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“What was his first name?”
“Ah, Nicolo I think.”
Turning into the driveway, he tapped the button to open the door. “Don’t you think those are some weird coincidences?”
“What?”
“Nicholas had you use an alias when you had Vanessa. Valeria. That happens to be Carleene’s friend’s surname. His first name is Nicolo?” Putting the truck in park, he turned to look at her. “That’s Nicholas in Italian.”
He watched as she processed it all. “I feel so stupid. How could I have never seen this?”
“You were too close to it. It’s common. That and the trauma you suffered kept your mind focused on other things.”
Opening his door, he hustled around the truck and opened her door, helping her down. Some things were starting to come together. This was his favorite part when he was piecing a puzzle together—gathering all the parts. There were still more pieces to scrape together, but it was beginning to flow now. He took her small hand in his, kissed her fingers, and walked her to the house.
In the kitchen, he turned to her, kissed her lips and cupped her face in his hands. “Kiera. Move in with me. Make this our home. Let’s start our lives together. Yeah?”
She swallowed a lump in her throat. Her lips parted slightly before turning into a full-blown smile. “Yeah.”
Pulling her into his body and holding her close, he breathed deeply to fill his senses with her hair, her body, her very essence. “Now that’s great news. Let’s build on that.”
37
“Mom, you have to take it slow for awhile. No shopping with the ladies and limit your bingo if you start getting excited.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It was a mild buildup in my arteries, and the angioplasty corrected that. I’m not going to stop living just because of that. Now stop fussing.”
Her mother looked better than she had in days. Being back home agreed with her. “When are you moving in with David? Tell me about the house.”
Deciding to share her good news for once and excited to tell her about the house, she began telling her everything. She looked over at David, who sat against the window sill, a sexy smile on his face. “He wants me to be moved in this week. So, we’re still figuring out what I’ll keep and what he’ll keep. But, Mom, it’s exciting.”
Her mother’s eyes, now clear and alert, stared into hers. “It looks so good on you, too. I’ve never seen you so happy.” Glancing to David, she said, “I’m so happy you two are getting this second chance.”
His voice deepened as he stared into her eyes. “I am, too, Rosemary.”
Blushing profusely, she moved her chair closer to her mom’s bedside and held her hand. “Tell me about Carleene. Please, I need to know. Some things have come to light, and David and I are puzzling them out. But, bottom line is, why was she here and upsetting you? What do the two of you have to talk about after all this time?”
“Yes, please tell her Rosemary.”
She spun around to see the odious Carleene Campisi standing just inside the door. “The look on your face, Kiera, says it all. I don’t give a shit that you can’t stand to see me. I have just as much right to be here as you do. Isn’t that right, Rosemary?”
“Not now, Carleene.”
A sickening sound came from Carleene’s throat, seemingly a chuckle. She moved into the room and pulled a chair from the corner. Placing it next to Kiera’s but at an angle, so she could see both women clearly, she sat in the chair with a groan.
“I think this is the perfect time, don’t you?” She placed her purse on her lap and glanced over at David. “Looks like you’re sticking around. You may find this news very enlightening indeed.”
“Mom, what’s going on?” She looked at her mother, who refused to meet her eyes. Her heart began to race, and she was grateful when David came and stood at her side, his hands on her shoulders.
“I’m happy to tell them, Rosemary, since you suddenly seem so shy. If you’d been this shy fifty-five years ago, none of this would have happened.”
Her mom gasped, and one of her boney hands flew to her lips. “Carleene, don’t.”
“You see, Kiera, your mother had an affair with my husband around fifty-five years ago.”
“What?” Her stomach lurched, and her heart raced. The fact that her mother refused to look at her confirmed that what Carleene was saying was true.
“Yes, Kiera, you are unfortunately a Campisi, not a Donnelly—much to my dismay,” she mumbled.
