Page 213 of State of Suspense

She stared at him with shock and distress. “I thought you were on my side.”

“I was. I mean, I am. But I need you to understand that what just happened with your son and his wife was because of you, not her or him or anyone else but you.”

Nicoletta looked away from him, feeling ashamed, furious and scared. What would she do if he walked away from her, too? “Fine. It’s all my fault. Is that what you want to hear?”

“It’s a good start toward making real changes.”

“I have made real changes.”

“Not yet, but you still can if you really want to.”

“I do! I told you that.”

“And I want to believe you, but at the first word out of your daughter-in-law’s mouth, you reverted to your old ways and ruined your chances with your son.”

“I didn’t mean to do that. She gets to me.”

“Because she sees you for what you really are, which is why you resent her.”

“Wow, so now you’re taking her side?” Why did she even care what he thought, anyway? She hadn’t known him a month ago.

“I’m on your side. I want you to get what you want, to have a relationship with your son and grandchildren, but there’s no way that’s happening without her involvement. I thought you understood that.”

“I do!”

“It didn’t seem that way to me—or them.”

“So what are you saying?”

“If you want to make this work, if you really want it, you have to fix things with her before you’ll ever get a chance to fix things with him.”

“And then pigs flew in hell.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“What is in this for you? Why are you pushing me so hard on this?”

“Because you told me you want your son in your life. I’m telling you how to make that happen.”

“She hates my guts. She’ll never have anything to do with me.”

“All you can do is try, Nicoletta. Show her you mean it when you say you want to be different. If you can win her over, you’ll have him back in your life. And his children.”

She didn’t have the strength to argue, so she told him what he seemed to want to hear. “You’re right. Thank you for coming and for everything you did to support me.”

“I was happy to do that.”

“I understand if you’ve seen enough at this point.”

“Seen enough of what?”

“Who I really am, what my life has been like.”

“Did you think that would make me not want to be with you?”

“Yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s not a very pretty picture.”

He gazed at her longingly before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’ve seen you—the good, the bad, the ugly—and for some reason, I still want you in my life, in my bed, in my heart.”

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