by M. E. Brady
“I told Kevin that we needed to get married quickly so that you and Jenny can come to Italy with me while I take care of some unfinished business there. Forgive me, Irish, but I also warned your brother that we could be expecting our second child and I wanted to be there from the beginning, this time. He agreed with our decision.” Gianfranco loving placed a hand over Katelyn’s abdomen and said, “This time it’s my son growing in there,” he said loud enough for Kevin to hear.
How, can he pretend and put on such a charade in front of her brother and all the other people they cared about? He was going to lie and vow to love her forever. If it weren’t for Jenny, he would never enter into such an arrangement. His chosen lover, whoever she was, didn’t feel the same for him and he thought that having a family was the next best thing. It was laughable to say the least. He was her idea of the perfect husband, sexy, virile, handsome and rich. He was the perfect mate and he was going to be her husband but would that be enough for her?
It frightened Katelyn, even as he held her in his arms, that perhaps they were making a serious mistake. It was true that physically they were a match made in heaven but could it sustain a lasting relationship? Would it be enough to keep their marriage alive, with the odds so against it?
She recalled an article she had read once that said that fifty per cent of marriages these days ended in divorce. Would she and Gianfranco become one of those statistics? He must have sensed what she was thinking because he leaned into her and kissed her again. Somehow he always knew intuitively when she needed reassurance. It must have been her body language that gave her away and when he saw the look of nausea that was beginning to overcome her, he excused them both and took her to her room to lie down.
“How could you tell Kevin that we’re sleeping together? I can’t believe you did this to me.” Katelyn pushed him away and went to window where she stood and looked at nothing in particular, just so she didn’t have to face him. She was fighting the tears of frustration that were screaming for release. What did Kevin think after this morning’s announcement and all the truths she had kept from him? She had never kept Kevin in the dark about any important issues in her life, with the exception of Gianfranco.
Gianfranco’s face darkened, hearing her disappointment. “I did nothing to you. The only thing I did was tell Kevin that you could be carrying my child. Kevin’s knowledge of our baby helps guarantee my position.” His words lashed out to hurt her and he did a great job of it. Suddenly she felt cheap and dirty; she had given herself so freely to him. She swallowed hard as she tried to pull herself together. Her toughest fight of her life was going to be keeping her sense of self, not being lost in her relationship with him.
“I didn’t tell you about Jenny because you left me,” she said behind trembling lips.
“You hate everything about me and now you want me to believe that you chose not tell me about our child, because I left town. I’m sorry, Katelyn, but that doesn’t wash with me. If what you’re saying holds any truth, why not tell me after all these years? Jenny is seven years old. Were you ever going to tell me?” he asked.
She swallowed hard, as she tried to explain. She realized she was fighting a losing battle and he still wasn’t ready to actually hear what she had to say. “You don’t understand,” she said in frustration. She pleaded with him to at least try to listen to what she had to say. The cold chilling response and the look that crossed his face said that whatever it was she needed to say didn’t warrant his attention. He would never understand what she was telling him because his feelings were so raw. He couldn’t forgive her for keeping their child from him and as long as that stood between them they couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to move forward and leave the past behind.
“Your damn right, I don’t understand. What gave you the right to keep Jenny from me? You made that decision for both of us without my consent. You didn’t stop for one second to consider how I would feel. You kept the truth from me and you denied Jenny a father in her life.” He cursed her because she was the reason his daughter was only now getting to know her father.
“I couldn’t tell you,” she declared. “It would have meant that you would return to the States because of me and I didn’t want that.” The words hadn’t come out as she intended and she watched as her words pierced him, like a knife through the heart. She did want him back in the States but not by force; she wanted him to want her.
He raised her chin to him and with every ounce of control he could summon directed these retaliatory words at her. “I’m not willing to listen to your excuses anymore. We’re getting married today and I’m going to be in my child’s life for the rest of my life. If you’re worrying about what kind of marriage this is going to be, let me put your mind to rest. After today separate beds is looking very appealing to me.” He looked at her for a long time before shooting another word of warning at her and then he left her once more to deal with her own tears.
Chapter Thirteen
“Do you, Katelyn, take this man, Gianfranco, to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward…” She heard the words and answered appropriately as she tried her hardest to stay focused on what the minister recited. With each and every word that was said, their eyes, mirroring the depth of regret they each felt, remained locked on the other. When she answered, Gianfranco gently squeezed her hand in his, leaving little doubt about what her defiance of him would mean at this point.
“Do you, Gianfranco, take Katelyn to be…?” Again she heard the same words recited for him and yet, to her, it felt as though it were happening to someone else. As Gianfranco spoke his vows to her, his face softened and his voice cracked with emotion. To everyone else in the room, he was speaking from his heart and everyone believed it, all except her.
“You may kiss the bride.” She heard the announcement and was dumbfounded when, instead of a quick peck on the lips for show, Gianfranco took her in his arms and, as everyone watched, he claimed his bride. She was shocked and appalled at the same time. This was a game to him; he didn’t like to lose and unfortunately for her, she was the pawn in his game.
“Stay away from Brody,” he whispered in her ear as he held her in his embrace.
Her stomach jolted from nervous sexual tension as she heeded his warning. “If you don’t trust me, why did you just vow to love, honor and trust?” she asked, speaking softly so he alone would hear.
“I would have preferred the old love, honor and obey rather than love, honor and trust. There wouldn’t be any misunderstanding then, would there? I want to trust you but so far you have given me no reason to.”
Gianfranco held her close as he led her from the small chapel, through the door and outside to all their awaiting guests and a swarm of reporters she hadn’t expected. There was no doubt about the show he intended to put on since he held on to her as if his life depended on it. He lifted Jenny into his arms and, with Katelyn just as close, they posed for the reporters. The reporters repeatedly tried to talk to Katelyn but Gianfranco answered all the questions sent in her direction. He wanted to control the press and to portray the image of a happy family.
“Mrs. Broccolini…Can we get a few words? Why, the rush to the altar?”
“My wife and I have given you all you’re going to get today I’m afraid. We would like a little privacy now, so we can enjoy the rest of our day with our guests.” Gianfranco began to lead them to an awaiting car but didn’t stop Jenny from answering a few questions shouted at her. He knew that she would blurt out, in her own innocence, that Gianfranco was her father. He didn’t care what Katelyn thought about the idea, he liked it. From the look of pride on his face, she wondered if that was his intention all along.
The limousine ride to the hotel was short and brief but very comfortable. She sat back and watched as father and daughter exchanged loving conversation. Jenny was beside herself with excitement and couldn’t wait to play with the other kids from the ranch, who would be attending the wedding reception. Katelyn could see that Jenny th
ought the moon and sun rose over her father and he thought the same about her.
Gianfranco had thought of everything. As they entered the hotel ballroom, Katelyn could see and counted a twelve-piece orchestra set up and already playing. The room was elaborately decorated, no money spared. It was done quickly and with taste and elegance; she knew that without Gianfranco’s help this couldn’t have happened in such a short time.
He didn’t disappoint to make sure that his wedding was viewed as a major event and that everyone who attended remembered it and talked about it for a long time to come. Katelyn smiled as she caught sight of Kevin. He was standing directly across the room talking to Brody.
Gianfranco saw the change in her face as she glanced across the room and he wished that she would look at him with such devotion. Apparently, she was looking at Brody. He knew that this night was going to be difficult for her to get through but he thought that Eleanor’s arrival on the scene might make the step into married life easier for her but now perhaps he had been mistaken.
The band announced their entrance as he led her out onto dance floor for their first dance. The song that Gianfranco had requested was one by Lonestar. She listened to the words and thought about how appropriate they were for them. Amazed seemed to have been almost written just for them. She hoped that he meant every word and could keep the promises they foretold. He held her closely as they listened to the words; he gazed into her eyes and asked her to listen to the words to the song carefully. He told her he had chosen the song for her. “Someday you’ll understand the depth of what I feel for you,” he murmured.
“Every time our eyes meet, this feeling inside me is almost more than I can take... I don’t know how you do what you do. I’m so in love with you…” He was singing the song in her ear as though he meant every word of it. The way he held her, this felt right. It told of promises of a lifetime. She prayed that he meant the words he was declaring.
“I believe this next dance is mine,” Kevin said as the orchestra ended their song and began playing a song that seemed fitting. Kevin had picked Van Morrison’s, Have I told you lately. She was glad that Kevin picked that particular song for them. They shared a special bond and she knew she could always count on Kevin.
“I can’t believe it’s your wedding day. I’m really happy for you and Gianfranco. I couldn’t have chosen a better husband for you myself.” They moved around the floor with such ease and comfort. He held her arms high around his neck and smiled as he wiped the tears from her eyes. “I know Mom and Dad are watching us now; Dad is probably trying to tell me this is his dance,” he said as he twirled her around the floor. “I want you to know that no matter what your reasons were for not telling me that Gianfranco was Jenny’s father, I’d like to think I would’ve understood the truth.”
She let out a sigh. Do I tell him the truth? The tears blurred her vision as she glanced across the room at her new husband who was watching them dance. Kevin followed her gaze and smiled. “Kevin, I couldn’t tell you. You would have felt obligated to tell him; I didn’t want him to know. I loved him but I needed to know he loved me. I didn’t want him to come back to the States and marry me because he thought he felt obligated to. You know better than I do that he would have insisted we marry right away because I was pregnant.”
Kevin squeezed her hands in his and said he understood. He didn’t agree with her reasoning but he did understand her thought process. “You have no idea how much work he put into making this day special for you.” He explained the great lengths Gianfranco had gone to making sure that this wedding was perfect in every way. Gianfranco had people flown in from all over the place to make sure everything ran like clockwork. Kevin saw Gianfranco walking toward them; he handed his sister over to her new husband, not before offering his congratulations to them both again.
Seeing her face change, Gianfranco drew her into his arms and tensed up at her reaction to him. He tried very hard to do everything he could to make this wedding everything he thought she would want and he thought he’d succeeded. The music changed. The song and the words were slow and sensual. It was a song of promise, the promise of what was to come. Or at least it would have been, if they were any other couple.
“Kevin tells me that you were the one who arranged all this…” she said with wonder and appreciation.
“Don’t read anything into this, I did it for Jenny. She wanted a big Cinderella wedding and as you know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.” His words were meant to sting and they did but it didn’t make it any easier for him to witness the pain his words caused her. He didn’t mean anything he had just said to her but his pride wouldn’t allow him to rescind a word of it.
The reception went along smoothly for the rest of the evening. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the festivities. Katelyn became more and more relaxed as the evening went on. As if her luck had just run out, Eleanor and Brody came over to her to wish her good tidings for a wonderful future. They also wanted to thank her for whatever role she played in getting them back together.
Eleanor repeated again, “You look beautiful Katelyn. It’s as though I designed this dress for you.” They teased each other for a few minutes about the tattoos that Eleanor had made her aware of while at the shop. Katelyn assured Brody that she was still oblivious about where they were on their bodies.
“Oh Brody, don’t be such a prude. I have a tattoo of a lock on my buttock and Brody has the key tattooed on his. He always held the key to my heart and the tattoos served as a reminder of our love for each other in a place where only we could see them. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” Eleanor said, kissing Brody full on the lips before leaving them alone.
Katelyn looked nervously over her shoulder for any sign of her husband. She spotted him dancing with Jenny. Seeing the two of them overwhelmed her emotionally. She hoped that he would be too preoccupied with their daughter to notice that she was standing here talking to Brody. She tried to come up with a reasonable explanation so that she could excuse herself but she was too nervous to think. He was a good friend and he would never understand why they couldn’t talk without supervision. The whole situation was pathetic and yet she couldn’t chance anyone questioning their motives for getting married.
“May I have this dance?” Brody asked and she didn’t have the heart to turn him down. She accepted his arm with trepidation as he led her onto the dance floor. It was a fast song so she thought that even if Gianfranco saw them she would be safe enough. They danced for a short time before they were abruptly interrupted. There was a sudden change in the music that made them turn their attention toward the orchestra. They realized that Gianfranco had just requested a slow dance as he made his way toward his wife.
Gianfranco was glaring at them with such loathing; it was a miracle that other than the two of them, no one else seemed to notice.
“Is there a reason why I make him so tense?” Brody whispered in her ear.
“No, it’s not you at all. He’s angry at me about something that happened earlier. I should go and try to make peace before he ruins our wedding day or what’s left of it,” she teased regretfully. She went to Gianfranco and, as she did, she began to tremble a little at the thought of yet another argument. He shocked her as held open his arms, took her into his embrace and led her back on to the dance floor all with a smile on his face.
He had purposefully picked another slow, sensuous song because it was the only way he could keep her close. He moved with her in his arms without a thought as the crowd looked on. He was making love to her with their clothes on and didn’t care who witnessed the heat they shared between them. This exotic scene was meant to prove a point and it did.
Katelyn was trembling from head to toe. She had lost the ability to think clearly and that’s exactly what Gianfranco had set out to do, not to punish her but to let her and Brody know that when it came to his wife, he didn’t share. He glanced down at her, letting her know with a look that any discomfo
rt she was feeling was her own making.
Jake wandered out on to the dance floor and broke them up. Katelyn supposed from his actions that Gianfranco might have shared their secrets with him. After all, he had to talk to someone and that couldn’t be her or Kevin.
“Let me dance with the bride just once before the crowd calls the fire department to get a hose to cool the two of you down. Talk about dirty dancing, did the two of you forget there are children in the room?” he asked. “I had to hold my hands over your daughter’s eyes to protect her innocence,” he teased. He pushed his friend out of the way and took Katelyn in his arms.
“I can’t help myself, Jake. She’s the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on and now she belongs to me. Don’t forget that buddy,” Gianfranco teased his friend as he left the dance floor.
Gianfranco rejoined Kevin, Sylvia and Jenny; they appear to be engaged in weighty conversation. Katelyn couldn’t tell what they were talking about but she could see that their daughter was agreeing with her father wholeheartedly. Tonight they would spend the night at the hotel alone and leave for New York in the morning for a short honeymoon before picking up Jenny and leaving for Italy, for who knew how long.
He later told Katelyn that he had booked the honeymoon suite because everyone would be expecting it. He didn’t want anyone to think that their union was anything short of the loving marriage he intended to portray.
“You want to tell me what’s wrong?” Jake asked as he danced with the woman who had also become his friend.
“There’s nothing wrong, what makes you say that?” she asked him biting her lower lip.
Jake smiled at her as he lifted her chin lovingly. “I’ve been around you a lot over the years and who better than me knows that there’s more to this marriage than meets the eye? I know you both pretty well; something just isn’t right. Although, I must say that you’re both doing a fine job of hiding it from everyone else. The tension between you both is so high that you’re ready to explode. What is it, Kate?” he asked with a note of concern for them both.
