Page 71 of Love Bites
One year later
Katheryn peeked from behind the velvet stage curtain to catch a glimpse of Ignacio. He was so handsome in his black tuxedo and red tie. His hair was combed back and set perfectly in place with gel, a single strand falling over his forehead. He was seated on stage in front of a beautiful grand piano. A microphone sat before him but no sheet music.
The seats were packed with people in fancy dress, who’d come to hear Ignacio play tonight. There was a hushed silence throughout Michael von Angel’s opera house as everyone waited for Ignacio to start playing. After a brief moment of silence, he leaned forward and said into the microphone, “This piece is calledKatheryn’s Song.”
Then he began to play. The melody was tender and slow, a sweet tune played in both low and high keys.
The song captivated Katheryn, made her blush. Tears filled her eyes. Ignacio hadn’t told her he’d planned to play it for her. The surprise made everything seem more special to her. She swayed slowly and happily to his melody, to the melody he’d written forher.
When he finished, the whole stadium stood in thunderous applause, and demanded an encore. Katheryn proudly applauded with them.
“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” The sarcastic voice at her shoulder made Katheryn turn and swat Antonio’s arm.
“Be quiet,” she demanded in a whisper, but still smiled.
Antonio was dressed in his best, black suit pants, T-shirt with no tie and a suit jacket. An elastic band held his dark hair out of his eyes. It was better than showing up in the ripped jeans and black boots he normally wore.
She stared at the boy now. His eyes were rimmed with red. Whether from crying over the tragedy his family had suffered, or from lack of proper sleep, Katheryn couldn’t be sure.
After the mess with Hunter Francis—a mess Ignacio’s connections had cleaned up for him—Ignacio had asked Katheryn where she preferred to live. They’d chosen to move to Washington State together, so she could work in a new lab, studying human and supernatural cells alike. Soon after they’d settled in a nice little house in the suburbs, Antonio followed them from Spain.
He didn’t live with them. Instead, he’d rented an apartment down the street from them. He’d claimed he was sick of living at home, that his family had become too depressing and he needed a change of scenery. But Katheryn knew, his family would soon join him in Washington, and that made Antonio happy. Spain held too many painful memories for the Santiago family.
Katheryn had worried to no end after Hunter’s death. She didn’t want Ignacio arrested for murder. But Ignacio had powerful connections, thanks to his boss, who’d arranged for a cleanup crew and taken care of everything. He’d even blackmailed the Francis family with information Katheryn wasn’t aware of, even to this day.
She hadn’t known about Ignacio’s many connections or that he was pretty wealthy himself.
“I like to keep a low profile,” Ignacio had explained with a laugh. “I don’t like to spoil myself with too many luxuries. Instead, I keep the money for better occasions, should they ever rise.”
Indeed, Ignacio had enough money to move them permanently to Washington and to pay cash for their cute little home. They were happy, and they were together. That was all that mattered.
And soon, their little family would grow.
Katheryn smiled to herself and rubbed her swollen belly. She was six months into her pregnancy and already had a nice baby bump to show for it.
Tonight, her red hair was pinned behind her head in a chignon, held with glittering clips. She wore a long, comfortable dress in midnight blue that left one shoulder bare, and comfortable flats that didn’t pinch her feet. The dress was practical and loose, perfect for the new life growing inside of her.
She remembered when she had broken the news to Ignacio. He had been so incredibly happy that he was going to be a father that he had lifted her off the ground and twirled her through the air, only to realize what he was doing and set her back down on her feet.
She rubbed her belly now with a giant smile on her face, feeling how the little one kicked along to the music.
“The baby’s kicking up a storm tonight,” Katheryn said, wincing as she felt a kick on her side.
Antonio eyed her curiously. “Are you okay? Do you want to sit down?”
The concern he showed her during her pregnancy was adorable and brotherly, she thought and waved off his concern. “It’s okay. The baby just likes the music.”
Antonio quirked his lip to the side. “When are you going to stop calling your child ‘the baby’, and go find out what the gender is?”
Katheryn smiled. Antonio bugged them constantly about getting an ultrasound to see if it was a girl or a boy. But Ignacio and Katheryn didn’t want to, they wanted the child to be a surprise. “We’ll all find out once he or she is born.”
Antonio grinned. “I bet it’s a girl,” he said. “If the baby is a girl, you should name her Esmeralda. Yeah, Esmeralda is a beautiful name.”
Katheryn snorted in an unladylike manner. “Yeah, like I’m lettingyouname my child, Santiago.” She laughed and elbowed him in his side.
“What are you two arguing about now?” Ignacio’s voice interrupted her laughter. She looked up to her husband with a smile on her face. “Do I need to put you in a time out?” He gave Katheryn a sweet kiss on the lips and rubbed her stomach. The warmth of his hand made the baby kick again.
“Your playing was beautiful tonight, Ignacio,” Katheryn told him. “I didn’t know you were planning to play that song.”
