Truth (Betrothed #10) - Penelope Sky Page 0,75

rest of my life than that.”

“Why do you have to choose?” I whispered.

“Because your father made me.” He glanced at the ring on the table. “It’s time to pass that on to someone else.” He played with the ring on his left hand, spinning it around his finger. “The new Skull King.”

Nineteen

Heath

I stepped out of the truck and grabbed the presents from the back seat.

Catalina eyed me from the sidewalk, looking sexy as hell in those boots and with that diamond ring on her finger. “You know, you’re handling this very well.”

“Your gifts don’t weigh much.” I joined her on the sidewalk.

“No,” she said with a chuckle. “I mean, spending the day with my family. You don’t seem nervous at all.”

I looked down at her, not understanding the statement. “Why would I be nervous?”

“I don’t know…you’ve never done this before.”

“Your father gave me the rundown, and your brother and I have tried to kill each other. Having breakfast together is like taking a nap, baby.” I walked up the steps to the front door.

She joined me, giving me a slight smile. “I forget that you aren’t scared of anything.”

I was scared of only one thing—losing her.

She opened the door and walked inside. “Merry Christmas, Patricia.”

“Merry Christmas, dear.” She hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. When she saw me, she was rigid, still terrified of me.

Catalina took it in stride. “Patricia, I don’t think you’ve formally met Heath…my fiancé.” It was the first time she’d said those words out loud.

It had a nice ring to it. I shifted the boxes to one arm and shook her hand.

She relaxed a little, but she still had her guard up, like getting used to me would take time. “They’re in the dining room.”

We walked into the dining room where I’d spoken with her father, and there was a large sixteen-foot tree in the corner, fully decorated with lights and ornaments. Red and green centerpieces were along the table, along with covered serving dishes like the food was already ready.

Damien sat next to Anna, while Richard sat across from them, enjoying their cappuccinos as they waited for us. They were a normal family, growing up with the kind of wealth and love I’d never had.

But Catalina had given me all the love I didn’t receive all those years ago.

“Merry Christmas,” Catalina said as she announced us. She barely made it to the table when Anna screamed.

“Oh my god.” She pointed at Catalina’s left hand. “What the hell is that?”

I was holding the presents, so I walked to the tree and set them down next to the rest of the piles. Catalina may have been dreading this moment, but I wasn’t. I did as her father asked, made a big sacrifice, so I had every right to give her a ring. The least she could do was put it on and not hide it.

She’d made the right choice.

Catalina held out her left hand, letting the diamond sparkle under the chandelier. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Shit, it’s gorgeous.” Anna took her hand and examined it, turning it to watch it sparkle.

I’d known stepping into this room would be tense, so the ring broke the ice and made it less awkward.

Damien stared at the ring, not saying a word.

“I love it,” Catalina said proudly.

Richard didn’t say anything either, probably caught off guard by the sudden announcement. But he recovered much quicker than his son did, and he did it with a lot more grace. He slowly got to his feet and embraced his daughter with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Merry Christmas, Daddy.”

He took her left wrist and examined the ring. “It’s stunning—just like you.”

I respected her father for being selfless, for being there for his daughter instead of getting sucked into his own feelings—like Damien.

“It’s perfect for you,” he whispered as he dropped her wrist. “It reminds me of your mother’s.”

“It does, huh?” she said, looking at it again.

Richard turned to his son. “Damien, get up and congratulate your sister.”

I stood at the other side of the table, near the tree, watching the scene as a spectator.

Damien ground his teeth, like he didn’t enjoy being bossed around, especially when he really didn’t want to do what he was told.

Anna got up first, like that would make it easier for him. She hugged Catalina, squeezing her hard like she was genuinely happy for her friend. “I’m so happy for you. That ring is gorgeous, girl.”

“Thank you,” Catalina said as she squeezed her back.

Richard