Family Bonds- Eli and Bella (Amore Island Book 6)

by Natalie Ann

“Hello,” she said to her grandfather.

  “You look just like your mother,” he said.

  “Thank you. But I have a feeling that isn’t a compliment.”

  Janet grinned at her. “Why don’t you come in and have a seat. Can we get you something to drink? I’m sure my son told you that I’m here for moral support for Bella.”

  “She doesn’t need moral support to see her grandfather,” he said.

  “Be that as it may,” Bella said. “I asked her here.” She wasn’t going to say a bad word about her mother and mention that she might not have gotten this kind of support from anyone else in her life.

  “Coffee?” Janet asked. “Please, have a seat.”

  Her grandfather looked like he was going to argue, but then said, “Coffee would be lovely.”

  It’s funny how she’d gotten the vibe her aunt wanted to embrace her right away and her grandfather was treating her like a stranger.

  Yes, she was one to him, but for a man that supposedly threatened to want custody of her or be her guardian, none of this made sense. Unless it was a control thing to him. Most likely that.

  Those damn controlling men in her life.

  Janet set the coffee down. “I understand you haven’t seen your granddaughter in decades. Shame on you for not asking how she is doing or inquiring about her life.”

  Bella had to stop the giggle from escaping over the sweet but stern reprimand Janet had just placed down with her grandfather’s coffee. He looked like he wasn’t happy to hear it either. “My relationship with my granddaughter is of no concern of yours.”

  “I believe that is up to Bella to decide since she asked me here. I’d like to think my family is more of one to her than what she’s gotten elsewhere.”

  “Because her mother’s side was nothing but gambling heathens. A disgrace to my son’s name.”

  Bella could see Janet getting ready to wind up and unleash like a tornado, but she beat her to the punch. “That would make me a disgraced heathen then,” she said. “I work in a casino and I’m in a relationship with Eli.”

  “Then you’re bringing the family name down just like your father did,” he said.

  She snorted. “No one says you need to acknowledge who I am. Oh yeah, that’s right, you don’t anyway. So why are you even here? If you hated my father so much, it makes no sense why you’d reach out to me. And how did you know I was here?”

  She didn’t want to throw her aunt under the bus. She’d felt like she could trust her and she’d been sincere and was keeping it from her father, but now she did wonder.

  “I know the goings-on with my daughter. I couldn’t stand the man she married and was thrilled when she kicked his butt to the curb for cheating. I thought it was odd she and both of the kids were coming in late one day when none of them had appointments on their calendars. I had the house watched to see if Gretchen’s ex was arriving after I’d told him to never come back.”

  She shook her head. “You think you’ve got so much control over everything and it’s sad. You don’t have any control over me and you never will. If you came here to tell me what I can and can’t do, you are mistaken. If I want to have a relationship with my father’s family, you can’t stop me. If they are so weak to fall under your pressure, then that is on them. I don’t need people like that in my life.”

  As much as it hurt for her to voice those words, she knew it was true.

  Her life had enough upheaval in it. If she had to hide or be secretive to have a relationship with someone, then it wasn’t worth it.

  Bella was going to be damned if she would be an embarrassment for someone. Or if she wasn’t enough in their eyes.

  She’d make sure her uncle knew her feelings on the matter too.

  If you love someone, you don’t hide them. You don’t hide from them.

  You don’t run either.

  She was sick of hiding, running, and turning her head at things that scared her because she was told it would keep her safe.

  But she was bouncing back and she was standing on her own two feet.

  She was going to speak her mind and she was going to be heard.

  And she knew damn well Eli was watching and listening in the other room and she hoped he got the message loud and clear.

  “They do what they are told,” her grandfather said.

  “I did what I was told for way too long. I’m not doing it anymore. This is my life and I’m making my own destiny.”

  “That a girl,” Janet said.

  “Thank you,” she said to Eli’s mother.

  Vernon narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re more like your father than you should be.”

  “Because he didn’t do what you wanted? I’d have to say you’re a poor excuse of a father if you couldn’t accept that or at least see how happy my father was. Say what you want about my mother, but my father loved her and she loved him back. They had a great marriage and wonderful life together. I’d like to think that is what any parent would truly want for their child.”

  “Well said,” Janet said. Bella was so glad she’d asked Janet to be here. It made her feel powerful she was being backed. If Janet couldn’t do it, she would have gone with Hailey as her second choice. Then she realized she might be better off alone as Hailey would surely get her grandfather’s back up in his old-fashioned views.

  “My son would have been happy doing what he always wanted,” her grandfather said.

  “What you wanted him to do,” Bella said. “You saw him being someone he wasn’t.” She put her hand up when he went to speak, cutting him off. “I’m not finished. Even if he told you he wanted to go into politics, people change. They change for love and they change for family. I repeat—if he was happy then that is all you should have been concerned about.”

  “We are done here,” her grandfather said, standing up.

  “Yes, we are. But answer me this,” she said. “Why come here? So you can throw salt in open wounds? So you could see if I’d fall in line to understand you or my father’s family more?”

  “It was to see if your mother’s hatred for my family bled over to you.”

  She laughed. “Really? It wasn’t my mother’s hatred that did anything. You haven’t heard a word I’ve said. I make my own decisions in life. I don’t make judgments on other’s words or thoughts. I don’t hate you. I hate what you did to my father and what you are trying to do to me and my aunt and cousins now. But I repeat, if they can live with the way things are, that is their life. It’s not going to be mine. I’ve done just fine without you all in my life until now and I can go back to that.”

  Her grandfather turned and went to the elevator. When the doors closed and she heard it moving she turned to Janet.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” Janet asked, moving toward her and pulling her into her arms.

  It was then the damn broke and the tears fell.

  The minute the elevator started to drop, Eli was rushing out of Griffin’s place and into his own.

  Seeing his mother holding the woman he loved while she cried tore his heart in two.

  His mother nodded to him and he moved forward and pulled Bella into his arms. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  She sniffled a little more and then looked up. “You heard it all, didn’t you? You probably saw it too.”

  “I did,” he admitted. They could talk about how later. Now it wasn’t the time.

  “He’s such a vile person. How could someone be that way?” she asked.

  “No clue. But what you said is correct. You’ve done just fine in life without them and you will again. You don’t need them around you.”

  He wanted to add she only needed him but knew it wasn’t the words to voice now.

  He’d been so proud of the words she’d said. How she stood up for herself. How strong she was.

  And then he realized some of that was directed at him. He wasn’t too set in his ways that he couldn’t learn.

  “I want to get to know my aunt more. I want to know my
cousins, but not at the expense of dealing with my grandfather. Nor do I think they should have to deal with that either. I’m not sure how they do now.”

  “Maybe they don’t,” he said. “Did you ever think of that? Didn’t Roman say he gives it back to his grandfather? Your aunt seems to only do what she does to keep the peace, but something tells me she can stand on her own if she needs to.”

  “I guess. I can’t say for certain because I don’t know all the details. I may never and that is fine with me too.”

  “As it should be,” his mother said. “And Griffin and I are going to take our leave. Maybe I can go meet your uncle and give him a piece of my mind too. All these men in your life thinking they could tell you what to do or keep you in the dark. It makes me ill.”

  Griffin grinned, having followed Eli over but standing back. “I’ll watch your mother,” he said.

  “Bring her to Oliver if you want. I told him we’d come see him after Vernon left. You can let him know that Bella and I will be down when Bella is ready.”

  “Good thing you added that last part,” she said, wiping at her tears.

  When the two of them were alone, he said, “I get it. I haven’t lived your life. I can feel a lot of sympathy for what you’ve gone through. Your uncle can say he was doing what he was told, but once you were an adult he could have changed that.”

  “Exactly,” she said. “And I know I need to cut you some slack too because you were doing what was asked of you too. You were keeping me safe.”

  “I’m trying,” he said. “I promise I am. I won’t push you either. You can make your own decisions in life. I heard you loud and clear.”

  “I can and I will. But I also know that I’ve lived too much of my life following orders and doing what I thought was right. It’s time to do what feels right more.”

  “And what is that?” he asked, holding his breath.

  “I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. I’m not sure our next step either. But I know you make me happy. I know everything feels right with you. And for those reasons, I want us to try to move forward together. We’ll figure it out if we talk. If we listen. If we show each other the same respect,” she said.

  “We will,” he promised.

  Because now I don’t just have one strong woman in my life, but I’ve got you. You’re stronger than you ever have given yourself credit for. My mother was the first strong woman in my life though and I know she would kick my butt if I did anything to lose you.”

  “I don’t want to lose you any more than I want to lose your mother and the rest of your family. And as much as I’d like to get to know my father’s family, I refuse to sneak around to make it happen.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said, pulling her close and holding on. They’d gotten through this, they’d get through anything.

  Epilogue

  One month later, Eli and Bella were back in Monte Carlo.

  She’d stayed on the island working and living with Eli. Meeting more of his family and seeing how the two of them got along.

  She knew beyond a doubt they were meant for each other and the decision to move to Amore Island had started to become an easy one.

  It was time to come back to the place that had been her home for the past decade and pack up her belongings, then say goodbye to those few friends she had. Not one that was close enough she’d really miss though.

  “I never thought I’d return here,” Eli said, walking into Oliver’s casino. They came here first once the plane landed so that she could see her uncle. She did miss him and they had been talking more lately.

  In the past month she realized those conversations and thinking back on his past actions, that her uncle must have had some serious regrets in his life.

  How he could know she had a thing for Eli back then was a mystery, but it did work out in the end.

  “Bella,” her uncle said when she walked into his office. He got up and hugged her, one she returned and didn’t want to let go. She knew moving to America meant she wouldn’t see him much but then reminded herself she didn’t see him often as it was. “You look lovely.”

  “You look good too. Not as stressed or tired as the last time I saw you.”

  “Thanks, I think,” Uncle Oliver said. “Things are still going well here.” Her uncle moved forward and shook hands with Eli. “Griffin obviously read my reports and conducted his own checks in order for you to be here.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “You knew Griffin was looking everything over on Serge. I told you.”

  He had. “Then what more was there?”

  “Griffin would never let either of us back here until he looked into everything on his own and was assured it was safe. Your uncle would expect no differently either.”

  “Eli is correct. I need to know you are taken care of.” Her uncle held his hand up. “Don’t get your back up. That’s me being who I am, but it doesn’t mean you can’t take care of yourself either.”

  “If Janet were here, she’d lecture you about how inappropriate that was to say to me,” she said. “That I’ve proven I can care for myself.”

  “I do love your mother,” Uncle Oliver said to Eli. She’d heard Janet gave him an earful too. She was finding life on Amore Island was nothing like she’d ever thought it’d be when she first arrived scared and excited. Scared for what was being kept from her, and excited for the unknown and seeing Eli again. “Which is why I added that last part to my statement.”

  “Janet is a special woman,” she agreed.

  “And how are things going with your aunt and cousins?” Uncle Oliver asked.

  “So far so good. Riva and Roman said they want to come visit the island soon. They are busy with work and trying to find a long weekend. Aunt Gretchen said things are tense with her father but nothing she hadn’t dealt with before.”

  “So there is no risk of her being cut off from her father?” Uncle Oliver asked.

  “I didn’t ask and it has nothing to do with me. That is their life.”

  “I don’t think Vernon would put that kind of attention on his firm,” Eli said. “Gretchen is a partner, her kids will be too. Vernon got what he wanted.”

  “I don’t know if he did in his mind. He’s a miserable old man. It’s wrong to say that about him, but it’s how I feel.”

  “And I’ve learned to not tell Bella how she should or shouldn’t feel,” Eli said.

  “Smart man,” her uncle said. “The question is, how smart are you really?”

  “Smart enough to do this here,” he said.

  “Do what?” she asked.

  Eli got down on one knee in her uncle’s office and her hands flew to her mouth. “You don’t have a father for me to ask permission of. And I know you wouldn’t be thrilled if I did. You make your own decisions in life now and that is the woman I came to love. But I also know it would mean a great deal if I did this with the only family you are close to. So I’m getting down on my knee in front of the man that threw me in a cell for talking to you years ago and I’m asking you to be my wife.”

  She started to laugh, the tears forming in her eyes and then rolling down her face. “Yes,” she said. “I’ll be your wife. I’ll be your partner in life.”

  “That is what I want the most. We’re better together than apart. Even on little old Amore Island.”

  “We are,” she agreed. “And that little island is now going to be my home.”

  “You’re going to get the family you always wanted,” Uncle Oliver said. “The one you deserved.”

  “I am. Finally,” she said.

  The End!

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