Married With Malice: An Arranged Marriage Romance
Married With Malice: Chapter 17

Sadie Wingate Connelly wins the title of most lovable human I’ve ever seen. Short and apple-cheeked with a lioness mane of curly red hair, she’s a very pregnant little dynamo of energy in corduroy overalls.

I’m an instant fan.

My first glimpse of Sadie comes when she drags her husband outside the instant our rented midsized SUV crunches through the open gates of Bright Hearts Ranch. Luca was annoyed when the rugged pickup truck he’d reserved wasn’t available but as long as the car gets us up the mountain it shouldn’t matter.

Sadie is waving with ecstatic joy while jumping up and down and I don’t mean that figuratively. It’s an impressive feat for a girl who looks like she’s five minutes away from going into labor.

Cale is more composed. He’s trying to drape a warm coat over his wife’s shoulders but she won’t stand still for long enough so he gives up and watches us approach.

Though there’s a nearly ten year age gap between them, Cale and Luca are obviously brothers. Both are over six feet tall with the same black hair, green eyes, and broad-shouldered powerful build.

I haven’t seen Cale in years. From what I remember, he simmered with danger. Tattoo-covered and as silently menacing as a panther, his intimidating vigilance could be chilling if you caught his attention. But the similarities between the Connelly brothers always ended with their physical traits.

In high school terms, Luca should be classed as the super popular football captain/prom king while Cale would have been the hellraiser cutting class and starting a fire under the bleachers.

Yet look at them now.

Cale is downright domesticated in his thick flannel and weathered jeans. He’s relaxed and at home here on a rural animal sanctuary with his cute little pregnant wife at his side.

As for Luca…

He wears a suit and his shoulders are hunched with tension as he applies the brakes, slowly rolling toward his brother.

Cale wears a broad grin while Luca peers through the windshield with a flat expression.

He scared the daylights out of some harmless social media influencer on the plane. The guy was just trying to be friendly but Luca snarled back with the energy of a rabid wolf.

I’ve never seen him do that before, not ever.

We’re both exhausted and stressed and here under ominous orders to make our marriage work.

I could learn to play along. I could swallow my pride and find ways to fill the empty days while avoiding the man I’m married to.

But that’s not what I want.

I don’t want for us to be strangers. Or enemies. We could have something far better and I’d love to try. I’m just waiting for a signal that he’s willing to do the same.

While we were apart for a few days, I slept on my sister’s uncomfortable sofa and stared up at the dark ceiling for hours. Eventually, I arrived at some conclusions.

Falling for Luca never my intention. I’ve actively fought against the possibility.

That makes no difference now.

Here I am, hopelessly falling anyway and wishing my husband would reach over to hold my hand.

This trip could be an opportunity for us, if we both let it.

Luca sets the brake and cuts the engine. He exhales loudly. I feel as if I should say something but no magic words spring to mind to erase all this strain.

Sadie detaches from Cale and grabs me in a hug the second I step out of the car.

“You’re here!” she exclaims while squeezing my ribs. “I’m so happy to meet you, Annalisa.”

“Happy to meet you too, Sadie.” I’m gentle about hugging her back, careful not to squish the big belly between us.

“Oh, did you feel that?” Sadie grabs my hand, pressing it to her belly. “Baby Connelly is also excited to meet Aunt Annalisa. Can I call you Anni? Cale says that’s what Luca calls you.”

“Please do,” I say, amazed to feel the resident in Sadie’s stomach thump beneath my palm.

Glancing over at Luca, I notice his stiff posture as he shakes Cale’s hand. The brothers exchange a subdued greeting but Sadie will tolerate no such reluctance. She scuttles over and envelopes Luca in a hug whether he wants one or not. A faint smile finally pulls at his mouth as she shows off her stomach.

“Three weeks until my due date,” she says. “But I could pop at any time.”

“Are you still arguing over names?” Luca asks.

“A consensus has yet to be reached,” Sadie admits as Cale finally succeeds in hanging a pink parka over her shoulders. “We’ve got time.”

Cale raises an eyebrow but he’s grinning. “Not much time.”

Though the sky is clear, the freezing temperature finally slices through me and I zip my down jacket closed. Luca tossed his coat in the backseat and appears indifferent to the cold. He’s out of place here in his charcoal grey suit. As scorchingly sexy as he looks, I’ve grown to dislike his suits. I’d much rather see him wearing old beat up jeans and a hoodie.

Winter takes on a new meaning here. In our neighborhood at home, winter is a drab suburban landscape and icy roads. But at Bright Hearts Ranch the layer of snow covering the ground gives the view a storybook quality. A pair of horses are idly exploring a fenced in paddock. The red barn belongs in a postcard. A wisp of smoke curls from the brick chimney peeking out from the roof of the lemon yellow farmhouse.

Meanwhile, Cale has taken a step back to study his brother. And his smile has disappeared.

“The dogs know they have guests,” Sadie laughs and points to a long single story structure.

Now I hear it, a smattering of joyful barks echoing from the building. Sadie proudly explains that the sanctuary is currently housing over fifty animals.

While Sadie rattles off the details of the Bright Hearts Ranch population, Luca stores the car key in the inner pocket of his blazer. I look up in time to see Cale’s eyes darken when he catches sight of the holstered gun on Luca’s hip.

I cannot account for the obvious tension between the Connelly brothers. Again, I wonder if there’s more to the circumstances surrounding Cale’s departure and Luca’s initiation as his uncle’s apprentice. Cale comes off as both pleased and uneasy to see his younger brother. While Luca, who always idolized Cale, is more standoffish than ever.

At least any awkwardness is defused by Sadie’s exuberance. She’s clearly proud of the ranch and she should be. The way I hear it, she fled the stifling confines of her wealthy family’s expectations right after college and started this place from scratch.

Before today, I had a lot of trouble picturing the forbidding Cale Connelly as the cheerful country type but looking at him now, he fits right in. Whenever he gazes at his wife, his face fills with such awestruck adoration it’s enough to melt even the coldest heart.

“Where are your bags?” Sadie says. “Bring them inside. I’ll show you to your room.”

Luca is very quick to refuse. “Thanks, but we’ll be on our way shortly. We need to get up to the resort.”

No, we don’t. I don’t see why we need to rush our visit at the ranch. It was Richie Amato who suggested Luca ought to visit his brother. It’s been a while since Luca has seen Cale. I’d hate to be separated from Daisy and Sabrina for so long. And this would be good for Luca, to spend some time with family. Maybe visiting with Cale can shake him out of the stark decline of his personality.

Sadie is plainly disappointed in the news and searches for her husband’s reaction. Cale’s mouth tightens but he says nothing. I get the feeling he’s not surprised.

With the sound of squealing hinges, a side door swings open and a woman steps out. She’s petite with a bundle of coiled white hair. Covering most of her upper body is an article of clothing than can only be described as a blanket/poncho that looks as if it was assembled with a kaleidoscope of mismatched yarn remnants.

Her rubber rain boots march over the frozen ground with the determination of a general.

“Peggy, there you are.” Sadie throws her arms around the old woman and her jacket falls off.

Cale picks it up and hangs it on her shoulders again without missing a beat.

“Come meet Annalisa,” Sadie squeals with such eagerness you’d think I was a movie star.

Peggy comes to a halt and gives me a once over. “So you’re Annalisa.”

“This is Peggy,” Sadie explains. “She takes care of us all.”

“Nice to meet you, Peggy,” I say. Since she doesn’t strike me as the handshaking type, I keep my hands in the warm pockets of my coat.

Her response is a nod that seems to communicate I’ve met her inspection standards. Next her attention turns to Luca.

“Hello again, Peggy,” he says.

Peggy stares at him in silence. Her chin tilts up and her nostrils flare as she evaluates him from head to toe.

“We met when I visited last year,” Luca reminds her. “Cale’s brother.”

“Yes, I’m not senile,” Peggy snaps. “I remember you, Luca. Are you sick?”

He’s obviously confused by the question. “Uh, no.”

“You will be, since you don’t have the sense to dress properly. Follow me this instant.”

Peggy might be my new hero. She trusts that we’re all going to obediently traipse after her into the house and doesn’t even look back as we fall in line.

The cozy apartment where Peggy lives is attached to the main house. It’s also crawling with cats. One small brown dog is guarding the corner of the kitchen and issues a low growl but Peggy quiets the animal by saying, “Hush, Tinkerbell. These are friends.”

Cale pulls a chair out from the scarred wooden table and waits for his wife to sit down before he’s willing to retreat. Luca, looking restlessly out of place, leans against a wall.

Sadie pats an empty chair. “Anni, have a seat.”

Shrugging out of my puffy jacket, I slide into the wooden chair. After my wedding, Sadie texted me a few times. My replies were always short. I regret that now, seeing how she’s obviously thrilled to meet me.

The Connelly brothers occupy opposite sides of the room and Peggy hums an unknown tune while filling a kettle and then removing a set of mismatched ceramic mugs from the cabinet above the sink. The heady scent of cinnamon hangs in the air and I get a cringeworthy reminder of my last encounter with cinnamon. Or something that was supposed to be cinnamon.

Sadie leans on her elbows and surveys me with a playful expression. “I have a confession. I’ve seen you before. I’ve always loved figure skating. My talent is limited to observation, however. Any attempts to mimic the real things ends up with me belly flopping on the ice. But I’ve watched you compete. You were amazing.”

I’m used to running into people who remember my years of competitive figure skating but I never know how to respond, particularly when the inevitable question arises.

“Why did you stop skating?” Sadie says. “Were you injured?”

Underneath the table, the warm body of a cat rubs against my ankles. I already like Sadie very much. I know that Daisy and Sabrina would love her to pieces. Maybe that’s why I admit the truth instead of hedging. “No, I wasn’t injured. My father didn’t approve of my skating once I hit puberty. He thought it was…unsuitable for a young woman.”

Actually, he said my costumes were slutty and my skating routines were obscene but I don’t need to share every sordid detail. Bringing this up at all revives a familiar pain that threads clear through my soul.

Sadie’s eyes go round with dismay. Even Peggy pauses in the middle of slicing up a pan of coffee cake and turns around to share a glance of sympathy.

“I didn’t know that,” Luca says.

Though his deep frown of distress indicates this is true, I’m surprised.

How could he not know?

I assumed he would have heard years ago, given how tight his family is with mine.

Then again, maybe not.

At the time, I was embarrassed. Distraught. I let people think whatever they were going to think and neglected to correct them. And I suppose there’s been no reason to bring this old history up since Luca and I have been married.

“But I’ve been teaching skating to kids for years,” I blurt out because I can’t stand the way everyone in the room is radiating pity. “And that’s been very rewarding. Sadie, I forgot how many animals you said were living here at Bright Hearts.”

Although I’m sure she knows I’m deflecting with the quick topic change, she’s happy to give me another rundown of the ranch’s current inhabitants.

The first cup of tea Peggy pours is delivered to Luca with strict instructions. “Drink this immediately.”

If I were him, I wouldn’t dare to disobey.

Peggy hands out cups of tea to us all. I’ve never been real keen on tea but after a few sips of hot liquid that contains hints of peppermint and citrus, I’ve changed my mind.

At one point Sadie suddenly sets down her mug and straightens up in her chair with a wince as she puts a hand on her belly. Cale is at her side as quick as lightning but she’s quick to offer him a smile of reassurance.

“Just those damn Braxton Hicks,” she says. “Nobody should get excited just yet.”

Cale, however, is reluctant to retreat and stays within a three foot radius. It’s sincerely charming the way he hovers with anxious eyes focused on his wife at all times.

When I shift my gaze to Luca to see how he’s taking this all in, he’s not even watching. His phone buzzes and he sighs as he checks the screen and then shoves the phone into his front pocket.

Peggy hands out slices of coffee cake and I’m unashamed to say that I devour mine. If we were staying, I’d ask Peggy for some cooking tips. Like how to remember it’s always a good idea to double check your ingredients so you avoid dousing your mother’s Christmas apple cake recipe with hot red pepper.

Just as I’ve finished the last bite of spongy cake, an orange kitten jumps on the table and sniffs at the remaining crumbs. She nudges my hand but when I try to scratch her ears she leaps right into my lap and immediately begins to purr.

Sabrina’s allergies meant that pets were always off limits in our house and I’ve never spent much time around cats. But curling my arms around that warm little bundle of fur and feeling her nuzzle my cheek is so therapeutic and wholesome that I end up shutting my eyes for a few seconds.

When I open them, Sadie is holding her phone up. There’s an audible click.

“Sorry.” She sets the phone down. “Your cuteness overwhelmed me and I was compelled to take a photo. And you can’t be angry with a pregnant lady. It’s against the law.”

“That’s true,” Cale says. “I’ve been assured of this fact repeatedly.”

Sadie reaches for her husband’s hand. He bends down and drops a quick kiss on her lips.

Their constant little signals of affection produce both fascination and a slight prick of envy. I don’t know what that’s like, to be the center of someone’s entire world.

Whenever this thought enters my mind I look for Luca, only to find he’s distracted, tense and always looking elsewhere.

Sadie and Cale take us on a tour of the entire ranch. There’s so much love and life built into every square foot of Bright Hearts. Then I flash back to my cold, aesthetically vacant house back in New York and cringe.

Despite Sadie’s best efforts to persuade us to stay, Luca is intent on leaving as soon as possible. This is his family, not mine, so I can’t overrule him. For whatever reason, he doesn’t want to be here.

Sadie hugs me and extracts a promise that we’ll come back before we leave Colorado.

Cale tips his head back to check out the sky. “It’s all clear now but the latest weather report says there’s a storm coming tomorrow. Might be bad enough to close the road up to the mountain for a few days.”

“All the more reason you should stay here,” Sadie says, full of hope as she holds her hands together in a prayer pose.

I don’t know how Luca has the heart to say no to her but he simply offers her a quick side hug and extends a hand to his brother.

“I’ll call you,” he says to Cale.

Cale pumps his hand and holds his eye. “All right,” he says.

The silence between them couldn’t be louder. Sadie watches our husbands with a wrinkle of worry between her brows. I’d love to know what she’s thinking.

As we drive away, I turn to wave and see that Cale’s head is down. Sadie slides a comforting arm around his waist.

A forlorn sensation skims over me as we leave Bright Hearts Ranch behind. I decide to give myself an inner pep talk.

It’ll be just the two of us up there at the hot springs. A true romantic getaway. The first one since our honeymoon. Thinking of those charmed, blissful days on the beach brings a warm rush of pleasure and not just because we spent endless hours in bed.

Luca and I have shared a real connection at times. There’s more than just sex and a marriage contract between us. I refuse to believe I’m the only one who felt it.

We’re passing through the small town of Sleepy Rock now. There are no stunning feats of architecture and nothing about it looks trendy. The cozy downtown strip is ornamented with pretty holiday decorations. From where I sit, the town looks like a gentle, quiet place and I bet the people who live here feel proud to call it home.

Luca makes no comment as he keeps robotically driving without any hint he even notices what’s around him. A sign points the way to the shallow, snow-capped mountains where Consequences Hot Springs awaits. Sadie was full of praise about the resort. She and Cale have stayed there multiple times.

Luca’s hands grip the steering wheel and my eyes land on his pinky ring, a gold and diamond relic of yesteryear mafia days when it was a symbol of authority in the ranks. Luca wears it every day, dutifully sliding it on just as he slides on his wedding ring.

My fingers twist nervously into the puffy nylon fabric of my jacket. A local radio station plays at low volume and the announcer invites calls for a chance to win a free gift certificate for a New Year’s Eve dinner at a steakhouse.

The town is now in the rearview mirror and Luca slows down to navigate the curves in the ascending road. Though the road is clear, the surrounding wilderness is coated with more snow. The signs pointing to divergent paths with various nature trails have all been slapped with red hazard signs to indicate they are closed. It seems the resort is the only thing still open up here during the season.

“I’m sorry,” I say, startling even myself with the sudden sound of my voice. “I’m really sorry for accidentally throwing out your pen. And for calling you an asshole when it turns out I added the pepper to the cake myself. And for causing the fire that ruined Christmas. And I’m sure there’s much more but those are the first transgressions that spring to mind.”

Because he’s Luca, I expect him to fire back with some peppy banter.

He doesn’t. He stares at the road with a slight frown and speaks slowly.

“Anni, I truly regret what I told you about Matthew,” he says. “I’m very sorry for that. And for a lot of other things.”

“Was it true?”

He hesitates for a few seconds. “Yes.”

“Just so you know, I don’t care about Matthew Pentone.”

You’re the one I want. Please want me back.

The words get stuck. Blame pride or fear or the fact that we’re navigating a mountain road and the moment doesn’t feel right.

“Okay,” Luca finally says with his eyes still focused on the windshield.

I’d like to touch his arm or his knee, or just have anything happen between us that can be a token of affection like I see other couples exchange without a second thought.

Instead, we both keep our hands to ourselves and sit stoically in our opposite corners as the shadowy shape of the Consequences Hot Springs Resort sharpens up ahead.

At a glance, it’s a beautiful place to ring in the new year. The atmosphere is upscale rustic and is especially picturesque with all the festive red holiday accents.

Luca waves off the porter and assumes control of all the bags with no effort. Since we did not receive a timeline attached to our exile I wasn’t sure how much to pack and brought half my closet.

Judging by the cars, the current guest presence appears to be light. We do, however, run into a trio of men dawdling by the main entrance.

Though they are all bundled up in winter gear, their heads are bare and it’s an easy conclusion that they are brothers. All three are tall, as tall as Luca, and clearly strong. The laugh lines around their eyes indicate they are comfortably in middle age and they wear the years well.

The man on the right, just a little taller and more bullish than the other two, flings a grumpy gesture at the man standing closest to the door. “You’re complaining about the cold? You’re the one who planned our trip to the tundra.”

His brother squares up with indignation. “I had a coupon!”

“You had a WHAT?”

“A coupon. For every two nights we get one free. You’re welcome.”

The man in the middle steps up. Complex tattoos peek out from the collar of his jacket and crawl up his neck. He acknowledges our approach with a friendly nod. “Boys, dial back the bickering. You’ll scare the other guests away.”

The other two men swivel their heads in our direction. The one with the coupon waves.

“Howdy there, folks. Welcome to Consequences Hot Springs. We’re mighty glad to see you.”

The big guy snorts. “Why do you sound like a freaking cowboy?”

“Manners. No wonder you don’t recognize them.” He grins at us. “Please let me know if Creed the Ogre bothers you and I’ll deal with it. We have to let him out of his cage now and then in the hopes he’ll become socialized. No luck yet.”

Creed scowls and slides a glare at his brother. “I should have smothered you when we were all in the womb.”

From the way the other man gleefully grins, it’s clear this is just a typical interaction for them. “Too late now. Now stop blocking the door or I’ll have to move you.”

“For fuck’s sake, Chase, I’m not blocking the door. You are.”

Chase turns around, notices this is accurate and flings the door open with flourish. “After you, my friends.”

There’s a frisky, animated quality about him that reminds me of Luca.

Or the way Luca used to be.

The lobby is as welcoming as can be. Amid all the countrified dark wood, deep sofas and walls of bookshelves, there’s a fire crackling in a huge stone fireplace. Three women are relaxing by the fire with wine glasses and they’re in the middle of laughing when we walk in.

Luca leaves the bags and walks over to the front desk to check in. Behind me, the three brothers tumble into the room and two of them are still trading insults over who was responsible for blocking the door while the third brother, the obvious peacemaker, catches my eye and shakes his head with a chuckle. He crosses the room and stands behind the chair of one of the women. She glances up and touches his hand with a smile.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t having a good time,” grumbles the deep voice of the man called Creed.

“You made fun of my coupon,” Chase says. “My feelings are hurt.”

“Your feelings are not fucking hurt.”

“Truly.” Chase snaps his fingers. “Make your husband apologize for wounding my pride.”

A woman with shoulder-length black hair streaked with stately grey turns around. “Do you both really need another time out?” Her bemused voice is tinged with a melodic southern accent. “I thought we agreed on the plane you two were gonna behave yourselves for the rest of the trip.”

“You know my troublemaker doesn’t follow instructions.” The third woman stands, tosses her curly blonde hair and points a finger at Chase. “Imagine if your high school students could see you now. What kind of example would you be setting?”

Chase closes the distance between them while holding his arms out. When he reaches her, he cradles her face in his hands and murmurs some soft words that make her melt. She laughs and hooks her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

I’m so engrossed in watching this family that I jump when I feel Luca at my side.

“All checked in?” I ask.

He nods and surveys the people in the lobby. “I’ll bring the bags up to the room and then I’ve got a few calls to make.”

“All right.” I swallow the hurt over his lack of excitement. We just got here. It’s been a long day. “The restaurant has excellent reviews. How about I’ll meet you there for dinner in an hour?”

Surely, he’ll relax at dinner. I’ll wear something sexy. No bickering allowed. We’ll have a nice evening. And then we’ll spend the night together.

I’m already feeling giddy over these plans. I’ve missed being touched by him. I’ve missed sleeping next to him.

“That works,” is his short reply and he promptly collects the bags.

Before I follow him, the brunette who seems to be the wife of the tattooed man has noticed the way I’m avidly watching her family. She has a lovely smile.

“Congratulations,” she says with a wink. “Now you’ve had your first encounter with the Gentry boys. You’ll find they’re not easy to forget.”