Somewhere Along the Way (19 page)

Cassie stepped out of the island taxi van that had driven her, Tilly, and Bonnie—and their men—from the airport to Luke’s home. Beneath her long winter coat, she was wearing a midnight-blue dress that had been tailored to hug her curves perfectly. She was determined to wow Luke without shocking his family. Bonnie had helped her choose appropriate, but sexy thong panties.

The wind off the ocean was cold on her bare legs, but she didn’t care. The sun was shining brightly, and people were gathered on the lawn as well as the porch of not only Luke’s home, but also the homes surrounding it.

Cassie’s chest tightened. She turned to Bonnie who was standing at her side. “Look at all the people, Bonnie. This isn’t a family gathering. What do you think this is?”

Bonnie pointed to the homes around Luke’s. “Could it be some sort of block party? Those three houses are also decked out for a celebration.”

Clutching her purse to her side, Cassie said, “If I’m right, each one of these homes belongs to one of Luke’s brothers. His youngest brother, Max, bought them so they would have a place for their family to gather.”

“They needed four mansions to do that?” Bonnie asked.

“Five,” Cassie corrected. She looked to the final home on that stretch of the island. “I bet that house is for Luke’s half-sister.”

“It looks empty. What happened? Did they forget to invite her?” Tilly asked gruffly.

Cassie hugged an arm to her stomach as another cold ocean breeze blew across her bare legs. “It’s a long story and not mine to tell, but they’re estranged. Max bought the house, but Gigi has never seen it. It’s just sort of there, waiting for her if she decides to have a relationship with her brothers.”

“That’s so sad,” Bonnie said, then joked to lighten the mood. “I wonder if they’re looking to adopt more siblings? If so, we’re completely available,” she turned to her husband, “aren’t we, Greg?”

He hugged her from behind. “I don’t need a big house to make me happy. I already have everything I need right here.”

Bonnie turned her head and gave him a warm kiss. “You always did know exactly what to say.”

He chuckled. “But it must be nice to live like this.”

Tilly clucked. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s to not envy anyone. Everyone has their trials. I doubt the people in that house are any happier than we are.”

Myron took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “They couldn’t be.”

Tilly blushed. “You old flirt.”

Cassie loved that her two friends were with men who made them smile, but it also filled her with an ache she couldn’t deny. She wanted that with Luke, but the more she looked around, the more convinced she was that Luke’s invitation had been an act of kindness rather than one of romance.
This isn’t the setting for a proposal. Maybe this is Luke’s way of thanking me for being there for him while his mother was very ill. I hope this isn’t how he says goodbye.
“I’m glad Luke let me bring friends with me. I would have been nervous going in there alone.”

“You won’t be alone,” Bonnie said as she pointed to the door.

The front door of the large house they had pulled up to opened, and Luke stood in the doorway. He was dressed in a dark suit and looked completely at ease despite the chaos around him. He walked purposefully down the large stone steps toward them, never taking his eyes off her.

He stopped just in front of her and smiled. “I’ve missed you, Cupcake.”

She wanted to say, “You didn’t have to,” but she kept that thought to herself. Instead, she said, “Your invitation said I could bring friends. I hope you don’t mind that I did.”

“I couldn’t imagine today happening without them.” Luke beamed his warm smile at her friends. He shook hands with Greg and Myron then hugged Tilly and Bonnie. “Let’s go inside where it’s warmer.” He put a hand on Cassie’s back and guided her toward the house.

Their progress was slow. Every few feet they were stopped by a member of Luke’s family. Cassie had held her breath during the first introduction, curious as to how he would refer to her. When he said, “This is Cassie Daiver and her friends,” Cassie’s heart had sunk.

He didn’t say, “This is my girlfriend.”

Not, “This is the woman I told you about.”

No, he kept everything so formal that Cassie couldn’t help but become discouraged. She told herself not to be. What was he supposed to say?
This is Cassie, a woman I thought I loved while I was sad about my mother being ill. She’s a good person, though, so I brought her here to thank her.

She didn’t allow herself to think about what she wished he would say. She told herself it was enough he’d made this effort to ensure she understood she was special to him. As more and more introductions were made, Cassie gave up trying to remember the names of his cousins and began to simply smile at everyone. It wasn’t likely she’d ever meet them again, anyway.

***

As Luke guided Cassie toward the house, he told himself to breathe. When he’d seen her standing almost shyly beside the taxi, he’d wanted to run down the stairs, pick her up in his arms, and carry her off to the nearest bedroom. He’d wanted to kiss her, but he knew if he did he wouldn’t be able to stop. He didn’t want to lose his head to passion. He wanted her to have the proposal Maddy said women spoke about for the rest of their lives, and that didn’t include a mauling on the lawn in front of her friends and his family.

When they entered the foyer of his home, Cassie shed her coat, and Luke’s calm scattered to the wind. Her dark blue dress hugged her form intimately, clinging to each curve he could remember the feel of too well. She smiled up at him as if waiting for him to make a comment, and he tried to, but when their eyes met all he could think about was how much he loved her and what a fool he had been for almost losing her.

A firm slap to one of his shoulders brought Luke back to the present. “Are you going to let the poor girl into the party or keep her to yourself in the hall?”

Cassie smiled and didn’t seem surprised by the hug Uncle Alessandro gave her. “It’s wonderful to see you again. Alessandro, these are my friends, Bonnie and Greg, Tilly and Myron.”

Alessandro shook everyone’s hand warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet your friends. We’re so happy you were able to join us for this big day.”

Without missing a beat, Cassie asked, “What exactly is your family celebrating?”

Alessandro shot Luke a questionable look. “Luke didn’t say?”

Cassie turned to Luke, but he looked away. It wasn’t as if he could have told her. Should he have told her? She had to know on some level this was about her. If she didn’t think this was for her, what did she think he’d invited her to? “She just arrived, Uncle Alessandro. We haven’t had time to talk. I thought I’d let her settle in, meet some of the family.”

Alessandro raised both hands in deference to Luke’s preference. “However the night unfolds, it will be one to remember, no?” He turned toward the party and checked his watch. “It’s later than I thought. Maddy gave me strict instructions to have you both in the side ballroom by six. Don’t be late.”

“Us both?” Cassie repeated in confusion.

Luke nodded. “We’ll be there.”

Gio and Julia walked over as soon as Luke brought Cassie into the open area of the foyer. Gio formally introduced himself and his fiancée to Cassie’s friends, but his expression warmed when he greeted Cassie. “Julia misses having you around, Cassie.”

Julia nudged him with her elbow and leaned toward Cassie as if speaking in confidence. “He misses you, too. He was saying that just this morning.” She turned to Bonnie and Tilly, and with a huge, warm smile, said, “I’ve heard so much about both of you. When things settle down, come find us. I’d love to get to know you better.”

Just like that, Cassie’s friends relaxed and Luke could have hugged Julia for—well, for being herself. That feeling passed, however, a moment later when Julia took both of Cassie’s hands in her and exclaimed, “Everyone is here, even some Andrades I’ve never met. Aren’t you excited?”

Cassie’s eyes rounded nervously. “Should I be?”

Julia looked at Luke’s face and quickly said, “Oh. Oh. No. I meant, isn’t it fun to meet so many new people?”

Gio shook his head wryly, but his lips were stretched as if he were fighting a smile.

Luke met Bonnie’s eyes. By her expression, she had guessed what was going on, but he shook his head ever so slightly, hoping she would get the message. She did, or at least seemed to since she didn’t say anything.

Tilly watched the exchange closely. Luke would have bet money she also knew exactly what was going on. He wondered again if he should warn Cassie about what he had planned, then remembered what Maddy had said about how that would remove the magic from the moment. This was for Cassie, and he wanted it to be perfect. “We’re making our way to the ballroom.”

“So are we,” Gio said, as if it were a coincidence.

When Luke placed his hand on Cassie’s lower back and began to usher her toward the ballroom, she resisted and said, “Ballroom? Luke, I don’t dance.”

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Tonight you do.”

Luke’s husky comment had sounded like a dare, and Cassie had found the idea sexy until she actually walked into the ballroom with him. She wanted to be held in his arms even if it were only on a dance floor and only for a night. The room he led her into, though, was full of couples spinning each other around in a colorful, sophisticated circle. The perfection of how the couples moved through the space to the soft, instrumental music almost seemed choreographed.

Cassie dug her heels in and brought Luke to a halt beside her. “I can’t do that.”

He smiled, took her hand, and pulled her through the couples until they were near the middle of the room. “I’ll guide you,” he said and spun her around him.

Cassie looked to her friends for help, but they were both in the arms of the men they’d come with and joining the other couples, having fun even if they weren’t doing all the steps correctly. Cassie tripped over Luke’s foot, and her cheeks flooded with warmth. She probably couldn’t have shown him more clearly why she didn’t belong on the dance floor with him, or in this life for that matter. She tried to pull away from him. “I told you I don’t dance.”

He stopped and took her face between both of his hands. “That’s because I’ve been a poor partner. The waltz, Cassie, is about trust. You trusted me, and I let you down. I know I need to earn that trust back, and I will, Cupcake. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you I meant it when I said I loved you.”

Cassie searched his face. The love she’d seen in his eyes before was back tenfold and it brought tears to her eyes. “You’ve been through a lot, Luke. I understand.”

“No, I don’t think you do,” he said, and kissed her lightly on the lips.

He reached into his coat pocket and dropped down to one knee. It was only then Cassie realized they were alone on the dance floor with everyone watching them from the sides. He opened a ring box and held it up to Cassie. “Marry me, Cassie. Let me spend the rest of my life showing you why we belong together.”

Cassie swallowed hard and looked around the room again. She wanted to believe it was actually happening, but the whole scene felt like a dream, and she didn’t want the heartbreak of saying yes then hearing her alarm clock sound. The more she looked around, the more nervous she became as she realized everyone was waiting to hear her answer.

Luke stood and put a hand beneath Cassie’s chin, bringing her face around to his again. “Cassie, this is about us, not them.”

“Then why are they here?” Cassie asked breathlessly. She couldn’t help it. She’d never been in front of so many people. Her stomach was twisting nervously, and she was pretty sure she was about to throw up any minute.

Luke held her eyes. “They’re here because they love me, and they know I love you. They’re family, Cassie. My enormous, crazy family. Yours too, if you’ll have me. Say something. If you don’t agree to marry me soon, some of them are going to pass out from holding their breath. You took a leap of faith and followed me to New York. Believe in me, one more time. Say you’ll spend the rest of your life with me because I don’t want to imagine spending one day without you.”

Cassie looked around again. “Do you really think I fit into this world? I’m happiest in my kitchen covered with flour. I don’t belong here.”

“I’m happiest when I’m in your kitchen with you. I don’t care where we live as long as it’s together. Do you love me?” he asked and every last one of Cassie’s doubts disappeared.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Then trust me, Cassie. I won’t let you down again.”

From across the perfectly silent room, Tilly called out, “If you don’t marry him, I will.”

Cassie laughed at that and said, “That settles it then. Before she snaps you up, Luke, I will marry you. I don’t want to imagine another day without you either.”

He slid a diamond ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand and pulled her to him for a deep kiss. The room exploded with cheers, but Cassie didn’t feel self-conscious anymore. She was with Luke, and that was all that mattered.

Music began to play again, this time a vaguely familiar tune. Luke raised his hands for her to take and asked, “May I have this dance?”

Cassie smiled up at him and winked. “You may have every dance.”

As Luke moved, Cassie moved with him, and her confidence grew. He was right, it all came down to trust and even though Luke had asked for time to sort through his mother’s loss, he had always been honest with her. The man who was twirling her around this fancy ballroom was the same man who had frosted cupcakes with her and taken her to meet his friends. “I love you,” she burst out.

He kissed her deeply before twirling her around him again. “And I love you, Cassie Daiver, my adorable cupcake, so much more than you know.”

Cassie heard the words of the music playing and asked, “Is this a Disney song?”

With a grin, Luke said, “Maddy helped me plan this evening. Sounds like she’s poking a little fun at me, but I don’t mind. I was wrong, and lately, I was a bit of a beast.”

“Don’t change too much. Every woman I know was a little disappointed at the end of that movie. The beast was sexy.”

“Really?” Luke growled in Cassie’s ear. “We’ll have revisit this topic tonight when we’re alone.”

Feeling light as air as he spun her again, Cassie laughed. “If you want to spend the night talking, sure. It wasn’t what I imagined we’d be doing, but whatever.”

***

The next morning Luke woke early and, for a long time, watched Cassie sleep beside him. Once they were alone, Cassie hadn’t held it against him that he’d sent her home to Ohio alone. She’d understood and accepted him as she always had. He thought he knew what love was until she’d come into his life and given herself to him: Passionately. Completely. Unconditionally.

At the beginning of the evening she’d seen only the extravagance of the evening and worried she didn’t belong, but as more and more of his family had expressed their gratitude that Luke had found someone like her, she had begun to relax. The Andrades were everything his mother had always accused them of being: loud, boisterous, and flamboyant. But they were also big-hearted, loyal, and accepting of each other. They fought, but they made up because to an Andrade, family was everything.

Luke looked down at Cassie.

He understood the term family better now than he ever had. His started with Cassie. It encompassed three sometimes-frustrating brothers he couldn’t imagine his life without, and countless cousins and uncles who had always been there for him.

It was with that sense of inner peace he found the strength to slip away from Cassie, get dressed, and head downstairs in search of the package Maddy had given him. The house was blissfully empty. It should have been in shambles after the number of people who had been there the night before, but he’d never again doubt Maddy’s ability to mobilize an army of staff.

Luke found the wrapped notebook exactly where he had tossed it. He picked it up and carried it into the living room. With the notebook still in hand, he sat in a chair before the unlit fireplace and debated what to do with it.

If the journal held more secrets than his mother had spat at Victor, Luke was sure he didn’t want to know them. Gio would never read it. Nick might, but Luke didn’t want him to. Beneath Nick’s façade of humor, was a man who had once turned to alcohol to numb the emotional wounds their mother had inflicted on him. Luke wouldn’t do anything to send Nick back to that. And Max? Max would tell him to burn it. And maybe he’d be right.

“You’re up early. Are you okay?” Cassie asked from behind him as she slid a gentle hand over his shoulder and down his chest. She kissed the side of his neck.

He tossed the notebook on the table beside him and took her by the hand, pulling her around the chair and into his lap. “I am now.” He kissed her deeply, loving that he could start every morning with the taste of her lips on his.

She laid a hand on his cheek when their kiss ended. “What are you doing down here?”

Luke sighed, picked up the book from the table, and handed it to her. “Maddy gave me this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s my mother’s journal.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

“I don’t know. Even when I had to face what my mother had done to my family, I still thought she’d show remorse at the end. She didn’t, Cassie. She was poisoned, but in the end it was the anger in her that was too much for her heart to take. Ironic, isn’t it, that I covered up something that was potentially not even the reason for her death?”

Cassie turned the wrapped notebook in her hands, studying it. “How do you think Maddy got it?”

Luke shrugged. “I’m sure I don’t want to know.”

“Were you getting ready to burn it?”

“I was considering it.”

Cassie held it out to give it back to him. “It’s yours now. You should do that if it’ll make you feel better.”

Luke didn’t take the journal back. “There couldn’t be anything in it worth keeping, could there?”

Cassie looked at Luke for a long moment then tore off the wrapping paper. “There’s only one way to find out.” She flipped the journal upside down and shook it. Nothing came out. She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Maybe I’ve watched too many movies. I was hoping something would fall out.”

Luke took the book back from her and was preparing to throw it in the fireplace when he saw something. “Is it odd that the back of the journal is thicker than the front?”

Cassie smiled. “Now you’re thinking like me. Does it look like you could peel it off?”

Luke flipped the notebook on its side and pulled at a corner of the back cover. When it came off, a piece of paper fell out

“Holy shit,” Cassie said.

“Indeed,” Luke said. He dropped the journal to the floor beside him and scanned the first paper. “It’s my father’s will. He left Isola Santos to Gio and the rest of his estate was to be divided up between his five children. Why would the will be in my mother’s journal?”

“Did Gigi get anything when your father died?”

With growing understanding, Luke shook his head in shock. “No, everything went to my mother. No one even questioned it. My mother came from a wealthy family. She didn’t need his money. My brothers and I have trust funds from our grandparents.”

“Looks like you need to talk to your sister.”

“My sister,” Luke said sadly, “won’t even take my call.”

Cassie kissed him softly on the lips. “From what I know about Andrades, they don’t hear the word no.”

“Is that a complaint?” he growled.

“I wouldn’t change one damn thing about you, Luke Andrade. Take that will and go find your sister.”

Luke stood up and flipped Cassie over one of his shoulders. He slapped her ass playfully and said, “After we put a little more work into making that baby you want.”

Cassie laughed and squirmed even though they both knew she wasn’t trying to get away. “What are you doing, Luke?”

Still carrying Cassie over his shoulder, Luke took the stairs up to his bedroom two at a time.

“I’m going to ravish you completely, as any good beast would.”