Table of Contents
Westerly Family Tree
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
About the Author
ALSO BY RUTH CARDELLO
LONE STAR BURN
Taken, Not Spurred
Tycoon Takedown
Taken Home
Taking Charge
THE LEGACY COLLECTION
Maid for the Billionaire
For Love or Legacy
Bedding the Billionaire
Saving the Sheikh
Rise of the Billionaire
Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea’s Redemption
Recipe for Love (Holiday Novella)
A Corisi Christmas (Holiday Novella)
THE ANDRADES
Come Away with Me
Home to Me
Maximum Risk
Somewhere Along the Way
Loving Gigi
THE BARRINGTONS BILLIONAIRE SERIES
Always Mine
Stolen Kisses
Trade It All
Let It Burn
TRILLIONAIRES
Taken by a Trillionaire
TEMPTATION SERIES
Twelve Days of Temptation
Be My Temptation
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 RCardello LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781503943018
ISBN-10: 1503943011
Cover design by Eileen Carey
This book is dedicated to my nephew, Joe, and his fabulous children: Judy and Jack. At the end of the day, family is what matters most. I am grateful to have been blessed with you in my life. For the good times, the tough times, the memorable vacations, and the lazy days by the pool—I thank you. —Aunt Ruthie
Contents
Westerly Family Tree
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
About the Author
Westerly
Family Tree
(D): stays with Dereck after the divorce
(S): stays with Stephanie after the divorce
Prologue
Delinda Westerly steadied herself by gripping the back of an eighteenth-century Chippendale chair in her sunroom. Her pristine terraced gardens had become a playground for a herd of children currently racing about with the antique stone chess pieces her husband had added to the grassy area above the garden.
“There you are,” said Alessandro Andrade from the doorway behind her.
Delinda turned slowly to face him. “Yes, here I am.”
She hadn’t meant to reveal her disappointment in those few words.
With a concerned expression on his face, Alessandro walked toward her, but stopped when he saw the children lining up the chess pieces on the garden wall. He knocked on a glass pane, though none of the children seemed to hear.
“Let them be,” Delinda commanded softly. “Oliver had those pieces made for Dereck when he was ten. He would love to see them still being played with.” She smiled sadly. “Only one of them is broken, and I believe it was from the day you and your brothers were using the pawns as lawn darts.”
Alessandro chuckled. “I’ll confess my guilt now, since I’m reasonably certain the statute of limitations is less than fifty years.”
“Fifty years, it seems impossible for time to have flown by that quickly. It’s been over thirty since I lost Oliver, but somehow it still feels like yesterday.”
Alessandro placed his hand on hers. “He was a good man.”
With a simple nod, Delinda agreed and sighed.
Alessandro searched her face. “Are you tired, Dee? I shouldn’t have brought everyone today. It’s too much, isn’t it?”
Clasping her hands in front of her, Delinda said, “I’m not on death’s doorstep. Not yet, anyway. Although sometimes I wonder why I’m the one who is still here.”
“Don’t even think such a thing. Every moment we have is a gift. You are a gift—to all of us.”
Delinda pressed her lips together briefly before saying, “That’s kind of you to say. I know your mother asked you to watch over me and you have. I still miss her. She was a beautiful woman with a big heart. And her laugh—you couldn’t help but laugh along when you heard it. I always envied her ability to be so free, so openly loving. She taught you and your brothers to be the same. When I see her great-grandchildren running through my garden, I feel her smiling.”
Alessandro cleared his throat and, with emotion, said, “I’m here because you’re family.”
“You’ve always been generous with that term, but my family couldn’t be bothered with something as insignificant as my eightieth birthday.” She stopped and brought a shaking hand to her white curls. “I’m sorry, Alessandro. You don’t know what a comfort it’s been to have you and Victor come by today.”
“Where is Dereck?” Alessandro asked harshly.
Delinda waved a hand in the air dismissively. “He said he would be here. I’m sure he forgot. He’ll apologize tomorrow.”
“Did you invite your grandchildren?”
“Brett had an important meeting he couldn’t miss. He sent flowers. Or his secretary did. Eric is in Europe filming his next movie.” She blinked back a sudden wave of emotion. “I sent an invitation to the others, but Stephanie poisoned them against me long ago. I didn’t expect them to come.” She walked to the windows that overlooked the garden where the children were playing. “There was a time when my grandchildren were the ones making a mess of my gardens. How did I lose them? How did I lose all of them?”
Alessandro came to her side. He sounded as if he were about to say something, then stopped. He c
leared his throat again. “Did you invite Stephanie?”
“No,” Delinda said curtly. “If I never see that woman again, it will be too soon.”
“Twenty years, Dee. They’ve been divorced for twenty years. It’s time for you to—”
“When she left my son, it nearly destroyed him. I knew from the moment I met her that she was trouble, but Dereck wouldn’t listen to me. If he had—”
“You wouldn’t have Brett, Eric, Rachelle, Spencer, or Nicolette.”
Spinning angrily toward Alessandro, Delinda said, “I don’t have them. Don’t you see? She took them away from me. Turned them against me.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“They’re not here, are they? Not one of them.”
Alessandro’s tone was gentle yet firm as he said, “I remember my mother saying if you want a rose garden, don’t plant weeds.”
Delinda had wanted confirmation that the state her life was in was not of her making. “I don’t know if I like what you’re suggesting.”
Alessandro led Delinda to sit in one of the chairs before taking a seat across from her. “You’ve never kept your feelings about your son’s wife a secret.”
“Ex-wife.”
With a sigh, Alessandro continued, “She’s the mother of your grandchildren. They love her. If you want them in your life, you need to let go of the past.”
“You don’t know what she did.”
“I don’t care, Dee. That’s the point. People make mistakes. Whatever happened between Dereck and Stephanie was their business, and it happened long enough ago that you can’t continue using that as an excuse for why you don’t have a relationship with your grandchildren.”
“So this is my fault?” Delinda asked with a gasp.
Alessandro raised and lowered a shoulder unapologetically. “You’re planting weeds, Dee. Nothing will change while you do.”
Delinda slumped a little. “Weeds? You make it sound easy. I wouldn’t know where to start.” She shook her head sadly for a moment before remembering something. “You reunited with your brother’s children. How did you do it?”
Slapping a hand on his knee, Alessandro smiled. “Maddy claims responsibility for that.” He shrugged again. “I didn’t approve of her meddling, but it worked, so who am I to argue with her methods?”
Despite how bleak Delinda felt, she chuckled at the thought of Alessandro’s precocious daughter, Maddy. The girl had a spirited and mischievous nature. With a smile, she asked, “What did your daughter do?”
“She and her friends played matchmaker with each of my brother’s children. Her theory was that love heals all wounds.”
“And it worked?” Delinda leaned forward. “Could it with my family?”
“I don’t know,” Alessandro said hesitantly.
With a shake of her head, Delinda sighed. “Of course it couldn’t. How ridiculous to even entertain the idea. Sorry. My eighty-year-old brain must be getting feeble.” She hugged her arms around herself. “My family is shattered, Alessandro. It’s not just their relationship with me that’s broken. Brett hides in his office. Eric hides overseas. Neither is close to his younger siblings anymore. When Stephanie turned her back on our money, she turned her back on half of her children and split the family. Even if they never come back to me, I pray they find each other.”
A knock on the already-open door announced the arrival of Alessandro’s brother, Victor. With an easy smile, he asked, “Is the birthday girl ready for cake? I’m asking because the children are planning a coup if they don’t get some soon.”
Alessandro beckoned Victor to join them. “You’re just in time. Delinda needs our help.”
Instantly serious, Victor took a seat beside Alessandro and studied Delinda. “Is everything all right?”
Before she had a chance to answer, Alessandro said, “How would you rate your matchmaking skills?” He briefly outlined what they’d discussed. “Do you think we could do this without Maddy?”
With a confident shrug, Victor said, “I’m Italian. Who knows more about love?”
Delinda sat straighter. “Alessandro, do you really think my grandchildren marrying could heal my family?”
Alessandro leaned forward and took her hand in his. “We’ll give it a try, but there is something you must do first.”
“Anything,” Delinda promised.
“You must forgive Stephanie and move forward.”
After a pause, Delinda asked with a pained smile, “You couldn’t ask for something more simple, like a kidney?”
Chapter One
“No matter what he says, remember he’s no better than we are.”
Alisha Coventry looked across the limo at Spencer Westerly, her best friend’s younger brother, and her heart broke for him. He sounded nervous even though she knew he’d hate that it showed. The Spencer she’d grown up with had reigned over their high school. Captain of the football team. Top of his class. Confidence personified . . . until a week ago.
Alisha hated seeing him so unsure of himself. With his thick head of blond hair, serious brown eyes, and tall, athletic build, he’d never been short of female admirers. He should have been conceited, but his mother had raised him better than that. He was a good man, and shouldn’t feel as though his accomplishments were somehow less than other family members’.
His start-up company, WorkChat, might one day make him a household name. All it needed was an additional infusion of capital to reach its potential.
Which was why Alisha had agreed to marry him. That, and she’d learned how important it was to Spencer’s pride that he succeed in business; if she could help that by ensuring the injection of cash, all the better. She reached out and gave his hand a supportive squeeze. “You’re damn right he’s not. Your brother was given everything. So his name is on a skyscraper, so what? That doesn’t mean he accomplished anything. You’re building your company from nothing. Don’t let him intimidate you.”
“That’s his goal, you know. It’s why Brett sent the limo and wanted to meet in Boston. He doesn’t want me to forget how important he is or why he was the one our father handed the company to.” Spencer raised their linked hands and turned them so the diamond on her left finger was before them. “Now that we’re here, I feel bad about dragging you into this. Are you sure you’re up to pretending this is real? It sounded like a good idea when Rachelle suggested it, but I’ll admit I didn’t think about how it would be for you when I agreed.”
“Don’t worry about me. The whole idea of mandating marriage is archaic, and holding your inheritance in front of you like a carrot bothers me. It’s manipulative. And wrong. I don’t mind lying at all in the face of that.”
Spencer raised an eyebrow. “And your friends?”
Alisha shrugged. “They didn’t ask too many questions. I’m twenty-eight and you’re gorgeous. And before you ask, I didn’t lie to them. I simply didn’t tell them the whole truth. Six months from now no one will even be shocked when we divorce. Marriages don’t last anymore.”
The limo pulled up in front of a tall office building in the financial district of Boston. “That’s depressing, but if our families are any indication, it’s accurate.”
“Exactly.”
“I want to tell my grandmother I don’t need her money, but it would make a difference to how quickly I can get WorkChat off the ground. You should take something for helping me. At least let me pay your college loans.”
“I didn’t agree to marry you for the money,” Alisha said softly.
“Why did you agree?” he asked, watching her expression.
Alisha considered his question. She’d survived her childhood and found happiness by living in the present instead of looking back. Although she still missed her mother, losing her to a stroke had actually been a relief, because she could now cut her father out of her life. Completely.
For reasons Alisha had never understood, her mother had taken her father back time and time again. Her mother would conveniently forget he ha
d a temper when he drank, and that he’d unleashed it more than once on Alisha and her mother. She’d let him back into their lives long enough for him to go through whatever money they’d saved. Even then it would take an escalation of violence that required police intervention for her mother to throw him out again. Alisha had learned early to hide her bruises and lie to social workers. She understood what it meant to feel powerless, to believe she didn’t deserve better.
No one would ever make her feel powerless again.
And I’ll never sit back and watch while someone else is made to feel that way. “Isn’t that what friends do? Help when they’re needed?” she answered.
He looked concerned. “I shouldn’t let you do this for me. Brett really is an asshole. He’s a carbon copy of my father. Plus, if you survive today, we still have to present you to my grandmother. Did I mention that she asked us to her home for lunch on Sunday? The invitation included my mother. If that’s not a recipe for disaster, I don’t know what is.”
Alisha tightened her hand on Spencer’s. Family should be a person’s strength, but sadly, that was no more the case with him than it had been for her. None of that scared her, though. A familiar fear nipped at her heels, but she refused to be afraid anymore.
If my father came after me today, he’d have a fight on his hands.
Come for me and you’d better kill me.
If you don’t, when I get up, and I will get up, I’m coming for you.
Alisha let out a long breath. Thoughts like that were why she focused on the present and what she had to be grateful for. Spencer’s home had been a peaceful one. His mother hadn’t believed in raising her voice and his stepfather could have won an award for the gentlest man on the planet. Their home had made sense, and that was a big part of why Alisha had spent so much time there. Rachelle, Spencer, and Nicolette felt like her siblings. In her heart, they were, and she’d do anything for them. To lighten the mood, Alisha gave Spencer a shoulder check. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself. Your overblown ego of a brother doesn’t intimidate me.”
“Because you’ve never met him.”
“Stop it. You’re not going to make me nervous. There’s only one thing that scares me, and that’s the first day of school each year. Separating twenty-five children from their parents, sometimes for the first time in their lives, scares the hell out of me. I have one chance to make a good impression on someone who may be clinging to my leg and wiping snot on the hem of my skirt while screaming for his or her mother. That’s when I pray for strength and guidance. This? It’s a piece of cake.” Just as she hoped, her words brought a smile to Spencer’s face.