“Dad,” she scolded lightly, feeling herself flush.
Dominic moved forward with Nicole. “Hi, Joe. You’ve given Cassandra quite a scare.”
“I did? Why?”
Cassandra looked at Dominic with despair in her heart, then back at her father. “It’s okay, Dad. You’re fine now and that’s all that matters.” She kissed his cheek. “We’ll leave you to go to bed. You’ve had quite an evening. I’ll come see you in a few days, okay?”
They took their leave after that, with Jane promising to call if Joe developed any chest infections or illnesses from being outside in the night.
Dominic didn’t speak on the way home, but she had no doubt he would once they arrived there. Yet she still couldn’t tell him the full story about Liam paying her money to have his baby. Couldn’t even hint at it. She had to tread carefully.
So very carefully.
Once home he jerked his head toward the living room. “You go sit in there. I’ll put Nicole back to bed.”
She did what he said, and all too soon he was back.
He went straight to the bar. “Here. Drink this.” He handed her a glass, and she sipped the brandy. It burned going down her throat, steadying her nerves.
Then he sat down on the opposite chair and took a mouthful of his own drink before speaking. “Your father didn’t like Liam,” he stated, his voice neutral.
She didn’t expect that to be the first thing he’d say. “It’s amazing how Dad remembers something like that and not other things.”
“Did Liam ever visit him?”
She shook her head. “Liam was a sick man himself, remember?”
“I meant before either of them became ill.”
Did she shatter his belief about his brother?
“They met a couple of times.” She lifted one shoulder. “That’s life. Everyone’s busy.”
He drew his lips in thoughtfully. “I suspect he wouldn’t have gone to see Joe in hospital, anyway. He didn’t like to be around sick people.” He made a harsh sound. “Hell, he hated being sick himself.”
Her heart squeezed tight for a moment. “I know.” She remembered how he’d hated losing his hair during the treatment, and how he’d insisted on the artificial insemination rather than making love. She’d been grateful for the latter, not because of his illness, but because he’d already killed any love she had for him.
Dominic looked down into his glass; then his eyes lifted. “You didn’t really have any dental appointments, did you?”
Her throat went bone dry. “No.”
“You went to the nursing home?”
She nodded. “But I was still going to do volunteer work for them, as well.”
His eyes snagged hers. “Why, Cassandra? Why keep your father a secret from me?”
She took a shuddering breath. “Because Joe’s my father and he’s my responsibility.”
“You’re my wife. If you have any problems, you need to share them with me. I want to be able to help.”
Her heart turned over. “I appreciate that, but I’m used to doing things on my own. I owe Dad a lot, and I willingly pay him in kind.”
“Like you do for your sister?”
She knew he was remembering the money for Penny. “Yes, that, too. I can’t abandon either of them when they need me.”
He considered her. “Joe’s been in there all along, hasn’t he? He was never at your sister’s.”
She nodded. “He became sick when Liam got sick.”
“And you shouldered the full responsibility for both men?” His mouth flattened. “You really should have told me about Joe.”
Suddenly, she realized he was hurt. This strong man who was always taking on other’s responsibilities himself was hurt because she held back from him. Once again she wondered if he was feeling something more for her than he realized.
She couldn’t think about that. She had to concentrate on the here and now. And she had to be convincing.
“Dominic, you took on a wife and a child for your brother. I didn’t want you to have to take on my family problems, as well.” She shrugged. “So I kept it quiet.”
He stared at her. “Let me be the judge of what I take on or not,” he said brusquely.
A lump welled in her throat. Oh, how she loved this man.
“Do you want to bring Joe here to live?” he asked, taking her by surprise. “We could get round-the-clock nursing, though I’d make the proviso that you not take on too much yourself.”
Her eyes widened. “You would do that?”
“Of course.”
She cleared her throat. “That’s so wonderful of you, but it’s not practical. Dad is better off where he is.” She sniffed back grateful tears. “But thank you so much for the kind offer.”
He stared at her, seeming to jolt. “Christ! I’ve just realized why you need the money from Liam’s estate,” he said, sending panic scooting through her. “You paid the nursing home fees. That’s why Liam was giving you such a large allowance. It wasn’t all for you, was it?”
Oh, God. He was getting too close.
She moistened her mouth. “I—”
“You said the other night you married me because of the money, not for it.” He swore low in his throat. “Now I know what you meant.”
Everything went blurry, and she quickly looked down at the brandy glass. She couldn’t believe it. He’d figured it out, just like she’d thought he would. Would he figure out the rest of it? That Liam had paid her to have Nicole? Now was the time when she really was vulnerable and unable to trust him, even though every instinct inside her screamed that she should. That was merely her love for him talking. Not her head.
“You really did love Liam when you married him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did,” she said without hesitation.
“I’m sorry, Cassandra. I…” He stopped and cleared his throat. “You’d better go to bed.”
“Dominic, I—”
“Please go.”
She stood up and left.
After Cassandra left the room, Dominic poured himself another drink, then dropped down on the sofa. He had a lot to think about. He’d been so wrong about his wife. She wasn’t a gold digger after all. She’d married his brother because she’d loved Liam, just as she’d said.
And that made him wonder if she’d been unfaithful to Liam at all. Liam had firmly believed it had been the truth, but perhaps there was more to it? Hell.
She’d been so strong to cope with Liam and his illness, plus her father’s stroke and dementia. And she’d shouldered it all alone and without complaint. He could understand why she’d pushed Liam to go home to die those last few months. She’d needed the break. And now she’d taken on her sister’s problems. If it hadn’t been for the antique brooch episode today and then her father going missing tonight, he’d still be in the dark about everything.
It hadn’t been about the money at all.
And if that were the case, could it mean he’d been wrong about the reason she’d had Nicole? Liam had told him she hadn’t wanted a child, but had then changed her mind. And that had merely confirmed to him that having Nicole had mainly been about jumping on the gravy train.
That theory had been blown out of the water.
He couldn’t deny she was a loving mother to Nicole, a compassionate daughter to Joe and a caring sister to Penny. She’d even remained polite to her parents-in-law in the face of their chilly attitude. She would have been a wonderful wife to Liam, too—if Liam had appreciated her. Somehow he didn’t think that had been the case. As for their marriage, she’d only ever been a giving wife toward him. Sure, they’d had their problems but they’d all been caused by his belief that she was fundamentally flawed. Now he knew she wasn’t. She was perfect. She had integrity and principles. He was damn proud to have her as his wife.
He was damn proud to love her.
At that moment something very right straightened inside him. He loved Cassandra. She was his beautiful wife and the mother of
his beautiful daughter, but it was the person she was that he loved.
As soon as Christmas was over, he’d sit her down and tell her the truth about Nicole. It wouldn’t be easy, but only then could they start afresh with complete honesty between them. And hopefully then she would listen when he told her he loved her.
Cassandra didn’t remember Dominic coming to bed, but it must have been in the early hours of the morning. The next thing she knew, the sun was shining and Nicole was crying for her breakfast. She went to slip from under the blankets, but Dominic kissed her cheek and whispered, “Go back to sleep,” and she did, gratefully.
The next time she woke, she found a note on the bedside table. Dominic had called the nursing home for an update, and her father was fine after his late-night adventure. It was a sweet gesture.
Then she heard a noise and realized it was the vibration from her cell phone. She’d have to remember to put it on sound now that Dominic knew about Joe.
“Cass, thank you so much,” a delighted Penny said as soon as Cassandra answered.
Cassandra decided not to tell her sister about their father’s escapade. Penny had enough to worry about. “So you got the money, then?”
“Yes, and it’s such a relief, but I can’t believe you put seven thousand dollars in our account.”
“How much?”
“Seven thousand.” Penny sounded cautious now. “Why? Is it a mistake? I see there’s two amounts—one for two thousand and one for five thousand. Didn’t you mean to put that much in?”
Cassandra was quick to assure her. “Dominic sent the money, not me, so I’m sure it’s correct.”
She couldn’t say she’d put the two thousand in, not after telling Penny yesterday that she had no money at all to give her then. Best to let her sister think that Dominic had put the lot in himself.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” It didn’t matter, anyway. The money was in the account now. “If Liam’s money had come through in time, I would have done the same thing.”
“I know you would, sis,” Penny murmured.
Cassandra remembered something else. “Penny, Dominic said he’d help Dave get a job, as well.”
“What! Oh, my God, Cass. I’m going to seriously break down here.”
Cassandra didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “As Dominic said, you’re family.”
There was silence as Penny considered that, and Cassandra knew she was gently crying.
Her sister sniffed. “Dominic’s so much better for you than Liam.”
“I know,” Cassandra agreed softly.
Penny sniffed again. “I hope you find love with him, Cass. I really do.”
Cassandra swallowed the lump in her throat, unable to tell Penny that she was already in love with her husband. “So do I.”
“Tell him thank-you. Or better yet, let me speak to him. I should thank him personally.”
“I can’t right now. He’s downstairs with Nicole.” Cassandra was rather relieved Dominic wasn’t close by.
“Another time, then.”
“Definitely.”
They rang off after that; then Cassandra showered and dressed. Downstairs, Dominic and Nicole were nowhere to be seen inside the house, but she found them out on the lawn. Dominic had spread a rug on the grass and was holding a camcorder, taping Nicole playing with her toys.
When Nicole saw her, she dropped her toys and started crawling toward her in her cute little denim jeans and pink T-shirt. Cassandra scooped up her little angel and cuddled her, her heart swelling with maternal love.
And then she realized Dominic was still recording. She wrinkled her nose. “I hate having my picture taken.”
“It’s not a picture. It’s a video,” he said, continuing to record. “I want Nicole to see how beautiful her mother is.”
She turned to putty. He’d often told her she was beautiful while they were making love, but not like this. Something had definitely changed between them. Where was his hostility? It was like it had taken a break.
She dragged her gaze away and buried her face in Nicole’s hair, biting her tongue. Dominic was making it so difficult for her not to tell him she loved him. If only…
All at once she realized something. After finding out about Joe last night, he clearly didn’t believe she was a gold digger any longer. So might he now realize she hadn’t been unfaithful to Liam? And could that mean in six months’ time she would be in no danger of losing Nicole once that letter with the lawyer was destroyed? That there would be no need to drag Keith Samuels into court to testify against her? That she might actually be able to tell Dominic she loved him?
If she dared risk her heart.
But what if she risked her heart and he didn’t feel anything stronger than fondness? What if he didn’t love her? Couldn’t love her? Did she want to risk her heart then? She swallowed as her spirits dampened. Perhaps it was a question best answered closer to the time. He no longer had a low opinion of her, and that was a start.
She lifted her face away from Nicole’s hair and tried to act nonchalant. “Penny called me just before,” she said, watching as he stopped filming. “You put five thousand into her account.” She tilted her head. “It wasn’t a mistake, was it?”
“No.”
“Then thank you.” She had to stop herself from saying she would pay him back. This time she would accept his generosity in the spirit it was given. “I told her about the job for her husband, too. You made her cry.”
He actually looked a little embarrassed. “I’m glad to help,” he said, then looked the other way and jerkily went to turn the camcorder on again.
She was rather bemused by his discomfort. “Let me have that please, Dominic. It’s my turn to record you and Nicole together.” She smiled. “That way she’ll see how handsome her father is, too.”
His head reeled back. “Her father?”
She empathized with what he was feeling. “Yes, that’s how she’ll see you. Like I do with Joe. You’ll be her father in every way that matters.”
He seemed to swallow a lump in his throat. “Yes, of course.” But he didn’t move.
She was the one to move forward. “Here. You hold her.” She swapped Nicole for the camcorder. “How does this thing work?”
He didn’t comment. He was looking down at Nicole in his arms, and she suddenly knew the moment was getting to him. She let him have this time.
Then, “How does it work?” she reminded him gently.
Finally he looked up, then blinked as if coming from a long way off. He focused on her. “Right. This is what you do,” he began.
Over the next couple of hours, the Christmas tree was delivered and Nicole napped in the shade nearby while they ate a light lunch poolside. Then the little girl woke up and Dominic insisted on feeding her lunch while Cassandra went to prepare the dinner for this evening. Midafternoon, they all had a dip in the pool before eventually it was too much for Nicole again and she started to cry. Soon she had fallen asleep in her crib.
Then Dominic drew Cassandra into their bedroom and made love to her, and afterward she fell asleep curled up against him. If she had to wish for a better belated birthday, she couldn’t. She just hoped that tonight’s gathering for the family dinner and to put up the Christmas tree wasn’t going to spoil things. She wanted everything to be as perfect as possible. So much of that relied on his parents.
Eleven
Cassandra felt nervous a few hours later when Dominic opened the front door to both his parents and his brother Adam. She prayed the evening went well. Goodwill to all men—and women—she added, hoping her in-laws could put aside their feelings for her tonight.
Nicole looked like a little doll in her red reindeer dress. And Dominic looked so very handsome holding the little girl in his arms. She knew she looked quite nice herself, in a sleeveless green dress cinched at the waist with a silver belt, yet it was more about what they looked like as a family. She actually sensed the possibility the three of them coul
d be a real family one day.
If only Laura and Michael would consider her a real part of their family, she thought with a silent sigh. Looking at her mother-in-law’s slightly red-rimmed eyes as she kissed Dominic and Nicole, she knew she’d set her hopes too high. There had been no kiss for her again. It was obvious she didn’t want to be here. Correction—she didn’t want her to be here.
And then Laura touched Nicole’s blond curls in a loving gesture that brought a lump to Cassandra’s throat and reminded her how much she valued their love for their granddaughter. It was her one comfort in a trying situation.
“How about we go in the living room and have some iced eggnog?” Dominic suggested.
They all moved farther inside the house, then came to a standstill at the arched entrance to the living room.
“You’ve got a real tree?” Michael said in mild surprise.
The unadorned Christmas tree took pride of place in a corner of the large room while Christmas carols played softly in the background. It wasn’t unusual for people to have a real tree during a hot, summery Christmas, but artificial trees were more the norm these days.
“Yes, I’ve always wanted a real tree. Do you like it?”
Her father-in-law nodded. “It’s a nice touch.”
“I think so, too, Dad,” Dominic added, winking at her.
Relief spiraled through her. Thank God she’d actually managed to do something right today.
Then Adam slapped his hands together. “Okay, where’s this eggnog, then?” he said in typical male fashion. He moved farther into the room.
“My God!” Laura choked, stopping everyone in their tracks and sending Cassandra’s stomach plummeting as she spun toward her. “I don’t know how you can be so insensitive, Cassandra. Are you trying to remind us that we no longer have our son?”
“Laura, no!” Cassandra exclaimed, hearing Dominic swear, clearly as horrified at the turn of events.
“You did it on purpose. You knew we could never have a real tree because of Liam’s hayfever.”
Cassandra shook her head. “No! This was about having a living Christmas. I thought it would be a nice touch, that’s all. I wasn’t trying to cause you more pain.”
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