Reclaiming His Bride (DiCarlo Brides book 3) (The DiCarlo Brides) (24 page)

Lana had never been to a funeral that was harder to face. Her mother’s and father’s deaths had been difficult on a personal level because she loved and would miss them. Leon Petrokol’s death was not so personal—and yet, far worse. She’d learned his name, greeted him many times in the halls and tipped him well when he brought her food. But she hadn’t known him. Until his funeral, she’d had no idea he was a student at UC Denver, that he hoped to get an MBA in accounting. That he liked gummy worms and strawberry ripple ice cream.

She’d never know the sound of his laugh or the way he’d brighten when he opened his Christmas bonus—which would now go to his parents since the checks would be dispersed later that week.

She ached inside, feeling responsible for his death, just because they couldn’t catch the killer. She was in charge, she was the boss and everyone expected her to keep things safe and running well, and she hadn’t. She’d failed this young man.

There was no way to make it better.

She leaned heavily on Blake’s arm as they filed out of the funeral. Cami and Vince, Sage and Joel, Rosemary and Jonquil came in behind them. Delphi had stayed behind to run the hotel. The drive to Pueblo for the funeral had been long and tense, but the thought of returning to the resort, putting it all behind them and moving on wasn’t exactly an easy thing, either.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked when they were in his car. Cami and Vince were in the back seat, snuggled together.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I just can’t stop thinking that we should have caught the killer before this happened.” Tears welled in Lana’s eyes and a lump rose in her throat. “I know it’s stupid, but I can’t let it go.”

Cami’s hand settled on Lana’s shoulder. “We all feel that way. It’s not just you. And we’re all wrong, because it’s not our fault.”

“I know. I just can’t stand this. Something has to happen soon.”

“Hold your tongue,” Cami said mildly. “Last time something happened...” The words she had started to say fell flat as they all realized what she meant.

“So what now?” Vince asked, pulling Cami tighter against him.

“Now we go back to the resort,” Lana answered decisively. “We double-check everything for the wedding and get you two married. I’m going to leave the rest to Joel.” When Cami snorted, Lana amended. “Okay, I’m going to
try
to leave the rest up to Joel. At least for the next few days. We’re going to have a beautiful wedding and then we’ll take the next step.”

“And what would that be?” Vince asked.

Lana sighed. “I have no idea.”

Blake deleted another phone message from a reporter wanting information about the murder in the hotel. The last thing he needed right now was to deal with the media. He had enough going on in his job and personal life already.

As if to punctuate that point, the office manager stuck her head in his doorway. “Hey, you have a call on line two. It’s your mother.”

“Thanks.” Blake wanted to grimace, but he forced a pleasant smile, since his mother always seemed to be able to tell if he was scowling over the phone. She claimed she could hear it in his voice and had uncanny accuracy in pointing it out. “Good morning, Mother. How are you doing today?”

“I’m fine, but I’ve been so worried about you. I heard about the murder.”

“Yes, that has been a terrible tragedy for our staff. Very difficult, but the police are investigating and expect to have answers soon.” That was a bald lie, as the police seemed to have very few leads. The murderer had been very careful.

“Well, I still worry about you. Don’t try to be a hero, honey.” There was the sound of ruffling papers in the background. “I called to say that I’m having a party this weekend. Everyone who
is
anyone is going to be there and it would be so good if you could come. I know Charity is hoping to see you.”

Blake ground his teeth together. “Mother. I’m married, remember? I don’t care if Charity is interested in me or not. I’m with Lana. I couldn’t come this weekend regardless, besides the investigation we’re dealing with, Lana’s sister Cami is getting married on Saturday.”

“Oh, but I’m family, and she’s just—”

“My family, Mother. She’s my family. Lana is my wife and Cami is her sister. That makes her my family every bit as much as you are. You need to accept that no matter what else happens, this is the way things are. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I really can’t make it this time.” He sucked in a deep breath to stave off the irritation that flooded him. “I hope you have a terrific party and that everyone talks about how wonderful it was for weeks to come.”

“You’re not going to come? But Donald always comes to my parties, why do you insist on being so difficult?” Juliette sounded flabbergasted that he would make any other choice.

He loved the way she ignored the fact that his brother lived less than an hour away from her instead of halfway across the country. “Some other time, when you’ve given me more notice, I’ll be happy to join you and bring my wife to meet everyone. Love you.” Blake hung up and stood from his desk. He hated to disappoint her, but he couldn’t drop everything and run this time, and he definitely wasn’t going to any party without Lana by his side.

He rubbed his chest and told himself to ignore the voice inside him that always told him he wasn’t good enough, that he was a disappointment and fell short. If only he weren’t so useless, his parents would appreciate his accomplishments and Lana would never have left him. It was the same voice that had whispered to him all of this life that he wasn’t good enough, and kept him from begging Lana to come back. He might have made it sound like he’d been confident that she would come back on her own, but this part of him had always whispered that the supposed cheating was an excuse to cover the fact that she didn’t want to be with him after all.

Bile burned in his throat, and he fought back the voice, choosing to think of the fact that Lana had chosen to be with him, and knowing it had nothing to do with being scared to be a single parent. She would excel at anything she tried, so allowing him back in had to be because she loved him, not as a security blanket.

Though he repeated the thoughts firmly and then put them out of his head, he wasn’t sure he completely believed them.

 “I’m disappointed in you, son.”

Blake closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers across the bridge of his nose as he listened to his father. “I’m sorry.” There was nothing else he could say. He fought the sense of uselessness that always filled him when his father used that tone.

“Your mother is having the party and she wants you to be there. You never put other people’s needs before your own wishes.”

The familiar refrain made Blake clench his fists as he fought to stand his ground and declare independence. “I’m sorry if it disappoints you, Dad. But I have commitments here in town. I really can’t leave.”

“Putting your friends before your family, picking out a woman from a family who has been involved in who knows what kinky escapades—”

Blake wouldn’t take it anymore—couldn’t take it anymore. Apologizing and taking blame when he didn’t deserve it had been his life’s mission, but this was the last straw. “Father. There are a couple of things you need to understand. First, Lana’s family is
my
family
, so I’m not putting my
friends
in front of my family. We’re married; she has to be my first priority right now. Her sister’s wedding, which is only going to happen once, is going to be a priority over Mom’s last-minute invitation to a party she’s probably been planning for weeks. It’s not like she won’t hold another one in a few months.”

His father started to argue, but Blake raised his voice and spoke over him, “And second, I never want to hear you say anything like that about my
wife
or her family again. I will not stand for you talking badly about any of them. Lana is more than good enough for me—probably too good for me. I expect you to treat her with the respect she deserves as my wife, and I expect you to treat my son with the same love and care that you treat your other grandchildren, or you won’t be seeing any of us. I wish you and Mom luck with your party, but I’m not going to be there.”

When silence greeted him on the other end of the line, Blake wasn’t sure if his father was just flabbergasted that he had stood up for himself for the first time in memory, or if he had hung up in offense at being spoken to like that.

“I can’t believe you. Your brother would never speak to me like that. You’re supposed to honor your parents and you know how I feel about those DiCarlos. George was underhanded and crooked—and your so-called new family is no different. Just you wait and see.”

“Goodbye, Dad.” Blake hung up the phone and set it carefully on the desk, knowing if he didn’t he’d give in and throw it across the room. He would never be good enough for his parents, and there was nothing he could do about it. All of his efforts were continually compared unfavorably to his brother’s and it would always be the case. The fact that Donald had been conditioned to see things from his parents’ viewpoint didn’t make their relationship any easier.

He looked up when he heard a trill of Lana’s laughter through his closed office door and reminded himself that he had her. He had Lana and he had his son and his new family, and it didn’t matter what his parents thought.

As consolation prizes went, he might have hit the jackpot.

Lana watched as a local woman put the finishing touches to Cami’s curls on the morning of the wedding. Delphi, Rosemary and Jonquil were running things downstairs and riding the staff to make sure everything was perfect. Sage and Lana were in the bride’s room with Cami, bonding over the moment—or at least the other two were.

Lana couldn’t let herself go and appreciate the moment fully. Cami was distracted with her preparations and Lana couldn’t help but compare her own wedding to this one. It may have been fairly fast, but it would still have the requisite family and friends in attendance and the diaphanous gown Cami had fallen in love with at first sight. Then there would be the fancy cake and toasts to the health of the new Mr. and Mrs. She hadn’t had any of that—even her gown had been fairly simple—the only one of the chapel’s scanty assortment that fit her properly.

It didn’t make Lana any less married than her sister would be in an hour or so, but she still felt dissatisfied, or maybe it was simple jealousy. When she thought of her year-long marriage with Blake, Lana couldn’t help but regret how things had gone, the mistakes she’d made, and wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t seen him with Fiona, hadn’t let the anxiety that had grabbed her at that moment color everything that followed.

She smiled as she handed the rhinestone-studded hair pins to the cosmetologist one at a time and pretended to be following the conversation that had Sage laughing openly.

“Any
Sage
advice?” Cami asked, grinning at her pun.

“You mean, do the stars have special messages for you today?” Sage asked.

“Of course. I could use some good omens—not that they’re necessary. I’ll have Vince. Who needs more than that, really?” Confidence and joy radiated off of Cami.