but he’d never asked his sister. Had she been abused ? No, that was one question he’d never ask her. He’d instead made it his mission to insure that she would never be hurt again. Mia had never mentioned that she’d been hurt after they were reunited. It was probably the one thing that had kept Keefe sane.
“When our mother left…when she abandoned us, I warned Mia not to call anyone. We were used to her taking off for weeks at a time. Only this time she took all of her clothes and personal possessions. I knew it was different. I knew she wasn’t coming back. Mia was usually such a good little girl. I told her what could happen, but she didn’t understand what I was trying to tell her. She called a cousin and asked if she’d seen our mother and the cousin called the department of children and family services.
“After we got out of foster care, Mia barely let me out of her sight. She never got in trouble, never really played with other kids, except once in a blue moon. She just wanted to stay near me. She was so afraid that something would happen, that I would leave her, that…”
Keefe remembered once when Mia was about fifteen and he’d yelled at her because he’d caught her kissing a boy. He didn’t remember the exact words he’d spoken, but he did remember her tears. He vaguely recalled saying something about how she was acting like their mother, that he wasn’t going to let her be a slut.
The force of the memory pounded itself into him and he knew he was as much to blame as their mother for some of Mia’s demons. He was the reason Mia was still a virgin. She’d not wanted to disappoint him. He would bet money on that.
“Keefe?”
Caught up in past memories, he’d not even been aware that Ashleigh was talking to him. “Let’s just say I have good reasons to worry about her.”
“Are you worried that Jerry will hurt her?”
“No.”
“But you want him to say no to Mia.”
Keefe smiled.
“Isn’t Jerry a good guy?”
“Yes.”
“I think maybe you’re just jealous. You made her stop seeing Damien to wait for James and look what happened. James married someone else. Keefe, you’ve got to stop trying to control your sister’s life.”
“You’re wrong about my motives. It’s not like when I didn’t want her seeing Damien. I thought he would hurt Mia. It’s not like that with Jerry. Jerry would love to see Mia get married. I know he would jump at the chance to do this…it’s not that. It’s just…I want to do it.”
“Then tell her.”
He kissed Ashleigh. She didn’t know how much he’d worried about Mia, how he still worried about her. And he couldn’t tell her, so he kissed her instead. He would not be responsible for causing his sister any more stress than was necessary, not if he could help it. He knew that in the end he would give in to Mia’s wishes. But he could hope, couldn’t he?
Chapter Six
Exhaustion was Mia’s constant companion. For weeks every moment of her time had been taken until it got to the point that she even had to schedule time to be with the man she loved. Wedding plans had come together much faster than Mia had anticipated. Not in the month that Damien had first given her, but in a little under two months, and that, she thought, had been a miracle. Between finalizing plans, working, and going to classes, she found little time for going to listen to Damien sing or spending time with her brother. In only two weeks she would be married to the man who made her shiver with desire. Just the thought of it made her wet. She could hardly wait.
Admittedly, she had Keefe to thank for everything coming together so quickly. She’d called Stavros, a business associate and friend of Keefe, who owned Boomerang’s, a small exclusive hotel that boasted one of the state’s best banquet halls. Stavros had agreed to allow Mia and Damien not only to have the reception there but he’d told them they could get married there as well. He was setting up a
“When our mother left…when she abandoned us, I warned Mia not to call anyone. We were used to her taking off for weeks at a time. Only this time she took all of her clothes and personal possessions. I knew it was different. I knew she wasn’t coming back. Mia was usually such a good little girl. I told her what could happen, but she didn’t understand what I was trying to tell her. She called a cousin and asked if she’d seen our mother and the cousin called the department of children and family services.
“After we got out of foster care, Mia barely let me out of her sight. She never got in trouble, never really played with other kids, except once in a blue moon. She just wanted to stay near me. She was so afraid that something would happen, that I would leave her, that…”
Keefe remembered once when Mia was about fifteen and he’d yelled at her because he’d caught her kissing a boy. He didn’t remember the exact words he’d spoken, but he did remember her tears. He vaguely recalled saying something about how she was acting like their mother, that he wasn’t going to let her be a slut.
The force of the memory pounded itself into him and he knew he was as much to blame as their mother for some of Mia’s demons. He was the reason Mia was still a virgin. She’d not wanted to disappoint him. He would bet money on that.
“Keefe?”
Caught up in past memories, he’d not even been aware that Ashleigh was talking to him. “Let’s just say I have good reasons to worry about her.”
“Are you worried that Jerry will hurt her?”
“No.”
“But you want him to say no to Mia.”
Keefe smiled.
“Isn’t Jerry a good guy?”
“Yes.”
“I think maybe you’re just jealous. You made her stop seeing Damien to wait for James and look what happened. James married someone else. Keefe, you’ve got to stop trying to control your sister’s life.”
“You’re wrong about my motives. It’s not like when I didn’t want her seeing Damien. I thought he would hurt Mia. It’s not like that with Jerry. Jerry would love to see Mia get married. I know he would jump at the chance to do this…it’s not that. It’s just…I want to do it.”
“Then tell her.”
He kissed Ashleigh. She didn’t know how much he’d worried about Mia, how he still worried about her. And he couldn’t tell her, so he kissed her instead. He would not be responsible for causing his sister any more stress than was necessary, not if he could help it. He knew that in the end he would give in to Mia’s wishes. But he could hope, couldn’t he?
Chapter Six
Exhaustion was Mia’s constant companion. For weeks every moment of her time had been taken until it got to the point that she even had to schedule time to be with the man she loved. Wedding plans had come together much faster than Mia had anticipated. Not in the month that Damien had first given her, but in a little under two months, and that, she thought, had been a miracle. Between finalizing plans, working, and going to classes, she found little time for going to listen to Damien sing or spending time with her brother. In only two weeks she would be married to the man who made her shiver with desire. Just the thought of it made her wet. She could hardly wait.
Admittedly, she had Keefe to thank for everything coming together so quickly. She’d called Stavros, a business associate and friend of Keefe, who owned Boomerang’s, a small exclusive hotel that boasted one of the state’s best banquet halls. Stavros had agreed to allow Mia and Damien not only to have the reception there but he’d told them they could get married there as well. He was setting up a
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