SEALed With Love (DiCarlo Brides book 2) (The DiCarlo Brides) Read Online Free Page A

been so long since she heard from her stalker, she hadn’t even considered it. Her fingers trembled as she pulled the card out of the tiny envelope.
     
    Sweetheart, I’m sorry you had such a terrible evening. I hope the perfume of these flowers brings sweet dreams. Think of me, and our lives together.
    Your future husband
     
    He knew about the previous night. He had to be close. The note fell from her fingers onto the counter and she barely managed to snatch it up again before Wendy could get close enough to read it.
    “So, who’s it from?”
    “A well-wisher. Someone who heard about last night.”  Sage left the roses where they were, unable to stand touching them again and shut herself in her office. Her cell phone rang as she pulled it from her pocket, nearly dropping it before she could answer. It was Joel.
    “Where did those flowers come from?” he asked, his voice tense.  Apparently he’d been watching the spa on the camera.
    “Who do you think?” Sage’s voice shook as she fought for control. “He knows about what happened last night. He must be in Juniper Ridge. Word couldn’t have gotten back to California this fast.”
    Joel swore. “I’ll be right there.”
    Sage tried to think through her light-headedness. “No, don’t make a fuss. I don’t want to draw attention to the flowers. If he knows about last night, he could hear from someone if you charge down here and toss them. It could make him escalate.” She turned away from the door so she couldn’t see them, and no one could see her face. “I can’t do this again, Joel. I was finally starting to feel comfortable again. Safe.”
    His tone shifted to calming. “You’ll be fine. I’ll follow you home tonight and we’ll talk to your sisters. We’re going to have to make some changes to your schedule.”
    That meant saying goodbye to the freedom she’d managed to reclaim over the past months of quiet. “I don’t want to involve them, Joel.” Tears sprang to her eyes.
    His response was implacable. “I’ve let you have your way all summer. He’s here, so the time for secrets is past. We’ll tell them tonight—your safety is too important to ignore.”
     

That evening Sage smiled at Cami and Vince, Cami’s new fiancé, until her cheeks hurt. Her guts twisted and she kept stealing glances at Joel. His lips were pressed together in a thin line and every look he sent her way was reproachful. He had wanted to announce the return of her stalker—no, the existence of her stalker—to her sister the second they walked in the door, but how could she ruin this moment of happiness?
    She looked again at the engaged couple and felt a little of the tightness loosen. She had only known her half-sisters for a few months, but she and Cami had spent a lot of time together since they moved into the house in early July. Sage had spent the summer watching Cami’s somewhat rocky relationship with Vince through crazy media troubles and misunderstandings. Good news helped soothe the stress caused by recent events—which included the unwelcome delivery to her desk that morning.
    Lana handed Sage a flute of champagne. “I know you don’t really drink, but I figured you could at least toast with us.”
    Sage forced herself to think about what was going on around her instead of who might be watching the house from the shadowy tree line. “I make exceptions for special occasions.”
    Blake led the toast, and everyone followed with one of their own. Though she only took a tiny sip each time, Sage’s glass was nearly empty when they finished the rounds. With the six sisters, Vince, Blake and Joel there, the list of toasts was long.
    She set aside her glass when she’d emptied it and moved closer to Joel. Maybe if she were in arm’s reach of him, he would stop looking at the doors and windows like a soldier expecting an attack at any moment.
    “Hey, what’s with the frown? It’s a happy day. We all survived yesterday’s fiasco, and Cami’s