Free Lasting Pride (Pride Series Romance Novels) by Jill Sanders Page A

generous offer. But, I’ll pass… tonight.” She walked out of the room, slipping on the wet tile as she tried to dry herself off.
     
     

Chapter Nine

     
    T he next morning after dropping Rob off at her office, he ran a half dozen errands that he’d needed to take care of. When he walked into his gallery just after one, he was surprised to see his sister leaning against the front counter talking to Kimberly.
     
    “Katie, what are you doing here?” he asked, as she rushed towards him. She stopped cold, halfway across the room.
     
    “Oh my god! What happened to you?” She rushed the rest of the way to his side.
     
    He knew what she saw. The bruising had spread throughout the night. His whole forehead looked like he’d bashed it against the wall. But, he was thankful she couldn’t see his shoulder and hip. He’d even winced at the colors he saw in the mirror that morning. He was stiff and sore all over.
    “I had a little run in with a car,” he smiled, “The car won.”
    “When did this happen?” she asked as he tried to pull her towards the stairs. He nodded to Kimberly who looked very concerned as well.
     
    “I’m fine,” he assured her before pulling his sister up the stairs. “It happened last night. I was going to call you, but I had company over,” he said climbing the stairs with her in tow.
     
    “Company?” she stopped on the top stair and smiled. “Anyone I know?” His sister was always one to hear and spread the latest gossip.
     
    “Not that kind of company. Although I wouldn’t mind…” he saw his sister’s eager face. “Never mind. It was just a friend who had to wake me every hour for the concussion.”
     
    “Oh! Ric, a concussion.” She ran over to him again and grabbed his head in her hands and looked closer at his forehead. “You have stitches too. Did you call mom or dad?”
     
    “No, why would I?”
     
    “Well, to tell them what happened. They would be frantic.”
     
    “Katie, I’m a big boy. If I need them, I’ll call them. Besides Dad is still in Alaska and Mom, well. I think she’s…” his mind flashed to an image of Dante Cardone. “I think she’s still in Italy.”
     
    “Oh, well. I’m here now. I can take care of you.”
    “No! Please!” He said a little too eagerly. “I can care for myself. Besides, the last time you saw fit to take ‘ care’ of me, I remember ending up in the hospital with food poisoning.”
     
    “It wasn’t my fault that the chicken you had in your fridge was bad. My chicken soup was perfect. If you had bought good chicken…” she took a big breath. “Let’s not rehash the past.”
     
    “Yes, let’s not,” he smiled at her as he sat behind his desk. “So, what brings you to Portland?”
     
    “Well, it’s spring break this week and the rest of my friends are on the beach somewhere, but I just wanted to come visit my big brother.”
     
    “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”
     
    “Oh, okay! I’m worried about Mom. Do you know I called her at her hotel the other day and a man answered. A very Italian sounding man! Did I mention it was almost midnight there? Ric,” she got up and started pacing in front of his desk as she rambled on. “What is a very Italian man doing in Mom’s hotel at midnight? I hung up immediately, I didn’t know what to do. You just have to do something.”
     
    “Are you sure you had the right number?” He leaned back in his chair. His sister always worked herself into these little episodes. Most of the time, she would call and he could talk her down, but this time she’d actually flown across the states to vent.
     
    “Of course I got the right number. It’s programmed in my phone. She always stays at the same place, you know that.” She leaned on his desk.  “What did she say to you the last time you called her? Did she mention Dad?”
     
    “No, when I called…” He was interrupted by his phone. Holding his finger up he motioned for his sister to