by Jill Sanders
“You think I’m being childish?” Katie walked towards her and looked her right in the face.
“Get out! I don’t want to ever see you again.”
“Don’t you take that tone with me. I’m still your mother and I deserve respect.”
“No, you lost all my respect, and you haven’t done anything yet to show me you deserve any of it back.”
Her mother glanced over to Jason and Katie understood her meaning.
“Him?” Katie looked at Jason, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. “I already know that you hired him to find me. You didn’t do anything but give him money so he could accomplish the task.”
“Why do you think I hired him? He’s not a professional. No offense, Jason.”
“None taken.” He smiled at them both and tried to edge his way out of the room, only to come up short when Katie grabbed his arm and held him still.
“I hired him because I knew what you needed. What you’ve always needed.” Her mother started pacing the small room. Throwing her hands up, she turned back to Katie. “Do you think I raised you all these years and didn’t know what was best for you?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Katie,” she walked over and grabbed her shoulders, “I love you, you’re my daughter, and no matter what the circumstances are, that will never change. I loved Rodrick and as much as it hurts you to hear it, I’m in love with Damiano. I’ve been in love with Damiano from the moment I met him. I know that what I did was wrong and I’m very sorry I hurt so many people. But I’m happy now, and I just want you to be happy, too.”
Katie walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t feel like hearing anymore, but her mother sat next to her and took her face into her hands.
“Katie, I love you, I’m so very proud of the strength you’ve shown in the last few weeks. I wish I had some of that strength years ago to do what I had needed to. Instead, I lived a lie and hurt the people I loved. You know how it is when you fall in love with someone. How it totally consumes you and you’d do anything to be with them. No matter the cost.”
Katie watched as a tear rolled down her mother’s face.
“I’m not proud of myself for deceiving everyone. Damiano has forgiven me and I can’t tell you how happy I am that he still wants to be with me. I just hope that someday you can understand why I did what I did and maybe then you can forgive me.”
“I can’t forgive you. I don’t know if I will ever be able to forgive you.” Katie saw the hurt flash in her mother’s eyes.
“I understand, you have that right.” She pulled back a little. “I hope that you won’t shut me out of your life, and pray that you won’t take it out on your brothers or your fathers.”
Katie laughed, “I would never treat them bad. They’ve been hurt just like me.” She turned and looked her mother in the eyes. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this last year and I realized that they’re in the same boat as I am. How could I ever be mad at them?”
Kathleen smiled a little. “I’m very proud of you. Will you give me a chance to make things right with you?”
Katie looked at her mother, really looked at her and saw something she’d never seen her entire life. She noticed for the first time that her mother was just a woman. Katie had always built her up, tried to make her something she could never be, perfect.
“I’m not saying I can ever understand why you did what you’ve done.” She looked over at Jason, then back at her mother. “But I will try to give you a second chance.” She tried not to grit her teeth when she’d said that.
Kathleen jumped up and pulled Katie into a hug.
“I’m not saying everything is going to be like it used to be.” Katie tried to pull away. She was trying to be okay with being in the same room as the woman she felt she could no longer trust.
“Oh, I know, I understand. I just want you to do what makes you happy.” But she could see her mother’s face light up and when she looked around the room for Jason, she noticed him leaning against the wall, smiling at her.
“Now,” her mother brushed off a few tears that had rolled down her cheeks, then she straightened her dark slacks with her hands, “shall we go meet your fathers and brothers?”
Katie laughed.
Less than an hour later, they walked into Dante’s hospital room. Her father, Rodrick, her half-brother Ric, her biological father Damiano, and her biological brother Dante were all there.
She had meet Damiano outside in the waiting area before. When had she stepped into the room and seen him for the first time, she realized where she’d received the dark curly hair, deep, dark eyes, and the olive skin coloring from. Damiano was a sturdy looking man. He was tall and looked like he spent more time in a gym than in the suit he was wearing. She could instantly see all the answers to the questions she’d had over the years. Her nose, her chin, and even her ears came from the man standing before her.
Damiano instantly hugged her in a warm embrace, and she felt a little overwhelmed.
“I’m so happy that you are okay.” He whispered it and she thought his voice had cracked a little. “You look so much like your Nonna. Full of spitfire and spunk.” He patted her cheek with his hand and turned to take hold of his wife’s hand.
She didn’t know what to say. She supposed she was in shock so she just nodded her head and smiled. Grabbing a hold of Jason’s hand in a death grip, she tried to pull him closer to her.
Walking into Dante’s hospital room a few minutes later, she saw Dante sitting up in the hospital bed, and upon seeing her full brother for the first time, her steps faltered.
There was no mistaking the fact that they were made from the same mold. Dante was built a lot like Ric, but Katie and Dante’s features, along with their coloring, were identical.
She was amazed at the love that radiated from the room.
Katie watched Damiano and her mother. When she saw the looks the couple gave each other, she instantly knew that there was more love between them then there had ever been between her father and her mother. You’d have to be blind not to see it.
When she turned and looked at Dante, he smiled with kindness and she could tell he was happy she was there. She could also tell he was on some serious pain pills, since his eyes were dull and droopy.
He’d given so much to try to save her, and she realized he must be in terrible pain.
“Don’t worry, I’m on all kinds of medications, I can hardly feel anything.” He smiled at her with a goofy lopsided smile.
“Am I that transparent?” she asked, sitting next to him.
“No, we just have such similar faces, it’s like reading my own emotions.” They both laughed.
Ric and Rodrick had been hanging in the background, watching, until Katie turned and walked to both of them. She hugged her father and whispered, “I love you, Daddy,” and she felt him melt in her arms.
“You scared us.” Ric walked up and hugged her. She had said what she had wanted to say to him yesterday. For as long as she would live, he would always be her big brother.
She had been overly excited to hear the news yesterday that Roberta was seven weeks pregnant. She was going to be an aunt next spring. She couldn’t get over the idea of her big brother being a dad.
Jason walked up beside her then, and took her hand in his. “Do you want to tell them or should I?” He smiled.
“Oh, yeah,” she smiled up at him and looked into the room full of her family. “Jason and I are getting married.” Everyone smiled and started to walk forward to congratulate them when she interrupted with “tomorrow.”
She had the satisfaction of seeing her mother’s smile falter before she was engulfed in a hug from her family.
Epilogue
Katie stood on the beach in a simple cream-colored summer dress. Her bare feet felt good in the hot sand as she walked towards the people she cared about the most.
Jason stood by the priest in his rolled up dress pants and white dress
shirt, which was unbuttoned a little at the top. Katie kept his eyes and smile in focus as she walked the few feet on the arm of her Dad, who looked very dashing and couldn’t stop smiling at her.
Her brother Ric stood next to Jason with a huge smile on his face, as well. She wished that Roberta could be there next to him, but knew that the short notice wasn’t sufficient. They had plans to visit them in Portland this Christmas.
Although she would have liked nothing better than to exclude her mother, she stood a few feet away next to Damiano, silently crying into a white tissue. She was surprised to learn that she had an aunt; Florentina was Damiano’s younger sister. The stout woman stood next to her brother, and in Katie’s opinion, looked like she was in shock. She had yet to talk to the woman, but was happy that she could make it today.
She knew Dante was still in the hospital recovering and they had plans to visit him later that night before they headed back down the coast for their honeymoon.
When they reached where everyone stood, Rodrick stopped and kissed her and whispered, “You will always be my daughter. I love you sweetie.”
Katie almost lost it then, but she took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek as he handed her off to Jason.
Then she looked into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and was happy knowing that she would be looking at them for the rest of her life.
Her careful planning had been ruined, overthrown by the two people she was watching get married. The man was tall and strong, and the girl reminded her too much of her grandmother, which only confirmed her decision to halt her plan of attack. No, she couldn’t in clear conscious continue to scheme against someone who looked so much like Nonna.
She would have to do some thinking on the next steps she needed to take. Her goal was the same, but her methods needed to be changed.
She’d been using Kathleen to get information on her daughters whereabouts. After all, the woman wasn’t really a good mother. Not like she’d been to Dante.
Thinking about Dante, she knew he deserved to be head of the family and she silently wished she could be next to him in the hospital as he recovered. She longed for that day when he would know everything she’d done for him, everything she’d sacrificed. Because of the love she had for him, much like a mother to her only child, her only desire was to see him succeed. Katie Derby was just a bump in the path to his greatness. She would make sure he took the power that was due him, the wealth, and the family rights.
There were, after all, other methods for accomplishing her desires, but she had a few minor details to dispose of first. She watched the young couple walk towards her and when her brother said her name, she finally stepped forward to meet her niece for the first time.
If you’ve enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review where you purchased it. Thanks! --Jill
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Secret Pleasure
After a terrible breakup and losing her dream job, Airlea is just looking for a fresh start. When her mother takes it upon herself to help, Airlea finds herself working for a wealthy family back in Italy, who’s son was recently involved in a serious auto accident. She jumps at the chance to escape Greece and leave her worries behind, unaware of the new dangers she now faces in Rome. To further complicate things, she now must deal with the most arrogant patient she’s ever seen, which would be a lot easier if he wasn’t so damn sexy!
Dante is fed up with his broken body. All he wants to do is work through the pain and try to get his life back to normal. Instead, his mother hires an amazingly bossy nurse to help with his rehab, which might go a lot easier if she wasn’t so damn hot! Trying to keep his nosy family out of his business and vying for the affection of his beautiful nurse, could end up being a dangerous affair.
About the Author
Jill Sanders survived 80′s pop music, and life as an identical twin in a chaotic family of nine. A feat by any standard! She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, relocating to Colorado for college and a successful IT career at IBM in Boulder.
Narrowly escaping before all creativity was squashed, she jumped at the chance to trade the mundane world of computers for the sexy, exciting world of her own imagination. She now lives in charming rural Texas writing wonderful novels such as the Pride series.
Her debut novel, Finding Pride, was shortlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards 2013, and has since climbed to #1 on Amazon Bestsellers – Contemporary Romance & Romantic Suspense. Each Pride Series novel has spent time on bestseller lists for Amazon, Barns & Noble, and Apple. Watch out New York Times, here she comes!
Table of Contents
Other Books
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Secret Pleasure
About the Author