The Resilient Bride

by Lucy McConnell

  “He didn’t?”

  “No.” She placed her hand on his. “But He promised I would see her again.”

  David turned their hands and brushed his thumb across her wedding ring. Kiera’s heart did a backflip. “Goodbye is the hardest word in the world to learn, but hello can be the sweetest. It lingers on the tongue and offers everything from hope to thrills and some very strange things happening in here.” David took her wet hand between his and pressed her palm over his heart.

  Kiera’s pulse matched his pound for pound. Her mouth went dry. “I see what you mean.”

  “Do you?” David’s gaze delved into her, heating her tummy and spreading like frosting on a warm cake.

  Needing something firm, solid, and not David to hold on to, Kiera tore her hand away from his chest and gripped the cold granite countertop.

  David looked down to where she’d left a small handprint on his shirt. “I think it would be best if I turned in.”

  “Yeah,” Kiera breathed.

  “Yeah,” he echoed, walking backward until he bumped into the wall.

  Kiera giggled.

  “Wall,” he said, pointing to it.

  “Wall,” she echoed.

  He patted it. “Good wall. Very sturdy.”

  Kiera laughed as he made his way down the hallway. She turned back to the dishes to avoid a last look. David was all too fun to look at, but she was a married woman. Married to one of the sweetest, most wonderful men on the plant. She wanted to make every moment he had left a good one. With that in mind, she finished up the dishes and decided to get a good night’s sleep so she’d be in top form for their outing in the morning.

  11

  Liam walked gingerly to the breakfast table using the wall, the counter, and then a chair for support. His head pounded, spun, and stomped, and his stomach rolled in protest. Awful how those two parts of the body were connected.

  Kiera glanced up from her saucer of hot chocolate and let out a startled cry. Having caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror, Liam knew her alarm was well founded. Dark circles had set up camp under his eyes, and his skin was as white as the marble statue in the courtyard.

  Unlike him, Kiera looked stunning in her striped yoga pants and running shirt. She had a fit body, one that moved easily and with grace. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, and wisps framed her face. She must have made use of the gym at the other end of the house before settling in for breakfast. The villa came furnished, which made moving in with a day’s notice all that much easier. Bless Ella for her massive organizational skills that bordered on miracle work.

  Kiera was beside him, lifting his arm and settling it over her shoulders.

  “Hey, baby,” he whispered in what he hoped sounded like an intimate tone but may have come off as breathless sick guy. “Can’t a guy have breakfast without you plastering yourself all over him?”

  Kiera blushed. “In your dreams, hubby.”

  “All night long.” Liam slumped into the chair next to hers. “Hubby?”

  Kiera’s blush deepened. “It just kind of came out.”

  “I like it.” He remembered her tender touch as she tucked him in last night. Picking up her hand, he kissed her fingers. “I like other things too.”

  “Like what?” asked David. The jerk strode in, all healthy morning glow, confidence, and a crooked smile for Kiera, who rivaled the terra cotta wall art for red.

  “Kiera’s new pet name for me.” Liam smirked. His limbs hung heavy, and pain stabbed his back. He didn’t want to think about why.

  Kiera put her hand on her hip—her curvy and beautiful hip. “Okay, Casanova, time to tuck you back in.” She helped him from the chair and wrapped her arm around his back.

  “See, David, she can’t wait to get me in bed.” He kissed Kiera’s cheek. “I have that effect on women.”

  Kiera chuckled.

  David harrumphed.

  “I’ll bring in some of this hot cocoa, and we’ll have a picnic while we wait for your pill to kick in,” Kiera offered.

  Liam glanced over his shoulder. “You’re not invited,” he told David.

  Ella met them in the hall just outside his room. “The scooters will be here in a half hour, and I made reserva—” She cut herself off when she looked up from her tablet and took in Liam’s shuffled steps. “Never mind.”

  Liam lifted his fingers. “Thank you, Ella. I know you’ve spent the morning arranging things for us. Please give David the information. He and Kiera will be ready to leave soon.”

  “No. I’m staying.” Kiera’s braid brushed his arm, and he was sorely tempted to take her up on that offer.

  He pointed to the bed, and they made their way that direction. “Unless you’re going to crawl in with me, you’re going.”

  “Liam,” Kiera said, a hint of reproach in her voice, “you are my husband, and I will stay with you.”

  Liam placed his hand over his heart. “Darling, you’ve made me the happiest man on earth. Please allow me the dignity of managing this on my own. It’s not so bad that a day of R and R won’t have me chasing you through the streets of Rome tomorrow. Maybe even tonight.”

  “Rome?” Kiera helped him under the covers.

  “The Sistine Chapel—tomorrow. If I need something, Ella will be here. I don’t want you missing out on the moped tour.”

  “Sounds thrilling.” Kiera brushed her fingers over his brow.

  “Wait till you see the scooters.” Liam grimaced at the needle Ella carried. He’d never been a big fan of needles, preferring to swallow pills, but the shot would take effect much faster, and the pain was begging to stop.

  “Do you mind?” Ella asked Kiera. “I’ve never …”

  “Of course.” Kiera took the needle in her capable hands. Ella provided an alcohol wipe, which Kiera used to disinfect his arm before inserting the needle.

  Shifting, Ella gabbed. “It’s fine, ma’am. I’ve stayed with Mr. Bernhard before.”

  “I don’t feel good about leaving you.” Kiera handed the used needle to Ella, who carried it as far away from her body as possible as she left the room.

  “I can’t rest knowing David’s moping around here all day, stressing out. Stress is bad for the body. He’s going to have a heart attack and be the one to greet me at the Pearly Gates.”

  “David’s fine. It’s you—”

  Liam placed his finger over Kiera’s delicious-looking lips. He’d have to find a way to see if those lips were as sweet as they promised. “I’m asking as a friend and as your husband—help him laugh again. I want my brother back before I die.” The medication spread through his circulatory system. “Please.”

  Kiera’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Okay.”

  “What did you call me?” he mumbled.

  Kiera laughed. “Hubby.”

  “That’s me.” He relaxed into the mattress and was soon asleep.

  12

  Kiera changed into a pair of teal capris and a white peasant blouse Trish had insisted she purchase the day before the wedding. At the time, she hadn’t thought much about the shopping spree, knowing that her closet was in desperate need. Now, she wondered how much Trish had known about Liam’s situation and A.D.D. personality that she didn’t tell. The marriage had been rushed and semi-haphazard, which she understood considering the circumstances, but perhaps she was the only one who felt that way, because she was the only one who didn’t know Liam was dying when they said “I do.” Still, she could have backed out at any time. She didn’t have to climb into that limo with Liam and David. She didn’t have to get on the plane and fly to Italy. For some reason, she continued forward, like this was the only path ahead. Deciding to take a page from Liam’s book, she brushed off her questions about the future and finished getting ready by adding a chunky salmon bracelet and scarf to her ensemble. Lastly, she unwound her long braid and finger combed the waves.

  A tap sounded at her door, and David’s voice floated through the crack. “Are you ready?”

  Ki
era pulled the door all the way open. Whoa. David had on a pair of khaki pants and a black polo shirt with a pair of aviators tucked in at the buttons. His dark champagne-colored hair had been tousled, and his cheeks had a just-shaved shine. Smelling like musk and soap, he was all rich-man hotness with a tinge of sad. His natural confidence was doing strange things to her mental abilities, and that melancholy triggered her inner nurturer. She couldn’t decide if she should run away or wrap her arms around him. She opted to run. “Just let me grab my phone.”

  David leaned against the doorjamb like a model on location.

  I wish I’d thought to pack a good camera.

  “Why’s that?” David put his finger to his ear, indicating he hadn’t quite heard her.

  Kiera dropped her purse. Did I say that out loud? “Um, you know. We’re in Italy. Who knows if I’ll ever make it back.” Nice recovery. She moved to the doorway, but David didn’t let her pass.

  “Tradition says if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the Fontana de Trevi, you’re destined to return one day.” He searched her face, his gaze caressing her cheeks, her lips, and her jaw before returning to her eyes.

  Needing some respite from his intensity, she joked, “What happens if you throw in a gelato?”

  David’s eyes crinkled. “You get an all-expense paid tour of an Italian prison. Or so I hear.”

  “Ooooh. Fancy.”

  He picked up the end of her scarf. “This is fancy.”

  She tossed her head. “Yes, I thought it would look romantic fluttering behind me as I zoomed through the streets of Gaeta on my moped.”

  “You will be the picture of beauty.” Their eyes met, and the air between them grew heavy with thoughts of being close, handprints on shirts, and longing. David stood straight. “This way.” He motioned for her to go first.

  Kiera hurried ahead, intent on finding that line between distance and friendliness. They were greeted in the piazza by three shiny black scooters. David picked the biggest one. Kiera took one of the smaller two. She glanced over at the empty seat and frowned.

  “What?” asked David, his voice as gentle as the breeze.

  “I don’t like running off and having a good time while he’s sick.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. “It doesn’t seem right.”

  “Welcome to my life.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Never mind.”

  “No, what did you mean?”

  David straddled the scooter but didn’t start it up. He slouched and then scratched his neck. “Both Liam and I had scans. Mine came back all clear—the picture of health. Liam’s showed a tumor in his brain.” He ran his hand down his face. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished they mixed up the results and it was really my scan that came back with cancer. That it was me who would die.” His hard eyes turned on the sky. “Have you ever had a patient’s family member pray they were taken instead? Did you?”

  Kiera fiddled with her scarf. “I did not. There’s a certain promise in this life that kids will outlive their parents. For me, it was natural that Mom would go before me—the timing was just way off. I wanted her to see her grandkids.” Kiera’s eyes burned with the memory and tears. “I felt like I had failed her in the most substantial way.”

  “Do you still feel like that?” David probed.

  Kiera turned to take in her home away from home. “Not in the last couple of days, I haven’t. Something about being here, with Liam, feels right. Like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I can’t explain it the way I feel it. Sorry.” She wiped the moisture off her cheeks.

  “Don’t be.”

  “You’re a good brother, David.” Kiera weighted her words with a serious look.

  David twisted his mouth. “If you don’t want to go, we can hang here.”

  Kiera looked at the house. It was big and beautiful and filled with things to do, including swimming in the pool and watching movies on the big screen, but she doubted either of them would bring David out of his funk. Her guilt at being able to go riding—while Liam slept off their fun from yesterday—had given her new insight into David’s perpetually bad mood. Liam asked her to make David happy. That was his idea, not hers. She had to look at today as a favor to him. Maybe that would help David too. “I think we should go.”

  “You do?” David’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah.” She climbed on the scooter without an explanation. Telling him that he was bringing Liam down would add to his guilt, which would make cheering him up improbable. Neither would she divulge that Liam had given her an assignment. Ignoring his confusion, she found the start button. The lights came on, but the engine didn’t purr. “I think it’s broken.”

  David shook his head. “They’re electric.”

  Kiera was pleased she could hear him. He leaned over to reach the helmet hanging from the handlebars and put it on her head. “Safety first. Liam would kill me if I brought his wife home with a scratch.”

  Kiera laughed. “I’m not a car.”

  David searched her face. “You’re a Bugatti, Kiera. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

  Kiera’s heart pounded. She had no idea what a Bugatti was, but the reverence in David’s voice told her it was something to be valued—she was to be valued. How different these men were from Jack. Though they all came from money, and lots of it, they weren’t cut from the same cloth. Uncomfortable with the praise, she leaned back. “Take it slow, at least at first. I’ve never driven one of these before.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Slow it is.”

  Kiera released a breath as he put on his own helmet. “How come your bike is bigger than mine?”

  “Because it makes me look like a bad-A.”

  Kiera snorted. “Yeah, that electric moped is really working it for you.” She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but David cut a mighty fine image on that scooter. He could ride that thing into the middle of a playground while carrying a dozen balloons and wearing a clown nose, and he’d still look hot.

  Yeesh.

  David jerked his head. “Come on. I want to see the church.”

  “You really know how to impress a girl.”

  He barked a laugh, and Kiera made a note that he seemed to brighten up when she teased him. She should do that more. Maybe she could tease the old David out of his shell.

  They pulled out of the cobblestone drive, Kiera keeping a steady eye on David’s broad back. While teasing him might be what he needed, it was dangerous ground. Sullen David was manageable; Kiera wasn’t sure if she could handle a David who smiled, laughed, and—heaven forbid—teased her back.

  13

  “Wow.” Kiera stared up the sweeping concrete stairs leading to the San Francesco church set on top of a hill overlooking the sea. “You really know how to impress a girl.”

  David grinned. “Wait till you see it up close. The frescos are amazing.”

  Kiera put her hand on the baluster for support as they climbed. “How old is the building?”

  “It was built in 1222 to honor the time the Pope spent here during an uprising, making Gaeta the center of the Catholic Church for a short time.”

  “So I’m looking at a building that is older than my country.” The Gothic-style architecture required ornamentation wherever the eye landed. Brought together, the result was as beautiful as it was bold. The symbols were delicate and purposeful.

  “I guess I never thought of it that way.” David moved closer to Kiera to let an elderly couple pass. They clutched wrinkled hands and wore thick-soled shoes during their descent. The woman was in a flowered skirt, and the gentleman’s silver hair hung to his chin.

  David brought her attention back to him by cupping her elbow. “I grew up traveling the world and seeing things that were ancient.” He gestured toward the stairs, and like pilgrims in need of a spiritual reawakening, they began their climb. “I guess I kind of take things in at a global perspective.”

  “Well, I’ve never been outside the US, so it’s kind of a big deal for me.” Th
ey reached the top, stopping to let their legs rest for a moment.

  “This was your first passport stamp?”

  “Yep. I had to get one to sign up with BMB.”

  “You weren’t looking to travel?”

  Kiera rolled her eyes. “Of course I wanted to travel.” She sighed. “But life sort of got away from me.”

  David took her explanation in stride and continued the tour, giving her the background of basic architecture, arches, and the artists who painted and sculpted for the church. His hands moved slowly at first, tracing the roofline as he spoke, and then became determined butterflies swooping from one section of the building to the next. He threw out words like spandrel and triforium, all the while his eyes brightening.

  Kiera’s mind wandered away from his words and more towards his features before she decided to exile her gaze from David’s face. Instead she turned to observe a couple facing the ocean. The woman stood in front of the man, her hands on the banister, and he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her middle and his chin next to her ear. They melded into one another. Their posture said they were comfortable with their proximity and their affection. Cocking her head, Kiera wondered what it would be like to have David’s arms around her, his fingers splayed across her stomach.

  “Shall we go inside?” David’s question broke through Kiera’s dopey trance.

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat. “I bet it’s cooler in there.” Kiera fanned her face with her hand. “Why do you know so much about this church?” she asked, hoping to keep David’s spirits up by keeping him talking.

  “Architectural major.”

  “You’re an architect?”

  “No. I’m an architectural major.”

  “Isn’t that like saying I graduated from med school but I can’t write a prescription?”

  David scratched his jaw. “I guess I don’t feel like I’ve earned the title.”

  “What would it take?”

  “Seeing something I designed built.”