His Unexpected Legacy(76)
‘I was desperately hurt when I discovered that you had married so soon after I left Sicily,’ Kristen confessed.
‘You don’t have to remind me that I failed you badly four years ago,’ he said harshly. ‘It’s pathetic, I know, but the truth is I couldn’t face up to how I felt about you. It was easier to keep my emotions locked away. I missed you like hell when you left me, but then I heard the news about Annamaria and she became the focus of my attention.
‘Annamaria was my best friend,’ Sergio continued. ‘When I returned to Sicily as a teenager I was full of anger and resentment against my mother, my father and the whole world. Annamaria’s father was a close friend of Tito’s, and we spent a lot of time together. She saw past my anger, and she was the only person I was able to talk to about how my mother had mistreated me.
‘When she was in her early twenties, Annamaria was diagnosed with leukaemia. For eight years she fought the disease, but each time she appeared to be cured it returned. She was in Switzerland to try a new form of treatment during the summer that you came to Sicily. She came home soon after you had left, having learned that her illness was terminal.’
Kristen drew a sharp breath. ‘How terrible that must have been for her and her family—and for you.’
‘Her father broke the news to me. He also confided that Annamaria’s deepest regret was that she would never be a bride and her father would never have the chance to give his only daughter away in a traditional wedding service.’
‘I loved Annamaria as a friend.’ Sergio sought Kristen’s gaze and she saw a plea for understanding in his dark eyes. ‘After all the help she had given me, I wanted to make her last months of life as happy as possible, and so I asked her to marry me.’
A gentle smile crossed his face. ‘Planning her wedding day gave her something to think about other than her illness. There was the dress, the bridesmaids’ outfits, the flowers to organise. We had planned to marry in the village church, with a huge reception afterwards. But Annamaria’s health suddenly deteriorated and she was admitted to a hospice. We held the service at her bedside, and she still managed to wear her bridal gown.’ He glanced over at the photograph on the desk. ‘She looked beautiful. She was so happy that her hair had grown back once she had stopped the chemotherapy. Annamaria was my dear friend and an incredibly brave person,’ Sergio said quietly. ‘She died five days after our wedding.’
Kristen swallowed hard. ‘I’m so sorry. At least you helped her realise her dream.’ She wanted to put her arms around Sergio and hug him tight, but she felt ashamed of the jealousy she had felt for Annamaria and she could not meet his gaze.
Where did they go from here? she wondered as the silence lengthened between them. Where was her courage when she needed it? She cleared her throat. ‘Sergio, I...’
‘Don’t,’ he interrupted her in a tortured voice. ‘Please don’t tell me that you have decided not to marry me. I know I deserve it after last night, but will you give me a chance to explain why I behaved like a complete boor?’
When she did not reply, Sergio took a deep breath. ‘I never thought I would marry again after Annamaria. I was sure I did not want a wife or a family of my own. Children need to be loved, but I had buried my emotions for so long that I assumed I would not be able to love a child.
‘I was wrong,’ he said huskily. ‘From the moment I met my son I was overwhelmed with love for him. Nico unlocked the key to my heart and showed me that I was capable of love. It was a revelation, but still I was afraid to admit how I felt about you.’
Kristen’s heart skittered when he reached out and touched her hair. His hand was unsteady as he slid it beneath her chin and tilted her face to his, and when she looked into his eyes she was stunned by the fierce emotion that he did not try to hide.