Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

Chapter 23 (Part 1)

"A life filled with love, must have some thorns, but a life empty of love will have no roses." - Anonymous

A black stretch Limousine pulled up in front of what was once a dark mansion, now freshly painted with bright colours of cream and yellow that accentuated its still dark navy roofing. It was beautiful and more homely than when Dominic was last seen here.

Was it that long ago? He sighed even as one of his bodyguards came around to open the doors for him and Alice.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? " his wife smiled as she took a step outside and he sighed at what he knew to be the meaning of that particular smile. "come on dear, "she coerced him, her hand reaching out to pull him and he almost growled just to show her that he was not a wimp, but then again that would not have worked on Alice and presently not in her current situation for where she had always been bold before, this pregnancy seemed to have taken it a notch higher and made her to be impossibly obnoxious.

"I am coming. " he muttered even as the woman who should have been much slower than him in her condition skipped forward to ring the door bell beside the massive doorway. Were all pregnant women this way? Surely she would not- he began to think but was stoped by the pain of a certain memory that he still he held on to. "Katrina, " he thought even as he followed his wife into the house. The house of his baby girl. His baby girl who was now grown up and was beginning her own family. He remarked with a certain sadness. Had he been mistaken? Had he been too overprotective? Just by looking around the house and the well manicured compound outside, he could tell that she was quite capable. Had she done all these to prove her independence to him? He sighed again, his thoughts muddled up by the combined weariness of the events of the last few months and the task that was ahead of him. Wasn't it just a while ago that they had been sitting around a breakfast table smiling and laughing after Katrina had decided to finally come out of her shell? He had challenged her to proof herself to him and she had gone and done so and accomplished so much, thanks to the support of that old coot coming all the way from her grave. What a wiley one, he remarked. She must have been laughing at him from her grave, he noted with a smile. That old hat.

"What are you smiling for? " his wife jabbed him as he took a seat on a cream leather love seat that was facing the stairway.

"Oh nothing." he replied just to torment her and received another vengeful jab on the same rib. "Ow! Quit it woman!"

"Woman?! Dominic Maracheli, I get this feeling that you do not actually value your own life! " she glared and despite the danger that was now flashing in her eyes, Dominic could not help it but smile. This was the reason that he had married her. The reason why he loved her. She reminded him so much of her, Katrina's real mother and yet, the two women were nothing alike. Each had their own charm but the bottomline was that they were both fearless and not in the least intimidated by him.

He did not get to reply though as in that particular moment a familiar voice disrupted them, one that he had not heard in several months and that broke his heart to hear it.

"Katrina? " he marveled, staring at his heavily pregnant daughter who had just come to a stop at the base of the stairway.

"Katrina! You are looking well! Come, come on now and sit. This time I come bearing gifts." his obnoxious wife rared as she drew closer to wrap her arms around his daughter. How she had gotten there, he could not tell nor could he keep up with her movements. Weren't pregnant women supposed to be less energetic? Then why was she acting like a super charged energiser bunny?

"Gifts? " Katrina's voice stuttered, confusion now written all over a glowing face. She seemed to look around for a while, possibly looking for the said gifts for there was no way the presence of her father could be a gift, right?