“That’s not fair. He was always honest with them. He didn’t want long term. Our dad didn’t lead them on.”
Cara didn’t like the pitying expression her brothers were giving her.
“He said that to absolve himself of any accountability. David Bloom was a charismatic, wealthy man. I’m not saying every woman wanted something more with him. But, I know there were times, when he turned the full force of his attention on them, that some of the women thought they were the exception. That he wouldn’t be as generous and attentive as he was if he didn’t genuinely care about them.” James’s eyes were sad.
“He hurt a lot of people, Cara. Broke women’s hearts,” Luke added. He looked at his twin. “Remember Tasha?”
James grimaced. “Tough to forget.”
“I remember her,” Cara said. “She was really sweet. She loved to play Barbies with me and braided my hair.” Cara smiled at the memory.
“You know whatourmemory of Tasha is?” James’s voice was flinty. “Hearing her sobs, down on her knees in the foyer, begging our father not to leave her. Dad patted her on the head, Cara. Like a pet.” James shook his head in disgust. “And told her she shouldn’t worry. He’d paid off her credit cards and had put a ‘going away’ gift in her account. A woman he had living in his home, acting like a mother to his nine-year-old daughter. He treated her like she was a commodity, and he was done with her. Our father didn’t know what love was. She wasn’t even the first we saw him treat that way.”
Cara’s eyes were wide. She’d never heard of any of this. The extent to which her brothers had shielded and protected her all those summers hit her like a bolt of lightning.
“Do you believe in love?” The words slipped out, and by the looks on their faces, Luke and James were just as shocked by her question as she was.
“Uh, I mean…” James stammered.
“I do,” Luke said firmly, causing his twin to goggle at him. “I have friends who are in happy marriages.” He gestured to the house. “And right there, you said it yourself, Cara.” When he looked back at her, there was more understanding than she would have liked in his eyes. “I’m not saying it’s easy to find the right person, but I hope maybe someday…” Luke shrugged. “Don’t let your parents’ failures as people be what defines love for you. You’ve got a good heart, Car-Bear. I know that someday when you fall in love, it will be forever.”
“Gross,” James groaned. “If we’re done with the Oprah moment, can we go?” James winked at his sister to soften the words, and she smiled back.
Luke squeezed her hands and walked to his car.
“Which of the thousand one-night stands you’ve had made you believe in love, Luke? Was it the bottle-service girl in Vegas? I get it, her tits were…”
Cara laughed, closing her car door on James’s taunting.
At the stop sign at the end of the street, she was surprised when Luke pulled up alongside and James motioned for her to roll down her window.
“Do me a favor,” James said across the narrow distance. “Don’t be the one who volunteers to let your friend stay. I know it sounds terrible, but I’d be wrecked if something happened to you. And text us when you get home.”
Luke leaned forward and called across his brother. “If something like that were ever to happen to you, tell me. I can help where the police can’t. Put you in touch with one of my less white-collar clients.”
“I can’t believe as an officer of the court you just said that,” James said, outraged.
“Oh my god, lighten up.”
Cara gave a smile and a little wave as she pulled away, knowing they would bicker all the way back to Luke’s condo.
Pulling into the driveway, Cara parked next to Wes’s truck and did as her brothers suggested. She scanned her surroundings before almost running from the car to the front door. She practically flung it open in her haste to be safely inside. To her relief, there were no flowers or notes waiting on the porch.
Wes looked up startled, as she barreled into the house. He held his phone to his ear and his face was twisted in an irritated scowl that quickly turned to guilt.
Interesting.
He took the call to his bedroom, and Cara wandered into the kitchen to get a drink. He’d left the door partially open, making it easy for her to eavesdrop.
“Hang on, Melody, let me get a pen. Where do you want me to send it?” He was quiet for a minute, and Cara assumed he was listening. “Do you want everything?” Another pause. “How about you make me a list of the clothes you want? That’ll be easier.”
As annoyed as she was at Wes, she felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Was Melodyreallyasking him to pack her belongings? The woman couldn’t possibly be that insensitive, could she?
She heard Wes let out a breath. “Are you sure you aren’t rushing into this, Mel? You’ve only known this guy for a few months… I’m not being negative. Of course, I want you to be happy… I don’t know how far San Gimignano is from Milan… When will you be back from the wedding? I don’t want to have the boxes delivered if you aren’t there… okay… I’ll send you a text when it’s done. Wait, Mel! What about Cara?”
Cara’s ears perked up.
“The woman you invited to live here. Don’t you think you should let her know you aren’t coming back… Wow! Fine. I’ll handle it.”
