movie. We should watch them all before leaving in the new year.
My parents, Albert, Valerie and her children left the following morning. We said our tearful goodbyes and I promised to update Mom regarding Julie's arm. Since it stopped aching as much, I hoped Julie wouldn't need surgery. It all depended on the x-ray the following Wednesday. Mom and Dad wanted to spend New Year's Eve with their friends.