Page 26 of Bellini Bound

“Trust me, you’re gonna love it.” She pretended to fan herself. “So hot.”

Next came handfuls of pre-packaged granola bars, trail mix, and bags of microwave popcorn.

“This is all for you. I can bring more tomorrow while the boys are at work, but fair warning, I might have to bring my sidekicks with me.”

My head cocked to the side. “Sidekicks?”

She picked up the phone she’d so graciously offered to me, and the lockscreen lit up, featuring a picture of two raven-haired little girls. “My daughters.”

Heart twisting inside my chest, I rasped, “They’re beautiful.”

I’d always loved children and had dreamed of a day when I might have some of my own. But that door slammed shut the minute I married a monster, my future literally ripped from my hands.

Summer beamed with pride. “Thank you, but I can’t take any credit for that. While I love them with everything that I am, I’m not the woman who birthed them.”

“You’re not?”

She fixed me with a sad smile. “Matteo’s first wife passed away the day Serafina, our youngest, was born.”

I pressed a palm to my belly to quell the churning nausea. “It was my father’s fault, wasn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.”

Clasping my hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze. “You weren’t involved, even if you’re the one stuck paying the price for his sins now.”

A tear slid down my cheek as I thought about those two little girls losing their mother at such a young age because of something my dad did. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” Summer nodded her agreement. “They were still pretty broken when I stumbled into their lives eight months later. But things are better now. I might even dare to say our little family is thriving.” She rose to her feet, extending her phone toward me. “I’m gonna go, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Accepting the cellphone, I held it up and shook it. “Thanks again for this.”

“Might be a little fucked up how we got there, but we’re family now. And truth be told, it’ll be nice having another woman around.” She laughed, heading for the door. “Well, at least one that’s over the age of four, that is.”

We said our goodbyes as she slipped out of the room. Once I was alone, all I could do was stare down at the phone in my hand.

Did I dare make a call? Could I trust that Summer’s phone wasn’t bugged?

In the end, my need for closure won out, and I dialed the number I’d had memorized since I was a child.

A familiar gruff voice spoke when the line connected. “Logan.”

“It’s me, Dad,” I said on an exhale.

“Allie! Are you okay? We’ve been calling for days!”

“No, I’m not okay.” My voice broke on that admission.

“Did he—Did he hurt you? I swear to God, if he put his hands on you—”

“He’s my husband. He has every right to touch me, thanks to you!” I spat.

The silence that followed my outburst lasted for so long that I pulled the phone away to check that we hadn’t lost the connection.

“Answer the question, Allison,” he commanded with a steel edge to his tone.

“Don’t call me that! Never call me that again!”