Forever in My Heart Read online

  “Do you love him?”

  She hesitated.

  Nick squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t make what you feel for Jamie about your marriage or Kate. The only thing that matters is how you feel about one another. The rest will work itself through. If Kate doesn’t like your choice, then it’s too bad. It’s your life, Sis.”

  She stood there, stunned at his words. Nick never sided with her. Never. Growing up, he and Kate were thick as thieves. They thought alike and had the type of relationship she’d always wanted with her sister and never had. Sure, she was close with Vinnie, but it wasn’t the same. She wanted someone to talk to about fashion, boys, sex, and all the girl types of insecurities and questions she had.

  After Nick had humiliated her in front of Jamie as a teenager, she needed someone to talk to and wanted more than anything to confide in Kate. Knowing the strength of her sister’s relationship with Nick, Vicky figured she didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of Kate taking her side. So she said nothing and kept her feelings inside. As a result, she grew more quiet and disinterested in things around her. She allowed her parents to push her into college, but she hadn’t cared about the classes. She’d lost interest in everything until she met Mike.

  They’d become fast friends, and Vicky finally was able to speak her mind and talk about things she’d kept bottled up. Mike had helped her move on from the pain of losing Jamie, and she’d mistaken friendship for love. They both had. Although it had hurt when Vicky walked in on him with Rick, a lot of things clicked into place. The divorce was civil, and Mike had been generous with her settlement. Now she could say they were friends and not be angry or bitter about the way it went down.

  Now she was free to love Jamie. The only thing standing in her way was her own stubbornness.

  With her eyes full of tears, she met Nick’s gaze. “Yes. I love him. I always have.”

  Nick smiled. “Then I’d say you’re long overdue to tell the man. Wouldn’t you agree, Kate?”

  When Vicky turned to see her sister she expected anger for running off on her own, but all she saw were tears of relief.

  Kate pulled her into a hug. “Thank God, you’re okay. I’ve been worried.”

  “I’m fine, thanks to Jamie and Nick. I don’t know how they found me, but they did.”

  “Jamie heard Tommy mention the wharf and recognized it as a place Sal used to hang out. It was a long shot but the only one we had,” Nick said.

  “It looks like your mate came through for you,” Edward said.

  Vicky pulled out of Kate’s grasp. “We need to have that conversation. I don’t want to be at war with you. You’re my sister and I love you, but I’ve loved Jamie since I was a teenager. If you love me, you’ll accept him. And I mean truly accept him. No mumbling behind his back, rolling your eyes, or hitting him with hairbrushes.”

  “We’re not at war. Just two hot-headed sisters in a very bad quarrel that’s completely my fault.” Kate clasped Vicky’s hands. “I was wrong about Jamie and totally out of line. I ran into him earlier. We came to an understanding.”

  “They even shook on it,” Edward said.

  Tears rained down Vicky’s face, but she didn’t let go of Kate’s hands. “Really?”

  “Really. I’m sorry. I hope you’ll both forgive me. I thought I’d dealt with all my DiSilva family issues, but apparently not.” She wrapped an arm around Edward’s waist. “I have the most wonderful and patient husband who helped me find someone to talk to. I’m better now, and I’ll keep working on it.”

  “When you love someone, you’ll do anything to protect that person.” Edward’s gaze moved to his wife, and he stepped closer and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Even take a knife wound.”

  Jamie.

  Kate nodded toward the doorway that led to where Jamie was being examined. “He loves you. It’s time for you to tell him how you feel.”

  Vicky would as soon as they let her see him. Would he still want her after the way she treated him earlier? She deserved it if he pushed her away, but if he did…no, she couldn’t think that way. If Jamie DiSilva didn’t accept her love, she’d have to convince him she couldn’t live without him.

  ****

  Slowly, Jamie became aware of his surroundings. Based on the scent of antiseptic and sounds of machines beeping, he was in the hospital. He forced his eyes open and had to blink several times before he could focus. When he did, it was Vicky’s beautiful and worried face that stared down at him.

  Her knitted brow and tear-streaked face did nothing to detract from her beauty or from his love for her. Her eyes were closed as though she were praying. He squeezed her hand, clasped tightly in his and she jumped.

  “You’re awake.”

  “Yes,” he croaked out.

  She reached for a plastic cup and helped him sip. “Here, this will help.”

  The water was cool and refreshing as it slid down his dry throat. “Thanks.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Not bad, considering I have stitches in both my arm and my side. Ask me again once the pain meds wear off. Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head, and tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked them away, but several spilled out. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For so many things. For starters, I should have found you and called Nick before going to the church.”

  No argument there.

  “If I had, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

  “And maybe they would have gotten the flash drive first and wouldn’t be in jail now.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Neither do you.” He wanted to hug her, but he couldn’t bear to move so he squeezed her hand tighter. “I’ve suffered worse when I was deployed. Believe me when I tell you I’m going to be fine. What else are you sorry for?”

  No matter what she said on the Ferris wheel, he couldn’t help holding onto the hope she’d admit her love for him. If he needed to, he would tell her about his conversation with Kate, but he wanted to see if she’d change her mind regardless of how her sister felt. He wanted—no needed—to know she loved him unconditionally and regardless of her family’s opinion.

  “Our conversation on the Ferris wheel.”

  “Right. You said that earlier.” Along with the fact she’d taken relationship advice from a priest. How would he ever look at Father Dominic again?

  She took several deep breaths. “I love my family, but I need to be true to myself and what I want and feel. I’ve spent my life trying to please everyone. But no more.” She swallowed and took a sip of water. “I love you, Jamie. I have for nine years and haven’t stopped. I may have convinced myself I’d forgotten, but once you came back all those old feelings returned. All that matters is how you feel about me.”

  He blinked away the tears that blurred his vision and raised a hand to stroke her cheek. “Oh, Vick. You can’t know how much it means to hear you say that. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve loved you since I was eighteen. Memories of you are what got me through three tours of duty.”

  She rested her forehead against his. “We’ve wasted so much time, too much of it spent in anger.”

  “Now we’ll have the rest of our lives to spend loving each other.” He kissed her, tilting her head and sipping from her sweet lips. They were breathless when they broke apart. “I think things will work out fine with Kate.”

  “We talked right before I came in here. She mentioned your earlier conversation.”

  “You know we buried the hatchet between our families?”

  “I told her in the waiting room that I love you. It wouldn’t have mattered if she didn’t come around, but I’m very glad she did.” The smile she gave him was glorious. “Thank you for giving her a chance and for not giving up on us.”

  He pulled her alongside him and ran his hand along her spine, loving when she shivered into him. “You can show me your appreciation later.”

  “I doubt you’re going to be up fo
r anything other than sleep when we get you home.”

  Home with Vicky. That sounded perfect.

  “Speaking of leaving, when did they say I can get out of here?”

  “Another few hours.”

  He scowled.

  “You got a pretty serious concussion. They wanted to keep you here overnight, but I convinced them I’d watch you.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh yeah? All night long?”

  “And if you’re good, I’ll even help you bathe.”

  The image of a naked Vicky washing him brought a smile to his lips and blood flowing to his groin. He was going to enjoy every minute of her TLC.

  “I’m looking forward to that.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder and grew quiet. “Did you mean what you said earlier about wanting to live together?”

  He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. He wanted so much more than just living together. Would she freak if he moved this quickly? Of course nine years wasn’t exactly his definition of quickly.

  “I do, but not as roommates or lovers.” He took a deep breath. “What would you say if I wanted it to be as husband and wife?”

  Her eyes got huge as she stared at him, open-mouthed. “Is that your lame-assed way of asking me to marry you?”

  He laughed. “I’d get down on one knee, but I don’t think I have the strength.” He swallowed hard and held her gaze, his face soft and full of love. “Will you marry me, Vicky DiFrancesco, and be my forever girl?”

  “I’ve always been your girl, and yes, I’ll marry you.” Her voice choked on the last word, and she kissed him with tears running down her face.

  He clasped her tightly, never wanting to let her go. “You’re not the kind of girl who won’t live with a guy before she’s married, right?”

  “No, but we may get grief from my mother now that I’m out of danger.”

  His, too, now that he thought about it. But he’d deal with it.

  “We better make it a quick engagement, then. How’s a fall wedding sound to you?” he asked.

  “Sounds like our moms will be pretty busy with the planning.”

  “I can’t think of a better way to unite our families together again.”

  “It will be perfect.”

  And it was.

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  by Maria K. Alexander

  UNTANGLE MY HEART

  When her marriage ended in tragedy, Kate DiFrancesco rebuilt her life but has never gotten over the pain of what she lost. Seeking the help of an ex-lover ignites feelings she’s promised never to have again. She’ll need to untangle herself from dangers in her past in order to break the hard shell around her heart.

  Edward Weston has a lot to prove, both to his stuffy upper-crust British family, and to himself. Working alongside Kate, a woman he had a casual relationship with, stirs unexpected feelings. Helping her family makes him realize what he’s missing. For the first time, he wants more than a one-night stand.

  When Kate is threatened, Edward must overcome feeling unworthy to protect the woman he loves and fight for the family he never thought he’d have.

  ~~~

  “Privacy is a hard thing to find around here, so you may want to lock the door. Especially when you’re wearing only a towel and my sister is on the prowl.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” Edward said, taking a step toward her. “I knew she was smitten but didn’t think she would be waiting in the room after my shower. I was struggling with a tactful way of getting her out.”

  “I’m sure you’re not accustomed to asking a woman to leave your room.”

  He gave her an unapologetic grin. “No, usually not.”

  “I guess it’s partly my fault. I told her I don’t have any claims on you. Apparently she took that to mean it was open season to pursue you.”

  “Yet you stopped by. Why?”

  “I wanted to thank you again for your help today. You dropped everything to come and help my family, and that means a lot to me.”

  He took another step toward her until he stood directly in front of her. “You mean a lot to me. I’d do anything I could to help you.”

  She nodded in acknowledgement, not sure she could trust her voice to speak with him all but touching her.

  “And you’re wrong about not having a claim on me.”

  His hands found their way to her waist. Her heart thumped, and she knew she should pull back, wanted to pull back. But his blue-gray eyes held her in a hypnotic state and she couldn’t move.

  A word about the author...

  A romantic at heart, this Jersey-born author spent hours as a young girl getting lost in and wishing to be one of the heroines in the stories she read. Books gave her the ability to go to another world where she loved meeting new characters, learning about their problems, and watching them fall in love.

  Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. She blogs about her writing journey with The Violet Femmes at: http://thevioletfemmes.com. When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria writes in her “spare” time between juggling a full-time job, her kid’s busy schedules, and dreaming of writing full-time by the Jersey shore.

  You can keep in touch with her at: http://mariakalexander.com.

  Thank you for purchasing

  this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.