CHAPTER EIGHT
Kiara was curled up in bed again, reading another of her books before calling it a night.
It was how she always ended her day, and she was glad to no longer have to restrict her reading to “one more chapter” if the story was compelling her to keep reading.
She had no job that required her to get up early in the morning.
And with the money Duncan had given her, she had an unlimited book budget, which meant she was never short of books to read.
There was a soft knock on her door, then it cracked open. “Kiki? Are you awake?”
“Yep.” She pushed herself up to sit against the headboard, then leaned over to snap on the lamp on the nightstand.
Angie skipped around to the other side of the bed and plopped down next to Kiara, a big smile on her face.
Kiara lifted her eyebrows. “What’s up?”
“He asked me!” Angie held out her left hand, her fingers splayed. On her ring finger was a diamond that sparkled in the lamplight.
Kiara gasped, her heart leaping in her chest. "Jude proposed?"
"Yes!" Angie bounced on the bed, her blue-green eyes shining with excitement. “He took me to the same spot where Jim found us.”
“Really?” Kiara frowned. “That’s not very romantic.”
“It was though,” Angie insisted. “He said he wanted to reclaim that beautiful spot with good memories, not the horrible ones from that day. He prayed with me about it, then he got down on one knee and proposed. It was amazing. So amazing.”
When she’d first realized that Angie’s feelings for Jude were more than just a crush, Kiara hadn’t been sure about them as a couple.
Jude was so serious and reserved, and he was over a decade older than Angie.
But it had quickly become clear that Jude would give his life for Angie, and Kiara knew it wasn’t just because of his job.
There was a yearning in her heart for the kind of love that Angie and Jude shared. Even though they were so different, it seemed that sharing a faith and love for each other had given them a solid foundation for something more serious and, hopefully, long-lasting.
Kiara reached for her sister's hand, examining the ring more closely. It was elegant without being ostentatious—exactly Angie's style.
"It's beautiful," Kiara whispered, emotion tightening her throat. "I'm so happy for you, Angie."
And she was. Love might be something she wanted for herself, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t happy that her sister had found it.
"I still can't believe it," Angie said, her voice softening as she gazed at the ring.
After everything they'd been through, seeing her sister this happy felt like a miracle. Kiara squeezed Angie's hand, blinking back tears that suddenly pricked at her eyes.
"Have you told Duncan and Elizabeth yet?" Kiara asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the emotion swelling inside her.
“Not yet,” Angie said. “I wanted you to be the first to know, so we’ll tell them tomorrow. It won’t be a surprise to them, though. Jude said he asked for Duncan’s blessing, so he knows it’s happening.”
"That's so old-fashioned, but it sounds exactly like something Jude would do," Kiara said with a laugh. "When are you thinking of having the wedding?"
“Soon,” Angie said. “With Jude having been shot, we’ve realized that life is too short to put off something we both want, just so we can plan a fancy wedding. Plus, we only have a few people we want there, and most live here on the estate.”
“What do you mean by soon?”
“Probably a month or two.”
“Well, I suppose Duncan will be able to fund pulling a wedding together in a short time.”
Angie laughed. “I suppose. He did it for you and Julian.”
“I hope you’re planning something a little more meaningful than what we had, given that you’re actually marrying a man you love.”
Angie stared at her for a moment before she nodded. “I suppose it will be a bit more elaborate, but not much, I don’t think.”
Kiara wished she hadn’t brought up her wedding and tried to move on from the subject. “I’m surprised you’ve gotten engaged before Annie, since she and Cole have been dating longer.”
“They might get engaged at the end of the basketball season. I think right now he’s focused on the playoffs.”
Kiara agreed that it was probably going to happen sooner rather than later, given how the couple acted when they were together.
It was hard not to feel a little jealous of Angie and Annie. They were both with men they loved and who loved them deeply in return.
As a romantic at heart, Kiara had wanted that for herself. Instead, she was married to a man she barely knew. And he definitely held no love in his heart for her, and probably not even affection.
She tried to suppress the pain in her heart as she leaned against her sister. “I’m happy for you, Angie. Truly.”
“Thanks, Kiki.” Angie rested her head on Kiara’s. “I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Matron of honor,” Kiara corrected her.
There was a moment of silence before Angie said, “Yes. My matron of honor.”
“I’d be honored.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“Who is going to be Jude’s best man?”
“I think it’s going to be Cooper.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, then Angie left to go to her own room. After turning off the lamp, Kiara slid back down under the covers. Her tablet lay abandoned on the bed beside her.
In the darkness, she stared up at the ceiling.
Warm tears slid from the corners of her eyes, soaking into her hair.
Crying had never been part of who she was.
Jim saw tears as a weakness and would often punish them for crying.
But without that threat, her emotions came to the surface more easily.
Although it was possible that the pregnancy had something to do with them too.
She didn’t bother to wipe the tears away. There was no one there to see them. No one there to question her complicated feelings at the news of Angie’s engagement to Jude.
Her heart ached with a complex mix of joy and sorrow that she couldn't untangle. She was genuinely happy for Angie. Her sister deserved all the love and happiness in the world. But watching her sister's radiant joy only highlighted the emptiness of her own situation.
Kiara pressed her hand to her stomach, feeling the slight firmness there. In a few months, she'd have a baby to love and care for. That should be enough. It had to be enough. Because once Julian divorced her, she’d have to navigate life as a single mom.
But the romantic part of her heart—the part that had devoured love stories since the first time she’d gotten her hands on one—mourned for what she'd never have. She’d only ever hoped to get married once, and that that one marriage would be filled with love and would last a lifetime.
Instead, she'd married a stranger out of necessity, not love. There would be no tender moments of discovery, no growing intimacy, no shared dreams for their future.
The baby would arrive in a few months, and she still had no idea what her marriage would look like by then. Would they divorce as soon as the baby was born? Or would Julian wait a couple of months?
His letter had been kind, even thoughtful, but it had reflected the correspondence of two strangers navigating an impossible situation. Not the words of a husband to his wife.
She needed to keep her focus on what she had—a baby. And not what she didn’t have—a loving husband.
Picking up her tablet, she touched the screen to bring it to life and settled in to read at least one more chapter. Hopefully, it would pull her out of her head enough that she could sleep.
For some reason, reading about fictional characters falling in love gave her hope for herself, while hearing about it happening to the people around her didn’t.
The next morning, Kiara was late going downstairs, so all the hot breakfast food had already been put away. However, there were still some pastries and fruit sitting on the buffet in the breakfast room.
She poured herself a glass of water, then put a chocolate croissant on a plate and filled a small cup with assorted berries and carried them to the table.
She hadn’t been there long when Angie appeared with Annie behind her. They also grabbed some drinks and pastries before joining her at the table.
“How are you feeling today, Kiara?” Annie asked as she lifted her mug of coffee.
“At the moment, I’m feeling okay,” she said. “But check back in five minutes.”
Annie chuckled. “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“It’s not really,” Kiara agreed. “But to be honest, the nausea is getting a little better.”
“I hear we’re having another wedding,” Annie said.
“Exciting, huh?”
“I hope that Cole gets the idea,” Annie said. “Maybe you could toss me your bouquet.”
“Well, considering you’ll probably be the only single woman there, that shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Good morning, ladies,” Duncan said as he walked into the breakfast room. “Are you all well?”
“Yep,” Annie responded. “Although maybe well isn’t how Angie’s feeling. I think extremely well might be more accurate.”
Duncan chuckled. “I never thought I’d be happy that my daughter was marrying my head of security, but here we are. And Elizabeth and I are very happy with the news.”
“I’m glad,” Angie said. “Jude means the world to me.”
Turning from Angie, Duncan held out an envelope to Kiara. “This came for you.”
She hesitated for a second before she took it. She’d been hoping to receive another letter but hadn’t known if Julian would feel inclined to write again.
As she took it, Duncan said, “I received one as well, and it seems he’s doing okay.”
“I’m glad,” she said.
Duncan looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. “I’ll talk to you ladies later.”
After he’d left, both Annie and Angie turned their attention to Kiara.
“Are you going to read your letter?” Angie asked.
“Is this the first letter you’ve received from him?” Annie tacked on before Kiara had a chance to respond.
“No.”
“No?” the twins asked in unison.