Free Kidnapping His Bride by Karen Erickson Page B

here having to tend to everything?” Annalisa’s voice exploded over the line, so loud Cat had to pull the phone away from her ear. “And you escape without a word, without consulting us and asking if it would be okay? How dare you be so selfish, Cat?”
    She was a grown woman and still had to answer to her mother and, worse, her sister. It was ridiculous. Embarrassing. “I needed to get away. The last few days have been very stressful.”
    “Such a ridiculous excuse. I can’t believe you. Don’t you even care about us? What we’re all going through? We have our own issues to deal with. We really don’t want to deal with yours too,” Annalisa muttered disgustedly.
    “Listen, I know you’ve been busy and you need my help, but I was desperate for a vacation and this seemed to be the only solution I had available to me. I’ll be home in a few days’ time, I promise. And I timed my leave over a weekend, so at least I wouldn’t miss too much work.” Always accommodating, never-wanting-to-rock-the-boat Catalina, that was her.
    “Fine, so you leave me here all alone to take care of Mama. Thanks so much. You’re so considerate,” Annalisa said snidely.
    What had she done to earn such horrible, hurtful remarks from her sister? All her life, she’d been nothing but kind and quiet. Always wanting to tag along after Annalisa, who’d barely tolerated her when they were kids. They’d grown closer over the years, but lately their relationship had started to deteriorate. Cat had no idea why. “I always take care of Mama when she needs me. You know she’s gotten better.” Somewhat. Would she ever be better? Maybe if their father came home and stayed for once, Mama would finally get out of the depressed cloud she’d been living in.
    “Since she found out you left, she’s been a wailing, uncontrollable mess. She’s afraid you’re going to ditch her forever, just like Father did.” The scathing tone in Annalisa’s voice did not go unnoticed.
    “He didn’t ditch her forever. He’ll be back,” Cat said, but she didn’t necessarily believe it. How many times had both of them said those very words to their mother, to each other? And how many times had the man come back into their lives for a fleeting moment, only to disappear again, sometimes for long, agonizing months?
    Too many times to mention.
    “He’s never back for long, you know this. She’s deathly afraid you won’t return. That you’ll run away to be with that asshole of a man.” The bitterness in Annalisa’s voice had reached new heights. “I hope you’re happy with your decision to take him back. I thought you were through with him.”
    Cat turned away from where Rafe stood nearby, not wanting him to hear her answer. “I thought I was through with him too. But…but maybe I’m not.”
    “God, you’re so stupid,” Annalisa yelled. “Falling for a selfish man’s charms. He’s just using you, you know. He wants to get in your pants, use you, then walk away.”
    Her sister’s words hurt, more because Annalisa verbalized her every fear.
    “I really hate you for leaving me here with her. With our mother. She’s distraught. Worried that something terrible is going to happen to you.” Annalisa’s voice lowered. “Sometimes, Cat, when you do shit like this, I really do hope something terrible is going to happen to you. It’s the least that you deserve.”
    Never, ever had her sister spoken to her so cruelly. “You don’t mean it.”
    “Oh, but I do. You think you can do whatever you want, have any man that you want, but you can’t, Catalina. You have a life here with your family. Responsibilities that only you can take care of. You can’t neglect us forever. You need to return home. Now.”
    Cat blinked back tears and shook her head, feeling silly since Annalisa couldn’t see her do it. “I’m coming home Monday.”
    “That’s not good enough.”
    “I don’t have a choice. Monday will have to do,” Cat said, her voice growing