“Because from our discussions before, I know she really liked this guy. Yes, she was ticked that he had come back demanding marriage, but if you’d seen the look in her eyes when she talked about him, you’d realize there is more to their story than a weeklong affair. I wouldn’t be surprised if we do end up going to a wedding.”
Rafe was silent, taking in all that Ari was saying to him. Everything inside him shouted that this was wrong — he had to rescue Rachel right now.
“My little girl is going to have a baby.” They all turned to see the look of wonder on Rosabella’s face.
“Mom?”
“I know everyone is worried. I am, too. But, have any of you stopped to really think about this? Rachel, my youngest child, is going to be a mother. I’m going to be a grandmother. This may not have been how I wanted it to happen, but I can’t help but be filled with joy,” Rosabella said as a tear slipped from her eye.
“Oh, my. I’m going to be a grandpa,” Martin said.
They were all silent as they thought about the new baby. They’d been so focused on the shock of Rachel’s apparent abduction that, until Rosabella’s reverent words, none of them had paused to think about the blessing of a new family member in their lives.
“I haven’t had time to think about that,” Rafe admitted, his own tone far more tranquil as he considered his sister’s pregnancy anew. It wasn’t just an unwanted pregnancy as he’d been thinking of it, but his sister was actually carrying a child inside her. That would make him an uncle.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” Ari said, her gaze connecting with Rafe’s. The two of them hadn’t discussed children, but she wanted a dozen of them. Well, maybe not quite that many, but she certainly wanted a couple of kids tearing around their house.
The thought of a little boy with Rafe’s beautiful eyes staring back at her made her heart leap. She would enjoy carrying his child even if she were sick every day of her pregnancy.
“Yes, I want a lot of babies with you,” Rafe said as if he could read her mind. Ari’s heart was filled to overflowing, though she hadn’t imagined she could feel any happier than she had that very morning.
“Nothing would please me more, Rafe,” she said, smiling at him as he crossed the room and sat back down next to her, pulling her tightly against his chest.
“Sorry I keep snapping. It’s not at you, I promise. It’s just that I have always felt the need to protect my sisters, even when they don’t need or want protecting. I hate that Rachel is going through this alone, or that she feels that she is alone in her decisions, and I hate that I can’t be there to take care of her.”
“She knows how much you love her, Rafe, and that is what will help her to get through it. She’s frightened, but if you stand by her side, accept that she made a mistake, not dwell on it, and be her big brother, not another parent, she will trust you and lean on you. She’ll gladly let you help take care of her,” Ari said, hoping he would get it.
Rafe paused for several moments as he absorbed her words, let them sink in.
“How did I make it through life without you, Ari? How do you put up with me? I shouldn’t question you, because then you might come to your senses and walk away from me again, but I am just so surprised that I not only found you, but also managed to hold on to you,” he said, his lips turned up in a crooked smile.
“We both have our faults, but I think that, overall, we make each other better people. I love you,” she said in answer. “And in our case, love was enough to conquer all that stood in its path.”
“I wish Rachel had just trusted me,” Rafe said.
“If you want your sister to trust you the next time, then you have to be understanding and not berate her for something she already feels terrible about.”
“I wouldn’t do that!” he insisted.
Ari just lifted an eyebrow, and waited.
“OK, I might have given a small lecture,” he admitted.
Ari knew she wouldn’t get him to confess much more than that. She gave him a hug and was glad that he was at least willing to listen to her. They would be able to help Rachel, but if he went in there in all his furious glory, it would only make the situation worse.
“Let’s try and get ahold of Rachel before we just jet over there. Maybe she wants to be with Adriane,” Ari said. She knew she should try to be the voice of reason.
“I need to see her, Ari. What if she tells me that she’s fine while we’re on the phone, but that’s because a sword is being held to her throat? I need for her to tell me in person that she is where she wants to be,” Rafe insisted.
“A sword, Rafe? Such melodrama! Adriane is a modern European king, you know, and he does have the civilized world to answer to. I do understand your feelings, however, and I’m sure Rachel is very glad to have such a loyal big brother, but I really think you ought to give this a little bit of time.”
Rafe held her close as he struggled with what he wanted to do and with what Ari was asking of him. He couldn’t just sit idly by — it went against everything he stood for.
“Ari…” he said, forcing down the man inside who wanted to come out, the man who would just do whatever he wanted to do.
“All I’m asking is that you give her a little time — a week. That’s not much, is it?”
He froze in her arms. He couldn’t do this. No way. If he went against Ari, though, he feared she would think he hadn’t changed at all.
To go or not to go. That was the decision he needed to make quickly.
CHAPTER FIVE
“STOP SQUIRMING,” SHANE said as he walked into a private room, setting Lia down on her feet. She glared at him and quickly backed away. He followed, placing his arm around her and pulling her to him.
Lia twisted to escape his grasp, not appreciating his boldness, and really not liking her body’s reaction to being close to him. How was she supposed to get over her feelings toward him when he didn’t give her room to breathe?
“I leave in two hours. We have to talk,” he whispered in her ear, causing her body to shiver — and she hated him for making her betray herself.
“We’ve done all the talking I’m willing to do for now, so you can just scurry on out of here,” she said, tugging against his hold.
“I can never seem to find the right words to say to you,” Shane said. He set her free, but he refused to back too far away.