Chapter Thirty-Seven
Dante shouldn’t have just dropped the bishop’s immanent arrival on Emelia. They’d had no secrets between them since they’d gotten together and he felt bad at the time, but now he felt even worse. He’d been worried, and hadn’t wanted her to worry as well because, no know matter what, the outcome would still be the same.
And on the off chance that Rome had given him an Indult, they’d have to find someone willing to give them a marriage license when they had the same father listed. This he’d thought about a lot, and the only option would probably be for them to get a DNA blood test, along with their father, to prove that they weren’t actually blood related. That could work and was certainly worth a try…if they could marry in their church.
The priest in the small Catholic Church in Essex had been welcoming to them as new parishioners, but Dante had no intention of mentioning his past to him, or to anyone.
If he were asked, he wouldn’t lie, though.
Running his hands through his hair, he made his way back upstairs to Emelia. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have gotten too angry with him while he’d been closing the garage up.
She made him smile on a daily basis, and he couldn’t imagine a life without her by his side. As much as he thought he knew the decision from Rome, he hoped with all his heart that he was wrong…because he wasn’t sure Emelia would handle the rejection.
And there she was, as he entered their home. She fluffed the cushions along the dark brown leather corner sofa. His heart squeezed in his chest at the love that would always catch him unaware when she was in the middle of doing a simple task.
Emelia noticed him watching her, and gave him her secret smile. “I wondered how long you’d hide out.”
At least her smile said she wasn’t really angry with him. “I wasn’t hiding out, but I do owe you an apology.” He walked around the sofa and took hold of her hands. “I shouldn’t have kept that from you, and I’m really sorry, Em. I didn’t want you to worry as much I was…forgive me…”
She reached up and quickly kissed his lips. “Of course I forgive you. I know you, Dante. And I knew why you’d kept quiet. No more, though. Promise me.”
He rested his forehead against hers, and said, “I promise, Em.” He was relieved at her easy acceptance of his apology.
“Good. Now go and let the bishop in. His car just pulled up.” She smiled. “I’m going to be positive.”
“Em?” He waited until she held his gaze. “I love you.”
Emelia covered her mouth with her hand, and as he turned to head downstairs, he offered her a soft smile.
He was worried and, as much as he wanted to be more positive, he couldn’t quite get there. With something as important as the approval from Rome was, and knowing how slow things ran there, he just couldn’t get his hopes up.
And now the bishop’s driver, Malcolm, was helping the man who held the answer from the car. Malcolm had been the bishop’s driver for years, and wherever the bishop went, Malcolm would fly with him, and then drive the rented vehicle.
Dante moved forward, and went to dip forward from the waist in a bow of greeting, but the bishop waved him up.
“Even though I’m here on business, please let’s not stand on too much formality.” He held his hand out, and smiled. “How have you been, Dante…and, I’m Colin.”
Dante hid his amusement and returned the greeting of the handshake. “I’m well. Please come inside.” He offered his friend, and turned back to Malcolm, but he’d already climbed back into the car.
“Oh, don’t worry about him…he’s been itching to pull over and call his sister since he received a call saying that she’d just gone into labor,” Colin chuckled. “I’ll miss him when I’m gone. He’s kept me sane over the years.”
“Gone? Where are you going?” He hadn’t heard anything while he’d been a priest, and the words from Colin left Dante worried.
“Retirement in four months. These old bones are being put out to pasture.”
They took their time going up the few steps to Dante’s home, but he was glad to see that Colin wasn’t out of breath when they arrived.
“And this is the beautiful Emelia.” He smiled, and waved her over. “Come. I don’t bite.”
Emelia moved closer and smiled. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite know how to greet a bishop.”
“Oh, pfft. A shake of the hand will do.”
They exchanged greetings, and then Dante suggested, “Let’s go and sit.” He glanced at Emelia and realized she was really nervous, so he intertwined their fingers and pulled her down beside him. “Will you please tell us what Rome had to say, so we can get that out of the way?”
“Mmm. I can.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out his reading glasses. “Rome…can be accommodating on occasion, but they can also be awkward on others and less cooperative.”
“Oh,” Emelia mumbled, and when he turned to look at her, there were tears on her lashes.
“Now don’t go getting all emotional on me. I’m afraid I can’t handle tears.” Colin looked nervous as he watched them. It was as though he debated what to say.
The fact that he’d come to them, and dressed in well washed jeans was a surprise. Colin also wore a blue button-down with a sweater. He’d never seen him so casual, and there was no sign of the collar.
Hearing a throat being cleared, he realized he’d been off musing when Colin was waiting for his attention.
Dante smiled, “Sorry. Go ahead.”
“I won’t go into too much detail as it was your life so you know it all already, but I also wrote a report about the reasons surrounding you joining the seminary, and subsequently becoming ordained. I’d hoped that your request would stand a better chance than others, but…I’m sorry, Dante. I really am. It’s because of their decision that I decided to come here and tell you in person.”
“They won’t release him?” Emelia mumbled, her voice teary.
“The laicization has been granted, but the dispensation hasn’t been.” Colin added.
Dante, although hearing everything said, couldn’t accept the words that Colin had actually spoken. Deep down, he’d known that his request would probably get rejected, but with Colin visiting them, he’d tried not to get his hopes up, but he had.
He wanted to be able to marry the woman he loved with all his heart in a Catholic Church, and now that had officially been taken away from him.
“But, let’s get to why I delivered the news in person.”
Emelia leaned against his side, and it was at that point that he realized he’d shut her out. So he quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against him.
He kissed the top of her head, and resting his chin where he’d placed the kiss, he asked Colin, “Why?”
“Because of the rejection, you know that you can’t marry in a Catholic Church, so I propose that we do something slightly underhanded, but not illegal, and something that can’t be undone by the Vatican if word was to get out.”
Emelia sat straighter, and he was sure that he did as well. “We’re listening.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you are.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “There is no way around you marrying in a Catholic Church, but, after your wedding, I will personally bless you both…exactly as I would do during a wedding ceremony in the cathedral.”
Emelia buried her face in Dante’s chest and cried. He held her in his arms, tears on his own lashes. “You’d do that?” he asked, his voice filled with raw emotion.
“I’m an old man, Dante. And I’ve spent a lot of time recently reflecting on my life. I don’t regret my dedication to the church for all these years, and I’d like to think that I’ve been good at it.” He smiled. “Before I retire, I need to see you happy. In order for me to go with a clear conscience, I need to be the one to bless your marriage in the eyes of God. I don’t just need to do this. I want to do this. I wish I could do more.”
“No, don’t,” Dante started, “the
blessing from you would mean the world to us.” He brought Emelia’s face up to his. “How about it? You want to make an honest man out of me in a civil ceremony, and then have our marriage blessed by the Bishop?”
Emelia nodded, tears still streamed down her face. “Oh, yes.”
Epilogue
Two months later.
“We’re married,” Emelia whispered to herself, as she escaped to the restroom. They hadn’t been at the hotel where their wedding reception was being held all that long, but she’d just needed a minute.
The bishop was already inside the room where the blessing would take place, and only close family were present. Neither of them felt ashamed for what they were doing, but they wanted it kept quiet because of Dante’s past. He’d also suggested it might be best to stay quiet so that word didn’t get back to the church.
So they had.
They were married!
She honestly never expected the day to arrive because of Dante’s past and because of what their father had done by signing his name to her birth certificate. Luckily, the issuing clerk for the county accepted their birth certificates and the results from the DNA tests, along with a lawyer’s letter confirming what the DNA tests concluded—that Emiliano wasn’t Emelia’s father. She still considered him her father, but it was just a relief to be allowed to marry Dante. It was what she’d wanted for so long.
Dante looked so handsome in his dark, grey suit, deep burgundy button-down, and grey tie, and their brothers looked just as handsome. They sure scrubbed up well. Mateo worried her though. He’d recently had more surgery done on his knee and had to use a wheelchair, which she could see had gotten him down. She supposed Caprice probably didn’t help him with her whole attitude problem. Half the time, she thought that Mateo was the one with the problem to still have her around.
“Hey, why are you hiding in here?” Sylvia interrupted her quiet musing.
“Just thinking. Breathing,” she replied, and continued, “I’m sorry we married before you did, Sylvia.” Emelia had wanted to say something to her brother Eric, and his fiancée over the past months. She just hadn’t had the opportunity to do so. It wasn’t even as though a phone call would have done it because she’d wanted to do it in person.
Sylvia squeezed her hand. “There isn’t anything to apologize for, Emelia. Please don’t think that there is.” Sylvia smiled. “Now c’mon. Your husband is waiting for you.”
Emelia smiled, and slipped her arm through Sylvia’s.
The minute they walked out of the restrooms, Dante was there, striding toward her.
“I’ll see you soon,” Sylvia whispered, and moved away.
“Are you okay?” was the first thing out of Dante’s mouth as he gently cupped her face.
“I’m fine,” she replied, and held his loving gaze. “I love you.” She leaned in and kissed him.
“I love you, too.” He kissed her on the nose. “Let’s go and have our blessing.”
Tears formed on Dante’s lashes when he hugged Bishop Colin Sommer. Colin had always been there for him, and he would miss the man, his friend, dearly.
What Colin had done for them meant more to him than being married in a Catholic Church. The blessing that he’d just given Emelia and himself would be remembered for as long as he lived.
As he stepped back, Emelia wrapped herself around his waist for comfort. He was so in need of it as well. His emotions had been all over the place since he’d walked away from his church, but he mused that now that he was married to the woman he loved, perhaps everything would start to settle down.
“You’ll stay in touch,” Colin told him, and slipped a small card into his hand. “No excuse.”
“No excuse,” Dante repeated. “It won’t just be a Christmas card. You realize that?”
Colin smiled. “Hmm…now, I was told that I’d get fed here.”
Emelia chuckled and stepped back. “We have a private function room booked with a delicious hot buffet waiting for us.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way.”
Dante grinned and took Emelia’s hand. “We will.”
They headed toward the room that their family waited for them in, and Dante smiled. It had been a good day, and everyone they loved had been with them.
Emelia had never looked as beautiful, and she glowed with happiness.
From the moment his decision had been made to be with her, he’d not had second thoughts, and that was love.
Emelia was his whole world now, and that would never change.
He no longer felt trapped in Purgatory.
The End
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Acknowledgements
Thank you as always to Nadine Winningham for your advice, eagle eye, and your friendship. You mean the world to me. x
Sirena, you saved my ass by pointing out that the name I had TOTALLY made up, was actually the name of the Bishop of Colorado. So thank you x
Emma, Kathrin, Lynne and Sonya, thank you so much for always being ready to read my work ~ I really appreciate you ladies x
Thank you to Fr. T, for answering my questions about Priest’s, marriage, and the Vatican ~ all errors are mine alone.
Thank you to author Jenni Moen, for helping me with my questions about the law and marriage licenses in the United States ~ all errors are mine alone.
I also want to say a huge thank you to friends, family, readers, and bloggers fo
r your continued support ~ it means the world to me. xx
Other books by Lexi Buchanan
Bad Boy Rockers
Sizzle
Spicy
Sultry
Savor
Sinful
McKenzie Brothers
Seduce
The Wedding (Novella)
Rapture
Delight
Entice
Cherished
A McKenzie Christmas (Novella)
De La Fuente Family (McKenzie Spinoff)
Love in Montana
Love in Purgatory
Love in Bloom (2016)
Jackson Hole
From This Moment
When we Meet
New Beginning (2016)
Holiday Season
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
A Soldier’s Christmas
Lawful
Gia 0.5 (Novella)
The Club
One Dance (Novella)
Standalone
Rose and Jacob
Educate Me (Novella)
28 Days (Romantic Suspense coming 2016)
Dear Reader: If you liked Love in Purgatory, I would appreciate it, if you would help others enjoy this book too by recommending it to your friends, family, and book clubs by writing an honest, positive review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBookstore, Goodreads, etc.
About the Author
I was born in Bolton, Lancashire within the United Kingdom, where I lived, and worked at the University of Bolton, until 2010. With my husband we moved to Ireland with our four kids and pack of animals where we still live.
I’m a NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of Devour, and International Bestselling Author of Seduce and Sizzle.
My time is spent writing when I can get away from Facebook, and chasing after the kids and animals.
Love in Purgatory (De La Fuente #2) Page 19