The Broken One

by Cardello, Ruth

“You can’t do anything about his situation with his parents, but I promise you—he won’t be nine forever either. Neither will you. Before you know it, you’ll both be all grown up and driving your own children crazy.”

  “No way,” Judy said with a laugh. “Me and Win? Never.”

  Marc frowned back at her. “I didn’t mean together. Don’t even think about boys. You are not allowed to date until you’re at least thirty.”

  That was fine with her. Most boys were annoying anyway. Judy looked down at her phone again. I do miss Grace. I’m ready to “proceed with caution.” Before she made the call, though, Judy said, “You’re going to be a great dad, Marc.”

  “I hope so,” he said, his attention back to the road. “I sure hope so.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  * * *

  SEBASTIAN

  A week later I called for a morning meeting with Mauricio and Christof. They sat at the table in our boardroom as I paced back and forth in front of it.

  “What’s on your mind?” Christof asked with concern.

  “Wait, I know this one. She lives in Durham and her name rhymes with . . . weather.” Mauricio leaned back in his chair, looking confident and smug.

  I stopped pacing and frowned. “This isn’t about her.”

  Mauricio slid a twenty-dollar bill across the table to Christof and shot me a sheepish grin. “Hey, it was a good guess.”

  Christof accepted the money with an equally guilty smile. “I still think it might be, but since he said it wasn’t, I’ll take this.”

  “Are we done?” I snapped.

  Mauricio leaned closer to Christof. “Double or nothing he cracks and confesses the truth before this meeting is over.”

  “Deal,” Christof said, then slapped a hand down on the table. “How can we help you, Sebastian?”

  I inhaled a deep, calming breath. Brothers were a double-edged sword when it came to being helpful. “I’ve hit a snag with Bhatt Markets.”

  The smiles fell away. Mauricio straightened in his chair. “What kind of snag? Everyone I’ve spoken to thinks we’ll win the votes we need. Our lawyers don’t see a problem with getting the permits. Christof ran a scenario of how long it should take to shut Bhatt down. Less than a year. Am I right, Christof?”

  “That’s how I see it going. Their liquid cash is low. They’ve sold off enough of their private investments to make them ripe for bankruptcy,” Christof interjected. “The more I looked into it, the more impressed I became with your ability to sniff out an easy kill, Sebastian.”

  “I met with Rakesh Bhatt.”

  Mauricio shrugged.

  “Does he have cash stashed we’ve overlooked?” Christof asked.

  I shook my head and pocketed my hands. “No, they’re in an even worse situation than I knew about. Their father is battling cancer and losing.”

  “Hey, maybe we’ll get a quick sale instead. Even better,” Mauricio said.

  His words cut through me even though I’d said something similar countless times over the past few years. Weakness was something I’d had no patience for, had shown no mercy toward—but this time I was asking myself why. “Normally I would agree, but when I was talking to him I thought . . . what would I do if Dad were sick? How much would I be willing to give up to get him the best care?”

  “Are you thinking we should lowball them now?” Christof asked.

  I’ve taught them well—too well.

  “No, I’m—I don’t think—Mauricio, you need to take the lead on this one. Or we should pull out. I don’t want this blood on my hands.”

  “Wait. What?” Mauricio stood and walked over to me. “Did you just suggest that we not acquire a store chain because you feel bad about doing it?”

  “We’ve already invested a significant amount of cash into making it happen,” Christof warned as he also joined me at the head of the table.

  I rubbed a hand over my forehead. “I realize that, Christof. We could recoup some from taxes if we donate the land to the town.”

  Looking genuinely concerned, Mauricio leaned in. Normally, I would have been offended that he was checking my breath for alcohol, but I didn’t sound like myself. “So which outcome are you looking for today? That I agree to take over or that we walk away from this?”

  “I don’t fucking know,” I growled. “All I know is I haven’t been able to sleep since I met with Rakesh Bhatt. I went into the meeting with no expectation of caring what he said. I did, though. I care that his family story sounds so much like ours. His family came from India. His parents’ goal was to make a better life for their children, and they achieved that. Now the father is ill, and the children are trying to save him as well as his legacy. I don’t want to be the man who made neither possible for them.”

  “But you’re okay if I am?” Mauricio challenged.

  “Stop, Mauricio,” Christof said firmly. “That’s not what he’s saying.”

  I turned and slammed a hand on the wall behind me. “Dad had one store, and he was happy. We dominate in the region, have more money than we could spend in our lifetimes, and I’m fucking miserable.”

  Mauricio looked from me to Christof and back. “I’m pretty happy with how things are going, but I hear you. You haven’t taken a vacation in years. It’s time.”

  Christof put a hand on my shoulder. “Mauricio’s right, Sebastian. You’ve made the Romano name your first priority for too long. That’s all this is—burnout. You may feel like our welfare falls on your shoulders alone, but we’re all in this together.”

  I laid my hand on his. “You both covered for me when I couldn’t . . . when . . . when I . . .”

  “You would have done the same for us. This is different. This is you wanting to find something that brings joy back into your life. It’s a good sign—and well past time.” He nodded and dropped his hand.

  “Into your life . . . into your bed . . . whatever.” Mauricio winked. “Remember, I’m always here with advice if you need it.”

  “Don’t joke about her that way.” I tensed. “Besides, I told you—this isn’t about Heather. I haven’t even spoken to her since our lunch.”

  “A week ago?” Mauricio shuddered. “You’re playing it too cool—like cold, even.”

  Cold. I ran my hand through my hair. I’d had every intention of calling her. Even though she’d said she couldn’t see me over the weekend that had just passed, I had put some serious thought into how to woo a yes out of her.

  Flowers.

  Cards.

  Phone calls that lasted into the night.

  I’d changed my mind, though, after I’d met with Rakesh. He’d laid out his situation and his torment for me, humbling himself for the sake of his family, and it had left me cold at first.

  Cold—that was what I had become.

  His anger hadn’t surprised me. Everyone is angry when they discover they can’t stop us from taking over. Every ugly thing he said to me had been said a hundred times before.

  At the end of our conversation, he’d looked like a man who had sacrificed himself for what he considered the greater good—and still lost. Angry. Confused. Desperate.

  Disgusted.

  For a moment I saw myself through his eyes, and I didn’t like the view. What kind of man could listen to a story like the one he’d told and be completely unmoved by it?

  And what business did such a man have courting a woman like Heather? What did I think she was going to do—wave a wand and transform me into the person I’d once been?

  He was dead and gone.

  In his place was a man who enjoyed nothing, cared about no one beyond his immediate family, and destroyed the lives of others without remorse.

  Was this shell of a man really what Heather and her child needed?

  There was a good chance that rather than her buoying me up, I might drag her down. What if, while I was testing if I could feel anything for her, she fell for me?

  And I felt no more sympathy for her than I’d felt for Rakesh.

&nb
sp; It was an unacceptable possibility.

  One that had kept me awake several nights in a row. She deserved better than that.

  The financial empire I’d built for my family felt like the only thing I’d done right. And now I was jeopardizing that because . . . why? Did I think pulling out of one deal would redefine who I was?

  I’d been partially honest with my brothers about why I didn’t want to move forward with the Bhatt Market takeover. They believed it meant I didn’t want to feel guilty, but the truth was I was more afraid of feeling nothing.

  And of what that would say about me.

  None of this was anything I could share with my brothers without causing them to worry about me. So I said, “I am tired. A vacation sounds like exactly what I need.” A glance at the clock said this topic had dragged on long enough. “On that note, I’m going to answer some emails and plan my escape.”

  After reassuring me that they were capable of moving forward without me, we headed toward the door. Behind me, Christof said, “Cough up another twenty, Mauricio. He admitted to nothing.”

  “Fine,” Mauricio said, “but a hundred bucks says he marries her.”

  I walked away as if I hadn’t heard them.

  My only hope was that Mauricio’s business instincts were better than his choice of bets. There was no reason for me to see Heather again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  * * *

  HEATHER

  I was soaking up some sun on a bench in our neighborhood’s playground, watching Ava go down the slide for the hundredth or so time. Her face lit up when Charlotte and her brothers bounded onto the sandy area.

  Erica sat down beside me. “So did you hear from him?”

  I sighed. “Could you stop asking that every time you see me? If he called me, you’d be the first one I’d tell.”

  “Sorry. After the way you described your date, I thought for sure he was interested.”

  “Me too. Maybe I was too aggressive. I mean, I sent him sex dice and told him I was going commando on our date.”

  “No, Bob says neither would turn a guy off.”

  My eyes flew to hers in horror. “You told him?”

  She shrugged. “He’s my best friend.”

  I groaned. “I’m never going to be able to look him in the eye again.”

  She waved a hand in dismissal. “Bob doesn’t care. I did ask him for his opinion, though, and he thinks you should call Sebastian. Maybe something happened to him. Wouldn’t you feel bad if he was in the hospital or something?”

  I hadn’t thought of that. “Wouldn’t we have heard about it?”

  “Bob knows everyone, and he said the day after the vote came in positive, two Romanos met with the town administrator, but he wasn’t one of them. Sebastian came to take care of you when you were sick. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for you to offer to do the same if he’s under the weather.”

  “I’m not calling him.”

  “Because you’re playing hard to get.”

  “I’m not playing at all.”

  “And how is that working out for you?”

  I spun toward her. “He’s not sick, Erica. He’s just not interested. And I don’t care either way.”

  Eyes wide, she raised her hands in surrender. “Then there’s no need to chew my head off, is there?”

  I rolled my eyes skyward. She was right. “Okay, I liked him. Of course I wish he’d called. But I’m not going to chase him.”

  “I wouldn’t describe a phone call to make sure he’s not in a coma as chasing.”

  Relenting a little, I checked the time on my phone. “It’s only six o’clock. He’s probably still at work. I don’t want to bother him.”

  She took the phone from me and scrolled for his number, then hit the phone icon. “Bother him.”

  “Hey—don’t—you can’t—” The phone was already ringing. Even if I hung up, he’d still see a missed call from me.

  “Hello?” he answered in a groggy voice.

  Oh my God, maybe he was sick. “It’s Heather. Just calling to see if you’re okay.”

  “Heather.” He repeated my name slowly. “Yeah. Sorry, I was sleeping.”

  “Sleeping? Are you sick?”

  “No, I’m in Italy.”

  “He’s in Italy,” I mouthed to Erica. “Not sick. Told you.” I cleared my throat. “I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

  “Wait,” he said.

  My heart jumped in my chest. “Yes?”

  “I meant to call you, but—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m not.” No way I was letting that conversation happen. I was perfectly okay with sparing myself the fun of listening to him make up excuses.

  “You’re upset. I can understand that without an explanation, breaking things off might have—”

  “There was nothing to break off,” I said as my pride kicked in. “I said no to you.”

  “Yes, you did,” he agreed far too easily.

  I couldn’t help it; I had to know. “Why did you ghost me? Because I didn’t jump when you asked me to? Well, sorry if I have a life of my own. You might be used to women who fall all over themselves simply because you show up, but I have higher standards than that.” I stopped to take a breath.

  Erica dragged my hand over and put him on speaker. I slapped at her, but she was too fast. “Don’t worry, I’ll still watch the kids,” she whispered, as if that was why I thought she shouldn’t hear his side of the phone call. She leaned toward the phone while facing the playground.

  Whatever.

  Let her hear this. Maybe then she’ll stop asking me about him.

  His voice thickened in his next words. “You’re hurt. This is what I didn’t want to happen. You’re an incredible woman, but I have some things I need to work out before I can think about getting serious with anyone.”

  It’s not you; it’s me. I hate that line.

  “Then isn’t it fortunate that I said no?”

  He chuckled, and I wanted to smack him. “Yes, it is.”

  “You think this is funny?”

  Humor left his voice. “Far from it. I’m laughing because I am so fucked up. A moment ago we were naked and tangled up in my dream. Now I’m on the phone, trying to convince myself I made the right decision, but all I want is you here beside me.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “Don’t do this . . .” Don’t get me thinking there is something where there’s nothing.

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. You have a child—”

  “If Ava has anything to do with your decision not to see me, let me say this up front—there is nothing in my life more important than she is. Nothing. If having her means I don’t have sex again until I’m fifty, I’m fine with it.”

  Erica touched my arm. “You might want to lower your voice.”

  I looked around. There were only a few other parents in the area, but they were all looking at me. Thankfully none of the children seemed to have heard. In a much lower tone, I said, “I don’t need you, Sebastian Romano. So enjoy Italy.”

  I still shook after ending the call.

  For once Erica kept her thoughts to herself.

  I stuck my phone back in my purse. Ava was still blissfully swinging next to Charlotte. No matter how chaotic I felt on the inside, nothing else in my life was affected. And that was the way I needed to keep it.

  A few minutes passed before I broke down and said, “Go ahead. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  Erica cleared her throat. “You’re sure? Okay, then, you need to chill.”

  I tipped my head back and looked at her through the corner of my eye. “Too much?”

  She pinched the air. “Just a little. I’m not used to seeing you like this. You’re usually the calmest person in the room.”

  Ava ran up for a drink of water. I held my response until she was once again out of earshot. “I’m not used to this side of me either. When I hear his voice, a part of me comes to life and I get . . . giddy? I guess that’s
the only word for it. I feel this connection to him. It’s so real I can’t stop myself from getting excited . . . then whoosh, it takes a dip like a roller coaster, and suddenly I’ve had my feet knocked out from beneath me.”

  She gave me a long look. “You do realize you didn’t give him time to say how he felt about Ava. Bob and I went to a counselor when we first got married because we would fight in circles about the same things over and over and over. She said we were talking at each other instead of to each other. I think you’re doing that with Sebastian. He’s talking. You’re talking. But do you have any idea what he’s saying?”

  I watched Ava move to the sandbox with Charlotte and sighed. “I guess I don’t. You’re right. I jumped in without giving him a chance. I couldn’t hear him because I was so busy defending myself against what I was afraid he would say. I talked at him.”

  Erica slapped her hands on her knees. “I should do this for a living. It took our counselor weeks to get us to see what we were doing.” She snapped her fingers in the air. “Five minutes. One session. Where should I send my bill?”

  I smiled. “Well, Mrs. All-Knowing, tell me, what do you think Sebastian was about to say?”

  “I have no idea,” Erica conceded. “Looks like you’ll have to call him back.”

  I moved my purse to the other side of me. “No way.”

  “Fine. Text him.”

  “I’m sure he’s asleep again.”

  “I’m sure he’s not. Give me your phone.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Were you serious about being okay with not having sex until you’re fifty?”

  My mouth went dry. “No.”

  “Then give me your damn phone and let me show you how it’s done.”

  I didn’t budge.

  She arched an eyebrow. “Afraid I’ll ruin your otherwise beautiful relationship?”

  I tossed my phone at her. “Here.”

  She placed it on her lap and cracked her knuckles before texting him.

  Sorry. When it comes to my daughter, I get defensive.

  Nothing.

  “See, he’s not going to answer. Give me my phone back.”

  Just then my phone dinged with an incoming message. You’re not the one who should apologize. I do have a rule about not dating women with children. It used to be because being around children reminded me too much of what I’d lost. I read the message and moved to take the phone. Erica held it out of my reach.