The Resilient Bride

by Lucy McConnell

“Ah,” Kiera started toward the front doors. A couple stopped on the threshold and exchanged a kiss full of love and tenderness. What is it with Italians and PDAs? She scowled as they stopped in the same place as the affectionate couple had been moments before.

  David must have thought her scowl was directed at him. “You don’t approve?”

  Kiera smiled. “You’re waiting for someone else to tell you what you are instead of defining yourself and shouting it out to the world.”

  David stared at her, hard, pinning her in place with his intensity. “Liam and I own half of our late father’s property information company, which continues to grow thanks to booming sales in China. I get handed a lot of things in this world.”

  “Yeah.” She squirmed.

  “Architecture is in my veins. The first thing I ever drew was a tree house for me and Liam. This title, this distinction, it’s something I want to earn.”

  Kiera bit her lip. “I’ve misjudged you.”

  “Perhaps.” He stepped from the bright midmorning sun and into the church. “But no one could misjudge the beauty here.”

  “Nice to know I’m not a lost cause.” Kiera swung her hips as she entered the building. She threaded the scarf from her neck and draped it over her purse. The vaulted ceilings required all of her attention, and neck muscles she’d been previously unaware of, to appreciate.

  They spent an hour wandering through and around the church. After David released another bout of architectural what’s what, he grew meditative, and Kiera allowed him some space. She circled the church several times, her mind working to take in every detail. The Italians left no wall space, floor space, or even ceiling space without decoration.

  With her senses overloaded, Kiera made her way to the veranda overlooking the ocean. Resting her arms on the banister, she leaned as far over as she dared to look down where the waves met the rocky shore. She sighed as the salty breeze blew through her hair. A short time later, she sensed David nearby. Without a word, he leaned next to her, their arms close together.

  Kiera turned to take in the tile rooftops and sand-colored buildings. Few people wandered the streets, and traffic was light. “It’s peaceful here. Like this spot of land is not part of the world where I live.”

  “Your world isn’t peaceful?”

  “Hardly.” The breeze picked up, and goose bumps broke out on her skin.

  David removed the scarf from her purse and wrapped it around her shoulders. “What troubles could you have?”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  He lifted an eyebrow in challenge.

  “I will not lay my problems at your doorstep, David. You have enough of your own.”

  David scooted next to her, their arms touching. “See, that’s the thing. Being here, with you, has … well, I haven’t thought about how horrible life is for at least twenty minutes.”

  Kiera laughed. “Twenty whole minutes, huh? I’m impressed.”

  “You should be. Liam and I have been all over the world. We’ve hiked mountains, gone deep into the ocean, and pretty much lived Mardi Gras in an attempt to distract ourselves from reality. It hasn’t worked. Every day I wake up there’s this monster hiding under the bed. Instead of shrinking from the sunlight, it follows me all day long. I haven’t been able to shake it.”

  He put his hand over hers. “This quiet day, with you, in this church, has touched a place in my heart.” He paused. Brushing her cheek with his fingers, David’s eyes went soft. “I’ve never begrudged Liam anything—until now.”

  He glanced at her lips, sending Kiera’s heart into a tailspin. She wanted his kiss. Somehow she knew it would be amazing, the kind of kiss that redirected her whole world.

  “Don’t.” Kiera pulled her hand away and twisted her wedding band around her finger.

  David glanced at her fidgeting and allowed her space, but his eyes didn’t leave her face. “I won’t cross that line, Kiera. I’m a stronger man than I let on.”

  “Then I haven’t misjudged you after all.”

  “Perhaps not.” He shook off the spell. “Are you ready for dinner? Ella promised a traditional five-course meal.”

  “Sounds great. I’m famished.”

  They made their way to the stairs, and Kiera gasped at the beauty laid out before her. The late afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky, painting the buildings with shades of sunflower, terra cotta, canary, apricot, buff, and marigold. To their left, the sea ebbed and flowed, the waves crashing against the shore, silent from this distance but no less mesmerizing.

  “This city was made for sunsets,” David said near her ear, his breath warm against her neck.

  He continued on and was a third of the way down the stairs before she broke from the trance he’d created. He may not have crossed a line, but he couldn’t turn off his raw sexy nature. Nor could Kiera deny the fact that she was attracted to him. He was all sorts of wonderful, and if she didn’t watch it, she’d find herself in a predicament.

  She hadn’t married David—and been glad because of this exact reason. Liam, with all his flirting, touching, and hand-holding, she could handle. She loved his spontaneity, his bubbling personality, and his open admiration of her. Liam was her husband, and to Liam she would be faithful. Not just because she’d said the words, but because she wanted to be that type of a wife for him—to give her best so there were no regrets.

  Trotting, she caught up and made her way to the smaller scooter, where she secured her own helmet before David could come close again. She may not be able to control the way her body and mind reacted to him, but she could keep him far enough away that she didn’t have a reaction. Like an allergy, she’d just have to avoid the trigger. That should be easy enough to do as long as she stayed on her toes.

  Pressing the ignition, Kiera listened for the beep, but none came. She tried again, this time focusing on the light around the speedometer. It stayed dark. “What the …?”

  “You coming?” David’s scooter inched forward.

  Oh, sure, his scooter started. “It won’t turn over or turn on or whatever.” Kiera tried once more before huffing.

  David put down the kickstand on his scooter and came over to try.

  Kiera let out a nervous laugh.

  “What?”

  “Your bad-A bike has a kickstand.” She covered her mouth.

  “So does yours.” He pointed down.

  “Yeah, but my scooter’s cute. Kickstands are expected on cute.”

  He smirked. Pressing the button and holding it, he scowled when the dash stayed dark.

  Muttering something in Italian that Kiera was pretty sure she got the gist of, David pulled out his phone. “Ciao, Ella.”

  “Ciao?” Kiera rolled her eyes.

  “When in Rome …” David winked at her.

  “We aren’t in Rome.”

  With an eye roll of his own, David went off in Italian, gesturing to her bike and throwing his hands in the air. Kiera laughed at his antics.

  With a sigh, David ended the call. He looked from Kiera to his moped and back. “Well, lucky for you, I have a bad-A bike.”

  Kiera’s eyes went wide. She didn’t like the way this was going. “Lucky me?” she squeaked.

  “Yep. It happens to fit two.”

  Kiera gripped the handlebars of her moped. “What about my scooter?”

  “Ella will send someone to get it within the hour.”

  A delicious vision of holding David tight as they weaved through the sunset streets was more than Kiera could withstand. “I could wait and catch a ride with whoever comes to fix it.”

  David shook his head. “Liam’s awake and waiting for us.”

  “Oh.” What had looked like a big bike next to her one-seater could never hold all of David and all of her without forcing her to hold on to him. “Okay, but I get to drive.” She jumped off her scooter and hurried over to David’s, taking possession of the front seat.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Kiera put her hand on her hip. “That’s m
y condition. I drive or I walk.”

  “It’s seven miles.” David mirrored her stance.

  “No problem. I run thirteen every weekend.” Which was the wrong thing to say, because David’s eyes went to her legs.

  “I can see that.”

  At the end of her wit, she glared. “Shut your mouth and get on the bike.”

  “Fine. But let the record show I tried to be a gentleman.” He placed one hand on her hip and threw his long, muscular leg over the bike.”

  Kiera held back a squeal. “You can’t …” She flushed. “… touch me.”

  David sighed. “What am I supposed to hold on to?”

  Kiera searched the moped, but there weren’t any handles or even finger grips. “Fine. Just not too tight.”

  Smirking, David said, “I can do that.” Both hands went to her waist, his touch feather-light, the heat from his hands boiling the butterflies in her stomach. Why she thought this was a better option than holding on to him was beyond her.

  She pressed the ignition—the stupid bike starting on the first try—and pulled onto the street. The narrow alleys were quiet, most people already home for dinner.

  Pulling gently, David settled her back against him.

  “What are you doing?” She panicked and the moped wobbled.

  “You can’t drive sitting on the handlebars.”

  “Can too.” She moved forward.

  “I’d like to make it back to the villa without road rash—will you just relax?” His voice held a hint of humor as if he enjoyed seeing her flustered, like he knew how he affected her.

  Stupid male ego.

  Blowing out all the air in her lungs, Kiera shook her right foot as if she could shake out the bundle of nerves like the last cereal in a box of Lucky Charms. “I’ve never driven with someone on the back, and now that I’m on it, this is a bad-A bike.”

  “Yep.” He gave her middle a light squeeze. This time Kiera did squeal.

  “Stop it.” She swatted at him, sending the moped towards a parked car.

  “Hey!” David leaned over her and grabbed the handles.

  Encircled by his warm arms, Kiera growled at the way her body betrayed her determination. Elbowing him in the gut, she knocked his arms away and took control. Gunning the accelerator would have been more effective if the machine had a gas engine to rev, but she was pleased to feel his hands go back to the relative safety of her hips as she picked up speed.

  “Hang on,” she called over her shoulder as she watched the speedometer climb. How fast was fifty-five kilometers anyway? She didn’t care. The faster they got back to Liam, the better.

  14

  Liam lounged on the veranda, watching for Kiera and David’s return. He’d awoken half an hour before, and, thanks to the meds, his brain was still foggy. Nothing a good meal and some better conversation couldn’t fix. Ella had hired a chef to prepare an authentic Italian feast, so the food was under control. With Kiera around, the conversation should prove to be invigorating.

  That woman had fit into Liam’s life, his heart, and his impending death better than he could have hoped. She was the first ray of sunlight in the morning and the brightest star in the evening sky all rolled into one stunningly beautiful package.

  Her bedside manner was that of an angel. He’d woken up once today and regretted sending her away. Falling asleep would never be the same after falling asleep with her hands brushing through his hair. What he regretted even more was sending her on a fool’s errand. David would not change his Oscar-the-Grouch ways in an afternoon. Poor Kiera had probably been miserable all day long while dragging David’s sorry butt around town. Hopefully, she’d enjoyed the mopeds and seen something worth traveling across the globe to see.

  A scooter rounded the corner going much too fast, the bodies on board leaning in tandem. They stopped in front of the entrance way, and Kiera jumped off so fast David had to grab the handlebars and steady the bike. Neither of them noticed Liam yet.

  “Tell me again why I had to drive slow this morning?” David asked.

  “Whew.” Kiera pulled off her helmet and shook out her hair. “You drive like a grandpa.”

  David tipped his head back and laughed. He pulled off his helmet, his eyes dancing and his shoulders shaking. “I’ll get you next time, Bugatti.”

  David’s blue moods had weighed heavy on Liam’s shoulders. How was a man supposed to die in peace when his brother was so sad? At the sound of David’s laughter, a band that had restricted him snapped, and Liam breathed in his relief and expelled his worries.

  Kiera wagged her finger. “You’ll have to catch me first.”

  David lunged for her.

  Laughing, Kiera dodged him and sprinted toward the house. “Liam!” she called when she saw him. “You’re up.”

  Liam’s heart jumped at the way her face brightened. He waved. Please Lord, give me just a few more days with this woman.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asked.

  Sitting next to him, she replied, “I had a great day.” She plopped a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

  Liam put his arm over the back of the seat. David approached, his steps slower than Kiera’s but noticeably lighter.

  “Who is this guy?” Liam squinted up at him. “He looks like someone I know, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

  David rolled his eyes. “I’m starving.”

  “I think dinner is ready when we are.”

  “Let’s eat.” David led the way in, and Liam followed with his arm around Kiera. He kissed her cheek. “Thanks for bringing him back.”

  Kiera flushed. “I—I didn’t do anything.”

  “You don’t have to. All you have to do is be yourself. You’re like sunshine, gelato, and a grand slam all rolled into one. He didn’t stand a chance.”

  Kiera slipped out from under his arm. “I’m going to freshen up. I’ll meet you in the dining room.”

  “I’ll save you a seat.” Liam was leaning against the wall when David came looking for him.

  “What are you doing out here?”

  “Trying to decide what I did that was good enough to warrant Kiera as my wife.”

  “Not a dang thing.” David hooked his elbow around Liam’s neck. “You’re the luckiest S.O.B. I’ve ever met.”

  “Funny how a woman changes things. A week ago I was the most unlucky person you’ve met,” Liam joked.

  “Maybe it’s not luck, then.”

  “Karma?”

  “Like the universe said, ‘Sorry you got cancer; here’s Kiera to make up for that’?” David punched him in the shoulder. “That’s not how it works.”

  Liam refrained from rubbing his arm, even though he wanted to. That was going to leave a bruise. Not that David had hit him hard. It was just that bruises seemed to appear out of nowhere these days.

  “When you get to heaven, feel free to ask, ‘What the hell?’”

  Surprised by David’s lighter tone, and the fact that he’d talked about heaven, Liam stared at him for a moment. “Can you swear in heaven?” he asked, testing David’s mood to see if it would stay.

  “Sure you can. But they give you detention.”

  Liam snorted. “What? Do I have to pound erasers together?”

  “Where do you think clouds come from?”

  This time, Liam laughed. And then he cried. Throwing his arms around David, he choked. “I missed you.”

  David hugged him fiercely.

  “You’ve been here, but you weren’t here.” Liam sniffed.

  “I know. I—”

  Kiera’s door flew open. Her eyes went wide.

  Liam and David dropped their arms and shoved their hands in their pockets.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “You didn’t interrupt. David was choking, and I had to pound the stuff out of his windpipe.” Liam offered Kiera his arm. “It was very dramatic, and I’m pretty much a hero now.”

  Kiera’s cheeks twitc
hed with a smile she had to work to keep hidden. “You are so very brave.”

  “Superman’s got nothin’ on me,” Liam cooed.

  David groaned. “If we don’t eat soon, I’m going to disintegrate.”

  They wandered into the dining room, where three waiters wearing tuxedos with tails stood at attention behind their chairs. “Maybe we should have dressed up.” Kiera tugged at her blouse.

  “You look beautiful,” Liam assured her.

  A butler instructed them on the types of dishes, why they were served in that particular order, and expounded on the chef’s abilities.

  After the introduction and the prosciutto, Liam leaned his forearms on the edge of the table. “Kiera, where did you grow up?”

  Kiera blinked a couple of times. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her cloth napkin before speaking. So proper. Mom would love her. Thoughts of his mother brought on a wave of homesickness. He would rather have been in his old bedroom with his family close than traipsing about the world, but that wasn’t possible with a mother who was in denial. He’d had to leave to protect her from the ugliness that grew inside him.

  “California.”

  He propped his elbow on the table and leaned his head on his fist. “What was that like?”

  Kiera chuckled. “Like you’d expect. Weekends on the beach. High school senior night at Disneyland.”

  “What about your dad?” asked David.

  “Dad left when I was two. As far as I know, he never looked back. But it was okay.” She started to play with her fork. “My mom was a school teacher at my elementary, so we spent a lot of time together when I was young. We formed a bond, and she was great about taking my friends to the beach or the park. I don’t remember a time when she ever said no.”

  “She sounds nice.”

  Kiera beamed. “Yes, if my mother could be summed up in one word, it would be nice. Or kind. Or I guess loving, too.”

  David laughed. “That’s three words.”

  “Yes, but they are synonyms so they count as one.”

  David tipped his glass in her direction. “Touché, Bugatti.”

  Kiera ducked, pleased at the attention and winning the verbal joust.

  A hot knife of understanding pierced Liam’s heart. The relief he’d felt after seeing David could laugh and perhaps would survive Liam’s passing was nudged out of the way by a new feeling. One he’d never associated with his brother before—jealousy.