[Cardello Ruth] For Love or Legacy(Bookos.org) (8 page)

―Are the tears for Dominic or because of him?‖ The growl behind him should have warned him, but he was intent on goading further. ―He‘s never been one to treat a lady well. Although, I must say that, until you, I‘ve never thought twice about his discards. You, however, have the world talking. I‘d love to find out if you live up to what they‘re saying about you.‖

Dominic grabbed one of Stephan‘s shoulders and spun him just in time to meet the

connecting force of his fist. Stephan stumbled backwards, grinning as he realized that his instincts had been correct—Dominic was not in control of the situation or himself.

Perfect.

Dominic glared down at Abby. ―You can stop making eyes at him now, he‘s leaving.‖

Abby sputtered in defense. ―I was not…‖

Stephan‘s derision-filled laughter froze their exchange. ―You‘re getting soft, Dominic, and that‘s what is going to make it easier to bring you down.‖

Dominic‘s hands clenched at his sides. ―Laugh all you want, but after today, Corisi Enterprises will be a bit more difficult to screw with. We‘re out of your league, Stephan. You can‘t touch us now."

Can't I?

Plan B was beginning to sound better and better. ―Don‘t be too sure about that, Dominic.‖

Dominic gripped him by the lapels of his jacket and hauled him forward until they were nose to nose. Dominic‘s voice held a deadly calm. ―Any hurt you might have incurred from me in the past was an unfortunate consequence of your poor business skills. In the future, it will be a bit more personal.‖ He released Stephan with a powerful shove that sent him back several feet.

―Get out of here, Stephan, before I stop caring about how killing you would affect this deal.‖

How dare he judge and dismiss my father’s business skills?
Devastating a man’s life’s work
wasn’t personal? Taking a family’s ancestral island was just business?

What could be more personal than that?

An evil thought came to Stephan, the kind of thought that one would normally dismiss as too awful, if it were not hatched in the heat of the moment.

You want personal? How about sleeping with your sister?

It wouldn't really matter if his engagement to Nicole wasn't real—news of it would keep Dominic so off center that he wouldn't be watching his back. He wouldn't even know what hit him when he put his new servers online, only to have them crash again and again until the Chinese government threw him out by the scruff of his neck.

All he had to do was tell Nicole he‘d had a change of heart. He‘d
love
to help her.

Oh, yes, this was about to get very personal.
He said, ―No one is untouchable, Dominic. I doubt you‘ll be as smug the next time we meet.‖

Dominic nodded to his security.

Stephan bowed sarcastically, rejoined his group and left the foyer.
Let Dominic think he’s
won for now.
As Stephan and his team slid into the limos waiting outside, he chose to ride alone.

He called a number he hadn't thought he would ever use. It was to a throw-away phone, untraceable. "Mike. I've changed my mind. Do it." He read the security code off a small piece of paper that he‘d kept tucked in his wallet.

There, it’s done. Dominic’s fate is sealed.

Surprisingly, there was no rush of pleasure at the thought.

Stephan hung up and dialed his father's cell phone. He could use some good news.

Nicole could hear the voices inside the enormous mansion even through the closed door.

Elise and Alessandro‘s home sat on top of a small hill, looking out over a reservoir like a Newport mansion, but with a more contemporary design. Only this family would own 34 acres of choice real estate property and adorn its pristine front lawn with a variety of tricycles and gym sets. Nicole raised a hand to ring the doorbell, but the door flew open before she could. A young boy, no more than five, sprinted past her and ran down the steps. His mother had a baby in her arms. She pointed to the escapee. ―Can you grab him?‖

Nicole looked down at her black Christian Louboutin sling back shoes and her cream colored pants suit and then at the boy who looked like he‘d been playing in mud with his hands.

Every other family she knew had nannies, but the Andrades didn‘t believe in them.

The boy stood, poised to sprint, just four steps below her. ―Grab him?‖ Nicole asked, not really sure what that would look like.

The mother said, ―Catch him. Net him. Hogtie him. Just bring him to the bathroom. He doesn‘t want to wash his hands before dinner.‖

The little boy stuck out his tongue at Nicole and took off around the corner.

Oh, the little stinker.

Nicole stepped out of her heels and gave chase.

She chased him around two parked cars, but he snuck past her and took off across the sloped grass lawn. The two were in a full run, when the little boy tripped going down a small incline and started to roll. Nicole pulled back to avoid stepping on him and also fell. They both rolled a few times in the thick summer grass before coming to a stop at the bottom of the small hill.

The little boy got to his feet first and peered down at her, accusingly. ―You almost rolled over me.‖

Nicole tried to keep a straight face, ―Sorry about that.‖

He stuck out a defiant chin, ―I‘m not washing my hands with Zia ‗Lise‘s soap. It makes me smell like a girl.‖

―So, I‘ll have to hogtie you after all,‖ Nicole said solemnly as if talking to herself.

The little boy tilted his head to one side in evaluation of her statement. ―You‘re funny,‖ he announced and offered her one of his muddy hands. Nicole took it and allowed him to believe that he was helping her stand up. He added, ―And you‘re fast.‖

Nicole smiled. ―Who knew?‖ She didn‘t let go of his dirty little hand. He was not getting away a second time. ―Let‘s go back inside. I bet your mother is worried.‖

―I‘m not -‖

Nicole suggested, ―What if we find some manly soap? I bet Uncle Alessandro doesn‘t like to smell like a girl either.‖

Elise came out the back door of the large house and wagged a finger at her nephew.

―Matteo, come in the house right now. Look, you've gotten Nicole‘s pants dirty!‖

Nicole looked down at her little captor and back up, and came to a quick decision. ―It‘s not his fault. I was running down the hill and I fell. Matteo was just helping me up.‖

Elise nodded, knowingly. ―Well, Matt, how lucky that you were there to help Nicole. Let‘s go get cleaned up.‖

Matteo looked up with pleading eyes. Nicole asked, ―Elise, do you have ivory soap? I‘m allergic to scented soaps.‖

Elise cocked a curious eyebrow at Nicole who merely shrugged. ―Sure,‖ she said. ―Follow me.‖

Matteo said, ―Sorry about your pants, Nicole.‖

Nicole said, ―It‘s ok.‖ And it was. She looked down at the stains on her left knee and knew that her pre-dinner adventure would likely be told and retold as a new Andrade family story, and there was a certain amount of pride in that.

Matteo said, ―Want to race later?‖

Nicole realized that he was now holding her hand rather than the other way around and her heart did a funny sort of summersault in her chest. ―You‘re on.‖

And together they went into the bustling house.

Victor Andrade tapped his wife‘s arm and stood the moment Nicole entered the house.

Nicole froze in the foyer, hardly noticing when someone slipped Matteo‘s hand out of hers and led him off to get cleaned up.

―Nicole, you came!‖ Victor said in a welcoming tone she‘d never heard in her own father‘s voice.

Katrine kissed one of her cheeks and hugged her like a mother who hasn‘t seen her child in too long a time. Nicole stepped back and almost fell. Katrine grabbed her arm at the last moment and steadied her. ―It‘s good to see you, Nicole.‖

Stephan‘s father walked over and Nicole stiffened in anticipation of what might be another awkward embrace. Instead, he stopped and simply touched one of her cheeks. ―It only took my son seven years to come to his senses.‖

Nicole couldn‘t meet Victor‘s eyes. ―His anger was justified. I…‖

Victor‘s hand dropped and his jaw clenched, his voice raising with emotion. ―You did nothing wrong.‖

Nicole shrank a little without realizing it.

Katrine said, ―Victor, you‘re scaring the poor girl. Nicole, don‘t mind my husband‘s mood, he‘s upset with himself, not you. We were overjoyed to hear that you and Stephan had made up.‖ Then she linked arms with Nicole and said, ―Come on, Nicole, Elise is in the kitchen and she‘s been talking about you all day. She‘ll be thrilled that you came.‖

Nicole allowed herself to be led away.

Much to Nicole‘s amazement, Elise was actually cooking. The large kitchen contained several ovens and heating elements on a center island. Every area seemed to be in use.

Apparently, Nicole did not hide her shock well, because Elise asked, ―Do you cook, Nicole?‖

Once again, Nicole felt like an unprepared outsider. She shook her head. No one she knew cooked. They
had
cooks. Cooking was messy and in general considered a waste of time by those in her small circle of acquaintances.

Elise asked, ―You never cooked with your mother?‖

Katrine jumped in quickly and said, ―Elise, you know…‖

Elise went pink, then rushed to Nicole‘s side. ―I forgot, Nicole. You must think I‘m a horrible person. I keep saying the wrong things around you, when all I really want is for you to feel welcome.‖

There was no doubting the sincerity of the older woman. Nicole said, ―I do feel welcome and please don‘t worry. I wouldn‘t be here if I didn‘t enjoy your company.‖

Katrine said, ―Isn‘t she everything I said she was? She‘s exactly what Stephan needs.‖

This time Nicole blushed.

As if sensing Nicole‘s discomfort at continuing to be the topic of discussion, Elise answered the questions Nicole wouldn‘t ask. ―You‘re wondering why we don‘t have someone cook for us, aren‘t you? We often do. If it‘s just Alessandro and me, our house cook will throw something together for us. And Richard makes the Sunday feast. But tonight was special. When the family gathers, the food is part of the love, no?‖

Nicole shrugged awkwardly.

Elise explained, ―The sauce is my grandmother‘s recipe. The meatballs are Alessandro‘s mother‘s. Katrine makes her Norwegian lefse bread and everyone eats it. When we blend our food, we blend our families and old recipes keep those people alive in our hearts. You understand?‖

There was little point in lying. ―Not really, although it sounds beautiful.‖

Katrine said, ―Don‘t worry, Nicole. I had no idea how to cook Italian food before I met Victor. Elise taught me everything I know.‖

Nicole walked around the kitchen, looking into the various pots.

Katrine added with a smile, ―So, you either help us cook, or you do the dishes.‖

Wide-eyed, Nicole swung around, and Elise laughed out loud, ―You are so bad, Katrine. We
do
have house staff. She‘s only teasing you.‖

Squaring her shoulders, Nicole decided she was up for the challenge. She‘d delivered a baby for goodness sake. How hard could cooking be? She slid off her cream jacket and rolled up her sleeves. ―Ok, where do I start?‖

Katrine and Elise exchanged a blatant look of approval. Elise said, ―All that is left now is desert. We always make a fruit crostrata in the summer, a kind of pie. Victor and Alessandro love them.‖ Elise pointed to a bowl of peaches and plums on a nearby counter and said, ―If you peel the fruit, I‘ll make the pastry for it. Then there should be blueberries in the refrigerator if you don‘t mind rinsing them.‖

Busy following her instructions, Nicole asked, ―So, is everyone gathered tonight to celebrate the newest addition to your family? Too bad Richard and Maddy aren‘t here.‖

Elise walked over and patted Nicole on one shoulder, ―We will celebrate Joseph‘s birth this week when he comes home from the hospital and Stephan has returned. Tonight is about someone else.‖

Nicole looked from Elise to Katrine, afraid to hope, afraid to care.

Katrine said, ―Tonight is about you, Nicole. Welcome home.‖

Nicole had never felt so wonderful and so awful at the same time.

Amid the gregarious discourse that was part of having three generations of Adrades gathered around one table, Victor‘s phone rang. He held a hand up and the room quieted. "It's Stephan."

He listened to his son for a moment then said, "Yes, I know, it's all over the news that Dominic won the bid, but it‘s for the best, Stephan. I'm surprised you went to China at all.

Why? I'm looking at why. Nicole is here with us. It's time for you to come home and focus on what is really important." A red flush of anger filled the older man's face. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about this foolishness with Nicole. You put her in an awkward position of lying to us when you asked her to keep your relationship a secret. She deserves better than that.

My future grandchild deserves better than that."

Victor shook his head in response to something Stephan said. "And what is this about buying Corisi Ltd without even mentioning it? It‘s the right thing to do, but why the secrecy?‖

Victor didn‘t give Stephan much time to explain before he said, ―You're right, we will talk about this more when you get home. Be sure of that. And don‘t dawdle in China. You have a new nephew waiting for you. Oh, yes, and you're lucky everything worked out with that, or even hiding in Asia wouldn't save you from Richard. Maddy had her baby the night you left. Thank God, Nicole was with her. You should have been. You should have made sure she got home safely."

Stephan responded with something that calmed his father somewhat.

Victor spoke with one hand waving in the air for emphasis. "She's fine. Everybody is fine.

Your Nicole took care of Maddy. I'm not so happy with the details, but I'm glad you finally came to your senses and asked her to marry you."

Nicole held her breath.

"Now that is the first good idea you've had in a long time. Here she is."