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But Ella realized just because she’d come to this conclusion, Rafe might not have. He might still think that Bass had willingly gone with his ex-wife. She wished she could read Rafe’s mind. His face was blank though, and she didn’t think anything was going to make him come around at this very moment. He needed time. It was a lot of information to take in.
“I can’t do this right now,” Rafe finally said.
Bass nodded. “Me neither.” They made eye contact and they both nodded, then Rafe pulled Ari with him, and they left the restaurant. Ella turned and took Bass’s hand.
“Is this what you’ve been trying to tell him for so long?” she asked.
He shook from the rage he was holding in. Everything within her wanted to help him, but she didn’t know how she could.
“I need to take a walk.” He forced some breaths in. “Please don’t take this as me running away. I knew Sharron was evil, but I didn’t realize the depths of her depravity until now. I have to sort it in my mind. Will you tell the others I had to leave?”
He was barely holding himself together, and everything within her wanted to comfort him. She also knew that when she was losing it, she wanted to be on her own. If she wanted him to respect her, then she dang well needed to respect him.
“Of course,” she told him.
He thanked her and walked away. Ella made her way back to the room and told the story to all who were standing there. They were all gasping in shock. Then she was utterly surprised when grins broke out, and Rachel filled all of their wine glasses and held hers up. Ella looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“To having our family back as one. We all knew the truth would come out. We didn’t expect it in this manner, but I’m not complaining. I haven’t been this happy in a very long time,” Rachel said.
“To family and whores,” Lia said.
Ella choked on the sip of wine she’d just taken after the first toast, and then she laughed hard along with Rafe’s sisters. This was one toast she could fully endorse.
“To family and whores,” she said.
They all drank, then they sat together and talked for hours about the new horse therapy center they were building and about Nana Bee. For just a little while Ella allowed herself to truly feel a part of the Palazzo family. Oh, what a beautiful moment it was. She smiled the entire night, even after she left.
When Ella climbed into bed that night she was still smiling. She wasn’t allowing her brain to bring up any worries. She was thrilled with where she was and who she was.
“Thank you, Nana Bee,” she whispered.
She closed her eyes and could almost feel a kiss against her cheek. Everything was going to be all right. It might not go exactly how she felt it should go, but in the end, it was all going to be perfectly okay.
Chapter Fifteen
Ella
Ella felt like she was walking on sunshine. Everything that could go right was turning out even better than she thought it would. She loved it. There was nothing that was going to turn her blue — no way — no how. She was happier than she’d been in a long time.
Of course what goes upmustcome down.
It was supposed to be a normal day at the office, but as usual it was hectic. Then again, thatwasa normal day for her. She didn’t mind staying busy, as it kept her out of trouble. When she had too much time on her hands, her mind spun, and she went down roads she didn’t want to travel. Busy was better.
She’d barely begun her day when she walked out to refill her coffee. Her boss was leaning against a desk. He looked up and smiled at her. She gave him a half wave, then continued with her task. She wanted nothing to do with him after his attack the past weekend. She couldn’t even be in the same room as him without her skin crawling.
“Ella, I need to see you in my office,” Paul said from far too close behind her, sending a shiver of dread through her.
Slowly she turned. “Can’t we speak here?” she asked cordially since there were ears within hearing range.
“This is a private matter about a client,” he said.
There was no way she could get out of that. She squared her shoulders and kept a blank expression on her face as she finished making her coffee, really wishing she had some rum in her pocket she could add to it. She might need it to deal with her handsy boss.
He waited for her to finish her coffee, then she walked beside him to the office. Neither of them said a word. He stood in the doorway holding out his hand for her to step through. She wasn’t going to let him know how uncomfortable she was. She hated his office. She’d seen many women go through his door . . . and not come out for an hour. There were no windows, and she had a feeling it was soundproof, since no one ever heard a sound coming from within the walls when the door was shut.
She immediately went to the chair in front of his desk and sat down, her back straight, her hands in her lap. She looked as if she didn’t want to be there, and she wanted that made clear. She didn’t look at the couch he had in the room. She could imagine what had happened on the leather thing. It made her stomach turn over. Who in their right mind would want this man’s hands on them? Apparently, a lot of women.
“I got a call from Beverly Baron this afternoon,” he said. Instead of sitting in his seat, he leaned on his desk, his body far too close to hers.
