Forever in My Heart Read online

  “No.”

  “I suspect if you had, she may not have been pleased, but maybe she’d be a little more willing to hear what you say.”

  “Maybe. But with Kate’s pregnancy, I’m afraid discussing this is going to give her stress that could put her at risk for a miscarriage.”

  “I see your dilemma. So you’re being noble and giving up the man you love in part for your sister and in part because you’re afraid.”

  She nodded. It sounded more dumb than noble when he said it.

  “In my opinion, Kate’s opinion shouldn’t be a factor. Only you can decide the best thing to do. From what I’ve seen, Jamie’s a good man. I don’t know how we would have pulled off this carnival without him donating so much time and supplies.”

  “What’s so frustrating is Kate only sees him as Mario and Sal’s younger brother. She doesn’t see him for the man he is. The one who despite being exhausted at the end of the day stops to help Mrs. Santangello carry groceries into her house or who climbs up the fire escape to rescue Mrs. Mastriano’s cat who climbed onto the roof.”

  “Sounds like a man of good character and unlike his brothers. I didn’t know Mario, but I’d met Sal over the winter.”

  Vicky sat up straight. “You met him? Where?”

  “At St. Christopher’s. I was helping out with confessions during Christmas. Sal came into my confessional. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I only learned after his death.”

  “Confessions are private, Father, but can you tell me any of what he said? It’s important to a mystery Jamie and I have been trying to solve.”

  “He asked for forgiveness for his transgressions that resulted in him going to prison, although I think he was sorrier he’d gotten caught than about actually doing the deeds.”

  “Did he leave right away?”

  “He asked for a few minutes to be alone to pray, and I closed the window to give him privacy. I heard the door open a few minutes later, and he was gone.”

  Would those few minutes have been enough for Sal to have hidden a small flash drive? Vicky wasn’t sure, but there was only one way to find out.

  She jumped up. “Thanks for talking to me, Father. I need to go now.”

  He rose as well. “I hope I was a help.”

  “You were. Thanks for everything.”

  Vicky raced out of the room, reaching for her phone to call Jamie. It went to voicemail. Annoyed, she disconnected and tried again.

  When she got the same result, she left a message. “Jamie, I may have a lead on the drive. Meet me at St. Christopher’s near the confessionals.”

  Then she sent him a text. She considered wandering the grounds to find him, but that would take longer and someone would surely sidetrack her. No, she had to go now.

  She moved quickly to her car, hoping no one would notice her.

  “Vicky.”

  Damn.

  A glance over her shoulder showed Kate walking toward her. Vicky didn’t have time or patience right now to go another round with her sister.

  “Hi,” Vicky said and waited for Kate to speak.

  They stood staring at each other awkwardly.

  “This is dumb. We don’t even know what to say to each other,” Vicky finally said.

  “It’s my fault for being so stubborn. After the carnival ends tonight, can we talk?” Kate asked.

  Vicky tried not to let surprise show on her face.

  “Talk or yell?” Vicky clarified.

  Kate gave a nervous laugh. “I think we’ve done enough yelling, especially me. Let’s try talking.” Tears filled her eyes. “I want to make things right between us.”

  She held out her hand, and Vicky looked from her sister’s face to it for a few moments.

  “I want that, too.” Vicky entwined her fingers with Kate’s and prayed she meant what she said.

  “Where are you going? Aren’t you working the funnel cake stand?”

  “I am, but I need to make a stop first. Do me a favor? Find Jamie and tell him to meet me at St. Christopher’s.”

  “Why are you going there?”

  “It’s too long a story to explain now. Find Jamie and tell him I have a lead on the flash drive and to meet me by the confessionals at St. Christopher’s. It’s important, Kate.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell him. Why don’t you find him and go there together?”

  Vicky had already lost precious time. She needed this mystery over and done with.

  “Please just give him my message. Hurry.”

  She got into the car and despite the puzzlement on her sister’s face, watched Kate sprint into the crowd. Putting the car in gear, she pulled out of the lot and in the direction of the church. This could be the break they’d been waiting for. Maybe if she found the drive and gave it to Jamie he’d forgive what she’d said to him. There was no way she was letting him go, and she wanted to tell him as soon as this was over.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jamie blindly wove his way through the crowd. People knocked into him, but he barely noticed. He’d laid his heart out on his sleeve, and Vicky crushed it. Now he felt raw inside, as though all the sunlight had been extinguished.

  He replayed their conversation on the Ferris wheel. He’d heard the words she said, but they didn’t mirror the emotion on her face or the love in her eyes. Despite what she said, Vicky loved him and was afraid to admit it to herself, let alone him. He refused to believe otherwise.

  He needed to find her and make her see reason. He paused mid-stride. Doing that was exactly the aggressive behavior one of his brothers would have done, and completely the wrong way to deal with Vicky. Hadn’t she told him on more than one occasion she was tired of people telling her how she was feeling? It was better to give her space and hope she came to the same conclusion—quickly.

  “Jamie!” someone called, and he found himself face-to-face with Kate.

  Exactly what he didn’t need—another encounter with an irrational DiFrancesco female.

  Kate reached him and paused to catch her breath. “Are you all right? You look as though you lost your best friend.”

  He wasn’t going to hide the truth from her. “I did. Your sister.”

  Puzzlement filled her face. “Huh?”

  “I told Vicky I loved her, and she dumped me. That should make you happy.”

  She reached out a hand and grabbed his forearm before he had a chance to move past her. “Wait. I don’t understand. Why do you say she dumped you?”

  “She said things were complicated because of our families and didn’t think hers would ever accept me. We both know she meant you wouldn’t, and so she chose and I ended up with the short straw,” he snapped, unable to hide his misery.

  “I’m sorry. I just saw her and told her I wanted us to talk later tonight. I don’t like what’s happened between us.”

  “You mean what you put between you.”

  She flinched but nodded. “You’re right. I did and I was wrong to force my views and opinions on her.” She took a deep breath. “And I was wrong for judging you so harshly without any cause.”

  He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Did your shrink or your husband make you say that?”

  Annoyance sparked in her eyes a moment before she caught herself. “They both helped me see how much you’ve done for Vicky and the community. My issue was with your brothers, not with you.”

  Alleluia.

  “You love my sister?”

  “More than my next breath.”

  “Why?”

  “What’s not to love? She’s smart, fun, successful, and loyal.” Loyal to a fault. “She’s made something of herself even when faced with a broken marriage and her own insecurities competing with you. She overcame both and found her own niche in life that she’s passionate about. She sees beyond a person’s hard exterior into their soul. She believes in second chances and so do I.”

  He’d said more than he intended. Embarrassed, he lowered his head not wanting Kate to see the mixture of lov
e and pain in his eyes.

  “That’s some proclamation. Did you say that to Vicky?”

  “Not in so many words.” Hell, not in any of those words.

  “I think you need to.” She wiped at her eyes. “I believe you love my sister, and I’m fairly sure she loves you. Find her and tell her what you told me.”

  “I don’t think she’ll care what I have to say. Not as long as she thinks loving me will result in her losing her sister.”

  “Goes to show how clueless she can be sometimes. We’re talking together right now, and I haven’t once wanted to flip you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. Yeah, right.

  “She could, mate. I know because she’s done it to me.” Edward walked over and rested his hands on his wife’s shoulders.

  Between Kate’s vertical challenge and her petite size, how the hell did she have enough strength? “You flipped your own husband?”

  “It was before we were married, and I didn’t know it was him. He sneaked up on me in the alley outside the café at night.” She gave Edward a playful nudge. “I had to protect myself.”

  “I’m just glad it wasn’t the pepper spray.” They laughed at clearly their own inside joke.

  “Did you two come to terms?” Edward said.

  “Is that what we’re doing?” Jamie asked.

  “I’m trying.” She took a deep breath. “I had a real hard time after Mario and Tony died. It took me years to rebuild my life and longer to heal my heart. And once I had done the former, Sal came along and threatened to ruin everything.”

  “If it hadn’t been for Sal, we may never have gotten together.” Edward looked at Jamie and nodded at his wife. “She’s a stubborn one and not even the threats from your brother could make her accept my protection—at least at first.”

  “Things worked out in the end for you two. You protected Kate, and you both saved Vicky and Lucas from my brother. Words can’t express how much I hate what he did to you. I’m only sorry he hurt so many people.”

  “I’m ready to put it behind me, otherwise he’ll still be manipulating me from the grave. Can we try for a fresh start? I can’t promise I won’t slip and be bitchy to you, but…well it comes naturally, sometimes,” Kate said.

  “Many times.” Jamie thought he heard Edward murmur, which was confirmed when Kate shot him a small grin and lightly nudged him in the ribs.

  “It keeps him on his toes and our marriage interesting,” she said to Jamie.

  Edward kissed the top of her head. “Never a dull moment.”

  “Deal?” Kate stretched out her hand to Jamie.

  He stared at it, for once hopeful the pain his brothers caused could finally be buried. “I think a fresh start is a great idea.” He clasped her hand and shook. “Now, I need to find your sister.”

  Panic flooded Kate’s face. “Oh shit! I saw her right before I found you. I completely forgot. I swear this baby is using all my brain cells. Vicky asked me to give you a message. Something about a flash drive at St. Christopher’s. She wanted me to tell you to meet her at the church…by the confessionals.”

  The hair on the back of his neck stood straight. “What? She went to the church? Alone?”

  “I told her to find you and go together, but we DiFrancesco girls are stubborn and independent.”

  Which was fine except when being so could put your life at risk.

  “I need to get there. Can you call Nick and tell him to meet me over there? He’ll know what I mean.”

  “Is everything all right?” Kate yelled at Jamie’s retreating back.

  “I’m not sure. I won’t let anything happen to her.” He turned back and met Edward’s gaze. “Don’t allow anyone to come to the church. Not until we return or contact you.”

  Edward put a protective arm around Kate. “I won’t. Be careful.”

  The last thing he saw was Kate pulling out her cell. He sure as hell hoped Nick could get to the church quickly. The sickening feeling in Jamie’s stomach was only growing, and he went into a full on run to the van. Something bad was going to go down at the church, and Vicky was walking smack into the middle of it.

  ****

  Vicky parked outside the church. It’s now or never, she told herself. She walked up the stairs and with a deep breath, opened the door. The lights were on but dim. If she’d been an hour later, the church would have been locked for the night. Maybe luck was on her side.

  At the entrance, she dipped the tips of her fingers in the holy water and crossed herself. She could use an extra blessing. The white marble altar stood prominently at the end of the aisle. The faint smell of incense hung in the air, most likely from an earlier mass or funeral.

  Scratch that. Now was not the time to be thinking of funerals.

  Seeing no one, she moved along the far right side. When she was younger, her mother used to force her entire family to go to confession once a year, usually right before Easter. “A cleansing of the soul,” her mother used to say. Now, Vicky probably hadn’t been since before she’d gotten married.

  She hesitated momentarily outside the first of three confessionals. There were two doors with a connected wall and a lattice window between the rooms. Vicky opened the door where the person confessing usually sat. The only thing in the room was a wooden bench. Kneeling, she ran her hands along the underneath. Nothing.

  She moved to the adjoining room and did the same. Again, nothing. Spirits low and defenses down, she gasped when someone grabbed her arm.

  “Vick, it’s me.”

  Jamie.

  Relieved, she turned and threw her arms around him. “Thank God. You scared me.”

  He pulled away to stare her down. “Didn’t we have an agreement you wouldn’t go looking for anything without me?” Jamie demanded.

  Figures he had to remember.

  She lifted her chin. “I called you. Twice. You didn’t answer or respond to my texts.”

  “With all the noise, I didn’t hear it. Why didn’t you come find me?”

  After the fight they’d had, she was avoiding him, pure and simple.

  “I thought I’d come here, find the flash drive, and surprise you,” she said instead.

  He wasn’t fooled. “Yeah, right.”

  “Does it matter, now? We’re both here, so let’s continue the search.” She moved to the side where the priest sat. It didn’t make sense it would be on this side, but wanted to check regardless.

  “What made you think of coming here?” Jamie asked.

  “I ran into Father Dominic earlier. We were talking, and he mentioned he had run into Sal at confession during Christmas.”

  “Sal went to confession?”

  “Weird, right? That’s why I got to thinking maybe he hid it here.”

  He handed her a flashlight. “Here, use this.”

  They moved to the second confessional, each taking a side. Not finding anything, she sat on the bench and watched Jamie through the little window. His face was intense with concentration, of a man hell-bent on completing a mission. His hands were quick as they searched the walls of the small room. He paused when he caught her staring at him.

  “Did you find something?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry for earlier, on the Ferris wheel.”

  His face softened. “Oh, that.” He lowered himself to the seat on his side.

  She panned the light along the top wall while she talked. “Even Father Dominic saw through what I was doing.”

  “You discussed our relationship with Father Dominic?”

  “He found me right after we fought and asked me what was wrong.”

  “What did he say?”

  “That I was sacrificing my happiness partly because of my sister and partly because I’m afraid.”

  “Are you afraid?”

  She stared down at her sneaker. “A little, I suppose. I’m the first one in my family to get divorced. I took marriage vows when deep down I knew I didn’t love Mike the way I should have. When I learned he was gay, a part of me
was…relieved. I don’t want to make another mistake.”

  “I can guarantee you that I’m not gay,” Jamie said.

  Her eyes flashed to his and saw he was teasing her.

  “Funny.”

  “Seriously, people aren’t perfect. All couples fight. But when it’s right between two people, nothing can keep them apart. Not family, not nine years of being apart.”

  “I know.” She resumed searching the ceiling, stalling for time.

  “What do you want?”

  You. She wanted to scream it from balcony of the church, but something in the corner caught her eye when the narrow beam passed across it.

  She reached up and ran her finger over the wood and felt a bump partially covered with dark tape. Using the tip of her fingernail, she picked the tape loose and using her other hand, extracted a small metal flash drive.

  She held it up to Jamie. “Bingo.”

  His eyes widened. “You did it, Vick. You found it.”

  She flipped it over in her hand. “Such a tiny little thing. If it wasn’t for this light, I wouldn’t have known it was there. Now if only we knew what’s on it.”

  There was a clatter outside the room. “We can help with that,” Jimmy said, stepping out of the darkness.

  Vicky jumped, and the drive slipped from her hands and onto the floor.

  Jamie rose and moved toward the doorway, but there was a loud bang as the door was slammed shut. There was a scraping sound of something large being moved across the floor.

  “Open the door,” Jamie yelled as he slammed his shoulder against the door.

  “Pick up the drive,” Jimmy snarled.

  “Give it to him, Vick,” Jamie said before hurtling himself against the door once again.

  Bending down, she picked up the thin piece of metal that had caused so much trouble the past couple months. Once it was gone, she could move on with her life. Good riddance to Jimmy and company.

  Stepping forward, she stretched toward Jimmy only to find her arm twisted behind her back, the flash drive snatched out of her fingers.

  “Hey, I gave you what you want. Let me go,” she yelled.

  With a snicker, Jimmy tossed her to Tommy, who gripped both her arms.

  Jimmy strode over, looking her up and down. “See here’s the problem, baby cakes, we need some insurance to make sure we can finish this out without any crap from your boyfriend here.”