Page 199 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

‘Why would I ruin it?’

‘I don’t know. Because you profess to hate me and so you might be planning to make me look bad in the eyes of my mother.’

Mari snapped. ‘You are kidding me!’ After all she’d done, after all she’d agreed to, she could not believe what she was hearing. They’d spent the best part of two days confined to a flying tin can, admittedly a very luxurious flying tin can, they’d been married in Las Vegas and even kissed, without threatening to kill each other.

Why now, when they were landed and heading to see his mother, did he feel the need to doubt her, and let her know he didn’t trust her to fulfil her end of the deal?

‘Do you seriously believe that I would fly three-quarters of the way around the world to tell your mother that her son loves her so much he’s spent ten million dollars plus to get married to the woman who least wanted to marry him, just to make him look bad? What kind of person do you think I am?’

His jaw clenched. A muscle popped in his cheek. ‘It’s important, Marianne. That’s all.’

‘I know it’s important. It’s important to me too. I’m here, aren’t I? And I’m hardly going to give up the chance of collecting nine million dollars to spite you, am I? I know what I have to do. Can’t you just trust me to do it?’

She turned her attention out of the window, preferring to drink in the views of the hilly Basque countryside than put up with any more of his judgements. The colours were vibrant here, green trees and bushes bright against the clear blue sky.

‘You’re right,’ he said, his voice gruff, as if it was costing him to get the words out.

Her head swung around. ‘What?’

‘Of course you’re right. I’m sorry.’

Dominico Estefan was apologising? To her? Wow. His mother’s condition must be really getting to him.

She nodded an acknowledgment and turned to look out of the window again. It was hard not to feel empathy for the man. She had no quibble with that. But increasingly, there were times when she almost felt like she liked the man.

And that was way more problematic.

Where was the hatred when she needed it? Where was the resentment and the cold, hard fury? He was still the man who’d fathered her twins and then abandoned her to deal with their loss alone. He was still the man who’d taken over Eric Cooper’s business and sacked half the staff. He’d proved both his ambition and his ruthlessness. And yet the man wasn’t made of stone. That had been the man the young Marianne had fallen in love with, and these glimpses that he still owned a heart were undermining both her resentment and her resistance.

Truth was, the more time she spent in his company, the more the hard edges of her hatred were dulled. She felt as if she was facing the ghosts of the past and still not knowing how to deal with them.

And then he went and twisted the knife and reminded her of all the things she hated about him.

Good.

The car pulled into a driveway with tall ornate gates that swung open to a circular turnaround with a massive marble fountain at its heart. The house behind sat tall and proud, the walls the colour of clotted cream, with white shutters on the windows and white balustrades framing the balconies. The house was grand without being ostentatious, and as Dom led her through the maze of rooms to his mother’s room Mari could see that the classic good looks of the outside followed through to the interior. High ceilings, exposed timber rafters, arched timber doorways and terrazzo tiles on the floor, the home was beautifully appointed.

‘You grew up here?’ she asked, as he led her up an ornately carved timber staircase.

‘Yes.’

‘But you don’t live here now?’

‘No, I have an apartment in town, overlooking La Concha beach.’

Of course he’d have an apartment, Mari realised, following him up the stairs. He’d hardly want to bring his woman friends to the family home. She wasn’t envious of them, she told herself. Dom hadn’t chosen to marry any of them. He’d chosen to marry Mari. Temporarily, sure, and under duress, certainly. But because he’d trusted her to leave when she needed to. Because she wouldn’t hang around hoping for more.

Mari wouldn’t hang around. The moment this deal was done, she was out of here.

Dom had been in touch with the doctor en route. The nurse was expecting them and, after a few words to Dom, ushered them in to visit her.

‘Mamá,’ he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

His mother opened her eyes, blinked in confusion, before breaking into a smile. ‘Oh, you’re home!’ she said, taking his cheek in one hand. ‘Oh, my son, I am so pleased to see you.’

‘And me you,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry it took so long to come home. I had to make a diversion along the way.’

‘Oh, but you’re home now, my son, and all is right in my world.’

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