Page 220 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8
‘Driving me crazy. Court on Monday.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t think either party is ready. The judge is right, I fear—it’s going to be a circus.’
Dante wasn’t outside by chance. He knew how awkward this wedding must be for Susie, but he’d been resisting calling her for weeks.
Resisting...
He glanced back at the restaurant. ‘Mimi’s going to sing again.’
‘I think that’s beautiful.’
‘Maybe...but I get embarrassed when people sing to each other.’
‘You!’
‘I don’t know why... I always have.’ He couldn’t help but smile as he took a seat on the bench beside her. ‘Just my luck to now be related to someone who does it all the time.’
Susie couldn’t help but laugh, and then she thought about Sev’s comment. ‘You should tell Sev—I don’t think he’s too keen on the singing either.’
She glanced over at his grim expression. ‘Please...listen... I thought about what you said. If it was you and Celia... You’re right, I wouldn’t tell her.’
‘No?’
‘I think I’d lose her if I did...’ She was being honest, and it hurt, but it was true.
‘So why do you think I should tell Sev?’
‘If it was Cassie who’d slept with you, though...’
‘They’re identical twins.’ He frowned in confusion.
‘I mean if you took me out of the scenario—if it was just between them—well, I think she’d forgive her, or they’d somehow get past it, because they love each other and they’d work it through.’
‘It’s not as straightforward as that.’
‘You could try?’
Susie honestly expected him to stand up and stalk off, but he didn’t.
‘Rosa told me she thought she might be pregnant.’
He snapped it out, as if it was something he’d never wanted to share.
‘Do you think Sev would want to hear that?’
‘I don’t know...’ Her voice shivered. ‘Was she?’
‘Of course not.’ He looked around and made certain there was no one else about. ‘She kept calling, asking me when I’d be home—that sort of thing. I reminded her we weren’t a couple. Then she called and said she was late...that maybe the condom had broken. I knew it had not.’
‘Accidents happen...’
‘Not to me. I knew I’d been careful; I knew she was lying. I flew straight back—she wasn’t expecting me to. I called her and asked to meet immediately. I said that she should see a doctor and that I’d come with her. She didn’t want that, of course.’
‘What did she want?’
‘Marriage,’ he said flatly. ‘She suggested I go and speak with her parents and make things “respectable” before anyone caught on...’ His laugh was black. ‘I told her there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d marry her, and that I’d want a DNA test before we spoke any further. Look, I’m not proud of how I reacted, but I was certain she was lying.’
‘Why would she lie?’
‘Why?’ Dante repeated. ‘Because she was trying to set me up—no doubt at the urging of her parents. There have been fights over this land for generations...the De Santis family have always wanted the wineries merged.’