by Kathryn Shay
He grinned when Matka joined them and sat in one of the padded chairs.
Alek’s eyes were mischievous when he said, “Paul’s telling us about going to jail with his new love.”
Paul shook his head. “I’ve got a lot of good stories to tell you, you know.”
“What fun is that?” Jakub put in. “We want dirt.”
He motioned to Hayley. “Come over, too, sweetheart.”
Soon she was by his side.
They laughed at the judge yelling at them.
They cringed at the scuzzy bed story.
And howled when Paul told them how he complimented her pink suit and she got mad. Zofia huffed. “I don’t know what’s so funny about that. Hayley was right to be insulted.”
They argued about that, the kind of argument Paul had envied for years in other families.
Not long after, one of the caterers came out. When the idea of entertaining his family had come up, and since neither of them could cook that well, this was the only option. His brothers had razzed him about having money to hire out the cooking, but it was all in fun.
“Ms. Casella, you wanted a fifteen-minute warning as to when dinner will be ready.”
“Thank you, Barbara. And please, call me Hayley.”
She turned to the group. “If everybody would get seated, we’d like to open the champagne.”
Of course, they jockeyed for the best seats, mostly who was going to sit next to Hayley. Paul dropped down next to Matka and stared at the empty chair at one end. She leaned into him. “Let us enjoy who came, Pawel. We cannot wallow in who is absent.”
“You’re right.”
A waiter poured the bubbly. Paul stood and picked up his glass. “I’d like to make a toast.”
“I think that is my job in this family.” The booming voice came from the entrance to the deck from the condo.
Paul dropped his glass. It fell onto the table and broke. Champagne spread everywhere. But the people with him hardly noticed. They were open-mouthed as they stared at Filip Covitz, who’d come to dinner after all.
He strode closer, but instead of sitting in the empty seat, he approached Paul. They looked at each other, wordlessly. They both swallowed hard. And Paul felt his throat clog again.
Until his father reached out and hugged him.
Over Paul’s shoulder, Filip winked at Hayley. No one else knew she’d gone to see Filip, more than once, and spent hours with him talking about being abandoned and how she’d forgiven Ronan. She used all her charm and wits to convince him on successive visits, but she had no idea what he’d decided.
Finally, they broke the bear hug and Filip walked to the seat Paul vacated, next to Matka. Hayley knew she hadn’t gone home to him yet. He squeezed her shoulder and a waiter handed him a full glass of champagne. “To my family,” he said hoarsely. “NaZdrowie!”
Ten happy voices chimed NaZdrowie.
* * * * *
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Author’s Note
* * *
Welcome to my new spin off series, The Casella Cousins. First seen in TAKE ME BACK, the characters really stuck in my head and I knew I had to tell their stories. What I like about this group is their variety of outlooks on life, of the careers they’ve chosen and what personal baggage they have.
So, what did you think of Hayley and Paul? Did you buy the enemies-turned-lover theme? I have to say, this is one of my favorite subjects to write about. Attraction can be masked by adversity. Not always, of course, but I thought theirs was believable because they’d known each other for a year, fought like cats and dogs and then were jailed together. That overnight stay behind bars was the first time they ever got to really talk, to know each other as people. Then, after the trial ends, they throw caution to the wind. They both knew at that point there was more between them than animosity. I must admit though, I didn’t expect the moonlit sail to include lovemaking, but I always go with my gut when the characters make their own decisions.
I found Paul particularly fascinating because of his background. I hope you sympathized with the plight of an eighteen-year-old who is disowned by his father, that the damage that did to his psyche. It was horrific enough to make him cut off his family completely for two decades. The reunion scenes between the brothers were particularly emotional for me. And how about that last scene?
I don’t always like my characters right away, but I did like Hayley from her time in TAKE ME BACK. Her story was particularly poignant to me because I personally know what it’s like to have an older sibling disappear from your young life because of their parents’ unreasonableness. When Ronan shows up, I got teary-eyed, because it brought back memories of my own childhood. And when she learns Paul did pretty much the same thing to his brothers and sisters, she stops seeing him. I did get annoyed with her sometimes, but mostly she was my favorite.
Seth’s story is up next, so I hope you grab a copy and see how the Casella saga continues to develop.
Kathy
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Don’t miss the other books in
THE CASELLA COUSINS Series
July 22, 2020—Legal Aid lawyer Seth Casella is a truly good guy. Or so everybody thinks. But he has a darker side, that came out with his old girlfriend, Julianne Ford, which splits them apart permanently. Or maybe not!
Find SETH on Amazon
August 21, 2020—Finn Casella, a mild-mannered guy, owns a bookstore in New York. He’s content with a quiet life and casual dating. Until he begins to see his young, sometimes infuriating assistant in a new light.
Find FINN on Amazon
September 22, 2020—Alessia Casella Benatti married the love at of her life at eighteen. And he died young. After several years, she goes back to finish college. She meets dashing Dylan Davidson, a fellow student, and begins to see love in her future again--though something isn’t quite right about him.
Find ALESSIA on Amazon
October 20, 2020—Gideon Casella is a top cop in the Hidden Cove Police Department and in line for a promotion. It comes as a shock when the brass gives the position to Anabelle Sanders, a tough-as-nails female detective—and then assigns him to work for her.
Find GIDEON on Amazon
November 17, 2020—Ronan Casella left home twenty plus years ago, abandoning his beloved sister and brother—until now. The mystery as to what’s happened to Ronan in the intervening decade is revealed in book six.
Find RONAN on Amazon
Excerpt
* * *
Take a look at the next book in the series,
SETH
“Thanks, Mama.” Seth Casella squeezed his mother’s hand. “Another great breakfast.”
Carmella smiled. “I’ll miss these meals with you when you go back to your own place.”
Seth had stayed at his mother’s house to recover from a stabbing at Legal Aid by the disgruntled husband of a client, but he was healing well.
“I’ll miss them, too. I’m going to try not to work so much this time around and come to dinner when you’ll have me.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Neither had heard the woman come in through the garage and enter the kitchen until she spoke.
Seth swallowed hard. Julianne Ford been visiting every day since his sojourn here. And her appearances were just about killing him. “Hi, Julianne.”
“Good morning, Seth.” A frown marred her brow. “How much longer are you going to be at your mom’s house?”
“I’m going home soon.”
Mama stood and hugged her. The two women had gotten close, even though Seth had blown his and Jules’ relationship more than one time—and now, for good.
“Hello, dear.” When Julianne sat at the table, they chatted some, then Mama asked, “Did you talk to Celia yesterday?” Celia Ford and Seth’s mother had been friends for decades and raised their families together.
“Yeah, Mom’s loving the hot weather in Florida. She said to say hi and she’ll call you soon.”
Seth stood. “Want some coffee?”
“Um, sure.” She addressed his mother. “Actually, I came over to ask you to go out to dinner, Carmella.”
“Not tonight, sweetie. I’m watching Tommy.” Seth’s oldest brother’s son.
“Some other time, then.”
Carmella’s phone rang. Her face brightened “I-I have to take this. I’m expecting a call. I’ll be back, darlings.”
His mother left, and Seth poured coffee in a cup labeled Julianne’s Mug. His hands were shaking, damn it, as he hadn’t quite recovered. Or was it Julianne’s proximity? “Here you are.”
She angled her chin to where his mom had gone. Her blond hair fell in one sweep at her shoulders and some slid over her forehead. “Think she has the power to make her phone ring?”
“No, she was waiting to hear from Rafe. I knew the call was coming.”
“Ah.” She studied him over the rim of her mug. He wanted to tuck that strand of hair behind her ear. “So, are you feeling better?”
“Physically, yes. I’m still not up to par, though.” He hesitated. Might as well tell the truth. “But I miss you, Julianne. Seeing you every day these two weeks makes me feel worse about our breakup.”
Her blue eyes darkened. The two of them pretty much had the same coloring. “For the record, our contact has made me feel bad about us, too.”
They’d grown up together. Playmates until junior high where they became friends, though it got awkward sometimes, like when they shared their first kiss. But in high school, they started going steady, and were a couple in college until they graduated. They’d stayed together when she went to Julliard for a master’s degree and he attended law school. How could she not miss him?
“So, how’s work going?” he asked to break the awkward silence.
Julianne had her own music therapy studio and was practically a violin virtuoso in her own right.
“Same as always. I still love teaching. Helping kids through music.”
“How’s Jordan?”
She smirked. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“He’s fine. We see each other almost every day.”
“Funny, I haven’t noticed his car in your driveway that much.”
“Keeping tabs on me?”
Instead of answering, he asked, “So, it’s gotten serious?”
“Maybe.” She shook her head.
“What?”
“You’re like a dog with a bone, Casella. You break my heart by sleeping with other women, then we split, but you can’t stand to see me with another man.”
“I’ve always felt that way. Remember Colin Camp in high school? Jack Carroll in college? Watching you with them was torture.”
“Yet you slept with Sandy Baker junior year. And a teacher, for God’s sake, in college. More after that. You’re a serial adulterer.”
“I thought you had to be married to commit adultery.”
The joke fell flat.
She scraped back her chair. “You know exactly what I mean. Tell your mother that I’ll come back tomorrow.” Setting down her coffee with a thump, she stood and headed for the garage door.
Seth caught up with her in the mudroom. “Wait.”
Her back to him, she shook her head. But she’d stopped.
He moved in close so his body nearly aligned with hers. “Can’t we try again?”
She whirled on him then. Her face flushed and her eyes glittered. But not because she was turned on. Anger burned in her from head to toe. “You have to be kidding me! I finally got out from under my love for you. Do you honestly think I’d ever take you back?”
Stung, he leaned against the wall, insolently. “You have before.”
The slap came hard on his face. “Go to hell, Seth.” And she stormed out.
He rubbed his cheek. Everybody in his family thought he was the nice one, the giving and forgiving one. But they were wrong. At least where Julianne Ford was concerned.
With her, he’d been a real bastard.
* * *
Julianne strode into the house she’d lived in all her life. Two years ago, she’d bought it from her mother when Celia went to Florida to move in with her sister.
Jules didn’t slam the door, though. She didn’t stomp her feet. But above all, she didn’t cry. Years ago, she’d promised herself she would never cry over Seth Casella again. Three months ago, she’d even made up a steady boyfriend, Jordan, so Seth would leave her alone. The ruse made her feel foolish but she had to protect herself.
She was dating, though. She picked up her cell phone from the counter, checked her texts and punched in a number.
He answered. “Hey, there, Julianne. You said you couldn’t get together tonight.”
“Yeah, my plans got aborted.” She’d hope to spend time with Carmella, without Seth hovering around them.
“Then are you free to meet?”
“Yes. How about The Hidden Cove Inn for cocktails at six?”
“Great. See you then. I’ll be the one with the big smile.”
She disconnected and looked out at the back lawn, not as big as the Casella’s but beautifully landscaped with bushes and trees. She and her mother had planted flowers which bloomed all summer, and now, at the very end of August, the geraniums and impatiens were even bigger and fuller than before. And on the deck, she’d put multi-colored ones in pots. The view soothed her.
But with the calm came sadness. As if in a trance, she climbed up the stairs, crossed into the closet and pulled out an album. Sat the big square brown leather book on her bed. The insert on the front read, Happily Ever After.
As if.
The first page depicted her and Seth as babies, with both their moms. Then preschool, entering the building holding hands.
The next was a play, where she was Cinderella and he was the Prince. He was the always the good guy. She leafed through the elementary grades and junior high, and finally the prom pictures for eleventh grade.
She’d been so happy that night. They’d talked about sleeping together afterward so she’d put on her best underwear, used some of her mother’s perfume and smoothed down the as-sexy-a-dress as her parents would allow. She and Seth had danced the night away, totally in love. Or so she thought. At the end of the prom, he’d gone to get the car, and when he didn’t show up by the time he should have, she went to look for him.
And found him kissing the daylights out of Sandy Baker, who’d attended with a group of girls…
Suddenly, Julianne came out of the Seth-spell and said, “What the hell am I doing?”
Damn, damn, damn. It was what she did when memories of them got to her. When he got to her. She rolled to her feet, spread the album on the bed, and proceeded to viciously rip out the pages. Then she tore each of them into pieces.
She’d wouldn’t wallow like this again. After disposing of the mess, she crossed to her closet and picked out a dress to wear tonight. Thinking about someone else was just what she needed.
* * *
Seth waited for his supervisor from work to arrive. He hated having to put her out, but his doctor forbade him to drive for another week and she offered to come here to talk to him in person.
He was going stir crazy.
The doorbell rang at four. He crossed to the foyer and let Ellen Danner in. They weren’t close friends but he liked her. About forty-five, married with two kids, she was tall and attractive. “Hey, Seth. You look better than I expected you to.”
“Thanks. Following doctor’s orders.”
“As if you’d ever do any harm to yourself or others.”
Having been hurt by Julianne’s remarks, he enjoyed Ellen’
s view of him. They took seats on the sofa in the adjacent living room and made small talk for a few minutes. Then, Ellen gestured to the bag she placed in front of her. “So, we’ve got a backlog,”
“What else is new?”
“This time it’s serious.”
He frowned. “Because I’ve been out?”
“Partly, but in any case, we need more counselors and we still can’t get the funding for them.” The plight of social organizations that helped the poor.
“Can I do anything from home?”
“Yes, if it won’t tax your recovery.”
“Please, I’m going nuts.”
“That’s what you said on the phone. You’ve been with us a long time so I trust you with this. I brought a stack of case files. I was thinking you could go through them and prioritize them.”
“You mean rank the applicants’ misery.”
“I see it that way, too. If you don’t want this distasteful job, it’s okay.”
“No, I’ll try to be objective.” Not his strong suit, though.
“You’ll have to set up phone interviews. You’re still getting paid because your…injury happened at Legal Aid.” Her eyes clouded. “I’m so sorry for that. I know I told you that before, but I am.”
He squeezed her arm. “Ellen, I’m doing fine. It was no one’s fault but Malone’s.” The guy who stabbed him. “Did you get an alarm system put in?”
“Yeah. Of all things. We received an anonymous donation for it.”
“Where from?”
“New York City. I have no idea why. We got a cashier’s check and a note telling us to use it for security.”
That seemed like Hayley’s hand. He’d ask her point blank.
“So, you’ll do this, Seth?”
“Uh-huh.”