Page 35 of Fairy Tale Marriage

“Do you?” The question slipped out before he could stop it. But once spoken, he had to know the answer.

She tossed the pillow aside, as though throwing off a crutch. “I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe, but yes. Ido understand.” Even her voice had gained strength. “What you don’t want to hear is why I understand.”

No. He didn’t. They were forbidden words, words that tied him in knots of restless anger and despair. “Her name was Madalena,” he said with forceful deliberation. “And she made life a little easier during a tough time.”

Shayne looked at him. Not that it did any good. Without any light to gauge her expression, it remained as unreadable as if she'd been wearing her mask. Even her voice held a cool, even quality that threatened his sanity. “Did you love her?”

“Do you really need me to answer that?”

“You don’t think you’re capable of loving anyone, do you?”

Her question whispered through the darkness, chilling him. Perhaps it was the lack of emotion in her voice. Or perhaps it was the quiet acceptance. He didn’t want to hear either one. Cursing beneath his breath, he came for her, following the sweetest of scents with unerring accuracy.

He caught her in his arms, her small gasp revealing that she hadn’t anticipated his approach. “I loved you once upon a time. Isn’t that good enough?”

“No!” She fought him, shoving at his chest and squirming in a way that sent heat scalding through his veins. “You’re afraid to live, Chaz. Iwouldn’t have thought it possible, but you are.”

“Not afraid, wife,” he whispered close to her mouth. “Cautious. Suspicious. And more than a little cynical.”

She turned away from that almost-kiss, her rigidness spurning his touch. But he refused to release her. Or perhaps he simply didn’t dare. “What happened to Madalena?” she asked when it became clear that he wouldn’t let hergo.

“It was a temporary diversion.”

“For you or for her?”

“Both,” he replied evenly. “She was the youngest in her family and a natural-born rebel. They tried to box her in and she fought back in the one way they couldn’t forgive.”

“Did her family find out about you?”

“Yes.”

“And they took her from you, too?” She relaxed ever so slightly, turning into his warmth. “Oh, Chaz!”

He’d have laughed if it wasn’t so tragic. “No, Shayne. They didn’t react the way Rafe did. Their response wasn’t loving outrage. They cut her off without a penny.”

“They disowned her?” He could hear the shock ripple through her voice. “How could they?”

“Misplaced pride. Inflexibility. Who knows? The only one to stand by her was her grandmother, Doña Isabella.”

“Couldn’t you have done something to help? Couldn’t you have married her?”

“I didn’t know she’d been thrown out. Even if I had, Madalena didn’t want marriage any more than she wanted me.” He rested his chin on top of Shayne’s head. “I told you. It was a temporary relationship. When it became apparent that our feelings for each other had changed, Madalena packed her bags and wished me well. Doña Isabella showed up the next day and they left. Aweek later, Imoved on to my next job.”

“They didn’t tell you about Sarita?”

“Not then. Not until a few months ago. Doña Isabella dropped in to inform me that Madalena had died in a car accident. She brought Sarita with her.”

“Quite a surprise. Or is that too mild a word?”

His mouth curved into a faint smile. “I think ‘shock’ might be closer to it.”

“Isabella must have felt you should be told about your daughter. Why else would she have brought her?”

Shayne had keyed in on the one issue that didn't make any sense. “I'm still trying to figure that one out. If Doña Isabella doesn't want me to have Sarita, why tell me about her? Why all the games?”

“I gather she offered to let you raise your daughter?”

“To adopt her. But only if I could provide a home for her.”

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