Chapter 13
Raphael
As I drove the winding road back up the mountain, r
in, my mind continually wandered back to Beth and her adorable daughter Lucy.
Lucy was a Segretto all right. She had the dark hair, the dark complexion, even whiskey colored eyes like me and my father. More than that, though, she had the strong will and hot temper my family was famous for. I smiled when I remembered how she had marched in, fierce and fearless, to demand I stop yelling at her mommy.
I shouldn’t have ignored her for all those years, just because she was my brother’s kid with Beth. I knew that I’d been a selfish d**k, hiding away. licking my wounds, resenting some poor little kid….
Just because she wasn’t mine.
When I put in that way, I really feh like a lowlife.
I’d been jealous, insanely jealous of my brother. Thanks to my father’s last will and testament, I was the one who had to step up and take over as CEO of Segretto Star, while my brother just got to kick back and collect the dividends from the shares he inherited. He got to stay home and live his own life, free from responsibility.
He got to marry the woman I loved. Make a home, start a family
Which left me wondering why they had divorced. And which one of them had initiated the separation? How could my brother let a sweet woman and that beautiful child get away? And for what? That ditzy blond bimbo with her fake plastic face?
I parked and took a moment to stare out over the snow–covered golf course.
Beth was divorced.
That meant that she was legally and morally free to see other men, to date, even to get married again.
Her relationship status shouldn’t even interest me. Whatever we had shared in the past had died a terrible death seven years ago. We weren’t even the same people anymore. And after she had betrayed me and shared my brother’s bed, I shouldn’t even be contemplating whatever the hell I was thinking about
It occurred to me that I didn’t know anything about Beth’s personal life. For all I knew, she had a boyfriend, or maybe even a fiance. Of course, she would find another man. She was too beautiful, too desirable to stay alone.
Hell, maybe that explained why my brother divorced her–maybe she was cheating on him. I wanted to reject that idea right away, but I couldn’t Once a cheat, always a cheat, isn’t that what they said?
But did it really count as cheating, seven years ago? After all, we had argued, we had broken up, and I had left her alone.
That was then, that was a different situation…as it was now, she had no reason
on to stay true and faithful to my brother. For some reason, it really, really bothered me to imagine Beth looking for comfort in the arms of another man, even if she had every right to do so.
if my br
brain acknowledged that
By the time I stomped my way into the main lodge, I was working myself into a full temper. I didn’t know who Beth’s new suitor was, but I would find out. And when I did. I would bury him.
Metaphorically speaking, of course.
My assistant was already waiting for me. Rachel was dressed in a red and white striped pantsuit that wouldn’t be appropriate at any other time of the year. She looked like a tall blonde candy cane. “Oh good you are back!” She stood to welcome me. “Sophia sent the sample swatches for the upholstery in the darker color scheme you requested, she held up a fat binder. “Mr. Beland says he won’t be able to begin work until January sixth, because they are taking a vacation with his in–laws. The chef has prepared a sample menu with her signature dishes for you to review, and she’d like to present her Italian dishes tonight.”
I groaned “Why do they always want to start with Italian?”
“Well sir, I’m sure she’s eager to impress you by presenting cuisine from your home country.”
“I was born in America,” I pointed out dryly. “So was my father. Only my mother was born in Italy. And I don’t care how many Michelin stars her restaurant has, nobody can cook authentic Italian food like my mama”
My heart sank when I realized that my mother would probably never cook for me again, not with the paralysis caused by the stroke.
Chapter 13
I pushed the sample portfolio back at my assistant. “I’ll look at this later. Tell Mr. Beland if he wants this project I need him to report by no later than January 2nd. If that’s not possible, award the contract to Shannon,” I turned and started toward my room and then stopped and turned back. “And while you are at it, dig up everything you can find about my brother’s divorce. I want to know who was who was the plaintiff and who was the defendant, and any other details you can find out.”
“Um, okay,” she gave me an odd look, “but wouldn’t it be easier to get these details straight from your brother?”
“Really?” I snorted and continued toward the hallway. “You of all people should know that my brother and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”
I opened the door to my room and noted that there was a slight odor in the apartment after it had been shut and locked, slightly old and musty, like
an abandoned house
It reminded me of the smell of my childhood bedroom at my mother’s house.
Which reminded me of something else. I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Rachel again. “Two more things!” I barked into the phone. “I want information on Bethany Segretto, my brother’s ex–wife.”
“Um, what kind of information?” She asked hesitantly.
“I don’t know, anything, everything tossed my jacket onto the couch, and stomped over to th
the minibar. I pushed aside the nips of alcohol and pulled out a water bottle
“Perhaps you should consider hiring a private investigator-”
“Why would I spend money on a Pl when I have already paid you?” I asked irritably. I paid her generously, I might add, and she probably had more skills than a professional private investigator anyway
“Right. What’s the other thing?” Rachel asked in an exasperated tone. Few people could get away with
“Pizza.”
Pardon?”
with talking to me like that.
“Find out which pizzeria in Townline has the best ratings, some place kid–friendly I ran a hand through my hair, which was getting much too long “You know, one of those places that has an arcade or a bouncy house, or laser tag or something.”
I could hear her surprise in the long–drawn–out silence before she answered, “Yeah, okay”
“I’m going to get a shower. Tell the chef we will be down for dinner at seven.
“Yes, sir!” I could practically see her saluting me like a military subordinate before she cut the call.
