Chapter 14
K ate
I’ve dealt with disapproving people my entire life. I get those old women in the grocery store who sneer in disgust at my clothes, or the young mom who sees the kids and assumes I had Sienna in high school. But I’ve never overheard someone I knew talking about me like Dominic was.
I know what he said was fairly calm. Nothing that was really about my personality. It’s the principle of it all. Has he ever mentioned the glasses being all over the house? Nope. And I had no idea the ventilation system carried my voice from the basement. That makes me wonder if he can hear me when I have a little … self-care alone time. After watching him that one time, karma would definitely bite me in the ass that way.
Oh God. That would really be the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?
My problem is, I had hoped Dominic and I were developing a better connection, and he’d feel comfortable coming directly to me with his grievances, instead of complaining loudly in a public place about stupid shit.
When my phone rings, I growl. It’s probably him. The man doesn’t text me. Looking at the screen, I’m relieved to see it’s my half-brother, Matt.
“Hi,” I say as I answer the phone with a loud sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asks.
“Nothing. Just pissed at my boss. ”
“So, like normal then.”
“Pretty much,” I answer. Matt knows how aggravated I get with Dominic. I don’t go into specifics, though, because Dominic is still Matt’s cousin. I haven’t told him about the marriage, though.
“So, interesting that you bring up your boss, because I just had a very interesting conversation with my aunt.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. You have anything you want to tell me, Mrs. Santo?” he teases.
“No.”
“Come on, Kate. Why didn’t you come to me? I could have helped.”
“How?” I ask belligerently. “Last time I checked, you were already married, and if that’s what you were suggesting, ew.”
Matt chuckles. “No, wasn’t suggesting some kind of sister wife scenario. But I do have some savings I could have given you.”
“Absolutely not. No.”
“Why not?” he asks.
“Because I will not take handouts from family.”
“You also wouldn’t take a handout from my aunt,” Matt comments.
“Correct.”
“But you’ll take one from Dom?” he asks.
“It wasn’t exactly a handout. It’s so I can get medical care and get my reproductive issues figured out. Dominic was the one to suggest it.”
“Oh, I figured that,” Matt murmurs. “Bet he just steamrolled right over you with that one.”
That’s actually an accurate description of how Dominic interacts with most people. “Sort of, yeah.”
“Alright. Why are you aggravated with him tonight?”
“He’s just so … him , and we had an argument. Then I followed him to where he was, and I found him with Alex listing off all the things he doesn’t like about me. ”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Matt says deeply.
“It wasn’t anything bad. Stupid pet peeve things, like finding strands of my hair everywhere.”
“Hey,” Matt says suddenly, “Are you watching the kids this weekend?”
“No. Dominic told me I didn’t have to keep them at all, unless there was an emergency at Everlasting.”
“Why don’t you come down here? The kids haven’t seen you in forever. And it sounds like you could use a break from my cousin.”
“I hate when you phrase it like that. It makes it sound like I’m in this taboo situation,” I shudder.
“But it’s fun to suggest it,” Matt says with a chuckle.
“Whatever,” I mutter. Brightening up, I say, “Are you really okay if I come hang for the weekend?”
“Yeah, of course. I haven’t seen my baby sister in way too long.”
“Okay. Thanks, Matt. You’re right, I definitely need a break,” I admit.
“See you soon, Mrs. Santo.”
I hear the click in my ear as Matt ends the call on that unpleasant note.
Quickly throwing a bag together, I leave a note on the kitchen counter telling them I’m heading out of town for the weekend. I leave as fast as I can, because I want to get out of here before Dominic comes home and possibly convinces me to stay.
On a whim, I pull up the tracker app, and find him in the neighborhood, heading home. I start my car in a panic, whipping out of the driveway and turning in the opposite direction.
It takes about two hours to get to Matt’s house in Mountain Springs, just outside of Colorado Springs. There are a lot of similarities between Mountain Springs and Eternity Springs, although Eternity is smaller. Mountain Springs sits at the base of Pikes Peak, a beautiful mountain much taller than anything around it.
Matt lives with his wife, Victoria, her daughters Molly and Blaire, and their son Silas in the childhood home where Matt grew up. Molly is twelve, and according to my brother, she’s one big ball of hormones, drama, and exaggerations. Blaire is ten, and apparently, she has zero shits to give. She’ll tell anyone exactly what she’s thinking, and she doesn’t care if it hurts their feelings. Blaire is unapologetically herself, and I find that trait a breath of fresh air. Silas just turned one, and he’s been walking for a few months already.
Pulling up to the beautiful home, complete with a swing hanging off the front porch and a smattering of toys across the property, I find Matt waiting for me.
“About time you got here,” he teases. “Did you take the scenic route?”
“Oh please,” I retort. “At least I don’t get pulled over and almost arrested.”
Matt’s face drains of color. “You found out about that?”
“Are you kidding? Of course, I did.” I smirk at him, delivering the kill shot. “Was it you or Zane that got frisky by a fire pit with a bunch of people around?”
He barks back a laugh. “You were there, so you should know it wasn’t either of us.”
I blanch as I try to think back to what he’s referencing. “Can I have a clue?”
“Sure. I believe you met your favorite romance author that same weekend, and she may be the woman who enjoyed the benefits of a night around the fire pit.”
“No way!” I shout, then cover my mouth in shock as Matt silently shakes with laughter. Lowering my voice to a whisper, I say, “Addie and Chase? Seriously? I had no idea!”
“Good to know the gossip didn’t make it too far, then. Addie would have been absolutely devastated.”
“She still doesn’t know that people saw?” I ask.
“No one saw. She confided in Monica and Victoria. They were as clueless as you.”
“At least that didn’t make the damn gossip website,” I muse, stifling a laugh when Matt jolts. Oh yeah, big brother. I know more stories about you and your wife.
“Is that stupid marmot still wreaking havoc on the town up there?” he asks suddenly, obviously going for a conversation redirection.
“Uh-huh,” I say cheerfully. “Lots of stories on the website about him stealing things from the hotel. Clothing, shoes, jewelry. He seems to be able to carry a lot in his little paws.”
“Somebody should shoot that fucking marmot. Put the whole town out of its misery,” he mutters.
No one would. Mason the Marmot is revered in Eternity Springs, for reasons I still don’t understand. I do, however, know why Matt doesn’t like the marmot, but I’ll save that torture for another day.
Matt walks around my car, opening the trunk. “Where are your bags?”
I look at him in confusion. “Uh, I’m holding them?”
Now it’s Matt’s turn to look confused. “Didn’t you bring anything extra? How the hell do you expect to last the weekend with next to nothing in your bags?”
I throw my head back in laughter. “Matt, I’m single with no kids. This is all I need for a weekend.”
Matt chuckles. “That makes more sense. Even a night out with my crew needs an extra suitcase or two.”
When I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pull it out and see Dominic’s name on the screen. Growling, I’m ready to answer, but Matt grabs the phone from me. He answers it. “She’s busy.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I hear Dominic shout.
Matt chuckles. “I’m with Kate. Who the fuck are you?”
“Her fucking husband, asshole.”
“Maybe remember that the next time you decide to treat her like shit.” Matt ends the call and triumphantly hands the phone back to me. “Turn off your phone. Let the motherfucker stew. You’re entitled to a relaxing night of sleep before my son undoubtedly wakes you up at dawn. ”
Before turning off my phone, I see a text from Sienna, and immediately respond. Her dad might be a complete dick right now, but she did nothing wrong.
Sienna: Are you okay?
Me: I’m fine, sweetheart. Just decided to get away for the weekend.
Sienna: Can you tell my cousins I said hi?
Me: Still tracking me?
Sienna: I like to track you.
Me: I know you do. Do me a favor, okay?
Sienna: Sure.
Me: Don’t tell your dad where I am. If he asks you where, you can tell him tomorrow. But if he doesn’t ask you, don’t offer up the information.
Sienna: He’s really mad. I just heard him shouting on the phone.
Me: He never gets mad. Maybe actually expressing some anger would be good for your dad.
Sienna: Maybe. I’ll miss you this weekend, Kate.
Me: I’ll miss you too, sweetheart.
Turning off the phone, I follow Matt into his home, ready for a weekend of no drama with my faux-husband.
It turns out Matt was right. I did need a good night of sleep. Their pull-out couch in the basement is surprisingly comfortable, and it was well after dawn before Silas demanded to greet the visitor.
“What does Aunt Kate want for breakfast?” Matt asks as I take a seat at their kitchen table. My breath catches in shock.
“Oh, wow,” I breathe.
“What?”
“I knew I was his aunt, but I’ve never heard it out loud before. I’m an auntie!” I gush. Victoria walks in, and Silas toddles over to her. Once she picks him up, she comes to give me a hug.
“My girls think of you as Aunt Kate too, you know. I’m an only child, so they’re willing to take on anyone even remotely related to them,” she tells me with a giggle. “They latched onto Matt’s mom with incredible strength.”
“Family is important,” Matt says, looking over his shoulder and giving me a wink.
“Speaking of family,” I say, clearing my throat, “Have you spoken to Dad recently?”
Our father is in prison for a variety of bad decisions, some of which involved me. He crashed on my couch for a bit, and told me his wife had kicked him out. I found out later he was going through a divorce with Matt’s mom, and it was his girlfriend who kicked him out. He’d been lying about work, had off-shore bank accounts, and even had charges of bribing county and state officials. He’s serving a ten-year sentence.
Matt laughs bitterly. “No. I’ve got every single number from the prison blocked on my phone, and anytime a call comes in as unknown, I refuse to answer. If he calls me, it’s because he wants something. Does he call you?”
“Every now and again, yeah,” I admit softly.
“What’s he ask for?” Matt asks bluntly.
I sigh. “Usually money. But he knows I have none to give. Recently he’s been asking me to visit him. ”
“Don’t do it. Do not go visit him, Kate.” Matt’s voice is hard as he mixes pancake batter.
“I was thinking I might just go and tell him not to contact me again,” I confess.
“No. Dammit, Kate. No! It won’t go well for you. He’ll somehow gaslight you into making it your fault that he’s in prison.”
I feel my eyes filling with tears as I blurt out, “I already lost one parent, and I don’t want to lose another.”
Matt sighs, putting down the bowl and whisk. He crouches down next to my chair. “He was never a parent to you. I know that’s tough love, but he wasn’t. The two of you share some DNA. My mom views you as a surrogate daughter, and I know my aunt really loves you, too.”
“I think she was really upset to not get invited to the fake wedding.”
“If we’re being honest, I was too.” Matt stares at me, his eyes so much like Dominic’s that it’s making me feel guilty about everything.
“I didn’t want to invite anyone. It’s not real. I don’t want my family coming to a fake wedding. I want them to come to a real one. If I ever get married again, that is,” I stammer.
“Do you think you won’t have a real wedding?” Victoria asks quietly.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve never had good luck with men, and I certainly don’t have spare time to pursue a relationship. If life keeps continuing the way it is, I’ll be the old spinster pouring drinks at the hole-in-the-wall bar in Eternity Springs when I’m eighty.”
“I highly doubt that,” Matt chuckles. He shifts to slide into the chair beside me. “You don’t see men looking at you.”
“Because they don’t,” I say dryly.
“Oh, they do. Trust me. I felt like I needed to protect you whenever you visited us before moving to Eternity. Guys were staring at you left and right. But you weren’t in a place where you were open to a relationship. You weren’t looking around. Looking back at any of them. I only saw it one time.”
“When?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
“We came up to Everlasting to introduce you to my family. Remember?”
“I do …” I trail off. Where is he going with this.
“My aunt stopped us at the entrance. My cousins slowly began to introduce themselves. I heard you gasp, and I turned to see what you were looking at. I couldn’t believe it when my cousin was staring right back at you.”
“What? No.”
“Yep. It was Dom. I saw him staring at you, but you were looking back.”
“There’s no way he was looking at me with any kind of interest. If anything he was probably just confused as to who I was to you, and what I was doing there.”
Matt barks back a laugh. “Seeing as how he’s been my cousin for over three decades, but your boss for only a couple of years, you’re going to have to trust me on this. I know what he looks like when he’s interested.”
“I don’t believe you. Nope.” I shake my head vehemently.
He hums as he taps his chin thoughtfully. “Alright. I assume he kissed you at the end of the ceremony, right?”
I nod.
“Has he kissed you any other times?”
Feeling the heat whip up my neck and onto my cheeks has Matt howling. “It’s not what you think! He said he thought we should practice so the kiss at the courthouse was believable.”
“Oh, that’s the excuse he’s going with?” Matt cackles. “And you bought it? Wow. He’s got more game than I’ve ever given him credit for.”
“Matt, be nice,” Victoria hisses. “That is her husband you’re speaking of. ”
“Yeah, well, he put ten toads in my bed in the fourth grade, and he kissed my girlfriend in seventh grade in front of me. Huh,” Matt says, tilting his head to the side as he contemplates things. “Honestly, I’m kinda impressed with Dom’s skills.”
“He kissed your girlfriend? Really?” I ask.
“Well, I thought she was my girlfriend. She thought Dom was a better choice. I mean, I did live two hours away, which to a twelve year old, is a million miles. My local cousin was obviously the better choice.”
“Did they end up dating?” I wonder aloud.
“If they did, it was a couple weeks at best. The only relationship I’ve ever seen Dom in was with his ex-wife. And, well, now you.”
“We are not in a relationship.”
“Ah. The wedding band you’re wearing suggests otherwise.”
“Oh, shut up,” I tell him, balling up a napkin and throwing it at him.
“Guess I better make the pancakes before —” a plate of pancakes is dropped onto the table in front of me. We both look up to find Victoria smiling.
“Neither one of you realized I was cooking. If I didn’t know you were related before, I know it now.” She bends down to kiss the top of Matt’s head, then begins ripping up a pancake to place in front of Silas. He shrieks with joy, kicking his legs and slapping against the high chair tray.
When the girls finally awaken for the day, we set off to take the kids to a local playground. Victoria whispers to me how Molly has a tremendous attitude with anyone except Silas, and that is evident immediately. Molly barely acknowledges my existence, which is fine with me. I can handle Sienna’s hormonal tween act, but Molly’s angry teen act? No, thank you.
“So are you happy you at least have access to medical care?” Victoria asks.
“Well, considering Dominic chose an OBGYN for me, then told me when I had an appointment, I’d say there have been a couple bumps.”
“No way!” she breathes. “He really did that?”
“Yup. Then he was shocked when I was so upset about it.”
“I don’t think men understand how intimate it is for women in a gynecology appointment. You don’t want just anyone elbows deep in your hoo-hah,” she comments. I can’t help but giggle. She’s completely right.
“Thankfully, the OBGYN Hannah recommended is really nice. I felt heard for probably the first time ever,” I joke.
“God, the way females are treated in the medical world is disgusting,” Victoria seethes. “Heaven forbid something be treated instead of excused away as being anxiety, depression, or a weight issue.”
“The last doctor I saw told me I needed to exercise more,” I admit. Victoria looks horrified. “I’m not the most physically fit person out there, so he wasn’t completely wrong.”
“You are already too thin,” she says. Rolling her eyes, she continues. “It doesn’t surprise me that a man would suggest exercise instead of looking at medical information.”
“Yeah. I hate when they say labs are normal, but when I look into it, I’ll find I’m vitamin-D deficient and have low iron.”
“I think every woman has a vitamin-D deficiency,” Victoria says, then leans toward me and nudges me with her elbow. “And I’m not talking about the actual vitamin.”
I snicker at her innuendo. I’ve gotten fairly close to Victoria since finding Matt. I love that she feels comfortable enough with me to make these kinds of jokes.
“If you were to be really struggling with a vitamin-D deficiency, would you accept some from Dom?” she asks nonchalantly.
“Victoria!” I hiss.
“What?” she asks innocently. “I’m just looking out for your health. ”
“Really.” I cock an eyebrow at her as she fails to conceal her wicked smile.
“It’s not like you would be committing a crime. You’re married to the man.”
“It’s not the same, and you know it,” I sigh. “Besides, I really don’t think he even likes me that much. He’s never pleased with anything I do, and he rarely wants to spend time with us if I’m there.”
“Could it be the opposite?”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Perhaps he keeps away from you because he’s struggling with feeling an attraction toward you. And I wouldn’t take it too personally about thinking he’s never pleased. From what Matt tells me, that’s just how Dom is. He’s the epitome of a type-A grump.”
“He rarely smiles. At least never at me, I guess. He only smiles at his kids. Which is fine. I’d rather them get the happiness than me. But …” I trail off.
“What?”
I look over at her, then behind her to see where Matt is with the kids. We’re sitting at a picnic table shaded by massive Aspen trees, and Matt is happily pushing Silas in a swing. “When he’s kissed me? God, Vic. I was so unprepared for it. He seems so closed-off, but then —”
“He had no problem sticking his tongue down your throat,” Victoria finishes with a giggle.
“Yeah, sort of. Granted, I don’t have a lot of experience with guys. I went right from childhood into taking care of my mom, and then working a hundred jobs to try and make ends meet. I can count my sexual partners on one hand. But I knew the moment Dominic kissed me that he would be a tough act to beat.”
“It’s always the quiet ones,” she teases. “I’ve only met him a handful of times, but I can see what you’re saying. He has this dominant power that sort of seeps from his pores. Like you just know he’d be an animal in the bedroom, and afterword, you’d be thanking him for the experience.”
“Right?” I say, glad I can finally talk to someone about this. I can’t talk to Arianna about it. It’s weird. Hannah as well. Arianna’s two friends who adopted me ages ago, Natalie and Claire, would probably listen and give advice, but I don’t know if they’d run right to a Santo family member and rat me out. I’d hope they wouldn’t, and they’d honor girl code, but I’m fearful of what might happen if they gossiped about me.
“So why did you tuck tail and run down here this weekend?” she asks.
“Well it’s good to know my brother didn’t gab to you about it.”
Victoria smiles. “I won’t lie, he started to tell me. But I said I wanted to hear it directly from you. My husband is amazing, but it’s like playing the telephone game. Something would get messed up in translation.”
I take a deep breath, exhaling hard as I watch Silas tip his head back and let out a loud belly laugh. “We had an argument about money.”
“How so?”
“Dominic always leaves money for me to take the kids to different things. For the most part, it’s always enough. But sometimes, I know it won’t cover everything needed. Take last night, for example. Eternity Springs has a weekly concert event in the main park every Friday night in the summer. He left money so I could take the kids to get dinner at the food trucks.”
“Food trucks are amazing, but they’re almost always more expensive than you’d think,” Victoria comments.
“Exactly. I saw how much he left and knew it would cover their meals and a stop for ice cream on the way home, but nothing else. So I packed myself a dinner. I knew I didn’t have any extra money to justify that expense.”
“And he was upset,” she states .
“Yeah. I think he realized I’ve been packing myself meals for longer than just last night, and it sort of spiraled from there.”
“There’s more, isn’t there?” she asks. “Because I can’t believe that one argument would bring you all the way down here to avoid him.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I track everyone on an app. I didn’t intend to track Dominic, but one of the kids told me I had to, and I just never took him off once they added him on there. So when Dominic stomped off, I collected the kids and followed him.”
Victoria winces. “Shit. I don’t like where this is headed.”
“It’s not as bad as you’re thinking. I found him with his brother Alex, and he was complaining about all the things he doesn’t like about me. It was stupid stuff. Things I could easily correct if I had known how much it irritated him. But he never talks to me. Instead, he announces to his brother how he can’t stand my hair being everywhere, and the fact that I leave water glasses all around the house.”
“Men are such assholes sometimes,” she mutters.
“It made me feel two inches tall,” I confess. “I’ve always felt inferior to the entire Santo family, and Dominic just leaned into it. I needed to get out of there and clear my head.”
“Has he called you at all?”
“Right when I got here, but then I turned off my phone. I only texted Sienna not to tell him where I was, because she tracked me down here. She said to tell you all hello, by the way,” I grin. Victoria chuckles.
“God I love that little girl. She and Blaire together are amazing. I never know what will come out of their mouths.”
“I can imagine,” I comment.
“Let’s do a little experiment. Turn on your phone. Let’s see if he’s called or texted.”
“Alright. I’ll take the bait. I bet he hasn’t texted. Dominic hates texting. He’s probably left me at least one nasty voicemail, though.” Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I power it on. As soon as it turns on, notifications erupt. “Woah!”
“Did he call?”
“Fifteen voicemails, and twenty seven text messages? That can’t be all him. It’s probably Sienna and Carter,” I mumble. As soon as I open up the phone app, I see all fifteen voicemails are from Dominic. I open up the text messages, and see twenty are from him. Wide-eyed, I turn to Victoria. “Did someone steal his phone? These can’t all be from him.”
“And you’re still going to sit here and tell me he’s not interested in you?” she says with a grin. “What are you going to look at first, the texts or voicemails?”
I don’t have time to answer before the phone in my hand vibrates with an incoming call. I shriek when I see Dominic’s name on the screen, and chuck the phone at her.
“What was that for?” she shouts.
“Did he know I turned it on? How the hell did he do that?” I exclaim. “Decline the call! I can’t talk to him.”
Victoria gives me a look of disbelief as she bends to retrieve the phone from the ground. Her eyes widen as she looks at the screen. “Uh, it’s already connected.”
I gasp, then hear Dominic shout, “Katharine!”
“Answer him!” I whisper.
“No!” she hisses. “He doesn’t know where you are, and if he hears my voice he might know.”
I stare at her in shock before reaching over and hitting the end button. When the phone immediately rings again, I power it back off again. “I can’t — I can’t deal with him right now. He didn’t recognize Matt’s voice when he answered my phone last night, so maybe he won’t recognize yours today.”
Victoria hands me my phone, then bursts into laughter.
“What?” I ask.
“Oh, I was just remembering a time Matt called me and scared the crap out of me, and I threw my —” she stops abruptly.
“I don’t think that was the end of that story,” I comment.
Vic’s face turns slightly pink as she chuckles awkwardly. “Uh, so it was self-care time, and I — ”
“Oh,” I interrupt. “Good call on stopping the convo there.”
“Figured it was best,” she murmurs. “But my conversation with Matt that night was very rewarding.”
Yuck.
I look over to find Matt studying me, his own phone in his hand. I wonder how much he’ll lie for me if Dominic figures out where I’ve gone. Siblings trump cousins, right?