What had she done?
Sex with Ian had been more…just, more. More erotic. More fun. More fucking emotional. She closed her eyes, not surprised when she felt a few tears leak out. She’d expected a bit of physical release because, come on, he was still hot as hell. She hadn’t expected whatever connection had been forged between them.
Why had she felt like she’d finally found home?
When Ian had come out of the bathroom, he had seemed a bit shaken, too. Was he regretting it, too? Her phone rang, and she dug it out of her purse. Frowned when she saw her mom’s landline number. She glanced out the car window and saw Mom standing on the porch. She waved.
Rosa waved back, and dropped her phone into her purse before getting out of the car. When she was standing on the porch, Mom hugged her. “What has you looking so lost?”
Not wanting to at all discuss her sex life, especially as the other party was Ian, she shrugged. “Just a lot on my mind.”
“I made some lemonade. Want some?”
“Yeah. That would be great.”
And feeling a bit like a kid again, she headed in for the drink Mom had always claimed could cure the world’s ills.
6
Excerpt from Stroman Industries’ customer newsletter:
I hope many of you have taken my advice in one of my earlier newsletters, about choosing to look at the community around you as a small town, to heart. When you do that, it can open your heart to more than you thought possible. One of our local residents is facing a very tough health crisis right now and, as many of you know, the insurance coverage is not what it could be. We chose to assist by holding a fundraiser. Events like this, while rarely for a happy reason—though always a good cause—brings our community even closer together. In the planning, hosting, and follow-up for the event, everyone’s talents are given an opportunity to shine and we get to know everyone a little bit better. Hopefully, someone in your community is not facing this kind of crisis, but what about organizing a donation drive for the local food bank or shelter? Maybe you have a politician you support or are looking for one to support. A friend recently told me about the crowdsourcing volunteer site GetHerElected.com. Gather a group of your friends to work on a project.
Three nights later, Rosa parked in the spot that had been reserved for her and her mom at the community center. The lot was already mostly full of people who’d come in for the fundraiser.
“Mom, are you sure you’re feeling okay? I know Elaine would understand if you couldn’t make it.”
Her mom had that steely look in her eye she got any time Rosa pushed too far. “I’m fine. I’m not going to be able to stay the entire time, but this benefit is for me, and it’s only right that I let people know how much I appreciate their care and support.”
Blowing out a breath, Rosa unhooked her seatbelt. “Wait for me.”
She slung her purse across her body and hurried around the car to where Mom was trying to get out. Never let it be said that Lottie Donnelly was a pushover. She reached out and braced her mom’s arm as she pushed out of the car seat. It was a moment before she was steady on her feet, but she stood tall and proud when she was. Rosa locked up the car and they headed inside.
Elaine was standing at the door, with her husband holding it open. She embraced Lottie, and Mr. Stroman gave her a kiss on the cheek before holding out his hand to shake Rosa’s. “It’s good to have you back in town, Rosa. How was College Park?”
“Well, they liked me enough to give me a degree.”
His laugh was deep like Ian’s, and he had a similar twinkle in his eye. This was what Ian would be like in thirty years. The idea of seeing him just as vital when he was in his sixties stole Rosa’s breath. And it stayed stolen when she caught sight of him coming into the lobby of the community center. He was in a Stroman Industries polo shirt and khakis. Stereotypical small-town executive. But when he looked at her, she remembered him naked, sprawled on his bed below her as she rode him to orgasm.
Their parents had to have caught a whiff of something, as she saw Mom giving her the beady eye, but she ignored them all and headed into the community center. She felt Ian’s fingers brush her back, but he didn’t do anything else as he guided them to the table of honor.
Dinner was a buffet of everyone’s prized dishes. She filled a plate of vegetarian delicacies for her mom and piled her own with barbecue ribs and potato salad.
People kept coming up to them and complimenting Mom on how nice she looked. She took it as her due, and Rosa wasn’t about to say anything. She was looking better, though, as she’d had a nasty reaction to one of the medications a few days ago. The dosage had been off, and as soon as they dialed it back, the rash and other side effects had mostly gone away.
A few people asked if she was moving back full-time. Some intimated that she was such a good daughter to care for her mom, while others said they weren’t surprised she was back. She gritted her teeth every time she faced one of those people. Reminded herself of what both Mom and Ian had said about knowing she was successful.
Just that morning, an offer had come through from the firm in Philadelphia. It was solid, and she knew not to take the first job offered, but it would keep her close-ish to home in case Mom needed her.
Elaine had arranged for a group of older guys who played cover songs at a bar in the next town over to be the entertainment, so while they were setting up and testing the sound she wandered over to the table where the silent auction items had been laid out.
Donors had been very generous. There were packs of tickets to the Pittsburgh pro sports teams, some local university games, a weekend at someone’s lake house on Lake Erie, even an appearance spot on one of the local TV affiliates’ morning programs.
Someone would get their five minutes of fame. All to help her mom. Tears gathered in the back of her throat. This was good. She shouldn’t feel resentful about needing the help. Not everyone who needed help got it.
But under the resentment was gratitude. There were people who cared for Mom. People who were nice to her. Hell, even her archnemesis had apologized to her. Everyone was capable of growing and learning from their past. Maybe she should give Denning another chance.
She spotted Ian standing off in a corner with his back to her. A back she’d raked her nails down only days ago. A back her hands itched to caress once again. One of his cousins, Larry she thought, was standing opposite of him, finger jabbing the air.
She frowned and sidled closer.
Larry’s finger got even closer to Ian’s face. “I told you to stop what you’re doing. I heard about FSC’s ultimatum. If you lose that contract, I will win the suit for control of the company. Granddad wouldn’t have stood for this nonsense.”
“Funny, we have different memories of Granddad. He always taught me that we were supposed to look out for others less fortunate and make sure everyone we considered to be family were safe. Or did you forget how he fled Germany?”
She saw a muscle tic in Larry’s jaw as he clenched it. His next words came out low and barely audible. “I know those stories just as well if not better than you. If the company’s not around, we can’t look out for the people who need our help. You’re going to run it into the ground.”
“If we don’t uphold our values, we lose the company.”
“Ian. Stop it. You know you’re going to lose on this. We both care about the company and its future. You know keeping the FSC contract is the right thing to do.”
She moved closer, and Larry caught sight of her. He nodded at her. “Rosa. Ian, we’ll talk about this at the office.”
She went over and placed her hand at the small of Ian’s back. She was close enough to see his shoulders slump the tiniest fraction. “What’s wrong?”
There was a stark look in his eyes as he kept his gaze on the crowd behind her. “How much did you hear?”
“That he’s continuing with the lawsuit?”
He let out a low sigh. “I’m supposed to give FSC my assurance tomorrow
that I’m stopping my political activity. Somehow, Larry found out about it. He’d been worried about the slight dip in direct sales due to the newsletter anyway, and this was fuel on the fire.”
She rubbed his back through his shirt. His muscles felt as if they were made out of concrete. It wasn’t skin-to-skin as she would have liked, but she felt the need to comfort him. The urge to do so had her feeling even more tied down, but this was Ian and he seemed in need of support. “What are you going to do?”
“The other thing Granddad always said was to not fight with family to the point that you can no longer talk. When they’re gone for good, you’ll regret the time that you lost.”
She wanted to lean into him, wrap him in her arms, but they were in public and she didn’t have that kind of claim on him. Didn’t want it. Right?
“Ian, if you give into this pressure, you’re not the man I know you are. Don’t back down.”
He looked down at her, ice coating the light hazel of his eyes. “I’m tired of people telling me what to do. Why do you even care, Rosa? It’s not like you’ve ever considered making Denning your home. Good, hard-working people who deserve a decent shot at life live here. You just run off at every opportunity you get. I believe in Denning and its future. I’m working hard for it. What are you doing? Good thing you’re not staying in town. You don’t ever have to look at me and see something I’m not.”
She shoved his chest and he stepped back on one foot. “Fuck you.”
Goddamn. She was no longer eighteen, and he shouldn’t have the power to hurt her. But he did. Wiping away tears that leaked from her eyes, she hurried back to where her mom sat. She refused to look back at him. Mom wasn’t ready to leave, and the band was beginning their first song. Even as they led into the strains of Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” she felt the barely-burgeoning idea of finally finding a home in Denning crumble into ashes.
7
Excerpt from Stroman Industries’ customer newsletter:
There’s a maxim that says “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” History has taught us what it means to be on the wrong side of it. There are few black and white choices presented to us, but we can often spot them by what has happened in the past. Choosing what is right can certainly be hard, but I’d much rather be on the right side of history and a bit bruised rather than on the wrong side.
Ian threw a dart at the board he had set up in his office. Like the previous three, this one bounced off the cork after gouging out a strip.
“Dammit.” He probably shouldn’t be throwing them while seated in his chair, but whatever.
The hurt he’d seen on Rosa’s face after he’d said what he’d said still ripped its talons into him. He was such an ass. Eight years, and he hadn’t grown up one little bit.
There was a knock on his door, but before he could call out, his mom breezed in.
“Hi, honey. You look like crap. What’s going on?”
Shaking his head, he stood up and went over to kiss her on her cheek which she held out for him. “Hi, Mom. Just trying to figure out how badly I’m fucking up.”
“Language. Do I need to call your father?”
“For my language?”
She gave him the stink eye. “No. Do you want to talk with him about business?”
“We’ve talked about it. I know he supports me in whatever decision I make.”
She sat down in one of the visitor chairs she’d picked out during the last redecoration. “Then what’s the problem?”
He angled the other chair so he’d face her and sat down. “What if I make the wrong decision?”
She reached out and put her hand on his wrist. Squeezed. “Honey, tough decisions mean that none of the choices are fully good or fully bad. Something’s going to hurt no matter what you choose. If it was an easy decision, you’d have already made it.”
“I thought I had made it last night, and then Larry cornered me, and Rosa and I fought.”
Her brows rose at that last revelation, but she focused in on what she knew was more important in that moment. “What did Larry say?”
“He found out about FSC’s threat to pull the contract if I don’t agree to stop being political with company resources. He has a point, Mom. Not having the FSC contract will make things harder and we won’t be able to do as much as we could if we had them.”
She was quiet for a few moments. “I can’t make this decision for you, Ian. You know the resources the company has available. You already know your dad supports you no matter what.”
“I know, but would Granddad have understood? Especially if it means that Larry wins?”
“If Larry continues with his suit, that’s on Larry. I know he probably thinks he’s doing what’s best, but he’s always been nipping at the edges. Your grandfather was a good man and loved all of you, but he agreed with your father that you should succeed as head of the company. He wouldn’t have said that if he didn’t believe it. I wish he was here so he could give you the same peace of mind, but I know whatever you choose to do, he would have supported it. Listen to your heart, Ian. It’s a strong one.”
He closed his eyes. The weight hadn’t lifted but hearing those words from his mom helped. “Thanks.”
“Now. What’s this about you and Rosa fighting? Lottie called me this morning to tell me that Rosa had a job offer in Philadelphia, and she’s taking it.”
He sat up straight. Fuck. He’d been beyond harsh in what he’d said to her, but he hadn’t expected her to leave so soon. “She’s moving to Philadelphia? When?”
“Lottie didn’t say, but she implied that Rosa’s doing everything she can to get things moving. Apparently, Rosa’s got it into her head that Lottie needs as much financial assistance as possible. I don’t know why. We raised a good chunk of money last night. And your father and I decided that we would match what was raised. Not that we’re telling Lottie or Rosa that. I know the Donnelly pride.”
He ran his hands through his hair. Goddammit. He was an ass. After last night, she was probably planning on cutting out of town without ever telling him.
“What did you say to her?”
He winced. “I’d rather not tell you. Do you know where she is?”
His mom got that crafty look in her eye that she had anytime she’d manipulated his father into the exact plan she’d wanted. Damn it. “The pharmacy. Lottie’s doctor called in a change to her prescriptions.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “Thanks, Mom. I’ve got some things I need to clear up here. I’ll call you later, okay?”
She patted his cheek. “You always were a smart one.”
“Not as smart as you raised me to be.”
As soon as she left, he closed his door again and drafted his response to FSC, stating that as they valued family ties, so did Stroman Industries—and that the company was open to doing business with them again when they were ready, but Ian wasn’t abandoning his advocacy efforts. This country needed leadership with values, and if that meant being political, so be it. He sent that off to the company attorney to review.
He then called Larry. “Listen. I’m going to keep this short. I’m sending a letter to FSC through the company attorney telling them that I’m not stopping what I’m doing. If that means you continue with the suit, so be it. Be careful, Larry. You’re choosing money over family. I’ll always love you, but we have to stand for something, and I know the company will stand true in the long run even if we take a hit in the short term.”
He hung up before Larry could say anything.
With a quick note for Jimmy, who’d left his desk, he headed out into the sun to corner Rosa.
Feeling like she’d accomplished something—despite spending the night fighting off tears and ugly dreams reliving Ian’s multiple rejections of her—Rosa poked around the shelves of Antonelli’s Pharmacy, looking for the things her mom had requested.
The bell above the door tinkled.
Moments later, she spotted Ian’s head moving up
and down the aisles. She ducked. Could she get out of here without him seeing?
“There you are.”
“Fuck.” She closed her eyes and hoped that he was only a figment of her imagination. When she opened them, he was standing in front of her. No luck.
“We need to talk.”
She glared at him. “We talked last night. I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Mom told me you’re moving to Philadelphia.”
She laughed a little and, even to her, it had a hard edge. “So? It’s not like you care.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I care, Rosa. I care a lot.”
“You said, and I quote, ‘Good thing you’re not staying in town then.’ That tells me you don’t actually care.”
He squeezed his eyes shut to the point where creases formed around his eyelids. “I’m sorry, Rosa. So sorry. I have no excuse for saying those things to you.”
“Then why did you?” Her voice caught, and she felt tears forming again. She furiously wiped her eyes. She would not break down in tears here. Would. Not. “Never mind. I don’t need to know.” She turned and hurried to the front of the store. She could come back later for what Mom needed. When he wasn’t here. Maybe head out to the big box store.
He grabbed her shoulder, but she shook it off.
“Hey, Rosa? You okay?”
“Fine, Mr. Antonelli. Ian’s leaving.” She turned and looked him dead in the eye. “Aren’t you, Ian?”
His lips firmed. “Yeah. But we have to talk. I’ve got some things I have to say to you.”
“I don’t want to hear them.”
“Please, Rosa. One last time.”
She swallowed. She should stand strong against the pleading tone of voice. But her resistance crumbled. “Fine. Meet me at Mom’s.”
He nodded and left.
She paid for her purchases and headed back to her mom’s. Ian’s SUV was parked in front, and he was sitting in it with the engine still running. As she parked in the driveway, he got out and met her at the side door. There was a note taped to the storm door.
Rogue Hearts (The Rogue Series Book 4) Page 19
