Her father kissed them both on the cheek and then he was gone. Bella stood with Sienna in the living room, dumbfounded, watching his limo pull away. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Had her father really capitulated? Had she just seen a big change in him? He was actually behaving like a caring father. Well, almost. Or was it all part of a grand scheme to get his way? It was hard to place her trust in him, but his tone, the sincerity in his voice and the genuine look in his eyes had swayed her.
Was her life finally turning around? Did she dare hope?
* * *
Bella needed a few minutes to absorb all that had just happened with her father. She sat next to Sienna on the floor and watched her daughter touch some of the shiny ornaments on the Christmas tree as a hard steady rain came down outside. “Careful, baby. We don’t want to break them.”
Just then the front door burst open and Cooper walked inside, bracing Jared with an arm across his shoulder. Jared’s leg was dragging behind him and blood dripped down his face. Cooper guided him toward his bedroom. They were both drenched.
“Cooper?” she called as they passed the living room.
“Jared decided to take his bike out in the rain,” Cooper said over his shoulder as he continued moving. “The roads were slick and he took a curve too fast.”
“I told you why,” Jared lashed back. Bella gasped and plucked up Sienna, taking her into the kitchen and handing her a baby cracker. “Here you go, sweetie. Play with your dollhouse and Mommy will be right back.”
Bella approached the bedroom and saw Cooper facing Jared, who was half sitting, half leaning against his pillows on the bed. “You get permission from the doctor to drive and your first decision is to hop on your bike in the middle of a storm?”
“It wasn’t storming when I left the house,” he said through gritted teeth. “What was I supposed to do? Johnna called in a panic. Her dog knocked loose a steel pipe in the barn and it fell on top of him. The dang thing would’ve crushed Rusty to death if I hadn’t gotten there fast enough. I had to take the back road shortcut and that meant taking the Harley.”
Cooper closed his eyes and shook his head. “Man, bro. You don’t get it. You went out on slick roads and nearly got yourself killed. This is your second crash this month. When are you gonna learn?”
“Don’t lecture me, Cooper. I’m gonna be fine.”
“Yeah, once again you defied the odds. How many more chances do you think you’ll get?”
Bella stepped up then. “Jared, are you all right?”
“I’m just a little banged up. I’ll be fine,” he assured her.
“Someone should look at your leg.” She glanced at his ripped pants. Blood was already drying on the wound.
“I’m bruised. That’s all. No big deal,” he said.
She walked into the bathroom, soaked a towel with hot water and antiseptic soap and then returned to the bedroom. “Here,” she said, handing him the towel. He appeared startled. Did he expect her to nurse his wounds? He could’ve been killed today. Did the man have a death wish? “For your face. You’ll frighten Sienna if she sees you like that.”
She glanced around the bedroom, the place where magic happened between them, the place where she’d felt safe and sheltered. But she didn’t feel that way anymore. Now, her eyes were open wide, seeing Jared as he really was, perhaps for the first time. The healthy version of Jared Stone was a man who loved to test his limits. He had a garage full of vehicles to pursue his pastime and he’d never tried to hide his true personality from her. In fact, he’d been only too happy to share his love of speed and danger with her.
He’d said it himself. He wanted to live his life fully before time ran out, the way it had for his father. Jared, once free of restrictions and physical limitations, couldn’t wait to hop on his motorcycle and race the storm. And she had been too busy falling in love with him to think this through. Now the cold slap of reality hit her hard.
Jared Stone wasn’t father material. He wasn’t husband material. He was a man who had been kind and caring to her, but that’s where it had to end.
Bella had already lost one good man. She couldn’t stand to lose another. Not to death. It was too final, too heart-wrenching. And she’d learned one lesson from her father, if only one, and that was she’d never try to change a person who didn’t want to change. If this was the way Jared wanted to live his life, she wouldn’t stop him.
“Cooper, will you check on Sienna for me? I need to say something to Jared.”
“Uh, sure.” He gave her a knowing look, bowing his head to her, his eyes seeming to plead with her to be gentle. “Take your time.”
Once Cooper left the room, she had Jared’s full attention. Her heart pounded in her chest, her eyes stung and the words were hard to come by. “Jared, I’m...sorry. This isn’t going to work.”
“What isn’t?” His hand froze where he’d been cleaning the blood off his face.
“You and me.” She managed a tiny smile.
“Bella, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do know what I’m saying. I’m saying...we’re over.”
“What, because of this?” His voice rose. He tossed the towel aside and stood, but his wounded leg gave way. He collapsed back on the bed.
Her heart bled, seeing him that way. He braced his elbows on the bed and stayed put. “I can’t do this again,” she said. “I’ve been down this road before. I’ve already lost one good man.”
“Bella, come on. You’re not gonna lose me. I’m here. I’m fine. I couldn’t let that dog die.”
“But you could’ve taken your car and driven a little slower. You could’ve been more cautious with your life. Every time Paul went up in his chopper, I worried. But he was doing his job, supporting his family. It’s what he knew. And when he died, I was crushed. He left me a lonely widow with a child to raise on my own. It’s taken me a long time to get to this place in my life.”
“I’m not going to let you go.”
“You can’t stop me. I’m not one to criticize anyone’s life choices. Lord knows my father did that to me to the point of suffocation. He tried to run my life and take away my own dreams, my own passions. I won’t do that to you. No matter how much I care about you, we’re not a good fit.”
“I say we are.”
“No. You’re not what Sienna and I need.”
His gaze burned right through her. “Not true, Bella. You know how good we are together. All three of us.”
Oh, God. His words destroyed her. She wanted to believe him, to trust him, but she had Sienna to think about. She had to protect her from another loss. It was better to end it here and now. “There’s more I have to tell you and you’ll be less inclined to want me around once you hear it.”
“There’s nothing you can say—”
“I’ve been lying to you.”
He blinked and gave her a dubious look. “What are you talking about?”
“I promised your mother I would tell you. And I meant to right away, but then Sienna got sick—”
“My mother?” His brows furrowed, his expression growing dim. That and the blood caking on his face made him appear dangerous. He was, to her well-being. “Bella, what does she have to do with this?”
“My name’s not Bella. My real name is Francesca Isabella Forte. I’m heiress to the Forte Foods empire. Your mother recognized me. I’d met her once, a long time ago.”
“Where?” he demanded.
“In San Francisco...where I grew up. I only came to Dallas to spend time with my friend Amy. And then I met you.”
He pushed a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe this.”
It killed her to see his utter disappointment, the admiration he held for her rapidly fading. The loss hit her in the pit of her stomach and she felt the blood drain from her face. How would she ever get over Jared Stone
?
She went on to explain. “I’m estranged from my father, and I’ve been...I’ve been hiding out here at Stone Ridge Ranch. Trying to make a new start.”
His eyes shot fully open. “So you’ve been lying to me about everything?”
“I’m terribly sorry, Jared. But my father cut me off, or so I thought, and I needed to—”
He stood now, on his own. Pain lined his face and she cringed. He could barely hold himself up, yet he remained standing, favoring his wounded leg. “You needed what? To lie and deceive me? Give me a run for my money? Oh, no, maybe not that. Since you’re loaded,” he said, raising his voice. “Here I thought I was giving you a home, a job, a place to raise Sienna and all the while...what? You were playing a sick game with me.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s about Sienna. I really thought she was in danger.”
“From who?”
“My father. He threatened to take her away from me, to sue me for custody. I panicked and ran. I’ve been through a lot this past year and I—”
Jared stared at her and began shaking his head. “Are you really a widow?”
“God yes, I wouldn’t lie about something like that. Everything I told you about my life before was true.”
“You lied about everything else. You didn’t trust me. You didn’t tell me the truth. And you know how much I hate liars.”
A shudder ran through her. He was comparing her to Helene, a woman who’d broken his heart and made him wary and closed off. Now he equated her with that awful, cheating woman.
Her emotions high, tears spilled down her cheeks. She never wanted to hurt Jared. She still loved him, but now, even friendship would be too much to ask of him. “I...I couldn’t take the risk.”
“I’ll never be able to trust you.” His eyes grew cold, hard. She’d never seen that look on his face before. “I thought you were perfect. My perfect angel.”
She didn’t have to say she wasn’t. That had become abundantly clear.
“You saved my life and I’ll always be grateful...” His voice trailed off and he fell back onto the bed, his shoulders slumped. “We were never meant to be.”
“No, I know that now. But, Jared, I really didn’t want it to end this way. I had planned to tell you the truth.”
He snorted in disbelief.
“I really did.” Her daughter was her primary concern, and she couldn’t subject Sienna to Jared’s reckless ways. Even if he could ever forgive her, they wouldn’t work. They wanted different things in life. Heartbroken, she had to face facts.
There was no way back from this.
Dread pulsed in the pit of her stomach. “I guess we’ll be moving out.”
He put his head down and nodded. “Do you have a place, Francesca?”
Hearing her real name fall from his lips stymied her. She prayed for strength. “I don’t know what I’ll do, but I have to go back to San Francisco. I can’t hide away any longer. I have to make some hard decisions.”
He nodded again. “I’m only concerned for Sienna’s sake,” he said, unable to hide his bitterness. “I’d like to say goodbye to her.”
A lump formed in her throat. “Of course.”
She stared at him for a long while. He refused to meet her eyes. There was nothing left between them, and it hurt like hell to admit it. “I’m terribly sorry,” she repeated. “Goodbye, Jared.”
He said nothing as she walked out of the room.
A loud crashing sound startled her. It was glass breaking against a wall. Jared’s vivid curses reached her ears.
She cringed but kept on walking, putting one foot in front of the other, feeling just as shattered as the lamp Jared had just destroyed.
* * *
Bella glanced out the study window at her father’s mansion. The day was gloomy and gray, matching her mood. Christmas was three days away, but she wished like crazy it would be over already. She put on a happy face for Sienna, making a big deal about her “gampa’s” Christmas tree, all snowy white and flushed with beautifully wrapped presents underneath.
She’d agreed to spend the holidays with her father and that they’d mutually try to patch up their differences. After that, she intended to find a place of her own.
Poor Sienna was confused. She’d settled in nicely at the ranch and though they’d only lived there a few weeks she still mentioned “Tared” often.
And it broke Bella’s heart.
She still remembered Jared’s near tearful goodbye to Sienna. He’d given her her Christmas gift early, a stuffed toy palomino horse with a thick golden mane and a saddle. Sienna slept with the darn thing at night.
Now they were back in Pacific Heights, yet her heart was in Texas with a handsome rancher with dark blond hair and incredible blue eyes.
“How’re you doing?” Yvonne said, coming into the room.
“I’m...okay.”
Yvonne glanced at the papers strewed around her desk. “You’re still at it? I’m glad to see you haven’t given up on your dream.”
“Thanks, Yvonne.” They’d had a nice long conversation the other day and cleared the air. Yvonne wasn’t a threat to her, as Bella had once believed. She was in her corner, and Bella found she’d been overly hard on her father’s wife over the years. She’d apologized, hoping it was enough. Yvonne had a good heart. “I’d go crazy if I didn’t have something to do right now.”
“Marco says tomorrow he’s taking you out to look for a place to lease...for your restaurant.”
“Yes, he is. He’s actually being quite good about it. But I doubt we’ll have much luck, being so close to the holiday and all. People have other things on their mind.” Now that her trust fund was available to her, she had the resources to pursue her dream.
“I can see that you do.”
“I do. It’s just that... I’m not sure of anything anymore. I’ve been going over my recipes and all. But am I ready to open up my own restaurant? I doubt it.”
“You’re hurting, Francesca.”
“Yes.” She wasn’t going to deny it. Yvonne now knew everything. “It was hopeless from the start, but I can’t deny my feelings. I’m in love.”
“Nothing’s hopeless when there’s love involved.”
She shrugged. “Jared was furious with me. He practically kicked me out of his house.”
“After you broke up with him.”
“I know. I did. But...but...”
“You know you can try to speak to him. See if he’s cooled down yet.”
“No, I can’t. He’s not a good fit for me. I need stability in my life. I need a man I can count on. I told you about the incident with Jared taking Sienna on that horse. It shaved years off my life seeing Sienna so frightened. No, Jared and I are too different. We want different things in life.”
Yvonne took her hand and squeezed. “I think you’ll find a way. You’re strong, Francesca. Just like someone else I know.”
Bella smiled. Maybe Yvonne, with the shapely figure and long blond hair, wasn’t a mother figure to her, but they could be friends, and that went a long way in making her feel better. “Thanks. I want to make this a good holiday for Sienna. I’m trying...”
* * *
Jared sat in the great room in Cooper’s house, watching a football game. Lauren had taken pity on him and invited him over to dinner. His face was a mess, but he’d let his beard grow to hide the scrapes. His leg still ached like a son of a bitch from his most recent crash. But nothing compared to the emptiness in his heart. He was hollowed out inside and pretty bad company.
Lauren sat next to him, offering him a plate of homemade cookies, while Cooper helped Marie with the dishes.
“No thanks,” Jared said.
“Hey, when a pregnant woman works all afternoon baking, you need to humor her.”
“Okay. Thanks,” he said, grabbing one
chocolate-chunk cookie. His appetite lately was on the blink. He wanted a Bella-original meal and every time he would think it, he’d cuss himself out for being a fool. If only he could stop thinking about her. Bella, Francesca, whatever the hell she was calling herself lately.
“Coercing you into eating a cookie wasn’t the reason I invited you over,” Lauren said. “I have news.”
“What kind of news?”
“Bella called me. We had a long talk. She’s concerned about you. Wanted to know how you were feeling.”
“Like crap. But she doesn’t need to know that. I’m...not interested.”
“You don’t want to know what she had to say?”
“No.”
“She put Sienna on the phone and she asked for Tared.”
Jared’s eyes squeezed shut. He was on his third bottle of beer and ready to gulp down the whole damn six-pack. “That’s hitting below the belt.”
“Yeah, a real sucker punch to your gut. I’m that good.”
Jared eyed his sister-in-law. “And I thought you liked me.”
“I do. I want you to be happy.”
“I can’t get over how she deceived me, Lauren. It’s like déjà vu all over again. But I thought Bella was different. I called her my angel. I thought...we had a chance.”
“She is different. Think about this. She didn’t deceive you to cause you harm. She didn’t want anything from you. She actually had to be talked into taking the job. With her father threatening to sue her for custody, her back was up against the wall. Can you imagine how frightened she was? Marco Forte is a powerful man and she didn’t know who to trust. She was protecting Sienna. I can understand that. I haven’t met my baby yet, but I’m already a protective mama bear when it comes to my child.” Lauren put her hand on her baby bump. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for the ones I love.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. She doesn’t approve of me.”
Lauren laughed, a hearty chuckle that rankled his nerves. “I can’t blame her for that. We’re all down on your hobby. Why can’t you just build things, like Cooper does?”
“I’m not Cooper, that’s why.”
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