Page 13 of The Forbidden Cabrera Brother
‘Youwereconcerned about your outfit,’ Dante agreed. ‘But, moving on from the troublesome subject of my brother’s alcohol intake and his hospitalisation, the question is what happens from here?’ He vaulted upright and paced towards the window, his movements as elegant and as stealthy as a jungle cat. He stared out for a few moments, then turned to look at her. ‘Like I said, Alejandro probably won’t come round for a day or two, but even when he does there’s the business of those broken bones. He’s going to be off his feet for some weeks, I would imagine...’
‘He’s going to go stir-crazy.’
‘We can agree on that,’ Dante said ruefully. ‘Not that anything can be done to change that situation. On the upside, he’ll be able to keep on top of work. Much of what needs to be done can be done via email and conference call. Thank God we live in a connected world.’
‘He’ll be thrilled to hear that,’ Caitlin said sarcastically, without thinking, and then she flushed as Dante looked at her through narrowed eyes.
‘You think he should refrain from working while he recuperates?’
‘I think...’ She shot Dante an accusatory look from under her lashes because she was now in the awkward position of having to explain what she had meant.
Didn’t he knowanythingabout his own brother? How was it possible for there to be such vast gaps between them? She’d never had siblings. When she was young, she’dyearnedfor one. It was heartbreaking, really, to witness a relationship that was so fractured.
‘Yes?’
‘I think...’ she toed the middle ground ‘...he might appreciate a bit of peace from...er...the world of business...’
‘What are you trying to tell me?’
He sounded genuinely perplexed and Caitlin sighed and decided to take a risk. Atinyrisk. Wasn’t it a starting point for these brothers to know a bit about one another? Alejandro, one day, would find the courage to explain who he was to his family and, when that day came, it would be so much smoother if Dante at least knew how his brother felt about working for the company.
‘I’m not sure Alejandro is as...besottedwith working for the company as you are...’
‘Besotted?’ Dante stared at her with rampant incredulity at yet another intrusion into areas of his life no one dared to explore.
‘I know Alejandro tries to be as diligent as possible...’ For Alejandro that actually meant working the minimum number of hours as efficiently as possible so that he could spend the remainder of his time exploring all those creative interests that he was more intrigued by.
Dante scowled and raked his fingers through his dark hair. ‘I realise,’ he conceded grittily, ‘that he, perhaps, doesn’t have the same drive as I have when it comes to running the company. Why do you think I’ve succeeded in diverging from the family business to build my own computer-software research companies? Because I’ve had nothing better to do? No, Alejandro doesn’t have the same drive, but I’ve had no complaints from any of the directors...’
Personally, Caitlin was sure that that was because Alejandro was loved by everyone he met. He could put in an hour a day and she knew that everyone would be loath to report him. The fact was that he did his job perfectly well, if he was to be believed. He just didn’t enjoy it and he spent as little time as possible there.
‘No...well...it’s just...’ She breathed in deeply and decided, like a diver staring down at a very tiny pool of water miles below, to take the plunge. ‘It’s not that he doesn’t have the same drive as you do. It’s just that his heart has never really been in finance and business.’
Fulminating silence greeted this remark.
‘He’s really a creative soul,’ she ploughed on while Dante watched her without saying a word, his face wiped of expression. ‘That’s why we get along so well. He’s very interested in all aspects of photography. He loves exhibitions. He’s even thinking about dabbling in a bit of sculpture or maybe even going for a course in woodwork...’
‘Sculpture?Woodwork?’
‘So you see he won’t mind not being connected to the outside world while he recuperates.’
‘Why would Alejandro not enjoy the work he does?’ Dante demanded. ‘He’s never had the responsibility for any decision-making. I run everything. The buck stops with me. He has always had the easy ride of keeping the customers happy. What’s not to like?’ He flushed darkly. There was an admission there somewhere and he refused to shine a light on it. For once, the forbidding wall of privacy he had constructed around him revealed foundations that weren’t as solid as he had thought.
He wanted to lock the discomforting thought away, but a series of connections were happening in his head that made him wonder whether the distance between him and Alejandro didn’t hark back to that gradual alignment of responsibilities. Had there been something inside him that had resented the fact that he, although younger, had been the one to assume the reins of leadership without asking for it? Had that resentment spilled over, gradually, into the relationship he had with Alejandro?
The clear green eyes searching his lean, rigid face made his jaw harden in proud rejection of any sign of weakness.
‘Maybe you judge him the way you would judge yourself,’ Caitlin suggested quietly. ‘Maybe becauseyouenjoy being a workaholic, he must also enjoy being a workaholic because you share the same genetic code. But that’s not how it works.’
‘No oneenjoysbeing a workaholic,’ Dante responded coolly.
‘I’ve offended you. I’m really sorry.’
‘Offended me?’ Dante scowled. ‘Don’t flatter yourself,querida.’
Caitlin flushed as she recognised a kick in the teeth when it was delivered.
‘You asked for my opinion,’ she returned shortly. ‘And I gave it to you. Forget I ever said anything. You said something about Alejandro being in hospital for some time to come. Is there any chance that he could be transferred to a hospital in London?’
