Page 17 of Ache for You (Slow Burn 3)
Dominic shakes his head. “They were married at the town hall with no family or friends.”
“What? That’s crazy! How did he meet this woman?”
“She came into the shop and introduced herself.”
There’s a cynical undertone beneath the words she introduced herself that suggests cold calculation on her part, as if she were out husband hunting. The dislike in his voice is so obvious I’m taken aback by it. I can’t imagine my father would marry anyone Dominic didn’t like. The two men are so close in personality they’re almost brothers. “So what’s her deal?”
Dominic looks again at my father. He hesitates a moment, then stands and goes to a small desk near the restroom. He finds a piece of paper and scribbles something on it, then silently hands it to me.
The note reads She is a barracuda.
When I look up at him, he puts a finger to his lips and shakes his head.
He doesn’t want to say anything negative about my new stepmother in front of my father, even when he’s unconscious.
“I see.” I fold the note, my stomach turning. “We’ll discuss it more later.”
He nods, then smoothly changes the subject. “Have you checked into your hotel?”
“Hotel? I planned to stay a
t the house.” When Dominic grimaces, the sick feeling in my stomach gets worse. “But that was before I knew it would be so crowded.” With barracuda.
Shit.
My sickness quickly turns to anger. If my father made the mistake of marrying a terrible woman who doesn’t even have enough feeling for him to be at his bedside as he’s about to die, I’m sure as hell not going to let her keep me away from the house I was born in. There’s plenty of room for all us fish to swim in that bowl.
What eats barracuda? Killer whales? Yeah, I’m gonna be a killer whale. Here, fishie-fishie.
Watching me go through my mental gymnastics, Dominic smiles. “You’re so much like her,” he murmurs.
“Who?”
“Your mother.” He makes the sign of the cross of his chest. “God rest her precious soul.”
Tears leap back into my eyes as if they’re spring-loaded. I swipe them angrily away, sniffing. “I wish I would’ve known her.”
“She was a very loving, patient woman, but she had the heart of a lion.” Dominic’s eyes glimmer with moisture. “Your grandmother was the same way. Lionhearted. And the stories I’ve heard about your great-grandmother . . .” He chuckles and kisses his fingertips. “Fantastico.”
I leap to my feet and start to pace at the foot of the bed, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off my sudden chill. “I need to talk to the doctor.”
“I’ll let the nurse know.” He stands, giving me a wink. “I’ve asked her for a date half a dozen times, but she always tells me she has a boyfriend. Ladies in their sixties are such teases.”
He leaves, patting me on the shoulder as he goes. As soon as the door closes behind him, a soft, scratchy voice says, “Kimberly.”
I whirl around. My father’s eyes are open. He’s looking at me with a faint smile and a faraway look, like he’s viewing me through a crystal ball from some distant, magical place.
“Papa!” I run to his bedside and collapse onto his chest, bursting into tears as soon as his hand rests on my head.
“Shh. Hush now, my angel. Everything is all right.”
I lift my head and gaze at my father, his face swimming because of my tears. I whisper, “I’m so sorry.”
Smiling dreamily, he strokes my hair. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
I cry, “But I haven’t seen you in so long! I haven’t been here for you—”
“You were living your life, angel,” he interrupts. “Just as you should.” His eyes drift shut, and he releases a soft, ragged breath, as if the conversation has exhausted him.
