Living To Love You (Santos Family Series Book 4)

by KD Bryan

  “Jillian, that is simply not true. You had the best that money could buy…you never lacked for anything. Stop making it sound as if you were some poor little neglected rich girl, because frankly it makes you sound ridiculous.”

  Shaking her head, Jillian wanted to laugh at the absurdity of their conversation. Her mother had never given two cents about what she’d needed, and nothing had changed. The big mystery was why Monica was pushing the issue of where Jillian stayed while she was receiving her treatments. It didn’t add up, and she decided to get the answer before her mother left again.

  “Okay, let’s put all of that aside for a moment so I can ask you a few questions. Why are you really here, Mother? And why is it such an issue regarding where I stay while I’m going through treatment for my illness?” asked Jillian pointedly.

  Shifting in her seat, Monica brushed imaginary lint from her designer slacks and avoided Jillian’s gaze. “I’m here to check on you of course. I just don’t understand why you’d want to insinuate yourself into Rob Santos’s life at a time like this. He’s no good for you, Jillian, and you know that. You’ve allowed him to string you along for years to the point of humiliation, and now you evidently believe he’ll stick by you during this illness. Wake up, Jillian, and look around. This will get old quickly, and then where will you be?”

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Jillian leaned back against the couch and stared at her mother. How could anyone be so misguided in their thinking? Evidently it had never been a problem for her mother, because her thinking usually was misguided.

  Before Jillian could respond to her mother’s comments, a voice came from the direction of the kitchen doorway. “Monica, you need to leave at this time. Your poison is not needed here…and will not be tolerated.”

  Jillian blinked in surprise at the tiny figure of Rob’s grandmother as she stood eyeing her mother without blinking. Rosita’s tone was one that Jillian recognized, and it meant she wouldn’t tolerate anything short of complete cooperation.

  Rising to her feet, Monica whirled to look at Rosita and spat out, “Oh, I don’t think so, Rosita. Just because your family has allowed you to run their lives like a little dictator it doesn’t mean you can tell me what I can or cannot do. Especially with regards to my own daughter. Jillian knows that what I’m telling her is true...your precious grandson isn’t capable of committing to her, or anyone else for that matter.”

  Advancing into the room, Rosita held up a hand when she noticed Jillian rising from the couch, “No, Jillian, allow your mother to have her say first today. Then I think that she needs to hear a few truths before she leaves here.”

  Turning to the other woman, Rosita continued, “Monica, you have never put the welfare of your daughter first, and we all know this. Why would you think that Jillian would believe you now? And you are mistaken…Roberto cares very much for Jillian, as she does him.”

  Waving a hand in the air angrily, Monica narrowed her gaze at the older woman. “Nonsense! And I do care about Jillian’s welfare which is the reason I’m insisting that she leave with me so we can get her settled somewhere else.”

  Turning to Jillian, Monica said in a placating tone one might use with a child, “Now, Jillian, run along and pack your things. We’ll go have a nice dinner somewhere, and then tomorrow I’ll help you get settled at the care facility I’ve already found. They’re expecting you first thing in the morning.”

  Disbelief surged through Jillian as she felt her heart racing in her chest. Her mother had finally gone too far, and it was obvious Monica was playing some twisted game of control at the moment.

  Before Jillian could even respond, she heard Rob’s key in the door and her anxiety ratcheted up another notch. The last thing he needed was to come home and find her out of control mother at it again. At least she wasn’t hurling in a trashcan this time, but of course the evening wasn’t over yet.

  Stepping through the door, Rob felt a weird sense of deja vu hit, and he cursed under his breath when he noticed Monica across the room. However, instead of Melanie this time it was his abuela standing guard today. A quick glance to his right showed Jillian standing beside the couch, and he instantly noted how pale she looked. Thankfully she wasn’t vomiting this time, but Rob wasn’t confident it still wouldn’t happen.

  Tossing his things onto a nearby chair, Rob advanced into the room and walked straight to Jillian’s side. He pressed a quick kiss to the scarf covering her head and whispered, “Are you okay?”

  Nodding her head, Jillian raised her eyes to meet Rob’s and she saw the anger simmering in the brown depths of his own. This wasn’t going to be good, but in a detached way she didn’t care because she was tired of her mother interfering. It was still a mystery as to why Monica was trying to interfere at this point, but Jillian’s head was now aching too much to really care about that either.

  Rob left Jillian’s side and took the few steps around the coffee table before glancing at his grandmother. He recognized the defiant look on her features as well, and he knew Monica didn’t stand a chance against her either. Rosita was known for her tenacity, and she rarely backed down from anyone or anything. Even though she was in her mid-eighties, Rob knew he’d definitely want his abuela on his side instead of against him in a heated situation.

  Both hands resting on his hips, Rob silently eyed the woman who’d shown up uninvited at his door again. Monica was obviously causing problems, but then he wasn’t surprised. Monica was a parasite that fed off of drama and causing problems for others…it was her specialty, and Rob knew she lived for this shit. Shaking his head, Rob was finished with her interference…and this was where it stopped.

  “Monica, I can tell by the look on everyone’s faces that your visit hasn’t been a pleasant one again. Exactly what is it that you want today? I thought I made it perfectly clear the last time that you were not going to come into our home and upset Jillian again,” Rob reminded her tersely.

  With a dismissive laugh, Monica looked Rob up and down and said, “And just who do you think you are, Rob Santos, that you can tell me how to deal with my own daughter? Jillian is leaving with me, and I’ve made arrangements for her to stay at a lovely care center here in the city. Their own medical staff will take over her treatment, and she’ll no longer be your concern.”

  Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Rob felt the anger suffuse through him but he tamped it down. He’d decided to give Monica just enough rope to hang herself…it was time, and he was going to end this once and for all.

  “Is that so? Well, it sounds like you have everything arranged and planned out, don’t you Monica? But then you’re good at that…very good. Preying on unsuspecting people, using their weaknesses against them…trying to coerce them into your way of thinking,” accused Rob snidely.

  “All for your own gain and benefit right? Because after all, Monica, that’s all that matters, isn’t it? Just so you get what you want. I’m confused, though, by what you stand to gain from all of this. Of course we both know what you’d hoped to gain the last time we had a similar conversation, don’t we?”

  Confusion etched Jillian’s features as she looked first at Rob, and then her mother. Rob wore a fierce, determined look and Jillian shivered slightly at the intensity. Glancing at her mother, she realized that Monica suddenly seemed uneasy… and Jillian wondered again what was going on. It felt like she was missing a vital piece of the puzzle here, and their conversation held an underlying current that she didn’t understand.

  Monica squared her shoulders and returned Rob’s look although it didn’t hold as much arrogance as before. Stupid woman, he thought. She should’ve known that he wouldn’t put up with her shit for long…especially not now. Not when Jillian was going through something of this magnitude, and they were essentially fighting a battle for her life.

  “Rob, I have no idea what nonsense you’re spouting but please, just spare us the details. Jillian will simply be better off with the arrangements I’ve made…end of discussion. And bes
ides, it’s only a matter of time before you grow tired of this and then where will she be? I’m simply just looking out for her welfare before I need to lea…” Monica’s little speech ended abruptly causing Rob to eye her suspiciously.

  “Before you have to do what, Monica? Leave again? Is that what this is all about? You’re going to rush in and save the day…get your daughter settled before you’re off to who only knows where again. What’s the big rush, Monica? You’re acting like you want to make sure that no one bothers you with Jillian’s situation later. Like you need to fix it so that no one interferes with whatever it is you have planned after you leave again,” accused Rob with disgust in his tone.

  Shifting from one foot to the other, Monica avoided Jillian’s questioning gaze and settled on Rob again. He’d skated very close to the truth, but Monica wasn’t about to admit it…especially not to him.

  “What I’m doing or not doing is not your concern, Rob. I resent your earlier implications…and besides, you’re one to talk. How many times have you left Jillian through the years? Too many to count…and let’s face it, you’re simply incapable of seeing a good thing when it’s right in front of you!” accused Monica, her voice shaking with anger.

  Rob felt his own body flush with anger as he looked at the callus, stupid woman in front him. Monica’s words were meant as a throwback at him, and it was her way of exacting revenge by taking advantage of Jillian’s current situation…her vulnerability right now…to try and turn Jillian against him.

  Monica wanted nothing more than to drive a wedge between Jillian and himself, and she was willing to use her own daughter’s illness to help accomplish it. Enough was enough, though, and Rob hoped Jillian could forgive him for the blow he was about to deliver. It was time for a few truths to come out…and rear their ugly heads.

  “More people would learn from their mistakes

  If they weren’t so busy denying them.”

  -Harold J. Smith

  Chapter Twenty

  Rob glanced again at Jillian, but his expression was a mixture of emotions making it hard for her to read him. Jillian saw disgust, and regret maybe mixed with the anger causing her to inhale sharply. What was going on here? Anxiety clawed at her stomach, but she refused to give in to it. Jillian looked at her mother, but Monica still wore the same defiant look she’d adopted since Rob had stepped through the door.

  Jillian knew there was no love lost between her mother and Rob, and he’d barely tolerated being in Monica’s presence through the years. Thankfully they’d never had to press the point too often because her mother usually wasn’t around. Monica spent months on end in Europe, and Jillian had no idea why her mother insisted on even keeping her house here in the Midwest.

  Taking another step closer to Monica, Rob watched with detached amusement when he saw her eyes flare with desire before something far colder and more calculating took hold. Pointing a finger in her direction, Rob said, “Monica, this ends here today. You’re not taking Jillian anywhere, and it’s ludicrous for you to even suggest such a thing. She’s a grown woman who can make her own decisions, but I can assure you that Jillian isn’t going to agree with your crazy idea.”

  With an indignant sniff, Monica tossed her head firing back, “Oh, I’m sure you’ll see to it that Jillian doesn’t, Rob. You’ve been influencing her decisions for years, but of course it’s all been without the foundation of any type of stable relationship.”

  Laughing despite himself, Rob shook his head. “You of all people want to stand here and argue about the foundation of stable relationships, Monica? Isn’t that rich? Who did you dump most recently…husband number four, or was it number five? Let’s leave mine and Jillian’s relationship out of this why don’t we? Instead, let’s discuss the relationship that you wanted the two of us to have at one point. I’m sure that would make for far more interesting entertainment for everyone.”

  Her lips twisting into an ugly snarl, Monica eyed the man in front of her and decided to call his bluff.

  “You wouldn’t dare, Rob Santos,” hissed Monica, her eyes flashing with anger.

  Settling into his former stance with his arms folded across his chest, Rob leveled his eyes at Monica and simply said, “Watch me.”

  Moving closer to the other two, Jillian looked between Rob and her mother in confusion. “What is going on here? I have the right to know, so someone needs to start talking immediately.”

  Grabbing her purse from the chair she’d vacated, Monica hurriedly slid the strap onto her shoulder making to leave. Before she could take a step, Jillian moved closer and pinned her mother with a look which clearly read you’re not going anywhere.

  “I want to know what this is all about,” demanded Jillian tersely.

  Rob put his hand out and gave Jillian’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze without taking his eyes off of Monica. He’d had it with this situation, and it was obvious that Monica wasn’t going to leave them alone. Jillian wasn’t going anywhere for a long time, so Rob knew he needed to end this once and for all. Jillian needed to understand exactly what her mother was capable of…and just how far she’d take her scheming to get whatever she wanted.

  Glancing quickly toward the kitchen doorway, Rob sighed in relief when he saw that his abuela had left them to return quietly to her cooking. It was for the best, because she didn’t need to hear the sordid details of what he was about to spill.

  Turning Jillian to face him, Rob gave her a reassuring smile before clearing his throat.

  “Jillian, something happened…several years ago. I never told you because I handled it, and frankly I didn’t want to add to the tenuous relationship that you already had with your mother,” began Rob. He glanced at Monica again to see that she’d gone slightly pale beneath her Mediterranean tan, but he had no sympathy for her.

  “We were both home from college one summer, and we’d started seeing one another again. I’d spent the night with you at Monica’s house, but you’d left the next morning for an early dental appointment. You told me to stay and sleep, and to leave when I was ready,” said Rob calmly.

  He was determined to get through this without letting his anger take over, so Rob concentrated solely on relaying the facts.

  “I’d finally gotten up and was in the shower when I heard the bathroom door opening. I thought you’d already returned from your dental appointment, so I didn’t really think anything of it. My head was under the water, and I had shampoo in my eyes, when I felt hands slide around my waist and then dip lower…”

  Pausing for a moment, Rob never let his gaze waver from Jillian’s even when he saw the shock and hurt clouding her features. He knew she’d realized what he was about to say…and the idea of hurting her caused his gut to clench in turn. He was tired of keeping her mother’s little secret any longer, however, and he wanted it all out in the open.

  “I knew immediately that something wasn’t right…you hadn’t said anything, and the hands...well they weren’t your hands. By that time I was frantically trying to rinse the shampoo from my eyes, and then when I turned around…well, Monica was standing there in the shower with me,” said Rob.

  Jillian felt her stomach rebel, and she sucked in a breath trying to stop the churning nausea. Her mother…her own mother had tried to seduce the man she’d been involved with for years. And yes, Jillian remembered that morning well. Rob had spent the night and they’d made love until the wee hours of the morning before finally falling asleep in one another’s arms. She could even recall how tired she’d been the next morning having to get up so early for her appointment, but then laughing on the way out the door because it’d certainly been worth it.

  Now Rob was telling her that her mother had shown up…but wait. Her mother hadn’t been there…she’d been in New York at a fashion show or something. That was the reason Rob had even stayed over because they had the house to themselves.

  “I don’t understand…she wasn’t there…she was in New York,” stammered Jillian, the shock settling like a c
old lump in her belly.

  Rob ran a hand down her arm and said, “She came back early, babe. She’d arrived in the middle of the night and she saw my car. She knew I was there, and she put two and two together the next morning after you left for your appointment but my car was still in the drive.”

  Jillian finally looked at Monica, and anger swept through her so swiftly her vision actually dimmed for a moment. Her mother had done a lot of things through the years…things that Jillian refused to dwell on because of the pain those memories caused. She’d always coped the only way she knew how…by building walls around herself to keep out the hurt. She’d lived her life strictly on her own terms because it was easier than letting anyone in who could hurt you. She’d done that to Rob for years…too afraid to commit, because in the end she was afraid he’d just leave her, too.

  “Get out, and don’t come here again, do you understand?” Jillian ground out through clenched teeth. She was shaking now, and she felt Rob’s arm go around her as she faced her mother.

  Monica eyed her daughter’s stricken face wearily, but she refused to show any remorse or weakness. Jillian would get over this just like she had other things in the past. Without a doubt she’d pout for a few weeks, but then things would return to normal between them. Convinced that she had the situation under control, Monica shot Rob a scathing glance before turning her eyes back on her daughter.

  “Oh, for goodness sakes, Jillian. Grow up, please. It was one little indiscretion, and it was years ago I might add. The two of you weren’t even together as a couple at the time. You were in one of your off periods as I recall. No harm done, and I really have no idea why Rob thought it necessary to bring it up now,” complained Monica.

  Turning an angry look at Monica, Rob shook his head in disbelief. “Are you kidding me, Monica? There are no secrets between Jillian and I. The only reason I kept this from her was to spare your daughter the heartache of realizing just what a manipulative bitch her mother really is.”