Alisha Coventry said yes to marrying me. We are getting married.
Forever was looking pretty fucking fantastic.
Even better if it starts off naked.
Epilogue
Alessandro returned his teacup to its saucer with a clatter that turned the heads of several ladies in the upscale Back Bay tearoom. “It’s just as I said, ‘Love is always the answer.’”
“If so, I’m not certain we asked the right question.” Delinda narrowed her eyes at the curious fellow patrons, and they hastily looked away. Her debutante years may have been long gone, but her place in the upper crust of Boston society remained solid.
Alessandro picked up a custard canapé and studied it before popping it into his mouth. He spoke louder than he should, laughed with the boisterousness of a man who’d had one too many drinks even when he’d not had a drop, and looked completely out of place. No one would think of mentioning it to him, though. Although he was a first-generation American, he’d made his name both in New York and Boston. When it came to refined Old World class, the Westerlys had never been surpassed. The Andrades had a more tumultuous relationship with wealth. It had come and gone over the generations with them, and fighting their way back to the top had given them an equally formidable reputation.
Delinda had always thought of herself as someone who could give the Queen of England a tip or two on etiquette. As she watched Alessandro chomping his way through his fifth finger sandwich, she wondered if he was truly as happy as he appeared. If so, what did that mean in terms of what she’d always been told was essential?
Strip away my money and status, and who am I?
She glanced around the room briefly, noting how she held the attention of the other women and how they still looked away out of respect. This used to be important to me, but what does their opinion of me matter?
I would trade all of this if it eased Spencer’s pain.
“In trying to make things better, I made them worse, Alessandro. Yes, Brett is engaged, but at what cost? I doubt Spencer will ever forgive me for being the one who told him the truth about his father. I’ll never forgive myself.” She used her napkin to dab at the corners of her eyes. “Perhaps it’s best if I rescind the marriage clause and simply give everyone their inheritance now. If I do so, Spencer might see that he may not be my blood relative, but he has always been my grandchild.”
After wiping his mouth with his napkin, Alessandro shrugged and said, “Your heart is in the right place with this, but money won’t help Spencer cope with what he’s learned. It won’t bring him back to you, or prove his place in your heart. Only you can do that.”
“I tried. I don’t know how to reach him.”
“But you know someone who does. Someone who probably feels just as awful about the choices she made as you do.”
“Stephanie?” Delinda scoffed. “Why would she ever help me?”
“Because no matter how different you two are, you have something very important in common: you both love her children. That’s why I invited her to join us.”
Delinda looked up as Stephanie approached their table. Alessandro stood and greeted her with a kiss. Delinda felt the eyes of everyone in the room watching for her reaction to her ex-daughter-in-law’s arrival. Delinda had never hidden her dislike of Stephanie, but maybe, just maybe she’d been wrong to do so. Her son had once loved this woman. Her grandchildren still did. Even Alisha, who wasn’t related to her, loved Stephanie. Perhaps Alessandro was right. Perhaps she’d been the stumbling block all this time. What had he said? If you want a rose garden, don’t plant weeds. Had she really been planting weeds? If so, that had to stop. I don’t want to die alone, and I do want my family to find happiness.
Delinda rose to her feet and held out a hand in greeting. “So good of you to join us.” It was only when she held Stephanie’s hand in her own that she noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes.
“Although I appreciate your invitation, Delinda, I should warn you that I can’t seem to hold it together this week. I already had a good cry this morning and intend to have another this afternoon. I know how you hate public displays of emotion . . .”
Delinda met Alessandro’s eyes, and she felt the wall around her heart begin to crumble. Pride or family? She knew what Alessandro would choose. It’s time I follow his lead. “I made quite a mess of everything, didn’t I?”
Stephanie’s hand trembled in hers. “I’m the one who left Dereck and kept the truth about Mark from my children. I’d say the mess is mine.”
An answer came to Delinda with such clarity that she swayed on her feet. “We both made mistakes that hurt the ones we love. Perhaps together we can find a way to make amends.”
Stephanie brought her other hand up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. “Do you mean that?”
Alessandro bent and kissed Delinda’s cheek. “I’ll leave you two ladies to sort out the details, but remember—with love there is always a way.”
Delinda retook her seat, smiled, and waved him off. “Go on, now. We’ll be fine.” She motioned for Stephanie to sit across from her. A waiter quickly cleared away Alessandro’s dishware and replaced it with a new set.
Stephanie was nervously unfolding and folding the napkin on her plate. In the past, Delinda would have reprimanded her for it, but she held her tongue. I feel as upset as she looks. Had my first nanny not been as quick to crack my knuckles with a ruler, I would be doing the same. Years fell away, and Delinda remembered Stephanie looking just as nervous the first time Dereck had left the two of them alone. How sad that we never progressed past that. I could have been kinder to her. Delinda reached out and placed her hand gently on Stephanie’s. “I know I wasn’t the mother-in-law you’d hoped for.”
“I’m sure I wasn’t the daughter-in-law you’d imagined for Dereck.”
“We were poorly matched, but it’s time we move past that. My heart is breaking for Spencer. There has to be something we can do.”
Stephanie covered her face briefly with her hands, then said, “If you’ve come to me for ideas, I’m all out. Rachelle and Nicolette look at me with disappointment I’ve never wanted to see in my children’s eyes. And Spencer, he won’t answer my calls anymore, and I don’t blame him. I should have told him about Mark.”
“I was sure you had. Why didn’t you?”
Looking away, Stephanie scoffed, “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“You might be surprised at what I’m willing to believe lately.”
Stephanie met her eyes. “I didn’t want to take him from Dereck in that way, too. Dereck knew Spencer wasn’t his. He knew it before Spencer was even born, but we gave our marriage another try. Nicolette was the result. I wasn’t happy in the marriage, though. I felt more alone in it than I’ve ever felt out of it. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel guilty. Leaving split our family in two. I didn’t want to separate them further or hurt Dereck. I never wanted that.”
Delinda had seen a similar sad expression in her son’s eyes when she asked about Stephanie, and suddenly she understood. “And you never told Mark because you still love my son.”
“Yes,” Stephanie answered softly. “Mark was a good man who loved my children and me. He ate dinner with us each night. He was our cheerleader, our inspiration, and often our voice of reason. I never understood how he so easily took three children into his heart. He lavished them with love and support. He deserved more from me, and I hate that I couldn’t love him the way he loved us.” Stephanie’s story would have been harder to accept if Delinda hadn’t also loved a man so completely that nothing and no one could ever fill the void he left when he died. They had more in common than Delinda had ever realized.
“All any of us can do is follow our hearts. I tried to improve my relationship with my grandchildren by offering them their inheritance early. It didn’t work out as I’d planned.”
“I told them it was your love for them that prompted the offer, but I don’t understand the stipulation that they marry.”
Stephanie raised a shoulder in resigned agreement. “Good, I think. Alisha makes Brett happier than I’ve ever seen him.”
“And you and Brett are getting along now?”
“It’s like we were given a second chance to get it right.”
Delinda was typically cynical, and almost cautioned Stephanie, but held her first response back instead. Brett’s words returned to her: They’re nicer than we are. They say supportive things to each other. Leave each other feeling good about themselves. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Love always finds a way. Falling in love with Alisha had somehow helped Brett and his mother reconnect. Delinda questioned if she might be giving up too early on an idea that was beginning to show merit. “I like Alisha. She not only has spunk but heart as well. She’s good for him.”
“Yes. I couldn’t agree more.”
“Then let’s help Spencer. You and I. If we worked together, I bet we could find the perfect woman for him. Someone strong, loyal, loving. Someone who would make him as happy as Brett is.”
Stephanie chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Do you have a better one?”
“No.”
“Then we’re in agreement. The only way to fix this is to find Spencer a wife. Now, who do you know?”
About the Author
Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of eleven children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She’s lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York, and Rhode Island again before moving to Massachusetts, where she now lives with her husband and three children. Before turning her attention to writing, Ruth was an educator for two decades, including eleven years as a kindergarten teacher. She is a New York Times bestselling author who loves writing about rich alpha men and the strong women who tame them. In the Heir is the first book in her Westerly Billionaire series. Learn about Ruth’s new releases by signing up for her newsletter at www.RuthCardello.com.
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