The Divit Brothers.. Love Makes Everything Right

by grannydew, posted in The Divit Brothers Series, The Forgiveness Series

Introduction

Can, Sanem, Efe and Kadir Divit were a family… A family formed from a love greater than any love most people will ever know…..

      Efe and Kadir, the sons of Can and Sanem Divit had been shown from a very early age what loving another person meant…… They were exposed to it daily from the affection that Can and Sanem displayed to each other,….. and the respect that came along with that love.

      So when Efe found Carolina Munro, he knew he had found his soulmate, the love of his life, the person that made him whole. He would have done anything for her….and did.

     Kadir Divit was a much more humble person, a person that never did anything without a reason. Always searching for a way to be better…. To be like his big brother.

      So for him, finding a woman to share his life with would take time. He wasn’t one to open himself up to the first person he met…. He would take time, make sure she was the right one, make sure their thoughts and views were the same…..

      Yes, the Divit brothers were as different as night and day…..as opposite as hot and cold……with one being ambitious while the other was cautious .

      But the one constant and forever trait of this family was the love they shared for each other. The bond the brothers had was something that would never be tested or broken….

       Efe and Carolina’s faith in their love  was strong, and they were determined to make it through this test….. Carolina had left her home and family for him…. A dad that had loved her more than anything. 

      But Carolina knew she loved Efe and he loved her….. Everything else meant nothing….Her life meant nothing….. She had no future….. She had nothing without him….

      Paola’s announcement had been a surprise, a shocking surprise, but they would get through it. Their love was strong and if you want something bad enough, you make it happen….

       This love story wasn’t over….it was just beginning…….

Chapter 1

  Adam Munro felt as if he had been around the world in the past few days. His body was exhausted and tired, his heart was broken and his world seemed to be falling apart. He dragged his suitcase down the bridge toward the huge terminal at Logan International Airport, his heart still hurting from the vision of his daughter walking away from him.

      He couldn’t believe she had chosen to believe Efe. That obnoxious, long haired pretty boy that was obviously used to getting his way. He thought he had raised Carolina better than that, but the absence of her mother the past eleven years was something that he hadn’t expected.

     He hailed a taxi, threw his bag in the back and crawled in. The trip from the airport to Hull would take about an hour, then he would be home. He wanted so badly to call her, plead and beg with her to catch the next flight back to the States. But he knew how head strong she was….

      The ride home gave him plenty of time to think….If Maggie hadn’t died eleven years ago, leaving him and Carolina on their own, would it had been different. He closed his eyes, remembering back to that day…the day his world fell apart. He promised her…..he promised her as tears streamed down his face, that he would take care of Carrie… 

      All he had now was hope…hope that she would come to her senses and and take the next plane out of Malaga Spain…and come home. 

      Efe held on tightly to Carolina as they huddled together on that pile of rocks that lined the shoreline. ” Hey Carolina, he’ll come around. Just give him some time. He’s not going to let you go.” Efe whispered softly in her ear. 

      Carolina tried to muffle her tears, ” Efe, you don’t know my dad. This will be pretty final for him. But I don’t care, I couldn’t leave you, I didn’t want to leave you.” She spurted out between sniffles. She clung to him as tightly as she could, begging for her heart to stop breaking.

      They had sat there for hours, with each of them trying to come to terms with what had happened.. Efe still couldn’t believe how in a matter of a few short moments, Paola had managed to destroy his life. 

      Her words still echoed in his head….parents, how could he, they, be parents. He didn’t have any feeling of love for Paola, hell…right now he didn’t even like her. His mind fuming with thoughts of how to get rid of her.

      They sat there in silence, both not wanting to talk about the obvious. This spot here on the rocks had always been his place, a place where he could figure things out, make things right. But this problem wasn’t just about him.

      ” My god, I love the way the moon dances out across the water. The ripples and waves take the moonlight in different direction, sort of like us.” She mumbled, looking out across the bay.

      She laid her head over on Efe’s shoulder, snuggling in close to him. ” I know you don’t want to talk about it, but we have to. It will only be worse if we wait. Do you believe her?” Carolina asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

      Efe answered, ” Hmm, well, I have never known Paola to lie, but she was angry with me when I told her that things were over between us. But to bring a baby into a situation like this…..I just don’t know.” He said, turning his eyes away from her in embarrassment.

      ” Did you promise her things,….you know, like promising her they you would marry her. You know girls do get those ideas when they are with a guy for a long time. Did you plan on marrying her one day?” She asked, the words burning her heart.

      Efe turned towards her quickly, ” No…never. And I never gave her that idea. It was just fun, I know that sounds bad, but it was just for fun.” Efe closed his eyes and hung his head, ” Look, I wasn’t exclusive to Paola….and she knew it. I’m not proud of it, but I was a jerk. I saw a lot of other girls while I was with her.” He muttered, ashamed to even admit it.

      He rubbed his forehead vigorously, knowing how this must sound to her, ” Carolina, I made mistakes… maybe not mistakes, but I had bad judgement when it came to women. I know that sounds bad, but I want to be truthful.” He explained, his eyes pleading with her to understand.

      ” So you had a lot of girls at the same time…is that what you’re saying. I get it, you’re a good looking guy….and I’m sure girls were throwing themselves at you all the time. And since we are telling the truth….that’s exactly the reason I didn’t want to get involved with you.” She stated honestly…

      Efe pushed a strand of loose hair back from her face as he leaned in close to her, ” Carolina, I know it sounds bad…I sound bad…but I’m not really. I don’t want that anymore. I just want one woman…you. I just want you Carrie.” He whispered, looking into her eyes. 

      Her heart fluttered as she felt his warm breath breeze gently against her face. She could see the person she loved in those eyes, a man that she wanted and believed in. If she didn’t believe in him….she would have boarded that plane with her dad and flew back home to Massachusetts,….as far away from Malaga Spain as she could have gotten.

      ” Well then Efe, I think you need to make things right with Paola. You have to talk to her.” She ordered, looking at him defiantly. His mouth dropped open, ” What…make things right with her. I’m not going to marry her Carrie, no way.” He exerted his words loudly.

      Carolina narrowed her eyes, ” Well of course not, but you will make this right with her. If she is carrying your child….then you will support her, and the baby.” She said, then she covered his mouth with hers as if he was sealing the deal.

     Efe melted into her kiss, letting his feeling out. He needed that kiss, he wanted that kiss more than anything. After a few seconds she pulled back from him, ” Ok, it’s really late, and I’m sure your mom is worried sick about you. So take me to a hotel and you go home.” She replied, getting to her feet.

      Efe looked at her…stunned, ” A hotel? You are not going to a hotel Carolina Munro. You will come home with me, and that’s the final word.” He announced, grasping her hand tightly.

      ” I can’t and won’t be separated from you. Not ever. My mom would be furious with me if I stuck you in a hotel somewhere.” Efe snipped, pulling her from the rocks and heading to his car.

      Carolina smiled slightly, not wanting to show her relief, ” Well ok, if you think it will be ok with your parents. I don’t want to cause any problems.” She quoted, as she tagged along closely behind Efe….

      Efe opened her car door for her to get in. Just that tiny gesture made her feel weak in the knees as she slide into the car. As he sat down under the wheel, he glanced her way…. He still couldn’t believe that she had came back with him. He had been so close to losing her that it made him shudder with fear….. He wasn’t about to let that happen again..

       Carolina tried to keep her eyes focused on the road ahead as they headed toward his house… but she couldn’t keep from stealing a look at him. She needed to see him….she needed to feel him. This was the man she loved…

       A man she loved enough to choose him over her dad…. She hoped her dad would understand one day… Efe was her whole life….

Chapter 2

     It had been hours since the phone call from Efe telling his brother he had made it to the airport in time, and Carolina was coming home with him. Kadir couldn’t have been  happier. 

      Kadir had been pacing back and forth on the beach since that phone call. What was going to happen,… what was Efe going to do about Paola. Maybe it would be up to him to find out what Paola was up too. 

     He had never cared for Paola that much and he knew that Efe was not in love with her. Even though he had, “been with her”  for several years, Kadir was quick to see that his brother was never going to settle for just one woman….at least not back then..

      Paola and Efe’s relationship had always been rocky. Efe never hid the fact that if he wanted to see other women,…he would. There had been many heated discussions about that fact over the years. But Paola always gave in, willing to do what ever it took to stay with Efe…even if it meant she would have to share him.

      And now here he was, back from their adventure of a lifetime, and he brought back the one thing that Paola hated most…. The woman he was going to marry. Kadir didn’t believe for a minute that Paola was pregnant with Efe’s child. Paola was desperate, nothing more than that, and he may have to be the one to expose her little scheme..

      Sanem was still up, fidgeting about in their bedroom. ” Can where is he. They have had plenty of time to make it back here from the airport. Do you think they are arguing…I hope not.” Sanem blabbered, as she stopped to look at the window. 

      Can was pretending to read a book as he laid in bed, ” My dear, please calm down. I’m sure they are talking things over. Don’t worry so much, Efe and Carolina are very much in love and they will work it out.” He spoke quietly, trying to calm his wife.

      She watched Kadir from the window, ” Kadir is still out there waiting for them. See he’s worried too.” Sanem snipped, turning to look at Can. He laid the book down across his chest, “Babe, of course he is, we are all worried, but you have to give Efe time to process what just happened.” He said, patting the bed next to him, motioning to Sanem to join him.

      Sanem wrinkled up he face, ” I know, but how can you be so calm. Aren’t you upset with Paola  coming here like that just to ruin Efe’s life.” She said as she crawled in the bed next to her husband. 

      She snuggled up close to him, and he wrapped his arm around her, ” It will work out my love. I’m sure of it.” He assured her, as he rolled over toward her and pulled her up against his body. “Now,…I think I need a little attention from the sexiest grandmother around.” He joked, as he nibbled on her ear.

      Sanem slapped at him with her free hand, ” Grandmother, is that what you said. You are terrible, just terrible.” She hissed through her gritted teeth. ” I’ll show you a grandmother.” She said, as she swung her leg over his body and climbed on top. 

      Can smiled, ” Yes, please do. I can’t wait.” He replied. Sanem leaned down kissing his chest playfully, ” I hope you will be ok, I wouldn’t want to hurt you grandpa.” She whispered, as she ran her tongue along his chest. 

      She could already feel his uneven breathing as she maneuvered her half naked body along his body. She stopped and sat upright on top of him, reaching for the bottom of Can’s old t-shirt that had become her favorite sleep shirt, to pull it off over her head. 

      He instantly sucked in his breath, just anticipating the revealing of her body,..a body that still ignited a fire inside him like nothing else could..

      When they heard Kadir’s voice call out for them from the beach…..” Mom, dad,…Efe and Carolina are here, come quick.” Sanem stopped, ” Can they’re here. Sorry this will have to wait…maybe later.” She blurted out, giving him a quick peck on the lips as she climbed from on top of him.

      Can relaxed his tensed body and let out his pent up breath, ” Hmm, I suppose it will have too. But don’t think I’m going to forget about it.” He snapped, as he watched her grab her robe and head out the door.

      ” Kids…when do you ever get them raised.” He mumbled underneath his breath. Can slid his tank top on and followed his wife out the door and down the hallway.

      Kadir gave his brother a big hug, ” Hey, I was getting worried about you. Glad you’re home.” he stated. He looked toward Carolina, but she looked away in embarrassment, ” And I’m glad you’re here too. I was afraid Efe wouldn’t make it to the airport in time.” He told her, as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a heartfelt hug.

      She smiled, ” Thank you Kadir. I’m a little embarrassed about the way I acted, but your brother convinced me to come back.” She muttered, clearly relieved. Kadir had always made her feel like she was welcomed, like he approved of her, and meant a lot to her. 

      Sanem rushed out the door to greet them, ” Oh son I’m glad you’re back, and you too Carolina. I was glad Efe caught you before you left.” She said with a sincere smile. She hugged her tightly, ” These Divit men are relentless you know. When they find someone they want and love they don’t let go.” Sanem whispered quietly in Carolina’s ear as she hugged her.

      Carolina returned the hug as she closed her eyes and listened to the words that Sanem was telling her. ” Thank you Mrs. Divit….. I hope you don’t think badly of me for running away.” She muttered.

      Sanem leaned back, looking at her, ” No honey, not at all. What happened here today would have made anyone run away. But I’m glad you were willing to listen to Efe.” 

      Carolina felt an instant bond with this woman. Efe had told her many times how understanding and unique his mother was, and she was seeing it first hand..

      Samen laughed, ” One day I will tell you about how Can and I got to this point in our lives. It hasn’t always been easy but…. It has always been right. When you know you have found the right person for you….everything else just doesn’t matter as much.” She spoke, her eyes glistening with love…

      Efe leaned down and gave his mom a kiss, ” Thank you. And I’m sorry for what happened. I will make it right, trust me. But I have to know if she is truly pregnant with my child.” He stated firmly, looking at Carolina with love. 

      Can stepped forward, ” We will find out for sure. And I don’t doubt for one moment that you won’t do the right thing. But we have to be careful, I think that Paola could be dangerous. There’s nothing worse than a woman that feels she had been wronged in a relationship.” He replied.

      He couldn’t help but think back on the problems that he and Sanem had been through at the hand of those other women….

      How much they had suffered…. how much Sanem had suffered because of one of those women not knowing when a relationship was over…. He didn’t want that for either of them….

Chapter 3

Paola was more than pleased with herself. The look on Carolina’s face was worth every minute of pain she had suffered because of Efe Divit, she thought as she waltzed into her small apartment that evening.

      Her whole life had changed the day that Efe told her he was leaving Malaga for his adventure of a lifetime, and that things were over between them. And it had changed once again when she just so happened to run into Adam Munro. 

      She flopped down in her chair and kicked off her high heel shoes, her mind reliving the past few hours. She couldn’t help but smile, the chaos she had just caused would be her greatest accomplishment. 

      She grabbed her phone a dialed up her friend and also her partner in crime, ” Hi honey, I’m home. Just thought you would like to know, our plan worked perfectly Gabriela. That little tramp tucked her tail and ran back home with her daddy.” She spouted gleefully, followed by a laugh.

      Gabriela closed her eyes, wishing she had never agreed to help her friend. ” Paola, are you sure you want to do this. Efe was always up front with you about how he felt. Do you think he deserves something this evil.” She asked meekly, afraid to hear her friends response.

      Paola sat upright in her chair, ” What….what do you mean. Are you turning against me too. Have you forgotten how I gave up everything for Efe,…how I put up with all the other women that he paraded in front of me. No,… Gabriela this is not evil….this is me, getting what I want.” She shouted through the phone.

      Paola took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, ” Ok,…now that that is out of the way, I want you to meet me in the morning and we will go talk to Alvaro.” She ordered, her tone was demanding and clear. Gabriela swallowed hard, knowing that this was not going to end well. 

      ” Why do I need to go with you. Alvaro will do what ever you say anyway. I have to work tomorrow, so I can’t go.” She answered, praying she would accept her excuse. Gabriela had a new found sense of courage as she spoke to Paola, ” Alvaro has no idea that you may be pregnant with his child? And what are you going to tell him?…. That the last few months were just for fun. Paola, he will figure it out, and if Efe finds out about Alvaro,…well Efe is no dummy..

      There was a very awkward silence on the other end of the phone. ” Paola…,are you there? Gabby asked cautiously. Paola cleared her throat, ” Gabby, give me some credit. Ok, never mind, I will take care of Alvaro myself and Efe will never find out about him. But I need you to help me, please.” She begged in her most pathetic voice.

      Gabriela had never been one to turn away from her friend. They had been inseparable since that first day of high school. Paola was the popular, beautiful and seductive girl in school, while Gabriela was none of that. But Paola had taken an instant liking to her, probably because there was no way she would be any competition. 

      Paola took Gabby under her wing, making her just as popular as she was. And Gabby followed along in the shadow of her friend Paola. She never thought twice about doing whatever her friend had asked of her,…and this was no exception.

      A strange feeling was churning around in Gabby’s stomach as she asked, ” Ok Paola, what do you need me to do? I hope you don’t want me to go to the Divits and make some sort of statement, because I just won’t do it. Mr. Divit gives me the chills just to look at him.” She stuttered, her body filling with goosebumps. 

     Paola laughed, ” Oh Gabby, you are so funny. No, I don’t need you for any of that. I can take care of the Divits.. I just need you to tell everyone how devastated I have been since Efe went away.” She explained, with a little whine to her voice.

     Gabby rolled her eyes, ” Like, to who. Who do you want me to tell? She asked defensively. That had actually been about as far from the truth as you could get. Paola had been anything but devastated, she ran to Alvaro the minute that Efe broke it off with her. Paola always had another man waiting in the wings for her..

      ” Oh my god Gabby,…. Kadir. Kadir will be coming around asking questions..” She yelled at her. ” You know that he takes care of his brother, so he will be the one prying around. You just make sure he knows how badly I felt. He can’t know anything about Alvaro.” Her voice was shrill and high pitched.

      Gabriela had forgotten all about Kadir. She knew he would be the one to find her, and she wasn’t sure if she could be that convincing. Kadir had always made the butterflies explode inside her. She couldn’t help that feeling whenever he was around. He was certainly a Divit man, and one that got his charisma from his father.

      ” Oh no Paola, I don’t know if I can lie to Kadir. You know how I feel about him. I get all tongue tied and feverish when he’s around.” She stammered, already feeling the effects. 

      Gabriela had made a fool of herself more than once when it came to Kadir. He may have been Efe’s little brother, but he was just as handsome and charismatic as his older brother. But Kadir didn’t command attention when he entered a room like Efe did. He had always been a little shy and quiet, but that never stopped the girls from noticing him.

      ” Gabby,…are you listening to me. This is very important. You have to make sure that Kadir thinks I was mortified and near death when Efe dumped me.” She expressed vividly. ” If you’re my friend, you will do just as I say,…. So are you?” Paola asked.

      Gabriela hesitated for a second before answering, which angered Paola, ” Gabby….So are you?” She yelled into the phone again. ” Yes Paola, I am your friend…and I will do what you tell me to do. But I don’t think it’s right.” She added quickly before hanging up…

      Paola stared at her phone, completely in awe of the fact that her best friend had hung up on her. ” Well I didn’t ask you if you thought it was right……I just want you to do it.” She screamed at the silenced phone.

      She took a deep breath and stretched out her body in the chair, ” I think I need a long warm bubble bath. This has definitely been a stressful day.” She spoke out loud.

      The events of the day played through her mind making her smile. She wasn’t sure if she was more amused with Efe, Carolina or Mr. and Mrs. Divit. They all had that look of shock on their face when she made her big announcement. 

      She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, ” Yes Efe Divit. Your perfect little red haired American didn’t last long here. She ran back to daddy like a little girl”…She snickered, wondering how the magnificent Efe must be feeling right now..

      She headed to the bathroom to prepare for her bubble bath. ” Tomorrow will be a big day Paola….you will need lots of rest before you make the next visit to Divit Estates. I’m sure they want to hear all about the newest addition to their perfect little family.”  She told herself, as she slide her long, slender body down into the sea of bubbles….

Chapter 4

  Efe was up early, even before the sun had made its way to the top of the water. He wasn’t even sure if he had slept at all, but his body was to restless to lay in bed any longer.

      He loved this time of morning. The stars were still hanging there in the sky, brilliantly twinkling, just waiting for the first rays of sunlight to make them disappear. It was the best of both worlds, a transition of night to day..

      But his mind was too full of thoughts to even enjoy the beginning of another day. Paola could be carrying his child, that’s all he had in his mind. 

      ” Would you like some company babe. I brought some tea.” Sanem spoke quietly as she walked up behind him. Efe turned quickly, ” Oh mom, sure I would love some company.”  He said reaching for his cup of tea. 

     Sanem always hated to see her children in turmoil, and Efe was in as much turmoil as she had ever seen him. ” So did you sleep at all. I heard you come out here some time ago.” she asked, hoping to be able to calm his nerves.

      Efe shook his head, ” I don’t think I did. I kept thinking of Carolina and her dad…then about Paola.” He mumbled. ” Mom, what am I going to do. I never expected this, I never wanted this. Paola was never the woman I wanted to spend my life with.” He confessed, feeling his emotions come to the surface.

      Sanem reached for his hand, ” Things have a way of surprising us in life. The baby isn’t the problem, the problem is what you and Paola expect from each other concerning the baby. Just remember, it takes two to make a baby, and it needs two to raise a baby.” She stated.

      Efe nodded, ” I know…and I fully intend to support and take care of the child. But just not Paola. And I want proof that this is my baby,…is that wrong?” He asked as the tears became visible in his eyes.

      Sanem had to resist that feeling of taking her son in her arms like she had done when he was a toddler. She wanted to cuddle him, soothe him and tell him that everything would be alright….but she wasn’t so sure of that herself. “No that’s not wrong at all, in fact I would insist on it. But don’t be disrespectful of Paola son, you need to keep her as calm as possible right now.” She hold him.

      Efe agreed, ” I know mom, but I know already that Paola will take every opportunity to hurt Carrie. And I just don’t know if I can keep my temper down.” He told her, feeling defensive. ” I won’t allow her to use this baby to come between Carrie and me.”

      Sanem knew Efe better than anyone. If Paola was truly carrying his child, he would be there for his child no matter what…..but he wouldn’t be made a fool of. The first think they needed to do would be visiting a doctor…together. Paola certainly wouldn’t be the first scorned woman to fake a pregnancy just to get the man back…. 

      Efe shifted around in his chair and smiled, ” So, you haven’t really said yet, but…what do you think of Carolina? He asked, searching his mothers face for the truth.

      Sanem patted her sons hand, ” I think she’s the perfect person for you. I saw a whole different side of you when you arrived home with her.” She stated, not wavering with her words. ” Efe, you are the one that will know when you have found the right person….and only you. And you will know what to do to protect her and love her,… Trust, and honesty along with patience, will hold you two together.” She told him lovingly.

      Efe listened to her words as if they were his lifeline. His mother was one of the most caring and understanding women to knew, so if she had that much faith in him to love and protect Carrie…then who was he to doubt it…

      Efe leaned over, wrapping his mom in his arms, ” Thanks, you always know what I need to hear. Now I just hope that Carrie’s dad will see how much I love her and how I need her with me.” He said, giving her a loving squeeze.

      The sun had made its appearance, spreading its streaks of golden light out across the water in front of them. They hadn’t even noticed it at first, until they felt their warmth. ” Ahhh, there’s the sun. I’m not sure if the rising or the setting of the sun is more beautiful. But I have sat in this spot more times than I care to count just to watch them both.”… Sanem muttered, as she soaked in the beauty of the beginning of another day…

      A voice behind startled them both, ” Don’t you two ever sleep?” Kadir asked, slipping in between the two beach chairs. ” I was wondering what had you both so mesmerized out here,  now I can see it…this sunrise….it’s beautiful.” He uttered, as he took in the view.

      It was a while before any of them spoke, but finally Kadir asked the question, ” So Efe, when do you plan on talking to Paola? The longer you wait the more time she will have to come up with the perfect lie.” He spurted out. ” I have a proposal,….let me ask around a bit. I think I might be able to find out some things about our friend Paola that could make this a lot easier.”

      Efe looked at his brother as if he didn’t even know him, ” Ok, who are you and what have you don’t with my, “always seeing the best in everyone”, brother?” Efe said, with a slight smile.

      Kadir laughed, ” Oh I still think the best of most everyone,…just not Paola. Brother, this is a setup deal. Anyone can see it, so let me do some asking around. But you need to talk to Paola today.” He emphasized….

      Efe nodded, ” Yes, I plan on going in to town to see Paola this morning. But…I just don’t want to face her.” He admitted, hanging his head. Kadir sneered, ” Efe she’s lying, I know it. You have to make her prove it.” He said. 

      ” Ok, so I’ll go see her and insist we go to the doctor together. Make her take the test in front of me.” He told them. Efe knew that was the only way, but even at that, he was doubting every decision he made. What if the test was positive….what if the doctor confirmed that Paola was pregnant…. What if she was right, and he was the father of her child?

      Efe shook his head slightly, trying to remove all the doubts that had slipped inside his head. The last thing he wanted was to let Paola think she had the upper hand, and to have Carolina feel left out of his life.

      ” So mom, will you make sure that Carrie is okay while I’m gone. Can you entertain her for me please.” He asked, turning on that Divit charm..

      Sanem would do anything for her boys, ” Sure, I think that Carolina and I can think of something to occupy out time while you’re gone. Do you think you should take your father with you? I don’t want you to lose control, and I know that Paola can do that to you.” His mom stated, raising one eyebrow.

      Efe smiled sheepishly, ” I know mom…but this is the one thing I need to do on my own. And don’t worry, I won’t do anything to make matters worse…..If Paola is going to have my child, I need to be the one to talk to her”……

      ” But before I go, I have to talk to Carrie. I have to let her know where I’m going, and that she is the most important person in my life.” He said, his voice full of regret….

Chapter 5

Can watched out the door as Efe and Carolina sat on the beach. Efe was explaining to her that he would have to meet up with Paola to talk. ” Carrie, I have to do this. It’s the only way, and I have to do it alone.” He spoke softly, as he held her firmly against his body.

    Carolina felt as if she was already losing him, ” I can come with you. I want to come with you. Maybe then Paola will see how much we love each other….and that she,..she,…she not going to trick you into being with her.” She mumbled through the tears. 

     Can could tell his son was having a hard time convincing Carolina of what he had to do. He wanted nothing more than to go find Paola himself and settle the whole business. But he knew he couldn’t. 

      ” So, I know what you want to do. You want to fix this…you want it to all go away. But you have to let Efe fix this my love.” Sanem told him, as she walked up behind him, slipping her arms around him.

      Can grasped onto her hands, ” Yes, that’s exactly what I want to do, but I know I can’t. I just hope that Efe is strong enough to accept what might be.” He explained.

      Sanem kissed him on the shoulder, ” I have no doubt about either of them. They love each other, and nothing will change that,…not even a child.” She stated with confidence..

      Efe kissed Carolina on the forehead, ” I would never let her trick me. You can be sure of that. I’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise. And then…. you and I are going to have the best wedding ever…right here on this beach.” He announced, as he caressed her face… wiping that single tear from her cheek.

      She smiled and closed her eyes, ” I’m holding you to that Mr. Divit. There’s nothing I want more than just that.” She whispered, as if she were making a wish.

      She stood quickly, ” Ok, go…find her and make this all go away. I will be waiting for you right here.” She said waving her hands to shoo him away.

     Efe laughed, ” I’ll be back as soon as I can. Mom will keep you company until I get back. Just don’t forget how much I love you.” He muttered softly, then he gave her a long passionate kiss.

      She watched him as he drove out of the driveway and headed to town, her feelings swirling around inside her like a hurricane. 

      ” Don’t worry Carolina, he would never let anything happen to hurt you….that I  know for sure.” Kadir said as he stepped up behind her. ” And just so you know, I will be watching him, just in case he needs some help. I have some tricks of my own to play…. We’ll see how far Paola is willing to go.” He smirked, giving her a gentle hug.

      Carolina wasn’t sure what he meant, but before she had a chance to ask he bolted off to his motorcycles and, ” Wait Kadir, hey…what are you going to do. Kadir….” She yelled after him, but he was already headed out the driveway.

      Can and Sanem knew that if anyone could help Efe, it would be his brother. Kadir was the only person that Efe would allow, or trust, to intrude into his problems. Sanem smiled, ” Well let’s keep Carolina occupied while the boys are gone. I don’t think they will need us right now.”

      Can nodded, ” I think you’re right. But I do think that Carolina will need us.” He said, giving her a wink as he headed out to the beach.

       Carolina watched as both of the brothers disappeared down the highway toward town. She wasn’t sure what Efe would do when he found Paola, but there’s one thing for sure, she wasn’t about to stand by and watch Paola tear them apart.

      ” Good morning my dear.” Sanem said, walking beside her. ” Don’t worry, Efe has a good head on his shoulders, and he won’t do anything to jeopardize your relationship.. You have to trust him.” She spoke very quietly to her as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear. 

      Sanem slipped her arm around Carolina, ” Now I will tell you that Can does make the best crepes I have ever eaten. I don’t think you had any breakfast yet this morning,…so let’s go in and let him show off a little bit.” She suggested, as headed her back toward the house….

      Can meet them at the courtyard, ” There’s nothing like a good breakfast to make the day. They will be back before you know it.” He said, giving her a nod. He opened the door for Carolina and Sanem to enter with a smile on his face…. But he was more worried than he wanted either of them to know.

       Efe had time to think about what he wanted to say to Paola as he drove into town. He wasn’t about to let her take control. He would have to stand his ground, things would be done his way.

       He knew she would be a work this morning, so he made his way to that small boutique in the center of town. It was one of the best places for the tourist to shop, and Paola was know to be one of the best sales clerk when it came to suggestive buying. 

      With the look of a model, and the fashion sense for the high end designs, she had made this boutique a must shop destination with the tourists…. 

      He parked nearby and headed to the shop, hoping that there wouldn’t be a flurry of activity at this time of the morning. But even if there was, he was determined to have this talk with her.  

      Efe stopped and looked inside before opening to door to enter. “Good, it doesn’t look busy…maybe this won’t take long and I can get back home to Carrie”…he thought, as he opened the door and ventured inside.

      There was only one lady shopping when he entered. The jingling of the bell when he opened the door alerted Paola in the back. ” Hi, I’ll be right with you. Just browse for a minute and I’ll be right there.” She called out from the back.

      Efe decided not to respond, as he positioned himself at the end of the counter by the register, just waiting for her to show herself. 

      The only shopper in the store had decided to move on to the next store, leaving Efe alone, waiting for Paola to come out of the storeroom. The curtain swung back and Paola hurried out,      ” I’m sorry for the…. She started, then stopped abruptly. ” Efe, what..what are you doing here?” She stuttered, as she flipped her long black over her shoulder. 

      Efe smirked, ” Huh, like you didn’t know I would be here today. We need to talk, and I need to get some answers.” Efe scoffed, his face turning a slight shade of red.

      Paola positioned herself on the other side of the counter, wanting to keep her distance, ” Well I don’t have time for a conversation right now, but if you want to come for dinner tonight we can discussion anything you want.” She said flirtatiously. 

      Efe took a deep breath, ” Paola, I’m not coming for dinner, and we will discuss this now. I want to see proof from the doctor or a pregnancy test. That’s all I want from you, then we will go from there.” He announced, looking directly into her eyes.

      Paola felt the heat rise through her body, ” Well I don’t have either one of them here. They are at home. So you will have to come there to get what you need.” 

      Efe stepped forward, ” Paola, I don’t want your games…..I just want proof that you are pregnant. And proof that it’s even mine…..He spurted out at her, his eyes squinted and dark…

      “Oh it’s no game my love, and you could bring your beloved Carolina along too…if she were here. I would love for her to see “the proof”…….But she’s not…

      Efe smiled devilishly, ” Oh, I don’t know where you get your info from,…but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Carolina didn’t go anywhere….she’s at home with my parents.” He announced, as he watched the blood drain from Paola’s face…

Chapter 6

  The look on Paolas face was priceless. She had no idea that he had caught Carrie at the airport and brought her back home with him. But Efe knew he wouldn’t let Paola pull Carrie into her web of poison..

      ” Look Paola, I just want the paperwork from your doctor. So have them here later and I will come by and pick them up.” He scowled at her. ” Or you can give me the name of your doctor and I will go by and get a copy for myself.”

      Paola felt her heart skip a beat, ” There’s no need for that, I’ll have your copy here for you later this afternoon. I will go home at lunch to get it.” She told him, her mind racing for a quick solution.

      Then a smile crossed her face, ” But the dinner invitation still stands my love. You know they say that a baby, even in the womb, can still sense the presence of their parents. It’s never too early to start the bonding process.” She chirped, as she leaned across the counter, with her low cut top leaving little to the imagination.

       Efe shook his head, ” You’ll never change will you Paola. I just want you to know, I have no desire to look at another woman, touch another woman or be with another woman other than Carrie. So no need to waste your time.” He replied with a chuckle. ” I’ll be back at 4:00 this afternoon, and make sure the paperwork is here.” He ordered as he turned and walked out.

       Kadir wasn’t sure where he wanted to start first. He knew a few people that were in Paola’s circle of friends, but he didn’t know if he knew them well enough to coax any information out of them….. But there were a couple of her girlfriends that had been a little more attentive than normal when he was around..

      One of her friends attended the university and they had met a couple of times for coffee, so maybe he would start with her. He heard that she was working part time at the local florist shop. With any luck he could find her there today.

      The florist shop was only a few blocks from the boutique where Paola worked. Kadir noticed Efe car still parked in front of the boutique as he went by. He hoped that neither of them saw him as he stopped in front of the florist shop. 

      He pulled off his helmet and checked his look of his hair in the side mirror, taking a second to smooth down a few misplaced hairs. ” Ok, make yourself pretty.”  He thought, with a smirk. This was not at all his style, he thought, as he headed toward the florist shop. He was not the type to use how he looked to get what he wanted. But this was not a normal situation. He would do what ever it took to help his brother and Carolina.

      Well, he would have to mark off the first person on his list, as he left the shop.  Kadir straddled his motorcycle and reached for his helmet, “ Well I guess a lot can change in a few months.” He thought, as he pulled the helmet down tightly over his head. He had no idea that Paolas friend, Sophie, had packed her bags over a month ago and found a new home in Greece. 

      He would have to find another friend that would be willing to tell him what he wanted to know. The next person on his list was Gabriela. She had always made it clear that she would be open to more than just being acquaintances. He had always wondered how Paola and Gabriela had become such close friends, they were nothing alike. 

      Kadir hoped that Gabriela would be at work today, as he headed his bike toward the bar.  That part of town was very quiet in the middle part of the day, with most of the action happening after the dinner crowd, so he parked his bike right in front of Mateo’s Bar.  

      The bar was a little quirky, but still a very popular place for some of the students. Kadir had visited a few times with Efe, since this was one of Paolas favorite places. 

      The door was open so he walked in, scanning the bar area and the eating area for Gabriela. There were only a few regulars there at this time of day, three seated at the bar and four couples seated at the tables. 

      Gabriela swung open the door from the kitchen area carrying four plates, ” Welcome, have a seat wherever you like and I’ll be right with you.” She shouted out to him, not even looking his way. 

      Kadir did just that, as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table next to the door. Gabriela served the two tables with their food, made a bit of small talk before turning to wait on the new customer. Her wide smile quickly turned to a look of shock as she saw the person sitting at the table.

      Kadir smiled and nodded, ” Gabriela, hi….it’s been a while since I’ve been in, so I thought I would come by for your famous Paella, with chicken please, and a beer.” He added, giving her a slight wink.

      Gabriela was all by stunned. She figured he would eventually come by to try and find out about Paola, but she never dreamed it would be so soon. ” Kadir, hi. Heard you and Efe were back from your trip, your adventure, your becoming a man ritual, or what ever it was.” She said, with a snappish tone.

      ” Yes we are back. And I’m sure Paola was the one to tell you.” He replied with the same snap to his voice. He hadn’t planned on bringing up Paola just yet, but his temper was hard to control.

      Gabriela was already beginning to feel the effects that Kadir Divit had on her. That feeling of intense heat that started at her toes and surge up through her body like a flame from a torch, but she knew she had to fight it off. 

      ” Well, that’s just like you Divit men, think you know it all.” She huffed, ” It was Efe that told me,…when he had the nerve to bring his new girlfriend in here and flaunt her around like a trophy.” She blurted out, as she flipped around to go turn in his order. 

      But Kadir wasn’t quite through yet, as he retaliated, ” Yes, so in this case, us Divit men do know it all Gabby. We know that Paola is out to ruin Efe’s life….and I for one do not intend to let it happen. And for your information, Carolina is twice the woman that Paola is… or any of her friends.” He answered back with fury…

      Gabriela’s face begin to turn red and her eyes filled with tears. Kadir immediately wished he hadn’t blared out that last sentence, as he watched her wipe the tears from her face. 

     ” Well if that’s how you feel,…then maybe you should find another place to have your lunch. I wouldn’t want to impose my low moral standards on you.” She muttered, her voice quivering with emotion.

     Kadir stood there unable to speak for a second, ” Oh, uhh, hey Gabby I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You’re not at all like Paola….I mean… I….I,…Look, I don’t think you would ever try and trap someone into being with you by using a baby, but that’s what Paola is doing.” He said softly. The pain in her face made him regret every word he had said…

      Gabriela stepped closer to Kadir, ” Did you ever think that it might be true. That your perfect brother might have screwed up this time?…..No, you didn’t.  Even if I don’t agree with what Paola is doing, she is still my friend, and Efe hurt her.” She hissed at him.

      Kadir threw his leg over the seat and plopped down on his bike. “Well that didn’t go as I planned.” He thought, as he recalled the look on her face and her eyes filled with tears. 

      “I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings….. I always liked Gabby….Why did I say all those things to her.”  He thought, with regret….

      He glanced back at the bar, “ I will need to come back and apologize… That is, if she will listen to me.”  He said to himself.

Chapter 7

Can had served up a breakfast fit for royalty. ” This is all delicious Mr. Divit, but I’m stuffed.” Carolina said, raising up her hand to his offer of another helping. The thought of Efe and Paola together, having their “talk” was all she could think of at the time. 

      If this didn’t work out, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do. Going back home to Massachusetts would probably not be an option, even if she wanted to. The concern was written all over her face,…. And it was plain to Sanem that Carolina needed some reassurance.

      ” Carolina my dear, I know my son, I know both of my sons very well. Just trust him, he will make the right decision. I know how much he loves you.” Sanem said, as she grasped her hand.

      ” Ok let’s clean the kitchen, and then let’s take a walk. The beach is beautiful this time of day. I know that Efe will be back by the time we are.” She remarked with a smile..

      Carolina nodded and smiled, ” Ok, sounds great. But what makes the beach so beautiful at this time of day?” She asked as they cleared the table.

      ” I think it’s the way the sun glistens down on the sand, or the reflection of it from the water. Either way it’s a sight to see. The sand sparkles with color. Just wait, you’ll see.” Sanem told her, making it sound magical.

      They quickly finished the clean up and Sanem grabbed two sun hats. She plopped one on her head, and offered the other one to Carolina, ” Here wear this, the sun is not kind to your face.” She explained, as she placed the hat on her head.

     Carolina smiled, adjusting the hat a little. ” Thanks. I’m so fair skinned that I always have to wear sunscreen. But your skin is beautiful, it’s what we call olive skin.” She said, beginning to relax a little more in her presence.

      Sanem looped her arm through Carolina’s, ” Come, let’s go this way. The scenery is beautiful.” She explained as they walked along slowly, letting the sand caress their feet with every step. 

      They had walked along in silence for a few minutes before Sanem finally spoke, ” Everyone around here always thought that Can and I had the most perfect relationship. That finding our love had come without any problems….. But let me assure you it did not.” She spoke, as she stared straight ahead.

      Sanem sighed, ” Can and I came from different backgrounds. But that wasn’t the problem, that was the one thing that drew us close to each other.” She recalled, sounding nostalgic. 

      She turned to Carolina with a smile, “We are cursed to have fallen in love with men that are irresistible to other women. The Divit men seem to draw to every woman they are around.” She said, with a seriousness.

      ” But with that being said,…. the Divit men are the most loyal. When they find the woman they love, the woman that they can’t live without, they will not let go. Trust me Carolina, I know this from experience.” She stated. 

       The conversation took Carolina by surprise. Efe had told her about his parents and their fairytale like love story, but she never dreamed that Sanem herself would be telling her about their personal struggle to be together. But she listened, in awe of this love story, as Sanem spoke…..

      ” There were always, ” other women” around Can Divit. It was just a fact. But the funny thing about it was, he never noticed them. He was so unaware of the advances of most of these women that it was ridiculous.” She remarked, with a laugh.

      ” But it was I that noticed, suffered and was humiliated by these women, that I considered my opponents. The woman that caused us the most pain and damage in the beginning was Can’s mother, Huma.” She said, her tone changing.

     Carolina could tell that just the mention of Can’s mothers name still had an affect on her. She wondered how any woman could be so insensitive to their child as she was. Efe had touched on the how evil she had been to his mother over the years.

      As the conversation went on, Sanem went over all the things had caused problems in their relationship. She explained how immature she had been when they met, how naive she was about the world that Can lived in. 

      They had stopped and turned, looking out across the aqua blue water, when Sanem revealed, ” I never expected to fall in love with him you know. He was such a huge dynamic person, I was in awe of him.” She said with a smile. ” But even more surprising than that,…was that he fell in love with me.”  She told her, glancing her way. Carolina could see the tears they were forming in  Sanem’s eyes.

      Carolina tightened her hold on Sanem’s arm, giving it a slight squeeze, ” You and Mr. Divit look  very happy, and Efe has told me about how you came to be here in Spain.” She said, feeling lucky to have known the story. ” Efe and I both want that kind of love,…the kind of love you have.” She told her with a smile.

      Sanem took a deep breath, ” I believe you do already. Efe is very much in love with you. He is like his father in so many ways, and being a hopeless romantic is just one of them. They don’t let go Carolina, they hold on with all they have when they find the love of their lives.” Sanem stated, holding on tightly to her hand.

      Carolina began to feel her fears all go away as they stood there together, ” Thank you Mrs. Divit. I hope we can be just like you and your husband. I know it was a shock when Efe showed up with me, and announced we were in love,…but we were….we are, and I don’t want anything to come between us.” She spoke with emotion.

      ” Don’t worry my dear, I don’t think Efe or Kadir would let that happen… you know Kadir would do anything for you two.” She stated, giving her a wink of assurance. ” And please, call me Sanem, at least for now, then we will see what you want to call me later.” She said as they started back toward the house. 

      Carolina smiled, she wondered how anyone could have any bad feelings for this woman. Sanem was a beautiful, forgiving and thoughtful person….and she was thankful to be here with her. She knew she was in the right place…

      ” Carolina, hey, I’m back babe.” Efe yelled at her from down the beach. Carolina looked up and saw him jogging toward them. ” Hi my love. I see my mom has been entertaining you.” Efe said, leaning down to give her a kiss.

      ” So, what happened. Did you talk to Paola?” Carolina asked immediately. Efe smiled, ” Yes I did. But I will have to go back this afternoon for the paperwork.” He explained, smoothing back the strands of auburn hair they had blown across her face. 

      ” Don’t worry, I will be careful. I won’t take anything she says at face value….I promise.” He muttered, cupping her face with his hands…..

      She smiled griping his hands tightly. ” Good, we just need the truth, that’s all. We will deal with the truth….what ever it is.” She muttered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath….

      He draped his arm around her shoulders, walking with them back to the house. His mind was still mulling over what Paola had said to him…… Maybe he would take Carolina back with him. It might be time for Paola to see them as a united front…….

Chapter 8

Paola couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Carolina was still here. But she watched her dad march her off to the taxi at the Divit’s the day before. What had happened?….

      She drew In a deep breath and exhaled with force along with a scream. ” Ok, ….ok, it doesn’t matter if she is here or not. Just a little bump in the road. All that matters is the baby, and that they believe it’s Efe’s.” She spoke, pacing the floor.

      She grabbed her phone and placed a call to Gabby. ” Hey, I need your help. Come over here right now.” She yelled through the phone. Gabby held the phone out away from her ear with a frown on her face, ” Wow, Paola what’s wrong. I can’t just leave right now, I’m working. And you need to calm down.” She replied, already fed up with the mess she had gotten herself in.

      Paola closed her eyes, trying to control herself. ” Gabby,…. Carolina didn’t leave with her dad….do you hear me…..she didn’t leave. Now we need to make some adjustments to our plan.” She said slowly and deliberate through gritted teeth.

     Gabby swallowed hard, ” What? She didn’t go home. How do you know this Paola? Did you see them, did she come to your shop….” She babbled on. 

      ” No, no, no….Efe came to the shop earlier. He told me she didn’t leave….she is at his house with his parents.” She blurted out as the tears came with the words.

      Gabriela never liked seeing Paola so upset, even if it was from her own doing, ” Paola please, calm down. We will figure it out..ok? Did you met with Alvaro this morning? Did he agree not to say anything about your relationship?” She said, trying to ease her friends pain.

      Paola sniffed and coughed, ” No. he said he didn’t want to see me right now. He’s still upset with me I guess.” She whined, wiping the tears from her face. ” I don’t understand these men anyway. I never told him we would be together forever.” 

      ” Well, just so you know, you were right. Kadir was here right at lunch time.” Gabriela said. “I didn’t t give him a chance to say much, but I think he’ll be back, and he may not be so easy to get rid of next time.” 

      How could this well laid plan, all of a sudden become a disaster, ” Gabby, you will have to take care of Kadir. Make him realize that I was devastated over Efe leaving me, but that I am overjoyed about this baby..” She emphasized, laying her hand delicately over her stomach.

      ” Now, I have a more serious problem to attend to. I have to go to the doctor and pickup the paperwork for Efe. But first I have to make sure that Ana has fixed the date on them. Efe needs to think that I was pregnant when he left.” She explained. 

      Paola recalled the last time that her and Efe had sex. It was 3 weeks before he dropped the bomb on her that he was leaving Malaga for a while, and that they were over. She was happy when Efe had wanted to meet the day, she thought he was going to tell her he couldn’t live without her and he was ready to get married, but couldn’t have been further from the truth.

      She remembered the hurt, the humiliation, the anger, she had felt that moment he told her. But what she hadn’t expected was to take refuse in her old boyfriend so quickly after being dumped by Efe, or to become pregnant by him. 

      The next phone call would be to her friend Ana at the doctors office. Well, calling her a friend was a bit overstated, she was an acquaintance that Paola just happened to see in a very precarious situation, and one not with her husband… So Paola used what she had witnessed in exchange for an altered pregnancy result..

      She hung the ” out to lunch” sign on the front door of the shop and headed to the doctors office. Ana assured her the documents were ready for her to pickup and all the dates were correct. “Yes the papers are ready Paola, and this settles my debt to you…right?” She whispered through the phone.

      Paola was hesitant to break ties with her just yet, just in case she might need more proof for Efe. ” Well now Ana, I think I might hold on to what I saw for a while longer. But these papers will definitely keep my mouth shut for now.” She replied gleefully..

      With the false reports in hand, Paola made another stop to see her friend Gabby, and pick up some lunch. Gabby could tell that Paola had more ideas flying around in her head as she sat down at her table. ” Oh Gabby, things are working out. I have the papers to prove to Efe I’m pregnant, and you are going to take care of little brother for me….now, just to get Alvaro to keep quiet about our relationship..and I’m home free.

      Kadir was still thinking about his talk with Gabby as he rode home. He hadn’t intended to be so blunt and rude, but that’s just what he had been. He was suppose to win her over with his charm and make her spill out all the information she had on Paola. He wasn’t as good at that as his brother Efe was….using his charm to get what he wanted.

        Maybe the thought of playing with someone’s emotions didn’t make him feel good. He had always liked Gabriela, she was pretty, she had always been nice to him, and to Efe… The fact that she a couple of years older than him was even more enticing to him.

       He shook his head, ” No, no, no. You are suppose to be helping Efe and Carolina, not thinking about how to get yourself a girl,…even though the thought of her had crossed his mind a few times over the past years….this was not the time.” He told himself, as he turned into the road leading to home.

       Sanem left Efe and Carolina alone on the beach and headed inside to find Can. The smell of fresh brewed tea lingered in the kitchen, so she knew that Can was close by. She found him at his desk, looking over some photos of their boys that Can had taken many years ago.

      ” Where did these two go, what happened to the little boys that played on the beach for hours and never got tired of it.” Can spoke softly. He didn’t turn around to see who had entered the room….he just knew who it was. ” Are Efe and Carolina ok? I heard him come back a while ago. Did he talk to Paola?” He asked.

       Sanem slid he arms around his neck, ” Well the answer to your first question is simple,…Those two are still here, right here in the beach. They just have a different look about them. We should be proud Can, that they are still here with us. We raised them well, and they will do the right thing.” She mumbled in his ear, then giving him a kiss.

       ” And the answer to the second question is, Yes, he talked to Paola. He will go back this afternoon for the paperwork from her doctor.” She continued, with more kisses as she moved down his neck.

       Can turned and pulled her down on his lap, ” Don’t play with me my dear wife.” He said with a smirking smile. ” Just because our children are here, doesn’t mean I won’t have my way with you.” He whispered, toying with her lips. 

       Sanem didn’t resist, as she opened her mouth and returned his kiss,…a kiss that brought him to full attention… ” Do we dare?….Should we shut and lock the door, or just play it dangerously.” She whispered, running her hands down his chest…..

Chapter 9

Efe and Carolina were snuggled up tightly together in one of the beach chairs. The last couple of days had taken their toll on both of them. The arrival of Carolina’s dad and the news from Paola had both of them weary.

      All Efe wanted was to have some sort of proof in his hand that this baby was in fact his. He was trying hard to recall the last time he had been intimate with Paola, but the best he could remember it had been a while before they left for their trip.

      Carolina took a deep breath, ” Efe, after you find out about the baby later on today, I think I should call my dad. I hate that I just turned my back on him like that.” She spoke, the look on his face as she walked away from him in the airport still vivid in her mind.

      ” Ok, sure. But you know he will try and convince you to come home. Are you ready for that.” Efe asked. Efe knew just how much Adam Munro resented him, so he might say or do anything to  get her home. 

      Carolina knew her dad well, and she knew there was a very good chance that he might not even want to speak to her. ” You don’t know my dad like I do sweetie. If someone hurts him, it’s not likely he will forgive them on the first try. So, he might not even answer my call.” She told him.

      Efe tightened his hold on Carolina, wishing they were back on their boat, sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. How did things go so wrong, he wondered, ” What ever I find out today from the doctor reports, I want to start making our plans to get married. We won’t let this get in our way….. do you agree?” He spoke as he stroked her hair gently.

      Carolina raised up, looking at him, ” Efe, I don’t know if that’s the best thing right now. What if Paola is carrying your child,…. What are you going to do?” She stated, surprised at his proposal.

      ” It doesn’t make any difference Carrie. If that is the case, then we will take care of it together. Us being married won’t keep me from taking care of the child,…if it is mine.” He told her.

      The roar of Kadir motorcycle as he pulled in interrupted their conversation. Efe wondered where his brother had been all day, ” Hey kid, where have you been. I thought maybe you already went back to work at the newspaper.” He said with a laugh.

      Kadir plopped down in the other chair, wishing he had better news to tell his brother. ” Hey I kind of need to talk to you.” He said, glancing at Carolina. She got the hint that he wanted to talk alone, ” Ok, you two talk and my going inside for some tea.” She gave Efe a peck on the cheek, “We will talk about this later my dear….don’t worry, I’m not saying “no”…. She whispered, and then gave him a more substantial kiss in the lips.

     Efe sat up on the edge of the chair, watching her as she strolled toward the house. ” Ok Kadir, what’s so important that you had to run off my bride-to-be.” He said sharply, glaring to his brother. 

     Kadir shook his head, ” I’m trying to help you here, and you want to get an attitude with me. For your information, I have just come from seeing Gabriela,…you know, Paola’s friend. She didn’t say much because I pissed her off before I got to set up my plan.” He stated, leaning in close to Efe.

      The words got Efe’s attention immediately, ” What, you went to see Gabby. Did she say something,….I don’t think she would say anything against Paola….or did she?” Efe rambled on.

      ” Well she did say one think, after we both got a little hostile with each other, she said… “I may not agree with what’s she doing, but she’s still my friend, and Efe hurt her a lot.” ….

      He recited their conversation to Efe, ” So I don’t think that Gabby is too happy with Paola,…so if I can get her to talk,…well your problems just might be over with.” He snipped, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head, obviously very pleased with himself.

      Efe smirked, ” And how are you going to get her to give up her best friend? That girl only lives and breaths when Paola tells her too.” He spoke with sarcasm.

      Kadir smiled, giving him a wink, ” Well I might have some of that Divit charm too. It always  seemed to work for you, so I thought I might try it.” He teased, holding up his hands in defense.     ” I’m not very happy about having to use myself like that,…but I would do it for you brother, and Carolina.” 

      Carrie turned the kettle on as she walked into the kitchen. “ It’s funny.”  She thought with a smirk, ” I have become quite a tea drinker.”   She wandered into the living room, looking for Sanem, as she waited for the water to boil, but there wasn’t a sigh of her. 

      She stopped at the huge bookshelf that covered most of the wall, scanning over what seemed to be a thousand books. She immediately spotted a book with a brightly colored cover of a Phoenix and an Albatross……This has to be Mrs. Divit’s book…..

      She pulled it from the shelf,  eager to sit down and read it, when she heard some slightly muffled sounds of laughter coming from the closed door of the office. She listened closely for a second, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that it was Mr. and Mrs. Divit. 

      She smiled,  knowing she was listening to a mid-day romp between the two. She quickly took the book and tiptoed back to the kitchen. She poured her tea and quietly slipped out the door to the courtyard, leaving the couple to their privacy. 

      But the thought of how they still made time for each other, how they still loved each other after all these years,…. Well it made her feel good. Maybe Sanem had been right about the Divit men,…. When they find the love of their lives, they hold on to it for dear life…..

      That is what she wanted with Efe, that kind of love. A love that after 30 years you can still close the door of any room of the house and make love…. A love that requires no boundaries, no exceptions, no doubts…just a love that makes you happy to live life…. Yes that’s what she wanted….

      She could see that Efe and Kadir were still deep in conversation, so she opened the book and started reading….

      A few pages into the book she knew, this was going to be the best love story of all history… But she already knew how this story played out…. She smiled as she continued to read. 

      Paola tucked the report from the doctor neatly into her bag as she headed back to the boutique. Her mind still in  a frenzy of how this was going to work.. “ You got this girl. Just stay calm and everything will work out.”  She told herself as she turned the corner heading to the shop.

     She stopped quickly as she looked up ahead. There was Alvaro, leaned up against the door of the shop…. ” What is he doing here now.”  Her mind was racing with thoughts…

      She smoothed down her body hugging skirt, and flipped her long silky black hair back over her shoulders, and started for the door…..

      Alvaro watched her as she came his way. Why had he fallen for this woman…why had he let her back into his life. She was possibly the most beautiful woman in Malaga, and also the most ruthless, he knew all of this….But she made him feel like no one else could……

      ” Well my love, you decided to talk to me anyway….. Good, come on in.” She said, unlocking the door. ” We have a lot to talk about.” She said with a smile…..

Chapter 10

Adam woke up in much the same way that he had gone to sleep,…in a turmoil. It had been twelve hours since he walked through the door of their home, without his daughter. The trip home had been so trying that all he wanted to do was go to sleep and try to forget.

      First thing he did was to check his phone,…no missed calls, no voicemails, no messages… “ I guess she has made her choice and is going to stick with it.” He grumbled as he struggled to get out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

      A hot shower and clean clothes might just be the answer for now, but the only way he was going to feel better, was if his Carrie would come walking through the door.

      He had to admit, the shower and the taste of his favorite coffee, had begun to work its magic, as he looked out the back door into the huge yard. The visions of a little girl with brilliantly colored copper hair, running around playfully, was all that he could see. But he knew the yard was empty…

      The temptation to pick up his phone and call her was so strong that it was all he could do to fight it off. “No…. You can’t call her. She has to be the one to come to her senses. She made the mistake, now she must fix it.”   He told himself. But deep in his heart, he knew that most likely would not happen…

      Alvaro nodded a hello to Paola, and followed her inside the boutique. ” So, you took an extra long lunch. I’ve been here for over and hour waiting for you.” He snapped, feeling a bit of jealousy rearing its evil head. 

      He had heard that Efe and Kadir Divit were back home from their summer long hiatus. So the first thought was that Paola had maybe, taken the first step in rekindling that relationship. She had always made it clear to him that Efe Divit was a one of a kind man, almost perfection… as she would say. 

      Paola snatched the closed sign from the front door, ” I’m sure I don’t have to answer to you about how long of a lunch break I take. But…. I had an important errand to run, if you must know.” She replied, prancing around to the other side of the counter.

      Alvaro rolled his eyes, ” Oh I can just imagine. So what is this thing you have to talk to me about?” He asked, but he quite sure he knew the answer to that already. Paola had broke it off with him once before because of Efe Divit, and he knew all the signs..

      Paola smiled at him, ” Well, I think that it’s time for us to part ways… and please don’t  make a scene, you knew that this, that we were only temporary. And there’s no reason for anyone to know that we were….well you know….you know you helped me through a tough time, but know one needs to know that. I will deny it if you tell anyone that we have been together.” Her smile faded from her face as she stared at him. 

      Alvaro wondered how he could love a woman that he hated so much. She had used him before, but this time it hurt him much more than he expected. ” Yes, I get it. I heard that Efe was back. So, you are going to run right back to the man that humiliated you.” He smirked. ” You two deserve each other,….oh, and don’t worry, I wouldn’t breathe a word about us. I don’t want to look like a loser.” He spit out the words in anger.

      She tried to act as if his words hadn’t stung like a bee, but in fact they had. But she turned to him with a determined look on her face, ” Well, well. I see what you think of me now. I was feeling bad about asking you to keep out little fling a secret….but not now.” She spoke, her eyes glaring at him.

      He nodded cordially and turned to leave, ” Oh, by the way, I was wondering, what do you plan to do with the beautiful redhead that came back with Efe.” He said with a puzzled look on his face. ” I heard she was from the states. Hmm, bad news does travel fast in this town.” The sound of his laughter echoed through the shop, as he swung open the door and walked out.

      She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and clamped her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the sound. Her body was shaking with anger, ” You’ll see Alvaro.. you will see.” She mumbled under her breath.

      Carolina had read only a few pages of Sanem’s book, as she lounged in the courtyard, but the tears had already surfaced in her eyes. The love that she had written about was supernatural, phenomenal, and as she outlined on almost every page, it was an unforgettable love.

      Her throat tightened as she tried to keep her emotions under control. She was reading about the time of Sanem’s deepest loneliness, when Can had left. Carolina was pulled so fully into the words of each page that she hadn’t even felt those tears sliding down her cheeks, or heard Can as he walked up beside her.

      ” Carolina, I hope you are okay. Efe will make sure that Paola is taken care of, if that’s what had brought your tears.” He spoke, gently touching her on the shoulder. 

      She jumped, and looked up at him. ” Mr. Divit,…no, I…I was just reading Mrs. Divits book. Hope that’s ok, I found it in the library.” She told him, blotting the tears that were visible on her face.

      He smiled, ” Yes, it’s fine. Sanem would be pleased that you’re reading it.” He pulled the other chair over a little closer to hers and sat down, ” Sanem has a great talent. One like I’ve never seen before. But this book, the first one she wrote, was so amazing, and heartbreakingly true.” He spoke, as she noticed his eyes filling with tears.

     ” This was our story,… as filled with hurt as it was,…it was our love story. We both lived through it and we are stronger and more in love than ever.” He confessed, his face reflecting every word.

      Her heart was aching for him, but at the same time she could see the love and devotion that he had for his wife….

      She wanted that …..that kind of love….that kind of sacrifice….that compassion for another person… 

      Efe was watching Carolina and his dad as him and Kadir walked their way, ” Hey you two, looks like a pretty heavy conversation. Hope you don’t mind if we interrupt.” He joked, leaning down to kiss her on top of the head. 

      It was then he saw the book she was holding, ” Oh, you’re reading mom’s book. It’s a good one, isn’t it dad. It’s all about how they met, and….well I won’t spoil it for you.” He said, giving her a wink.

      Can clapped his hands together, ” How about some lunch. I know it’s a little late, but your mother and I were taking care of some business in the office and time got away from us.” He explained, as a very slight shade of red tinted his cheeks. 

      Carolina almost giggled, as she remembered the sounds that she had heard coming from their office earlier. But she wouldn’t be the one to expose their secret rendezvous behind closed doors. She thought of how sweet and endearing it was for them to still have such a strong appeal for one another.

      ” Sure dad, lunch sounds great. Then I will need to go back to town to pickup the paperwork from Paola. I thought I would take Kadir with me, if that’s ok with you Carrie.” He said. There was a look of disappointment on her face, ” Babe, I just don’t want to give Paola a chance to hurt you, that’s all..

      She raised her eyebrows, ” Thank you Efe… But I think it might a little too late for that,… don’t you….. So if it’s all the same to you, I would like to go along, just to show her that she can’t damage us”…..

Chapter 11

Sanem stepped out into the courtyard carrying a tray laden with fruit and cheese, olives, and an array of veggies, ” I agree with Carolina, she needs to go with you Efe. Don’t let Paola dominate the situation.” She spoke up, delivering the tray of food to the small table in the middle of the setting area.

      Carolina smiled, ” Thank you Mrs.Divit. I mean Sanem. Sometimes you have to let people know that they can’t push you around.” She stated, glaring at Efe. 

      Efe knew better than to go against the love of his life,…and his mother. “Ok, if you’re sure.” He said as he turned to Kadir, ” Sorry Abi, maybe you can go to the bar and take care of that other business.” He spoke quietly. 

      Kadir agreed, ” I intend to. I’ll do my best.” He mumbled under his breath, and gave him a reassuring wink. He had every intention of being there in the late afternoon when Gabriela finished her shift at the bar. He needed to give her an apology first hand… and who knows, maybe he could convince her to give him the real truth about Paola…

      Adam had been busy all evening, searching on his laptop for any kind of information on the Divit family. His mind was in a jumble from jet lag, as he laid his head back and closed his eyes. 

      Everything he had found so far was strictly generic, just basic information about the family. They were quite well known in Istanbul, which had surprised him, as he read about Aziz Divit and the top-rated advertising agency. But what interested him more was the nationally known Can Divit.

     He wondered how Can Divit, a renowned and highly sought after photographer, had come to live in Malaga, Spain in the first place, but his eyes were burning from fatigue and he was having a hard time focusing.. so maybe a good nights sleep would help him, he thought, as he prepared to shut down his computer….But that’s when he saw it…. 

      “Huma Erdamar, mother of Can Divit…. Imprisoned for Fraud and endangerment”…..The words jumped off the screen at him…

      He blinked his eye a few times to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He read over the report several times, making sure he was understanding it all.. The whole story had even turned his stomach,….how could a mother do that to their own child.

      He wasn’t sure if something in Efe Divits  grandmothers past, and the fact that she had been deceased for seven years, would have any bearing on what his daughter was going through, but it was worth looking into. But first he needed to sleep..

       They had enjoyed a delicious lunch and it was almost time to head back into town. ” Thank you mom for the lunch. We will be going back to the Paolas shop in a little while for the paperwork, but we will be here for dinner.” He said, glancing Carrie for approval.

       She smiled and nodded, letting him know that she approved. She looked forward to watching another sunset on this amazing beach. Carolina was quickly beginning to realize why Efe was so crazy about this place.

      Can stood and slapped his hands together, ” Good, I’ll fix some paella, and we can eat out here in the courtyard. Nothing like good food and a gorgeous sunset to make everyone feel better.” He spoke, draping his arm around Efe’s shoulders.

      ” Now go, take care of business, show Carolina around a bit and then come back with an appetite.” He ordered, ushering them off. 

      Sanem waved at the three of them as Efe and Carolina took off in their car, and Kadir on his motorcycle. ” I hope it goes well. But Paola is out to destroy them, you know that don’t you? Sanem muttered, as she grasped on to Can’s arm.

      ” Maybe not. Let’s keep an open mind.” Can replied, pulling his wife up close to him. Sanem looked at him, puzzled, ” You are joking, right. How is it that you don’t recognize a cruel and evil woman when you see one.” She blurted out, stomping into the house.

      Can followed her, not sure of why she was being so negative. ” What…what did you say. I think I’m a pretty good judge of people.” He stated, confronting her in the kitchen. 

     Sanem turned quickly, with an unexpected look of anger in her face, ” Polen, Huma and even Ceyda. You never saw them for who they were.” She snipped, placing her hands on her hips.. ” I tried to tell you how they were hurting our relationship,….but you refused to listen.”

      The room was quiet, as Can thought carefully about the words he wanted to say, ” I am guilty of that, I know. I thought we had moved past that years ago Sanem.” He spoke softly and almost in a whisper. ” Polen was the biggest mistake of my life, and I should have never given Huma a second chance.” 

      Sanem softened, reaching for him, ” Can we have gotten past that time of our lives, but you never see the bad side of those type of women. I just want you to be prepared for what might happen.” She muttered, stretching up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. 

      Can wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a more deeper and meaningful kiss. When they parted, Sanem gazed into his eyes, ” My love, Efe is going to need us all to help him through what Paola has planned for him,…she won’t let go of him easily.”

      Efe and Carolina pulled up in front of the boutique, ” I won’t be but a minute.” Efe said, unbuckling his seat belt. Carolina reached to unbuckle hers as well, ” I’m going with you.” She answered quickly.

      He grabbed her hand, ” No,….you won’t. I do not want her throwing shots at you. Just sit here and wait for me, please.” Efe pleaded. “You don’t know how she can be…..and I do.” He nodded, opening the door and climbing out of the car.

      Carolina watched as he entered the shop. “ I know more than you think Efe Divit. I know an evil bitch when I see one.” She whispered quietly to herself. 

      The bell on the door alerted Paola that some one has come in. She glanced at her phone, “Well it’s 4:00, that must be my future husband arriving.”  She thought, as a smile came across her face.

      ” I’ll be right there honey.” She called out. She took a second to check herself out in the mirror, smoothing down her silky black hair and adjusting her low cut top to maximize her cleavage. She smiled at the reflection of herself in the mirror, ” Red is no match for me. If she knows what good for her,…she’ll go back home to the states.”  

      Efe leaned against the counter, waiting. He took that long deep breath, wanting for all of this to be over. Paola pushed the curtain to one side and stepped out, as if she were ready to begin a theatrical performance. ” You’re right on time. You must be more excited about our baby than I thought.” She chirped, as she bounced across the floor to give him a hug.

      Efe stepped back, ” Paperwork Paola, that’s all I want is the paperwork.” He spoke quickly, knowing that Carolina was witnessing it all from the car.

      Paola hesitated, sticking out her bottom lip in a pouting position, ” You hurt my feelings Efe. You have made your precious Carolina stay in the car. What are you afraid of…..the truth?” 

      She reached for the paperwork lying in the counter, ” Here my love, I hope that you and Carolina enjoy the read”…… She snapped.

Chapter 12

Kadir knew that Gabriela’s shift was over about 5:00. He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say to her yet, but he didn’t want it to be confrontational. He pulled his bike up along side the building in an inconspicuous way. He wanted to try and hide his return.

      He slid the helmet off and ran his fingers threw his hair, tucked the helmet under his arm and headed to the  front door of the bar. The music was already loud, with the front door still propped open, it made the place seem very inviting. 

      He walked in and looked around, seeing a much more festive atmosphere than when he was there at noon. There were of course, the regulars, the ones that were always there to get the place going after dark, and a few tourist checking out the local dives….Although this place was a great grill/cafe by day, it was transformed into one of the best party bars in this area once the sun went down.

      He opted for a seat at the bar this time, as he seated himself. The lady tending bar recognized him, ” Divit, what are you drinking?” She asked, swiping a damp towel across the bar in front of him.

      ” Just a San Miguel, bottle.” He said still looking around. ” Hey, where’s Gabby?” He asked as she placed the bottle of beer on the bar.

      She lady crossed her arms, ” In the back. She’s taken care of her last tickets. Her shift isn’t over of another 10 minutes you know.” She informed him with a smirk.

      Kadir nodded, ” I know. I’ll just wait on her.” The bartender moved on down the bar to take care of another customer, but kept an eye on Kadir.  In a minute Gabby pushed open the door from the kitchen with her hands full of plates, and headed to the table in front of the bar. 

       Gabby had already spotted Kadir sitting at the bar and was determined not to let him shake her. She took care of her table and even checked on another table, offering a bit of small talk, before she handed the remaining tickets over to Martina, the young girl that worked the next shift.

      She reached behind the counter at the far end of the bar for her bag, ” I’m out of here Alma. See you in a couple of days.” She called out, waving as she headed toward the door.  She was hoping that she could just walk out without Kadir stopping her, but that was wishful thinking..

      Kadir jumped off the bar stool, ” Gabby,…Gabby, hey…. Can you wait a minute.” He spudered, rushing to catch up with her as she made her way to the  front door. ” Hey, I need to talk to you…Please, I want to apologize for earlier.” He blurted out loudly.

      She stopped at the doorway, glancing around the room, as everyone’s eyes had focused on the two of them. ” Kadir, it’s already forgotten,…ok? No need to apologize, just…just go away and leave me alone.” She snapped at him, but in a much quieter voice. 

      With that, she turned quickly and stormed out the door. All she wanted was to get to her bus stop, get on her bus and get as far away from Kadir Divit as she could. 

      Kadir bolted out the door after her.  This isn’t the way it’s suppose to go….he thought as he walked hurriedly up the sidewalk to catch up to her. ” Hey, stop. Just give me a chance to talk to you, will you.” He said, reaching for her arm.

      Gabby stopped and turned to him, her eyes full of fire,  ” What Kadir. You only want to try and get information out of me,….that’s all you want.” She said to him, then she continued on her way to the bus stop.

      Kadir got a weird feeling as he watched her hurry on up the street. He wondered how his brother did it,…how he made all the girls follow him around like he was the pied piper. He couldn’t even get one girl, one that he thought liked him, to even stop and talk to him.

      He jogged back to his motorcycle, fired it up and veered it out onto the street and toward the bus stop. No,…I’m not giving up so easily Miss Gabby…. You think you know everything,…well you haven’t seen the charming and irresistible side of Kadir Divit yet.

      Carolina squinted her eyes, peering in through the window of the shop. She watched Paola put on her show of seduction, moving closer to Efe, flipping her hair back over her shoulder for a more obvious viewing of her breasts. Then the final scene, as she bent over precariously, letting the skintight black skirt rise up leaving nothing to the imagination, as she reached for the large manila envelope on the other side of the counter.

      She felt the stab of anger as she watched. ” You better not be looking Efe Divit.” She mumbled under her breath, as she moved around in the car for a better view. Efe jerked the envelope from her hand, ” Paola, you are sinking to a new level. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any lower…you just did.” He said with a laugh.

      Paola’s face burned with embarrassment, ” Oh but you used to love my little displays of all my assets. From what I’ve seen, Red has nothing to compare with it..” She smirked.. slowly sliding her hands down her body, as if she were smoothing down her skirt.

      Carolina had one hand on the door handle, ” Just one more move, and I’m going in.” She blared out loud, itching to come between Efe and Paola. But as she sat there debating her first move, Efe pushed open the door, and headed toward the car.

      He was still smiling as he sat down in the car, ” So,..what are you smiling about my dear.” Carolina said, the fire flying from her eyes. Efe reached for her hand, ” Now calm down. Trust me, you have nothing to be jealous about. What you were seeing was classic Paola,…. something that doesn’t affect me anymore.” 

      He waved the envelope in front of her, ” Here, I got  it.  Now we will know the truth.” He told her. He was hoping he had seen the worst of Paola and all of this would be over soon. 

      Carolina slumped back in the seat, ” I hope you’re right. Efe, I need to make that call to my dad,…tonight. Whatever we find out, I have to try and make it right with him.”

      Efe knew she was right. She wouldn’t want to carry in with their lives there if she didn’t try to make him see how much they loved each other… and how committed they were to that love.

      Adam had slept for a few hours. He felt almost human now, and was ready to continue that search into Efe Divits life. It had been almost a shot of adrenaline when he happened upon the news of Huma Erdamar…. The mother of Can Divit….grandmother of Efe Divit, and also a convicted felon….that had served several years in prison.

      The excitement was almost to much to contain, as he brewed up his early morning coffee and positioned himself in front of his computer….. 

      What he had found out the night before had more than peaked his interest. A family that was riddled with skeletons in the closet, as they say. But he had actually felt sorry for Can Divit. 

      A mother than had turned her back on him at an early age, in favor of the younger brother……. Ouch!! He knew that had to hurt. And a dad that couldn’t cope with what had happened, leaving a young Can to seek companionship in a boarding school for most of his younger life..

      He rubbed his hands together as he opened up his computer. ” Now, let’s find out what else this upstanding Turkish family has hidden…. He thought, as he clicked on the Divit name..

      He hoped it would be enough to make his naive daughter open up her eyes about Efe Divit and come home…….

Chapter 13

Kadir found Gabby standing under the canopy at the bus stop. He stopped a few feet back, not wanting to scare her off again. He removed his helmet, placed it on the seat of his bike, all without her noticing him. 

      She looked off in the other direction, watching for the bus to come her way. The thought of Kadir was still exploding in her mind, ” The audacity of him.”  She thought, “ Did he think I was some delusional young girl, just waiting for him to verify that I existed.”…. Her thoughts rambled on…

      But the fact is, she had always been attracted to Kadir Divit. She had always been that delusional girl, that stood front and center, wanting…almost begging for him to speak to her…..And when he did, he was always cordial and polite, but not what you would say,…interested….

      The presence of a person standing very close to her startled her, so she looked around quickly. “I’m not going away until you let me properly apologize. And besides, how do you know I only want to get information from you….. I happen to think you are a very attractive woman.” He said, the words falling from his lips without a thought…

      A numbing, tingling feeling ran through her body, making her shudder. He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her face. ” Kadir, what….why..why did you follow me. I told you I’m not going to tell you anything.” She spoke breathlessly. 

      She forced herself to look away, not to let herself be drawn into his game. But he didn’t leave, he stayed there, as if he was connected onto her body in some way. Her breathing was uneven and swallow, she wanted to turn his way, sink helplessly into his arms….and she even pictured them devouring each other with that long awaited kiss….. but she knew all he wanted was information about Paola.

      She snapped out of her fantasy daydream at the thought of Paola… “Ok, I’ll let you apologize, buts that’s it. No talking, no pressing me for information, and none of your charming acts of attraction toward me.” She outlined, making very definite eye contract.

      Kadir wasn’t sure what was going on. He seemed to be frozen in place, not able to move away from her. His heart was even pounding faster and harder than ever before as he watched her lips move. Her eyes danced with anger, but there was something else too….but he couldn’t put his finger on it, but her intense glare had suddenly turned his world upside down..

      Efe and Carolina had decided to go to the rocks on the beach to read the doctors report on Paola’s tests. That was the place they felt the closest to each other. Efe helped her from the car and held her hand as he led her down the rocky bank to the huge, flat rock that had become known as “their rock”.

      He stared at the light brown envelope, hesitant to open up what may change his life forever, but in the same thought he knew it was something he had to do. He glanced at her, ” Are you ready Carrie.. What ever this is, remember we are in this together.. remember that I love you and only you.” He recited, as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

      Efe took a deep breath, and slowly pulled the papers from the envelope, his heart pumping hard. A lot of it he couldn’t understand, a bunch of medical mumbo jumbo, so he scanned over the paper just looking for a date.

      Carolina peered over his shoulder, reading the detailed report. The best she could decipher was Paola was 12 weeks pregnant. All of her bloodwork was normal and she was healthy, with the exception of a low iron count. 

      Her eyes filled with tears as she read. “Well there it was in black and white. Paola was 12 weeks pregnant with Efe’s child.”  The thought swirled around in her head making her dizzy and sick to her stomach.

      Efe read the sentence over at least three times, gestational age: 12 weeks…. She was pregnant….she was right.  And according to this, it was his. His body quivered inside as he came to terms with what he just read.

      He closed his eyes, thinking what a mess he had made of his life. Carolina had been silent. He heard nothing but her breathing, ” Carrie are you ok. We will be ok,…this won’t change a thing.” He spoke quickly, as he turned to see the disappointment on her face.

      She jumped up and hurried off a few feet away, feeling her stomach churn. She couldn’t hold it….it came out with force and with a vengeance, as she heaved out all the contents of her stomach.

      Efe was right there with her, holding her gently from behind. ” Carrie, Carrie….are you ok? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”  He mumbled as he held her steady on her feet. ” Was it something you ate,.. or was it… Oh my god Carrie, I’m sorry. I have made a mess of everything.” His voice barely audible..

      Carolina took several deep breaths before standing upright, ” Efe, stop saying you’re sorry. You are not to blame. I….I….was just so sure she was lying.” Her thoughts circled like a vulture in her head. 

      Efe sprinted over to the car and grabbed the bottled water , ” Here, drink. You look pale. I think we should go to the doctor.” He spoke in a panic.

      She shook her head, ” No, let’s just go back to your house. I need to lay down for a bit.” The words from the report still echoed in her head.

     Efe didn’t argue, he just helped her along the rocky path to the car, opened the door of the car and helped her inside. She covered her face with her hands, shielding out the light that was streaming in though the window. She didn’t know what was happening, she had felt so weird,…so weak, so not herself..

      The drive home was silent, with Efe holding on to her hand for dear life. As he turned and started down the winding driveway to the house, he glanced over at her. Her eyes were blank looking, but filled with tears. It broke his heart….

      Efe could hear the music from the kitchen and the laughter from his mom and dad as he opened the door for Carolina to get out. ” Sorry my love, they always have the music on when they cook… I will have them turn it off.” He whispered to her as he guided her toward the house.

      For some reason the music and their laughter made her smile. ” It’s ok Efe, I love to hear them  being so happy.” She replied, as she felt her herself begin to feel normal again. She stopped, took a deep breath and smiled at Efe, ” Nothing is going to change”..She repeated..before they entered the house.

      Sanem looked around as the door opened, ” Oh, you’re back. We were beginning to worry.” She said. Then she took another look, ” Carolina,… honey are you ok. Efe what happened.?” She blurted out frantically. 

     Carolina held up her hand, ” I’m fine, really. I think the food may be too rich for my stomach. But I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” She assured them. Efe tossed the large envelope on the table, ” She needs to rest a bit, I’ll take her to her room.” He said, stroking her back gently as he lead her toward the bedroom.

      Both Can and Sanem’s eyes fell on the envelope. They knew the news had not been what they expected. ” Shall we open and see what it says?” Sanem asked, her eyes glued to the object.

      Efe pulled the covers back and eased her gently into the bed. ” You just rest a bit. Do you want dinner,…I think you should eat something…you just lost everything”…..He babbled on, trying to make her feel better. 

      She grabbed his hand, ” I’m fine Efe… and yes, I will eat dinner. But I want to close my eyes and rest for a few minutes. It’s not your fault…and it won’t change a thing.” She told him…

      He went out, closing the door behind him. She had held on to the tears as long as she could, so when the door closed she let go. The disappointment, the fear, the confusion….it all streamed down her face….

       One more thought entered her head….. ” I still have to phone my dad…..  But she didn’t want to think about that right now… All she could think about was not losing Efe to Paola and their baby….

Chapter 14

Adam tossed his reading glasses on the desk and rubbed his eyes. His whole body ached as he stretched and moved in the chair. ” What time is it?” He asked himself out loud, turning over his phone to view the time. 

      He was shocked to see that it was 10:30 in the morning. He had been at his computer for hours, searching all there was to know about the famous Divit family. He pushed himself away from the his desk and forced his legs to move. 

      After sitting at his computer for the past 5 hours his legs had turned to mush, but he hobbled his way to the kitchen. He wasn’t sure of what day it was or even when he had eaten last, so he grabbed a glass and filled it with water as he searched in the fridge for something to eat.

      The family history of the Divit family had been a very fascinating read, and he wasn’t sure if he had even read it all yet, but what he had read was very enlightening. He popped the container of leftover fried rice in the microwave and hit the button for one minute. 

      He took the water and the warmed up rice to the back deck and sat down. All the information that he had just read about Can Divit and his brother Emre had left even more questions in his mind. But in all fairness, the acts of an uncle shouldn’t taint the character of Efe Divit, but as far as he was concerned, it did.

      He shoveled the fried rice into his mouth, not realizing how hungry he was. Adam wondered how his little girl was doing. It made his heart ache to think she had chosen a man like Efe over the safety of her home. He sat the bowl down on the table, unable to finish, as the lump of emotion in his throat grew bigger. 

     Why hadn’t she called?  Why didn’t she let him  know she was ok? Why didn’t she just come home with him? All these questions bombarded his head  making it throb and explode with anger. 

      He downed the last of the water and went inside. The sadness of being alone was too much to handle sometimes, as he reached for the bottle of vodka. “Just one drink, just enough to make it not hurt so much.” He told himself, as he positioned himself in front of the computer again, with a glass and the bottle.

      “ How long do I wait for her to call me……before I make the decision to call.”  He wondered. He swigged down the last of vodka from his glass and poured more in….” I may not wait very long… 

      Gabby stepped away from Kadir, giving him a strange look, ” What’s wrong with you.” She snapped, ” I said you could apologize,….so what are you waiting for.” She demanded, putting her hands on her hips. 

      Kadir blinked his eyes as if he was coming out of a trance, ” Oh, ok…. but I don’t want to do it out here on the street. Let me take you to dinner.” He said quickly, but instantly wished he hadn’t.. He shifted his eyes from her, as he tried to figure out why he was saying those things. 

      Gabriela’s mouth flew open in disbelief, ” Dinner? You want to take me to dinner? Kadir, I don’t think you really mean that, and besides, you don’t have to. Just say you’re sorry and walk away….it’s that simple.” She said sarcastically. 

      He cleared his throat, trying to make a reasonable thought, ” Ok, I do mean it, and I do want too. Nothing fancy and no obligations, just dinner. Then I will take you home.” He added, once again surprised at what he was saying. The words still seemed to be coming from an another person. 

      Gabby glared at him, definitely not taking him seriously. ” Oh, and now you want to take me home….well this just keeps getting better and better.”  She said with a laugh.. 

      Kadir felt his face getting warm and he was sure it was turning red with embarrassment.  But much to his own amazement, he was serious. ” Yes Gabby, dinner and a ride home, and maybe even a good conversation.” He said. He stood there, confident, waiting for her answer. 

      For a split second she thought, he might really want to take her to dinner, maybe get to know her better. Those decisions you make in a split second of weakness, just might be the best decisions of your life.

      ” Ok….you can take me to dinner, and take me home.” She answered. Her heart jumped straight up into her throat, as she spoke those words. A slight smile crept across her face, “What a fool you are Gabby….. but it’s too late to back out now.”  She thought as she followed him to his motorcycle. ” Who are you kidding, there’s no way you’re backing out….This is Kadir Divit we’re talking about”….

      He helped her as she straddled the seat. A strange, almost foreign feeling began to creep up inside him as he held her hand to steady her as she got positioned on the bike. He reached for his helmet and then handed it to her, ” Here, put this on. Better to be safe than sorry.” He told her, as he shoved the helmet into her hands.

      Gabby looked at him, raising her eyebrows, ” And what are you going to be wearing. Don’t you have an extra helmet for me to wear?” She asked, hesitant to accept the helmet. He smiled, “No, I don’t, but I’d rather you have the helmet than me… I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you while you were on my bike.” He explained, as he began to place the helmet on her head. 

      She moved back, ” Ok, I got it. But I can do it myself.” She said reaching for the helmet. ” We have wasted 5 minutes sitting here arguing about a helmet.” She mumbled hatefully under her breath. 

      Kadir waited until she had the helmet securely on her head before he threw his leg over and sat down in front of her. He had had other people on his bike with him before, but for some reason the closeness of her body next to his had completely shaken him. 

      He felt as if his lungs could not get enough air, so he took a long deep breath and exhaled slowly, as he put on his sunglasses. ” Are you ready, do you feel ok back there?” He asked before starting the bike…

      Gabby wasn’t sure what to do,…did she put her arms around him, did she lean down against his body, or did she just keep her hands to herself. ” Yes, I’m fine.” She answered. 

      ” Ok then, here we go.” Kadir said, revving up the motor on the bike. ” You might want to hang on to me, you know,…just to be safe.”  He shouted back over his shoulder to her.

      She felt the vibration from the engine and the anticipation of being so physically close to Kadir, making it hard for her to speak….. But she did as he said. Slowly she slid her arms around his body, and leaned in closer to him. Her arms were quivering, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the engine or from the thoughts in her head…

      Kadir revved up the motor a couple of times before kicking it into gear and speeding off down the street. 

      He felt her arms tighten slightly around his body as they sped off……It felt good,…it felt like nothing he had ever felt before… It made his heart skip a couple of beats…. And that was something he hadn’t expected…

Chapter 15

Efe closed the door softly,  hoping that she would be able to rest. He steadied himself with one arm braced against the wall. He closed his eye, drawing in a deep and much needed breath. “A baby….a baby. A child with Paola.”  That was something he had never imagined, in fact something he had never wanted.

      He knew the fault, if there was any, laid on him.  His lifestyle had been reckless and uninhibited for most of his life. He had never thought of the consequences when he saw a beautiful girl and she offered herself to him,… what would any healthy, young guy do… But he had never been disrespectful to any woman. 

      The envelope was still lying on the table when he walked back into the kitchen. Both Can and Sanem were waiting for him, ” So son, I guess the results weren’t what you had hoped for. Do you want to tell us about it?” His dad asked, as he reached over and turned off the burner on the stove. 

      For some reason the words just would not form in his mouth, but the tears had already began to form in his eyes. One look at his parents, the people that had always been on his side, the ones that had always told him to be himself,….. and his tension released. 

     ” Son, we know you will do the right think. You always have.” Sanem spoke, here words soothing him. ” Now tell us what happened.” 

     Efe slid the papers from the envelope, ” Here, see for yourself. It’s right there.” He said, shoving the papers into his dads hands. ” I may have ruined the best thing that has ever happened to me, and for what?…. For Paola?” He stammered, slamming his hand against the back of the chair.

      Can scanned over the report until he came to the gestation age…. 12 weeks. He swallowed hard as he read the results. ” Efe, don’t be so hard on yourself. And I don’t think you have lost anything, certainly not Carolina.” 

      Efe ran his fingers though his hair, as he paced the floor. ” But you didn’t see the look on her face dad. When see read that report she got physically sick dad. She went pale and weak, she even threw up.” He ranted.

      Sanem grabbed him, ” Efe,….it’s a baby. It’s just a baby,…your baby. If Carolina loves you, she will love the baby too. But most of all, you have to love this child…. And don’t let your mistakes keep you from that.” She said sternly, forcing him to listen.

      Carolina laid there trying to relax. She could hear the muffled conversation coming from the kitchen and she knew his parents were hearing the news. ” You knew this was a possibility. You knew that Paola could be telling the truth, but you were stupid enough to think it wouldn’t happen.” She screamed silently in her head. 

      She pushed herself up to a sitting position on the bed, ” Ok, you have two choices….You stand with the man you love and accept this child, love it as if it were your own,……or, you book the next flight back to the states.”  Her thoughts rambling through her head.

      She knew if she chose the latter, she would have to admit that the love she felt for Efe wasn’t strong enough, and that just wouldn’t be true….. She loved him with all her heart. But was she strong enough to keep Paola from ruining what they had…

      Even the thought of leaving Malaga and Efe was not possible for her. She knew she had to stay with him,…she knew that a few days ago when she chose Efe over going home to the states with her dad. Her mind was made up……” I’m not going anywhere… My place is here with the man I love….. She had made her decision. 

      She opened the door and went down the hallway to the kitchen, ” Well I guess you both have heard the news.” She spoke, reaching for Efe’s hand ” I want you both to know, I will do everything I can  to make this work. I love your son…..and I will love this baby too.” 

      Efe wrapped his arms around her. Never had he had more love for her than now, ” Are you sure babe. I’m so sorry, you didn’t ask for this and I want you to be sure.” He whispered in her ear.

      She hugged him a little tighter, ” Yes, I’m sure. You didn’t ask for this either, so we will do this together.” She answered, with a kiss on the cheek. ” But I have to call my dad. The longer I wait the harder it will be. So after dinner I’ll make the call.” 

      Adam Munro was deep into this whole story of Emre Divit. He was surprised at how much information he was able to dig up on this family. 

      He stretched his back as he scrolled on through the report of how Emre Divit was charged with bribery and the lengths they went too to cover it all up. ” It’s like this guy had nine lives, and it sounds as if he used almost all of them.”  He smirked.

       And this Can Divit, the famous photographer, he just disappeared from Turkey, turned his back on his family, and the whole family business went down the tubes. What a couple of jerks, he thought. But he still hadn’t found the reason for Can Divit being in Spain. 

       He was thankful for having friends in high places, without them he never would have been able to access all the information that he had about this corrupt family. Huma Ardamar would most likely have been on the 10 Most Wanted List if she lived here in the states. 

      He was still in awe of how she thought she was going to get away with fraud and falsifying medical reports. She was clearly infatuated with the power of the Divit name, and money, but what puzzled him the most was the hatred she had for Sanem Divit. That was the one thing he couldn’t figure out.

      He pushed himself away from the desk and headed for the kitchen. He had drank too much vodka on an empty stomach, it was time for some food. He went over all the information he had read on Sanem Aydin Divit in his head, as he popped a frozen pizza in the oven.  

       By all the things that he had read, Sanem Aydin was probably the most normal person in this family, aside from Aziz Divit. The only thing wrong with the elder Divit was that he married the wrong person when he hooked up with this Huma. 

       He carried the pizza back to his desk and looked over his notes as he ate. “Ok, we have a man, Can Divit, who clearly had problems handling family drama…and then there is his brother, who was a jealous crook from day one…. Then we have the mother, and I use that term very loosely, who was possessed with the devil, as far as I can tell…

       But there was nothing about Can and Sanem Divit that sent out a red flag for him. Sanem Aydin was a famous writer, and gave it all up to stay in Malaga, Spain with the man she loved, to start a family……nothing earth shattering about that.

       According to the information he had on them from Spain, they were an upstanding family. They were a family that was financially well off, but never flaunted it. Can Divit was still admired for his photography there, and even did some charity work for Malaga. 

      What he found on the Divit children was even more uneventful. Both boys had been students at the top of their classes. Efe Divit had a degree in business and had been offered a position at a top management company……. 

      So, …why was Efe Divit out sailing the ocean like a pirate…..and what did he want with my  daughter…  Adam wondered…. That was something he knew he had to find out…

Chapter 16

Paola turned the sign around in the window to the closed side. She flipped off the light, walked out, then turned to lock the door. All these things she had done a thousand times before, but tonight it made her feel more lonely. 

      She headed down the block toward her car in a daze, wondering what Efe and Carolina had thought about the report from her doctor. ” It’s not going to always be like this…..Once Efe realizes that he is going to be a father, well…I know he will do the right thing.”  She thought as she reached her car.

      A smile eased across her face as she thought about Carolina, ” Poor Red. She came all this way to Spain to be with Efe,….now she will have to tuck her tail and run back to daddy”…..She couldn’t help but chuckle. “ Wish I was a fly on the wall tonight at the Divit house. Ms. Munro might be packing her bags at this very moment.”  That thought changed her mood instantly.

      She sat down in her car and reached for her phone. She hadn’t told Gabby about it yet, and she couldn’t wait. Gabby’s phone rang a few times before going to voicemail. She ended the call in a huff, ” Wonder where she is. I would have thought she would be waiting for my call.”  Paola thought staring at the blank phone. 

      She pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Gabby’s house, “ I will just go to her place. I’m sure she is waiting to her hear from me.”  

      Kadir took her helmet and shoved it in the storage compartment. ” Here let me help you.” He said, extending his hand out to her. ” Thanks, but I can get off the bike myself.” She said shooing him away with her hand.

     He smirked with annoyance, ” Hmm. Ok fine. Have it your way.” He stepped back away from her, watching as she got off the bike. 

      ” Have you been here before?” He asked as they walked toward the front of the restaurant. Gabby looked around, ” No, I don’t think I have. But it looks great.” She muttered, surprised at the place.

      It was a quaint little place, but full of charm. Not at all a place that she thought the dashing Kadir Divit would be caught dead in. There was lights strung all around and the music was playing, as Kadir opened the gate leading to the outdoor tables.

      She was shocked and the look on her face revealed it, ” So, what do you say. It’s a good night to eat outside, don’t you think.” Kadir asked with a smile. She returned the smile as he pulled the chair out for her to sit.

      ” Yes it is, a good night to eat outside I mean.” She replied, still scoping out the cafe. Most of the tables were full of customers, and almost all of them turned and waved at Kadir as if he was their friend. Kadir smiled and waved back, acknowledging everyone.

      They had barely gotten seated before the waiter appeared, ” Mr. Kadir, good to see you. Do you want your usual tonight?” He asked, as he bowed slightly. ” Carlos, sir, how are you. Yes I will  take a San Miguel, and a glass please. And for the lady,… a glass of Sangria.” He said, questionably as he looked her way.

      Gabby nodded, wondering how he knew she loved a dark red, strong Sangria, packed full of fruit,  but she was still too surprised to speak. This was not at all who she thought Kadir Divit was. This wasn’t a place she pictured him to visit, or to be welcomed as if he was a celebrity. 

      He grinned, leaning across the small table, ” So,…do you like it? I come here a lot. It’s a place my dad used to bring my mom when she first came to Malaga.” He said proudly, looking around with a sparkle in his eye.

      ” Yes,…I..I.. really love it Kadir. Thank you for choosing this place.” She told him.She felt like she was seeing this man for the first time, a person that she had misjudged, and maybe a man that might even like a woman like her.

      He knew he had surprised her, and that was his plan, or was it? He had set out to seduce Gabriela into revealing what Paola had up her sleeve, but to his surprise, he was beginning to enjoy her company.

      Paola knocked loudly on the front door of Gabby’s apartment. Then again, but this time harder and louder, ” Gabby, hey open up. I have a lot to tell you.” She yelled out. But no one answered the door.. 

      She rummaged through her purse for the key that Gabby had given her a long time ago, “Ahh, here it is.” She mumbled, shoving the key in the lock and turning it. The door swung open, ” Hey, it’s me…where are you. I have a lot to tell you.” She called out, stomping through the small one bedroom apartment. 

      She had made the circle and stopped in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, “Where the hell is that girl. I have the best news of my life, and she’s off enjoying herself somewhere.” She snarled, flopping down on the sofa. 

       ” That’s ok….I will wait on her to get home. She will be as excited as I am about Efe and Red finding out the truth, I’m sure of it.” She thought smugly, as she stretched out on the sofa to wait. 

       The waiter had brought the drinks, ” Mr. Kadir, would you like a minute before ordering. I can come back.” He said. Kadir smiled, ” No, I think we will have two Pipirranas with tuna,…Is that ok with you Gabby? He asked, touching her on the shoulder. 

      She shivered at his touch, but managed a smile. ” Yes, sounds good. And I’ll have another glass of Sangria.” She spoke quickly, raising the nearly empty glass toward the waiter. She knew she would need that extra boost of false confidence before the night was over.

      Kadir nodded, ” Good, and bring me another beer as well.” He ordered. The waiter hurried off with their order. Kadir shifted his attention back to Gabriela, ” I hope it’s ok that I ordered for you. I just know how good the Pipirrana is here.” He flashed that dazzling smile her way. 

      She was putting forth every effort to maintain some sort of dignity, as she nervously looked away from him. ” What are you doing,…you are falling for all his charm. Just what you said you would never do..  She lectured herself. 

      But by the end of their salad with tuna, they were laughing and joking as if they were best friends,…or dare I say it…”on a date”

      ” Ok, I hope you have room for some Churros, because they make the best here.” Kadir said, leaning back, stretching out his stomach. She giggled, knowing that the third glass of Sangria was making its appearance.

      ” Oh I don’t think I could eat another bite. Are you trying to make me fat or something.” She spurted, laughing loudly and covering her mouth. Kadir laughed along with her…. ” Fat?….are you kidding me. You could get blown away by a strong wind if you weren’t careful. You are beautifully petite and perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” He announced. 

     The words tumbled from his mouth unexpectedly, but not at all untrue. He wouldn’t change a thing about her…..

       Her laughter stopped immediately, her eyes open wide, ” What….what did you say. Did you say I was perfect?” She  asked, putting him on the spot.

      Kadir’s smile faded slowly, but his eyes did not look away from hers…..they couldn’t look away.

      ”  Well Gabriela, I guess I did say that… And I suppose you aren’t going to believe me if I were to say it again.” He spoke, once again the words escaping from his mouth without a thought….

      ” Gabriela, you are a perfectly beautiful woman, and I am honored to be sitting here with you tonight.”…… He spoke softly and breathlessly, as if he were in a trance…..

Chapter 17

The dinner was delicious, as always. Mr. Divit had surprised her with his ability to make such an outstanding meal. ” That was amazing Mr. Divit. I didn’t realize how hungry I was, but it seems that I have made a pig of myself.” She said, as she pushed herself away from the table.

      Can narrowed his eye, ” Carolina, I thought we were past the Mr. Divit title,…please just call me Can.” He smiled, making her feel at ease.

     Carolina nodded, ” Of course… Can the dinner was fantastic, and please don’t judge me by my appetite.” She joked. 

      This was a perfect evening, she thought, so perfect that she had almost forgot about Paola and the baby. But the large envelope lying at the end of the table reminder her instantly of what was really going on..

      ” Efe, maybe you should find out when  Paola’s next doctor appointment is and make sure you go along. You don’t want to miss this experience.” Carolina blurted out unexpectedly. Efe looked her way, surprised at at her proposal. 

      ” You think so?” He said, studying her face. ” I’m not sure if that’s a good idea…I mean, that would only give Paola the wrong idea.” The conversation was making Efe very uncomfortable, as he moved away from the table. 

     ” Oh, don’t worry, I would be there to make sure she doesn’t get the wrong idea. But you need to be involved with everything. That’s the only way to keep your eye on her. If not, then she can tell you what ever she wants to….and make you believe it.” She snipped, as her eyes glazed over with tears. 

     Efe reached for her, he hated to see her upset, and over the past couple of days that’s all he had seen. ” Trust me babe, I will never believe everything that Paola says. I know her, and I know I have to see things for myself.” He gently rubbed her arms, feeling her tremble. 

      Carolina blinked back her tears, ” Ok, so you need to…no, we need to go to the next doctor visit. Let the doctor know that you want to be involved and you want to know everything.” She demanded. 

      ” She’s right son. Don’t let Paola have control. And make sure she knows you want a DNA test done as soon as the baby is born..” Sanem spoke up immediately, showing her support of Carolina.

     Efe nodded, ” Ok. I will call and find out about her next appointment. We will go together, don’t worry. Paola will understand that we are in this as a couple. Carrie, I love you…. nothing will change that, or come between us….I promise.” He told her, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

      Carolina felt a wave of weakness pass through her body. She felt her knees buckle as she slumped over toward Efe. ” Carrie, Carrie…are you ok?” Efe shouted, holding onto her as her body crumbled.

      Can grabbed on as well, helping Efe guide Carolina to the sofa. ” Carrie, what’s wrong…babe, here lie back.” He said, easing her down gently on the sofa. ” Carrie, I’m sorry.. here have some water…..Dad, help me get her to my car, she’s going to the hospital.” He ordered, as he cradled her in his arms..

      Carolina opened her eyes, ” Oh, I…I… I’m sorry. I just felt a little dizzy.” She muttered, trying to sit up. “I’m ok now. There’s no reason to go to the hospital. I think I’m just tired.” She explained, giving them a broad smile.

      Sanem blotted her face with the cold cloth, ” Are you sure. You look a little pale. Would you like some ginger tea, it’s suppose to cure anything that ails you.” She offered, but she was just as concerned as Efe about these bouts of sickness…

      ” That would be great, and then a good nights sleep and I’m sure I will be as good as new.” She replied with a giggle. But she wasn’t sure herself,…..she had a strange feeling inside her. 

      Efe wasn’t easy to convince, but after a reassuring look from his mother, he agreed. ” Ok, but another incident like this and you’re going to the hospital, no questions asked…got it?” He spoke firmly, as he stroked her face.

      ” Really I’m fine. But I think I will turn in for the night. Oh,….but I was going to call my dad.” She said, wrinkling up her face. ” I guess it will wait until morning, it’s the middle of the night there, and I’m sure he wouldn’t like a phone call to wake him up.” She huffed.

      But in her mind she knew, her dad probably hadn’t slept since he returned home to Hull. If she knew anything at all about her dad, it was his temper, and his determination to prove himself right…

      Efe turned down the covers on her bed as she dressed for bed, ” Babe, I don’t want you to keep anything from me,…ok? Don’t hide it if you are sick. I don’t like to see you like this.” He spoke softly, as he pulled her close to him, the warmth of her spreading over him like a soft warm blanket. 

      He was having a hard time staying away from her. ” I want you to know, I don’t like not sharing a bed with you. I have become quite dependent on feeling you next to me at night.” He whispered in her ear, as he kissed her cheek and then her neck, as the heat began to rise up through his body.

      ” I feel the same way baby, but your parents want it this way for now,..so I think we need to do as they want.” She stammered, as that tingly, heated feeling exploded inside her. It was hard for her as well. They had not been apart, day or night for weeks until now, and her body was feeling the effects of it….

      Efe kissed her gently, his lips nibbling at hers. The taste of her lips and the smell of her body was about to push him over the edge, as he slipped his tongue inside, rubbing his tongue against hers, as his hands slid up under her top.

      ” Efe,…Efe. We can’t. Not now.” She breathed, pushing him away. Efe closed his eyes, and rested his forehead on hers, ” I know, I’m sorry.” He replied, taking a deep breath. ” But I miss you. I miss the feel of your skin. 

      Carolina felt his warm breath as it spread across her. She was finding it hard to ward off his presence, and the fact that she too was missing every inch of his body. ” I know, I miss you too, but…… not like this. We have always been free with our love, open to each other. I don’t want to sneak around and hide just to be with you.” She said, stroking his face.

      Efe shook his head in agreement, ” Ok, I understand. Good night my love, and don’t worry, this won’t last forever, I promise.” He whispered, as his lips brushed against hers before he turned quickly and walked out the door.

      He felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach as he made his way back to the living room…. “This is all my fault….  He thought. “ And I am going to make it right.”  

      He walked into the living room and stood defiantly in front of both Can and Sanem….” Mom, Dad….I want to marry Carrie as soon as possible. I know it won’t be easy, but that is what I want.” He announced, looking them straight in the eyes….

      It took a second for what he was saying to sink in. But then Can answered, ” Ok,…you say this is what you want….But what about Carolina.” He said, stepping forward and putting his hands on Efe’s shoulders.

      Can smiled slightly at his son,.. ” Maybe you should find out if she is ready to get married right now…. Just when you are getting ready to become a father.”  

      Efe felt the blood drain slowly from his body, “Maybe his dad was right. Maybe she wouldn’t want to get married until they find out for sure about the baby.”…… Yes, he had messed everything up”…He thought..

Chapter 18

  The evening had been one of the best that Kadir had spent in a long time. He loved hearing her voice, he loved seeing the expression in her eyes as she talked, and after a few of those strong Sangrias Gabby was more than willing to talk…

      ” You know, oh…you probably do, but I will say it anyway…..I had the biggest crush on you.” She whispered loudly as she leaned across the table. ” When Paola started seeing Efe,… and you would come to the bar with him sometimes,…. Yep, I thought you were the most good looking guy I had ever seen…. Well whatever, that’s all water under the bridge now, as they say.” Gabriela said, slurring her words and flinging her hands up in the air.

      Kadir could feel his face turn warm with embarrassment. But mostly for Gabby, because he was sure she hadn’t planned on revealing her most secret thoughts about him to his face. ” Oh really, I had no idea, but that’s sweet.” He replied, wanting desperately to change the subject.

      ” Yes I did….I thought about you all the time, I even asked Paola about you, but she just laughed at me and told me I didn’t have a chance,….so I just worshipped you from afar.” She stated, making a funny face and then she giggled.

      Her words stung his heart. Why would she say that to someone that was suppose to be their friend? ” Well,…she just might have been wrong you know.” Kadir answered her, wanting to make her feel better. ” Maybe if I had known,….well who knows, things might have been different.” 

      Gabriela threw her head back and let out a huge bellowing laugh, making the few people that were still there in the cafe turn her way and look. ” That’s a good one Kadir. You might have noticed me if you had known…. Sure, when pigs fly.” She snipped, the whole toned of her voice changing.

      She stood suddenly, ” You know, I think it’s time for me to go. Shit is getting a little deep here.” She smirked. ” Thanks for the dinner, and the conversation, but I’m taking a taxi home.” She spit out her words at him with force.

     Kadir jumped up, ” Gabby, come on. I will take you home…..that was the deal.” He pleaded, not wanting to see her go. ” If you’re ready to go then I will take you. This has been a great evening,…don’t spoil it by storming off in a taxi.” 

      Her sudden movement had caused the whole place to start spinning, so she grabbed on to the back of the chair to steady herself.  Kadir reached over, sliding his arm around her quickly, “Whoa,…are you ok? Here, let me help you.” He told her, as his arms encased her and he pulled her up against him. 

      She couldn’t keep from giggling. Here she was, wrapped up in the arms of the guy that turned her on more than anything,…. and she was drunk. But she sank into his arms as if she belonged there, as if she owned him. 

      Kadir waved at the waiter, ” Carlos, bring us a black coffee to go please.” He said, still holding Gabby in his arms. The coffee arrived immediately, ” I’m sorry Carlos, but can you put this one on my tab. I’ll be back by tomorrow to settle up with you.” He asked, as he guided Gabby toward the taxi waiting for them at the curb.

      He opened the door and she fell inside the taxi, and Kadir followed, sliding her over to the other side. ” Hey, what are you doing? I can get home by myself…. You just take care of yourself.” She blurted out, pushing his hands away.

      Kadir snickered, ” Gabby, I will take you home, then come back for my bike. Don’t fight me on this, because you’re not going to win.” He told her as he slammed the taxi’s door.

      Gabriela gave the driver her address, then laid her head back against the seat, ” Oh no you don’t, here drink this coffee.” He said, shoving the steaming cup of black coffee under her nose. 

      She breathed in the smell of the coffee, ” Smells good, thanks.” She replied, as she sipped in the hot brew. By the time the taxi pulled up in front of her apartment building, Gabriela began to come around. “At least the world has stopped spinning.”  She thought, as she opened her eyes and looked around.

      Gabriela handed Kadir the empty coffee cup, ” Thank you for seeing me home, but it was totally unnecessary.” She told him as she opened the door of the taxi. ” And let’s consider this apology over and done with.” 

      Kadir nodded cordially, ” Gabriela, it was a pleasure. I had a great time,…I hope you did.” He said flashing her that charming Divit smile.

      She slammed the door and turned toward the front door of her apartment. She wasn’t sure if she was more upset with Kadir or herself. “ Of all the times to get yourself tipsy, it had to be tonight…..the night you have been dreaming of for years..  She scolded herself, as she turned her key in the lock.

      Kadir watched her as she made her way to the front door, wondering why he was having a difficult time letting this evening go. She had been a breath of fresh air,…and bright spot in his day, so to speak…. And he already wanted to see her again.

     It was really late by the time the taxi dropped him off at his motorcycle, but the thought of going home without a solution to his brothers problem was still weighing heavy on his mind. 

      Maybe he would have to think of another way to blow Paola’s claim out of the water… the thought of using Gabby to get to Paola didn’t seem like the best thing to do now. 

      Kadir pulled the helmet on over his head. The thought of Gabby had brought a smile to his face, and the thought of her wearing his helmet sent a slight wave of excitement through his body….. As he fired up his bike, he remembered the feeling of her body sitting so close behind him that he could feel her heat.

      Gabby was still a little unsteady on her feet as she walked into her apartment. The small lamp in the corner was the only light in the room, but she knew she hadn’t left that light on. She looked around quickly, spotting Paola curled up on the sofa, asleep. 

      Paola blinked her eyes, looking around a bit confused. ” Oh Gabby,…where have you been? I’ve been waiting on you for hours.” She mumbled, stretching her arms up over her head.

       ” Why are you here Paola. Why were you waiting on me. I was having dinner with someone if you must know.” She babbled, still not in complete control of her facities..

      Paola sat up, looking closely at her, ” Are you tipsy?… You are. Who did you go out with..” She asked, demanding to know. ” I had good news,…or at least I had some news about my little problem,…and I wanted to tell you about it. But..you were off having fun with someone.” She huffed, letting her anger show…

      Gabby closed her eyes, wishing she didn’t have to deal with Paola this very minute. ” It was Kadir,..I was with Kadir. He wanted to apologize to me for being rude earlier today, so he took me to dinner,..that’s all.” She explained, as she kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the sofa next to Paola.

      ” KADIR DIVIT!! You were with Kadir Divit? Are you a total idiot. I knew you stupid,..but I had no idea you were insane as well.” Paola yelled, throwing her arms up in the air.

      ” What did you tell him!! You know that’s the only reason he is doing this. He wants to get to me through you…. You are so stupid” She said again, her words echoing loudly…

      The tears began to well up in her eyes, ” No Paola, he didn’t even mention your name… What makes you think he couldn’t be interested in me.?  Why is everything always about YOU!”…Gabby screamed back, releasing her own anger….     

Chapter 19

That ugly dream of Paola laughing hysterically at her as she rubbed her bulging baby bump showed itself again, making Carolina sit upright in the bed gasping for breath. For a split second it seemed so real, so current. Paola and Efe, together, laughing, as she was reaching out for Efe….

      She cradled her face in her hands, realizing it was only a dream, but it was a dream that had been coming way too often…She reached for her phone to check the time,…5:42 am… That means it’s almost 2:00 in the afternoon in Hull, Massachusetts.

      She went to the bathroom, splashed some warm water on her face, pulled her long dark red hair up in a ponytail, grabbed the throw from her bed and headed for the beach. She couldn’t put off calling her dad any longer.

      She stopped on her way through the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She would need that extra jolt of caffeine if she was going to talk to her dad. 

       The sunrise was just beginning….in those early stages of grandeur, as that fiery color of the sun is just coming alive, stretching the rays of gold through the darkness of the sky. It was a site to behold from her viewpoint…

      She watched it, observed it for a minute, before making that most dreaded call to her father. In her mind she knew he would try to convince her to come home, and she knew she would have to be strong enough to tell him she was never coming home..

      The sound of the phone ringing made her heart beat fast and hard, then she heard his voice…” Carolina, hello. It’s about time you called. I hope you have come to your senses.” Those were the first words that she heard..

      She swallowed hard before speaking, ” Dad. Hello, how are you. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier, but I thought you might need some time to cool off before we talked.” She answered, finding a newfound confidence inside herself.

      The sound of his little girl’s voice touched his heart and his eyes filled with tears, ” Im sorry honey. How are you….are you okay, has his family treated you well? If not, I will be on the next plane back there.” he spoke, choking back the tears.

     Carolina knew he only had her best interest at heart as she replied, ” Daddy I’m fine. The Divits are a wonderful family and they have been more than gracious to me. Please don’t make them sound ghastly.” 

      Adam pushed back away from his desk and jumped to his feet, ” Oh really, …is that what you think? Well I have found a whole different side of this wonderful family, and you are going to listen to what I have to say.” he shouted, unable to control his anger.

      Carolina was so weary of all the confrontations as she inhaled and exhaled forcefully, ” What could that possibly be dad. I know you think I have myself in a mess, but I don’t see it that way. Efe is a good man,….yes he has made some mistakes, but who hasn’t.” She tried to explain.

      ” Mistakes?….A baby is more than a mistake Carrie. This baby is going to be a part of his life for as long as he lives. And that means that,…that woman will be there as well. Now, tell me you are prepared to welcome both of them into your life.” He spat out the words viciously.

      Before she had time to reply, Adam began unloading all the dirty laundry of the Divit family. “So, the first thing I found was about Efe’s grandmother,…Huma Erdamar. Now there’s a woman that defines the word “devil”….. he announced, as if he were giving his closing arguments in a trial.

      ” I suppose you know that she was in prison for ten years, and I suppose you know that it was for fraudulently tampering with medical records. And…… for harassment, breaking an entering, and for conspiracy…. And all of that was just to keep her son, Can Divit and Sanem Aydin apart….

       ” Dad, look….” Carolina began to speak, but her dad interrupted her, continuing on with his list of accusations.. ” And then there was Emre Divit,. Efe’s uncle. Now there’s an upstanding Divit man.” He mocked, with a wicked laugh. 

      ” Emre Divit,…. Financial Officer and Accountant for Fikri Harika Advertising Company. Accused and admitted to bribery of a government agency.. He was also the one that tried to over throw his own brother and destroy their company by stealing customers from the agency and funneling them into a secret company.” He spoke, his speech precise and deliberate.

     Carolina felt her body go weak as she listened. “ How had he found out about all of this.” She wondered. Efe had already filled her in on the evil ways of his grandmother, and explained to her what his uncle Emre had try to do to his father many years ago. 

      Adam continued, ” And all of those charges against Emre Divit were never answered. He never  paid for what he did. So not only are they crooks, but they were privileged and more than likely they bought their way out of everything.” He stopped, taking a deep breath, he waited for her response.

      The silence from Carolina made him think that he had just told her the damaging things that would make her run back home to the states,… until she finally spoke, ” Dad, you haven’t told me anything that Efe hasn’t already told me. Those things are exactly why Can and Sanem don’t live in Turkey. That’s why they live here in Malaga, but over the years they have resolved those differences,….all except his grandmother, Huma. 

      That had been a touchy subject for Efe, and for him to confide in Carolina about it all had meant a lot to her. ” Dad, Huma Erdamar died some years ago. There was never any connection between Efe and her. Can and Sanem washed their hands of her many years ago, so what ever she was,…. It wasn’t because of them.”

      Her words seem to fall on deaf ears, as Adam continued, ” So none of these things matter to you. The fact that this family has lied and manipulated almost everyone in their life to get what they wanted….. You just don’t care?” He asked her, in shock at what he was hearing.

     Carolina leaned back in the lounger, ” Dad, you didn’t give yourself time to get to know Efe or his family. He’s not like that. He’s smart, he’s caring, he’s honest with me, and that’s all I want in the person I love.” She replied, her voice full of love. 

      Adam Munro was a man of facts, and believing what was right in front of him. ” Carrie, I have spent the last 15 hours reading about this family. Maybe you need to do some investigating yourself. Look them up little girl, don’t be fooled by the way this family looks…” He begged. 

      ” Dad,…I don’t need to look them up. I’m right here watching them, I’m a first hand witness to the love that this family has for each other. Now I’m sorry if you think I’m being naive, but whatever Efe’s grandmother and uncle did years ago has nothing to do with Efe and me.” She answered, feeling the love for this family swell for this family as she spoke.

      As Adam listened to his daughter, he wished he hadn’t raised such a loving and compassionate person. She was exactly like her mother, always seeing the best in everyone, and he knew there was no changing her mind.

      ” Ok,….ok Carrie, if that’s the way you want it then you will have to accept what comes your way.” He said, finally coming to terms with her choice..

      ” But don’t think I will sit back and watch you get hurt. If Efe doesn’t treat you well, please,…please warn him…… He will answer to me.” He stated with authority.

      Carolina smiled, ” You don’t have to worry dad. Efe would never treat me badly. And I wanted to tell you, he has asked me to marry him…. and I’m going to say ” yes”…….

Chapter 20

Kadir had barely slept. All he could do was think about Gabriela and what his plan had been in the beginning. “ It was suppose to be a clear and simple plan,…. make Gabriela think he liked her and trick her into telling him that Paola was lying.” 

      He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands, letting out a huge sigh. ” But that is wrong Kadir… and you know it.”  He thought, scolding himself.  ” Besides,.. you really do like her, and don’t even try to lie to yourself.” 

      He threw the covers back and headed to the bathroom. A hot shower might clear his head, but he wasn’t sure if it would keep his mind from thinking of her…. her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she was telling a story, the way her skin glistened in the soft outdoor lighting… That very image of her in his mind made him shiver…

      The shower had made him feel better, but he still had to explain to his brother that this plan may not be a good one. He toweled off and dressed, hesitant to face the family this morning. He hoped it wasn’t written all over his face the way he felt.

      Efe met him the hallway outside his door, ” So, what happened last night. It was so late when I heard you come in. Did you have any luck with Gabby?” His brother asked, whispering so the rest of the family wouldn’t hear.

      Kadir shifted his eyes away, ” Well things were…..they didn’t go quite as I expected. So I couldn’t just start talking about Paola, and asking a bunch of questions,…. you know,…she would get suspicious.” He stammered about with his explanation.

      Efe shook his head, ” Well great… now what? Kadir, go see her again. This time turn on the charm. Make her think you are into her.” He spurted, moving within inches of his face.

      The thought of deceiving her made him sick, ” Efe, I don’t know,….you know I would do anything for you…. But this is… you know,..it’s cruel. And Gabby is…. ” He stopped before finishing the sentence.

      Efe stepped back and eyed his brother, ” Gabby is what,… she’s what Kadir?” He said, with arms crossed. ” You like her, don’t you. Kadir, she’s a friend of Paolas, and she is probably just as vindictive. You don’t want to get involved with someone like that.” He told him, patting him on the shoulder.

     ” No,…I don’t like her,….but she is nice. I took her to dinner last night and… and, we had a lot of fun. She isn’t like Paola, trust me, that’s one thing I know for sure.” He assured his brother.

      ” But, I will try and find out what I can, ok? Oh, how’s Carolina? Did you get the results from the doctor?” He asked, wanting to change the subject..

       Efe lowered his head, ” Yes, we got them…and it says Paola is 12 weeks pregnant, so it looks as if I’m the father. And I’m on my way to Carolina room to see if she’s ok. She had another bout of dizziness last night.” He explained, as he headed in down the hallway..

      Gabriela struggled to open her eyes, only peering through the tiny slits to see that the sun was already up and shining bright. She closed them back again quickly, and covered her face with the sheet. “ Oh my god…my head is pounding….and I feel terrible. 

      She moaned, tossing and turning in the bed, ”  What did you do last night….. what kind of fool did you make of yourself.” She asked herself, remembering the dinner with Kadir,…and how much fun she had. 

      She kicked the covers from her bed and forced herself to sit up, ” You know you can’t hold your liquor…… especially those strong Sangrias…. She lectured herself, as she staggered her way to the bathroom.

      She turned on the shower to let the water heat up before stepping in. She slipped the straps of her nightgown off of her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor,….then she looked at herself in the mirror. ” Well Gabriela, just when you thought you couldn’t get anymore pathetic, you pull a trick like this….. Kadir Divit, huh…who are you kidding.”  She spoke out loud, the image of him and those soft blue eyes staring back at her…

      The scalding hot water had made her feel better. The events of the night before were beginning to come alive again as she combed through her shoulder length, dark brown hair. The words that Paola had so eloquently spat at her were repeating over and over in her head.

      ” Honestly,…I don’t know why I stay friends with her. She is just so self-centered and mean.” She thought, ripping through her hair with fury. ” What makes her think that Kadir wouldn’t be interested in me. And I AM NOT AN IDIOT.”  

      She dressed in her stay-at-home lounging clothes, thinking how glad she was to have the next couple of days off… And she knew she didn’t want to see Paola for while, as she headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

      As she passed through the small living room on her way to the kitchen she saw Paola still there, stretched out on the sofa. The sight of her made her even more angry, ” Paola,…Paola, hey it’s time for you to go.” She huffed, pushing on her shoulder.

      “Huh”….She moaned, shifting her body around. ” Hey, get up. It’s 9:00. You have work today.” Gabriela shouted a little louder. 

      Paola slung her arm around, ” Stop…. Leave me alone.” She slurred. ” Paola, it’s late and you have work.” She spoke again,,but a lot louder.

      Paola opened her eyes, looking around in confusion, ” What, oh….ok. I guess I went to sleep here.” She said, her voice crackling. She sat up, rubbing her face, ” Bring me some water,….and a fresh cup of coffee, too.” She ordered, as she grabbed her phone to check the time.

      Her demands penetrated through Gabriela like a hot knife, ” No,… you need to leave. You have to open the shop in an hour. Go home and get ready.” She snipped.

      Paola looked at her, shocked, ” What,… what’s wrong with you. Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed?” She snickered. ” Ok, I’m going, but don’t forget what I said last night…stay away from Kadir. Don’t be foolish enough to think he could be interested in you.” She scoffed, patting Gabby on the cheek.

      Gabby slapped her hand away, ” Oh, so now I’m foolish as well. I’m stupid, an idiot and foolish…Wow, it’s good to know what you think of me.” She hissed, glaring at her.

      Paola glared at her friend, ” I’m not sure what’s up with you, but you had better be careful. I’m your only friend and you can’t afford to lose me.” She spoke with a hint of sarcasm. ” I came to share my news with you last night, but you haven’t even asked me about it.” She whined, giving her best pouty face.

      Gabriela rolled her eyes, ” I know what happened,…You handed over the false doctor reports to Efe.. making him think that this child you’re carrying is his” She shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

      Paola immediately flashed a smile, ” Yes, and you should have seen the look on his face. The only downfall was that he left Red in the car, so I wasn’t able to see her reaction.” She snickered.

      Gabriela had heard enough, ” It’s time for you to go Paola. You have work..” she said, holding the front door open for her. Paola had a puzzled look on her face as she walked toward the door..

      ” Are you turning your back on me Gabriela. You know you are just as much a part of this lie as I am, so don’t think it won’t look bad on you if my plan is exposed.” She scoffed, marching out the door.

      Gabby slammed the door behind her, furious at her accusations. ” What makes her think I’m just as guilty as her.”  She thought, stomping off to the kitchen for her coffee.

      “If I really wanted too…..I could tip off Kadir to what is going on…. Then we would see who is the smartest. But then Kadir would never look at me again”…… And I don’t want that.”  She thought, as she sipped her morning coffee..

Chapter 21

Carolina was rolled up in a ball in the lounge chair, still holding the phone in her hand. The phone conversation with her dad had gone just as she expected. But she never dreamed he would dig up all that dirt on the Divit family.

     But she had stood her ground, she had been strong, not letting him bully her into coming home. They had ended their call by Carolina promising to keep him up to speed with what was going on with Paola. 

      The sun had rose to its splendor, but the arrival of some dark ominous looking clouds off in the distant had blocked the beautiful start to the day. The wind had picked up and she could feel the temperature start to drop. 

      She pulled the throw tightly around her, as she watched the sky change from a brilliant orange and blue, to an angry color of grey. 

      ” There you are. I looked in your room and you weren’t there.” Efe spoke, as he hurried up behind her. ” So what are you doing out here. There’s some rain coming in.” He asked as he slid in beside her in the chair. 

      Carolina smiled slightly, welcoming his arms as he wrapped her up and pulled her close to him. ” I woke up early and decided it was time to call my dad.” She mumbled. 

      ” I wish you had waited for me,…I wanted to be with you when you made the call.” Efe said, knowing that the call hadn’t gone well. Carolina rubbed his arm, feeling how strong he was, how protective he was. 

      ” I needed to call on my own Efe. And he did just what I thought he would do,… he begged me to come home. But what I didn’t expect was,…. The length he would go to for that to happen.”

      She sat up and turned to him, ” Efe he knows all about your grandmother and her time in prison. I’m so sorry that he went that far.” She spoke sincerely, as she stroked his face. “And he also knows about your Uncle Emre. But I told him that all those things had been many years ago.” she said.

      Efe looked away from her, ” Damn, I figured he would find out about Huma Erdamar, but I don’t know how he found out about Emre.” The embarrassment showing on his face. ” So he thinks we are a terrible family, right? You told him that’s why my parents stayed here in Spain didn’t you?” He emphasized, desperately wanting to explain to Adam himself.

       ” I did Efe, please don’t worry, my dad is just that way, it’s  a military thing. I told him everything you told me about what happened in your mom and dads life.” she assured him. “Hey, I know my father better than anyone,….if he thought all that stuff had anything to do with what kind of person you and your parents were……well he wouldn’t have waited to talk to me on the phone,…he would have been back here in person and carried my away.” She told him with a smile.

      Efe pulled her next to him, ” I’m glad he didn’t. So you think it’s a good sign that he come back here to rescue you from the evil Divit family holding you hostage in this beautiful place.” He joked, kissing her on top of the head.

      She laughed, a natural and sincere laugh. Something that he hadn’t heard from her in a while. It made him feel good. ” So Miss Carolina Munro, I asked you a very important question recently, but you didn’t give me a straight answer.” Efe said, lifting her head to look into her eyes.

      She knew the very question he was talking about, and she knew she didn’t give an answer. But now, getting married seemed like the right thing to do. She loved him, that wasn’t going to change, and whatever happened with Paola they would face together. 

      She smiled, ” Mr. Divit, are you saying you want to get married,…to me….right here on the beach?” She replied teasingly, running her finger along the muscles on his chest.

      Efe sucked in his breath as he welcomed her touch. He had missed their intimacy over the past few days, and the feel of her presence had stirred him. ” Yes,…I…I..suppose I am saying that. What do you say Carrie. Let’s get married, I don’t want to wait.” He stammered, his body becoming heated and aroused.

      ” Well,…I say YES…Yes, Yes.. But nothing elaborate, please. I want a wonderful ceremony right her on the beach, at sunset. Ok?” She announced, as if she had it all planned in her head.

      Efe jumped up, almost spilling them both out onto the sand, ” You will,… you’re sure. You want to get married here, on the beach. I think that would be great.” His voice shrill with excitement..

      Kadir knew something exciting had just happened as he approached his brother and Carolina, ” Hey you two, breakfast is ready. What’s going on.” He asked with a smirk.

       They both looked around startled, ” Oh Kadir,.. ok we’re coming.” He said, as they tried to hide their happiness. ” No, you have to tell me what’s going on.” Kadir said, with a serious face.

      ” You’ll find out very soon. So let’s go eat.” Efe said, as he grabbed Carolinas hand and headed toward the house. ” We will announce it over breakfast, ok?” Efe whispered to her, hugging her tightly against him.

      Paola and Gabby had been best friends for years, and Paola had never seen Gabby act that way before. ” Just when I need her the most, she’s going to start acting weird on me.”  She thought as she looked at herself in the mirror, applying her deep red lipstick and going over the last few moments of her conversation with Gabby.

      Going to work was the last thing she had on her mind, but the thought of getting fired was something she didn’t want to think about right now, not until she was officially Mrs. Efe Divit. She smiled at herself in the mirror, “ It will happen….I know it. This baby is going to get me everything I ever wanted,… even if it’s not Efe’s…. She told herself, smoothing down her silky black hair.

      She felt a small twinge of discomfort radiate across her lower stomach as she stepped into her stiletto’s. It was enough for her to notice, but nothing that alarmed her, so she grabbed her bag and her coffee and headed to her car. 

      Her little tiff with Gabby was still on her mind. She would let her stew about it until lunch time, then she would call, just to give Gabby the opportunity to apologize to her.  ” She’ll be over it by then, and beg me to forgive her.” She smirked, as she opened the shop for the day.

      Gabriela was having a hard time getting motivated for the day. After kicking Paola out the door, and realizing what her friend really thought of her,….she just wanted to disappear. Even the thought of Kadir couldn’t make her feel good about herself. 

      She took her third cup of coffee and went to the backyard yard. Although it was tiny, she loved sitting out there smelling the flowers and listening to the birds. It made her problems go away….. but it didn’t stop her from thinking about Kadir.

      She actually found herself smiling as she thought about him.  How he shocked her with his choice of restaurants, how he knew what she liked to drink and even what food to order. She didn’t want Paola to be right about him,…she wanted Kadir to like her, for her, and not just to use her.

      It surprised her to even think that way. To even imagine she could be with Kadir Divit, but why not….why not her.  ” Just because Paola thought she was a pathetic loser….no, an idiot, that’s what she called her…….That doesn’t make it true…

      Any other time, when she fought with Paola, her life had seemed to be over. But this time she didn’t care she ever spoke to Paola again. This time Paola had gone too far….

Chapter 22

Between the gestures and the looks being tossed back and forth between their two sons, Sanem and Can both knew there was something going on..

       ” Ok you two. Do one of you want to let us in on what is going on?” Sanem asked, laying her fork down beside her plate. ” Efe, …Kadir….” She said, looking from Kadir to Efe. 

      Efe smiled, and grabbed Carolina’s hand, ” Sure, I tell you, and it’s very good news.” He replied. ” Carrie and I have decided to go on with the wedding. And we want to have it here, on the beach.” He announced, his face beaming. 

      Sanem clapped her hands together, ” Oh I’m so glad. Efe, Carolina,… I couldn’t be happier. But you know this won’t be easy.” She continued, grasping onto Efe hand. She shifted her eyes to  Can, along with Efe, Carolina and Kadir, waiting for what he had to say.

       The look on his son’s face was all he needed to know that this was the right decision. “Good,..I’m happy for you. Your mom is right,…it won’t be easy. But then again a true love that was meant to be, never is. And we are glad you want to do it here.” He told them, feeling that lump in his throat.

      Kadir jumped up and hurried around the table, ” I knew it,…I knew it. I’m so happy for you both.” He gave his brother a big hug before turning to Carolina. ” And I will finally have the sister I always wanted. Welcome to our family.” He said, giving her a hug as well.

      Sanem immediately went into organization mode. ” Now what date have you decided on. We will have a lot to do, so we need to get started.” She snapped, as she started clearing the table of the breakfast dishes. 

      ” Soon mom, soon.” He answered. Even though they hadn’t discussed it, Efe wanted it to happen now. He turned to Carrie, ” What do you think? I was thinking, maybe,…Saturday.” He muttered.

      She smiled, ” Well then, Saturday it is. On the beach at sunset.” She said, as she gazed into his eyes.

      Sanem gasped, ” What,….Saturday, this Saturday….as in three days away Saturday.” She shrieked. Her mind was already reeling with all the things that needed to be done…

      Carolina began helping her clear the table, ” I don’t want anything elaborate, and just us. So it shouldn’t be a lot of work.” She explained, hoping to calm down Sanems excitement. ” Don’t you think that would be best, you know, because of….” She stopped before finishing her sentence.

      Sanem stopped what she was doing and focused on Carolina. ” My dear. Please don’t let Paola and what she is claiming overshadow your special day. Efe wants to marry you….and that will never change.” She expressed to her, as she caressed her hand in hers.

      ” Now we are going to sit down and make a list of everything that needs to be done to make that day just what you want.” She explained with authority. Carolina shook her head, ” OK, but I still just want an intimate ceremony with just us,…that is unless Efe has some friends he might like to invite, or you and Can.”  She said, thankful for how special her future mother-in-law was.

      Within minutes Sanem had sat down and started making their list of things-to-do. Carolina was shocked that Sanems ideas were much the same as her own. ” Oh, I have a friend that would be more than happy to construct an arbor covered in flowers,…if that would be something you would like.” She suggested.  Carolina agreed, visualizing it all as Sanem talked.

      The rest of the morning was spent making plans for the wedding of their first born son. Efe, Kadir and Can were on the beach picking out the perfect place to for the ceremony to take place. “Dad, I think this is the best place, here…right here.” He said, facing out toward the water with his hands held up like a picture frame. 

      Can smiled, ” So this is the place? Ok then, let’s mark it with a flag.” He said. Efe smiled as he peered out across the turquoise water that seemed to have no end, ” Yes, this is the place. I want nothing to block this view. I want everyone to see that our love is as endless as this sea of water.” He muttered, glancing at his dad.

      ” Sounds like you have thought about this day a lot brother. ” Kadir said, watching as his big brother described the setting. Efe had already planned the whole day in his head weeks ago, “Yes I have Kadir. I saw all of this in my mind the day we turned our boat around and headed back to  Alghero, Sardinia for Carolina.

       Carolina and Sanem called out to them as they walked the short distance down the beach, “Well, have you chose the spot?” Sanem asked, linking her arm with Can’s. ” Yes we have,…this spot right here.” Efe answered, pulling Carolina in front of his and facing her out toward the water.

     ” This is perfect Efe. This is just what I wanted.” She spoke, mesmerized by the view. ” Well my bride-to-be, I’m glad you agree.” He replied, hugging her tightly. 

      ” Ok then, we still have a list of things to make happen before Saturday. But the most important thing is shopping for a dress.” She said. 

      It didn’t take long for Sanem to present each one with a job. But Efe had only one thing he wanted to take care of first. ” Dad, I don’t have a ring. Will you and Kadir come with me to pick one out.” He asked, once his mom and Carrie headed off to town to find that special dress.

      The drive into town was quiet. Can knew his son was thinking about a lot more than just his wedding. ” Son, I know you are worried about Paola and what she might do when she hears of your wedding. But she can’t hurt you and Carolina,…not if you are honest with each other and make the love you feel for her the most important thing in your life.” Can told him.

      Efe agreed, ” I know dad, and she is the most important thing to me. But Paola can and will be a problem.” He added, already fearing the worst. 

      Kadir had done nothing but think about Gabby since the beginning of the day. Even with all the excitement of the upcoming wedding, his mind was still full of her. So he found all his courage and asked, ” Efe, I know how you feel about Gabby, but I think you’re wrong about her. And I would like to invite her to the wedding as my date. Besides, what better way to make the point to Paola that there will be nothing between you two than to have her best friend at your wedding.” Kadir bantered, slapping his brother on the shoulder.

      Efe took a deep breath, ” Kadir I just don’t think it’s a good idea. She probably wouldn’t even accept the invitation.” He answered, seeing the look of disappointment on his little brothers face.

      Kadir shook his head in agreement, not wanting to upset Efe or Carolina on their special day. ” I understand,  if you don’t want her there then I won’t ask.” He answered back.

       The ring selection had been a lot easier that any of them expected. The third ring the jeweler presented to them was the winner. A wide antique gold band, with a solid row of tiny diamonds running through the middle, symbolizing a love with no end. 

      ” This is the one… he said. ” This is it.” He announced proudly, as he examined the ring.

      With the ring in hand, Efe, Kadir and Can started back home. Kadir was still clearly disappointed about Efe’s decision against Gabby not being at the wedding, and Efe couldn’t stand to see his brother upset…so he made a decision.

      ” Kadir, if bringing Gabby to the wedding is going to make your happy, then invite her. I won’t stand in your way… who knows, you just might be right about her.” He said, throwing his arm around his brothers neck…

       He smiled, ” Are you sure, I want you to be sure. But I think you we see, she isn’t like Paola”….

Chapter 23

Paola pulled out the chair from the desk and sat down, letting out a huge sigh. She was so tired, which was so unlike her. The slight discomfort that has he had felt earlier had appeared again, but just for a minute and then it was gone. 

      She laid her hand on her stomach and smiled, “ Maybe this is the way it’s going to be…being pregnant.”  She thought. Or maybe she was just imagining all of it. 

      She glanced at the time, ” 1:00… it’s lunchtime and I didn’t have breakfast either. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with my stomach.”  She took her phone and ordered a burger and onion rings from the place down the street to be delivered. 

      It had been slow for the most part so she looked forward to taking her lunch break and enjoying her food. With her food delivered, she locked the front door and turned the sign over.       ” Eat first, then make the call to Gabby. I’m sure she’s ready to apologize.” She thought as she dove into the burger.

      By early afternoon Gabby had finally moved on from all the ugly things that Paola had said to her. But that didn’t mean she had forgotten about them. She went about her usual routine for her days off by grabbing her basket of laundry and walking down the way to the laundry room. 

      She got the load of dirty clothes going and headed back to her apartment. A little clean up around the house while she was waiting on the laundry, anything to keep herself busy and her mind off of Paola. 

      Gabby knew that her so- called friend would be waiting on her call to apologize, but this time it wasn’t going to happen. She was done being taken for granted, she was through with always putting Paola first.

      “No, this time I’m not sweeping her actions under the rug. This time I’m not calling her, this time I’m putting myself first.” She told herself as she threw her laundry in the clothes dryer and turned it on. 

      As she opened the door to her apartment and started in, she heard her phone ringing. For one glorious second she thought, she hoped she wished it was a call from Kadir,…but when she picked up her phone, she saw the call was from Paola. 

      She let it go to voicemail….. “Why would she think I would answer her call…. I have nothing to say to her.” She huffed, as her phone alerted her of a message. She knew what the message would say.. it was always the same….Paola was right and she was wrong, but….she listened to it anyway.

      ” Gabby, are you there? Ok,…I’m not upset with you anymore. I know that you are sorry for what you said to me, and for kicking me out of your house… So, you don’t have to say you’re sorry, because I know. Call me….

      Gabriela rolled her eyes, a typical Paola thought. Paola had always involved her in everything she had ever done. But this time it was not going to happen. “This time Paola is wrong and I don’t want to have anything to do with her destroying both Efe and Alvaro’s lives.”  She thought as she tossed her phone on the sofa, completely ignoring her plea to call her back. 

       If there was one thing she knew about Paola, it was that she would be showing up at her place, and shame her into forgiving her. But this time she wasn’t giving in…. This time she didn’t want I sit around waiting on Paola to make her feel worthy.

      Business picked up in the afternoon at the small boutique, leaving Paola little time to wonder about why her friend had not returned her call. When she finally locked the door behind the last customer and flipped the sign on the door to closed, that’s when she realized that Gabby had never called her back. 

      A feeling of betrayal lunged through her, ” Who does she think she is anyway. I called her and told her I forgave her for what she said…..so what else does she want.”  She huffed, as she rang Gabby’s phone again….. But there was still no answer.

      She drove in the direction of Gabriela’s apartment, ” She will feel different when she sees me.  She will be sorry for what she did. And then everything will be fine…. We will be fine.” She told herself as she made her way to Gabbys.

      Sanem and Carolina had marked off half of their list that afternoon. The guest list consisted only of their family, and old friend of Can and Sanem’s from the magazine, and Efe’s two best friends from school along with their girlfriends. It was definitely going to be a small intimate affair..

      The food would of course be taken care of by Can. Just simple dishes, but all of them would be traditional Spain cuisine… The flowers had been selected and Sanem’s friend was delighted to design the arbor of flowers that would mark their special spot on the beach.

      The cake….. it was designed and ordered by Carolina. A solid white, two tiered cake that was as pure and natural as their love…  She wanted nothing elaborate or flashy….just elegant..

      The dress…It had been found. This too was a design by Carolina. A soft white color,…a flowing cascade of chiffon material that was pulled together at the waist with a wide band of delicate lace. The neckline was a v-line, trimmed with a tiny row of the same lace. 

      She remembered seeing a picture of Sanem in a white sundress, wearing a crown of white daisies on her head. She had seen it in Can and Sanem’s bedroom on Can’s nightstand, and she had seen a different picture of her in the same clothing on his desk in his office.

      She loved the look of it, and wanted the same look for herself. But she wanted to make sure it was ok with Can. It was obvious to her that he had been the one to take those pictures of her back then. 

      Both Can and Sanem were thrilled she wanted to wear a similar crown of flowers in her hair that Sanem had wore that day, ” I think you will look beautiful, and I couldn’t be happier that you are marrying my son.” Sanem said, hugging her soon-to-be daughter.

      So all had been decided, with only a trip back to town on Friday to pick up her dress. This was the wedding that Carolina had always dreamed of since she was a little girl, but she had never dreamed she would fall in love with a man like Efe Divit. 

      Now the last thing for Carolina to do…..Call her dad and give him the news. She would give anything if he would insist on catching the next flight to Malaga to walk her down the beach and give her away to the man she loved, but she knew that would not be the case….

      The day had been busy, but productive. As she and Efe said their good nights in her bedroom, the reality of it all began to sink in. ” Efe,…do you realize that in two days it will be our wedding day?” She whispered in his ear. 

      ” Hmmm, yes, but it’s still two days away, I’m ready for it now.” He mumbled, as he kissed her neck and continued on, making his way to her chest. She giggled, ” Efe, you are making this harder in both of us. We can wait..” She told him, as she tried to wiggle from his embrace.

     ” Ok,…Ok. I will try to be on my best behavior.” He said, kissing her on the forehead. ” Oh,I forgot to tell you. Kadir is inviting someone to the wedding, and please don’t get upset,…but it’s Paola’s friend Gabriela. He started out trying to get information from her about Paola, but I think it has turned into something more,….even if he doesn’t want to admit it.” 

      Carolina wrinkled up her nose, ” Oh, the girl from the bar. She doesn’t seem like Kadir type. So is that where he hurried off to earlier.” She asked. 

      Efe smirked, ” I think so. He was in a rush, but Kadir is a pretty good judge of character. I don’t think he would let himself get involved if he thought she was anything Paola.”

      ” Well ok then. Just as long as she doesn’t bring Paola along”….She joked, tapping Efe on the nose.

Chapter 24

    Kadir pulled up in front of the apartment complex.  He hadn’t called her to let her know he was coming, which may have been a mistake. But it was a chance he was willing to take, as he walked up the sideway.

      The building consisted of four small apartments, two on the bottom and two on the top. Her apartment was on the bottom and to the left. He hesitated, smoothing his hair down, before he knocked on the door. He took a deep breath then tapped on the door three times.

      The knock startled Gabby at first. She was just slipping into her best pair of jeans, and her favorite t-shirt to meet an old friend at the movies. So the last thing was wanted was to see Paola. 

      Her first thought was to not answer the door, but if she knew Paola, she wouldn’t go away peacefully. Just as she reached the door to open it, there was another knock on the door, but this time it was a little louder.

      She jerked open the door, ” Ok, Ok, what do…..” she snapped, fully expecting to be looking at Paola, but instead she was standing in front of Kadir.  

      ” Hi, sorry I didn’t call first, but I was close by and thought we could,…maybe, if you want, we could grab a bite.” He stuttered. 

      She couldn’t help but smile, ” Kadir, it’s you. I…I… didn’t expect you.” She said, touching her hair that was still piled on top of her head in a mess. ” Come in…I was just getting ready….I was going to meet a….would you like a drink?” She babbled, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

      Kadir held up his hand, “No, thanks. Did you say you already have plans. I was really hoping we could…. Well if you have plans, I’ll be on my way.then.” He replied, hanging his head.

      ” No,….I mean, it was just with an old girlfriend. We were going to a movie,…but it’s nothing that I can’t get out of,….I mean if you still want to.” She mumbled, shifting nervously.

       Kadir smiled even broader, ” Good. Well, are you ready then let’s go.” He said, walking toward the door. 

       ” NO,….I mean, let me change. I need to fix my hair.” She blurted out, as she walked backwards toward the bedroom. ” I will just be a second. Just sit down, I’ll….I’m coming right back.” She explained,  as she disappeared into the other room.

      She rushed into the bathroom, jerking the clip from her hair, ” Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…..I can’t believe he is here.”  She whispered quietly, her stomach fluttering with excitement. She dialed her friend to explain, ” Hi Maria, look I’m sorry but something has come up and I won’t be able to meet tonight.  I’m really sorry, but let’s plan it for another time.” She lied, as she applied a fresh coat of lipstick.

      She threw her head over, running her fingers through her long thick hair, then tossing her head back. Just a little fluff, she thought, as she put the rest of her hair in place with her fingers.

     She stepped back, looking at herself in the mirror, ” Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe a jacket to go over the t-shirt,….my leather one.” She said out loud, reaching inside her closet to grab it. She slid it on and looked once again in the mirror. ” Yes, that’s it. It almost matches his jacket.”   One final look before she went out. 

      ” Ok, now I’m ready, so let’s go.” She said with confidence as she entered the room. Kadir turned and smiled, ” Hey, you look great. Good choice on the jacket. It’s supposed to be cooler tonight.” He offered with a laugh..

      ” So where are we going tonight. Are we going to the same outdoor cafe?” She asked as she fit the helmet on her head. He nodded, ” No, I have someplace special I want to take you. And I have something special I want to ask you.” He remarked, revving up his motorcycle and speeding off down the street.

      Her head was in a daze, “Something special…… What could that be.”  She asked herself, already letting her imagination go wild. ” Whatever it is,..I’m going to say ..Yes”  She thought, slipping her arms around his body tightly…

      Paola parked in front of her apartment and started to the front door.  She knocked, then waited. She knocked again and waited. But Gabby didn’t answer. After a few seconds she banged her fist on the door, ” Gabby, let me in. You’re acting like a child.” She yelled angrily through the door.

      The next door neighbor open her door, ” Hi….hey Gabby isn’t home. She left a just a few minutes ago.” She told her, then slammed her door again. Paola stood there, feeling confused, but then it turned to anger, ” Ok, have it your way Gabby, my friend. I will let you have your fun, but I may not want you back as my friend if you’re not careful.”  She thought as she stormed back to her car.

      Kadir took off down the Highway. Excited to have that feeling of her against his back and her arms wrapped around him again. He was taking her to a place that he loved, a place that was the most beautiful spot in Malaga. He hoped she would feel the same way..

      He veered off the Highway, going toward Acantilados y Tuneles de El Cantal. The road was narrow as he wound his way along. Before long he pulled up close to a railing the ran along a huge boulder that extended out into the over the sea.

      He sat there in silence for a second, looking out at the water. ” Here is is, the most magical place in Malaga. I think this is the spot where you can see forever, you can see nothing but still you can see it all.” He said, as he grasped her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

     She held her breath, feeling his hand on hers. It made her shiver with excitement. He lifted his leg over the seat of the bike, then extended his hand to her, “Here let me help you.” He offered, letting his eyes look into hers.

      She smiled and took his hand, ” Thanks, so this is your special place?” She said, glancing around. He nodded, ” Yes, it always has been.” He said, reaching into the side bag and pulling out a sack and a bottle of wine. 

      ” Dinner,… empanadas and wine. Two meat ones, and two strawberry. You do like them don’t you?” He said with a serious face. She laughed, ” Of course I do, but I think you spoke to someone at the bar, didn’t you?” She answered him back, shaking her finger at him.

     His face took on a pale shade of red, ” Well maybe, but only because I wanted to make sure you would eat it.” He replied, his face turning soft and gentle as he looked her. ” I just wanted to please you.” He said, extending out his hand to her. 

     She smiled, and boldly reached for his hand, but the truth was she was weak in the knees just being this close to him, so the fact that he asked around to make sure he got the food she liked, well, it almost blew her mind.

      He guided her down a narrow path to a spot with a bench, overlooking the water. He pulled a large purple bandana from inside his jacket and spread it down on the bench, then glanced at her with a slight smile, as if he was quite proud of himself . 

      She looked at him with narrowed eyes, ” You even found out my favorite color. Kadir, what are you doing?” She asked, as her heart thumped away in her chest.

      He motioned for her to sit, ” I just want to know you. I want to know everything about you,…so I asked the people closest to you what your favorite things were.” He muttered, feeling embarrassed.

      ” I told you I had something special to ask you, so here it is.” He said, sitting down beside her. Gabby’s heart jumped into her throat, and her mouth became as dry as the desert. “What….what, what is it Kadir?” She stuttered, the blood rushing to her head.

      ” I want you to come to Efe and Carolina’s wedding with me,….as my date.” He spoke, focusing his eyes on hers.

      She exhaled her pent up breath and smiled, ” So Efe and Carolina are getting married? I’m so glad, and yes, I would love to go with you,…as your date.” She replied. 

” Not exactly the question she was thinking of,…but one that was just as unexpected. Maybe this is the beginning of something good in her life.” She thought. 

Chapter 25

Efe gazed out at the water. The moon dancing and bouncing like a symphony on the waves. Sleep didn’t seem to be in the cards for him tonight. He had tried, after saying goodnight to Carolina in the other room, but he just couldn’t turn his mind off. 

      The thought of Paola and a baby, and how Carrie was going to handle it all, he just couldn’t close his eyes. So he came to the place that always cleared his head. 

      He heard Kadir’s motorcycle turn in the long driveway. Another late night for his little brother, and it brought a smile to his face. He was seeing a whole new side to Kadir. He was not the same serious and life organized person he had been before.

      ” Hey, come join me brother.” Efe called out to Kadir as he neared the house. Kadir waved, “Sure, how about I bring us a beer?” He answered back. Efe signaled his approval…

       Kadir plopped down next to his brother and shoved a bottle of San Miguel his way, ” Here you go. What’s up with you, are you getting cold feet.” He laughed, then taking a big drink from the bottle.

      The answer didn’t come quickly from his brother, making him look at him, ” Hey,…you’re not getting cold feet are you…really. I was just joking, but I can see there is something wrong.” He said, moving around in front of Efe.

      Efe shook his head, ” No, I don’t have cold feet… but I do have doubts about Paola and the baby…. What if Carolina can’t handle it after all. What if  she leaves me…Kadir, I wouldn’t be able to stand it if she left me.” He muttered, sounding lost and vulnerable.

      Kadir draped his arm around his brother, ” Efe Divit,… what has gotten into you. Carolina is not going to leave you. That I am sure of. So what’s really wrong? He asked,  to sure he wanted to know the answer.

     Efe dropped his head, ” I don’t want this baby to be mine Kadir. I don’t want to have a baby with Paola. I just  want Carolina to be the mother of my babies…. Is that terrible?” He asked, turning to look at his brother, as the tears filled his eyes.

      ” No, I don’t thinks that’s terrible. I think you’re scared.” He said, eyeing his brother. ” This whole thing took you by surprise. You’re not the same person you were when you were with Paola. Now you know what, and who, you want. And besides nothing is for sure yet.” Kadir raised his bottle of beer in the air. ” Here is too the truth.” He stated, with a smile.

      Efe clinked his bottle against Kadir’s. ” Yes, the truth,….so did you charm anything out of Gabby tonight?” He asked with a bit of humor. 

      ” Hey, you know, I really like her. She is pretty, and strong willed, but she doesn’t seem to have the same vindictive tendencies as Paola has. She is coming with me to the wedding, and she even said she was glad that you and Carolina were getting married.” He remarked, then finishing off the last of his beer.

      Efe was surprised, ” Really, she said that,…that she was glad we were getting married. Hmm, they must be in a fight.” He muttered. ” They used to get into fights all the time. Paola would get mad at her for not acting like she was the only person that mattered, and Gabby would be scared that Paola would never talk to her again. But then Paola would demand that Gabby apologize to her,…even when it wasn’t her fault.” He smirked, as the memories of that time with Paola made him feel worse.

      Kadir knew that Paola and Gabby were having a disagreement, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was about, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it with his brother.  The fact that Paola had been waiting for Gabby at her apartment the night before, and the fact that Gabby had all but physically thrown her out the door of her apartment,… he knew that Gabby wasn’t at all happy with Paola.. 

      He had asked the taxi driver to stop a comfortable distance away from her apartment that night.  He waited there for a bit, watching as Gabby and Paola had their confrontation in the doorway, and Gabby practically threw her out the door and slammed it in her face.

      “Yes, he knew Gabby and Paola were not on the best of terms,..and he told himself this was the best time to get close to her…… but in his heart he knew,…That wasn’t the reason he wanted to get close to her.”…..

      Paola was sitting in the middle of her bed, wrapped up in a blanket, feeling as if her world was falling apart. Gabby hadn’t called her, or texted her. She had gone out with someone else, without even a word to her. This was not at all like Gabby, and she didn’t like it one bit.

      She looked at the clock, seeing it strike 1:00am. She covered her face with both hands, ” Why doesn’t she call me. She knows that I’m pregnant, and she knows what I  going through.” She thought, willing the phone to ring…

      She had already called her twice without an answer, so she wasn’t going to lower herself to call again,….” That would for sure make her look desperate.”   She slid down in the bed and curled up in fetal position.  ” She thought she would never be alone,…yet her she was….alone. How was she going to pull off this charade without Gabby’s help”  She wondered as she drifted off to sleep.

      Gabriela dressed for bed, still full of giddiness from her date with Kadir. Had she dreamt this all, had she misunderstood the way that Kadir had acted,… had her imagination gone wild in her head…..No!…she didn’t think so. 

      Kadir Divit was interested in her!…. He asked her to accompany him to his brothers wedding as “ his date.”  He took her to his special place, he held her hand… Yes, she wasn’t dreaming, it was happening.

       She settled herself down in bed, wanting to hold on to every moment of the evening in her head. She had declined two calls from Paola earlier, and she saw that there were two messages from her as well. 

      Gabby opened the messages to read them, but she knew all too well what she would read. “Gabby I went to your place this evening and you weren’t there. You haven’t answered my calls all day or my texts. You are being childish and it’s going to stop. Call me now and I won’t be upset with you anymore.”  

      Gabby smirked, ” Is that right Paola,…you won’t be upset with me anymore.”  She swiped through the message, deleting it. Then she opened the next message, it had been sent just an hour before…. ” Gabby, you must call me back. You know that I can’t do this alone, and this was your idea too… You can even text me that you’re sorry and I won’t ever mention the hurtful things you said to me again.” 

       Gabby tossed the phone halfway across the bed and let out a muffled scream, ”  She is unbelievable…. She still thinks I’m the one that said hurtful things…. Well that will never happen..I’m not begging for her forgiveness, not this time..

      If felt good for her to be free of Paola. None of this had been her idea, so she wasn’t sure where she got that. If anything, she tried to talk her out of trapping Efe into a marriage. 

      She switched off the lamp beside her bed and sank down in between the covers. A smile crept  across her face…. ” She will go crazy when she finds out I’m going to Efe and Carolina’s wedding as Kadir’s date”

      ” Sometimes karma is a bitch Paola..” …She thought, as she drifted off to sleep with only Kadir on her mind……

Chapter 26

Early the next morning as Carolina woke she realized that this the last day that she would carry the name of Carolina Munro. She would be Mrs. Carolina Divit…..And she loved the sound of that. 

      That call to her father to let him know she was getting married was suddenly foremost in her mind. She wasn’t sure why she had put off calling her dad to inform him of her plans, other than subconsciously waiting until it was too late for him to travel back to Malaga for the ceremony. Whatever it was, she knew she had to call now, or there was no way he would ever forgive her and Efe..

      She rang his number, letting it ring until it went to voicemail. She hated to leave a message about something as important as this, but maybe that would be better. 

      ” Dad, I’m sorry I missed you, but I have something very important to tell you. Efe and I are getting married,….tomorrow…on the beach in front of the  Divit’s home. I knew you wouldn’t come, so that’s why I didn’t call you before.. I’m sorry for all of this, but I have to go with my heart….and my heart loves Efe.. I hope one day you will understand that.. Please call me when you get this message.”  She spoke, her voice heavy with sadness..

      Adam had intentionally not answered her phone call, letting it go to voicemail. The thought of hearing her voice and not being able to get her to listen to him about her mistakes was more than he could stand. 

      He waited a few minutes before he finally listened to her message. He listened in disbelief as his little girl explained what was going on. He was numb and exhausted from all the long hours of investigating that he had been doing on the Divit family, and now she was telling him it was all for nothing,……his Carolina was marrying Efe tomorrow …

      Friday had consisted of making all their plans come to life. Can and Sanem were busy transforming their beautiful courtyard in a fantasy land, drenched in lights and flowers. 

      They moved their huge dining table outside and decorated it with a lace tablecloth and flower arrangements of white daisy flower that adorned the whole table.  A multitude of lights were strung above and around the perimeter of the courtyard, making everything glisten like the stars..

      One trip into town to pickup Carolina’s dress and the white linen trousers for Efe to wear for the ceremony was the last thing in the list of things to do. Sanem was busy constructing the crown of white daisies for Carolina to wear, and Can was busy in the kitchen preparing the dishes that could be made ahead of time.

      Kadir took a minute to phone Gabby, ” Hi, how are you. I just wanted to let you know what time I will pick you up tomorrow, and I won’t be on my bike.” He joked. ” I’ll be there before 6:00. The ceremony is at 7:30, just as the sun is setting. And my dad is fixing dinner for everyone afterwards in the courtyard.” He explained. 

      ” Ok Kadir, I will be ready. And you are sure that Efe doesn’t have a problem with me being there?” She asked, beginning to have reservations. 

      Kadir was quick to respond, ” No, he doesn’t. So don’t worry, the wedding will be wonderful and nothing will go wrong.” He assured her. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit ashamed of how this all started. But now, using Gabby to get to Paola wasn’t even a thought in his mind.

      The morning seemed to be dragging on as Paola tried to busy herself with the shipment of new merchandise. But the fact that Gabby had totally ignored all of her phone calls and her messages was beginning to really upset her. 

      She picked up her phone to check, hoping that she had missed a text or phone call, but the screen was blank. By lunch time she was ready to escape the small store and get some fresh air. ” A salad and fruit today.”  She thought, “ She hadn’t had much of an appetite and the strange weak feeling had passed through her body a few times.”

      The park in the town square was the place she liked to go for lunch sometimes. It was always shaded and full of activity and tourist. With her salad and drink in hand, she found a perfect bench and got settled. 

      But the busyness of the center didn’t make her feel better, so she headed back to the shop. As she stopped at the corner before crossing the street, that’s when she saw them. Efe and Carolina leaving the dress shop on the next corner over. She was carrying a long garment bag, and Efe opened the car door for her, but not before stopping her and giving her a long, very intimate kiss.

      She wanted to look away but her eyes just wouldn’t, she couldn’t even blink. A stab of jealousy sank into her heart, as she wondered what was in the garment bag. She watched as Carolina placed the bag in the car and got in the front seat. It all played out as if it was in slow motion…

      The car drove off down the street, but she still stood there in a bewildered state. “What was that?… Why did I have to see that. Why did he not feel that way about me.”  Her mind flooded with so many thoughts that she could barely move. 

      The rest of the day was torture. The business the slow, so no one would notice if she closed up a little early she thought, turning the sign around and flipping off the lights. Her car took its familiar route to her friends house, hoping that Gabby was ready to apologize, and give her a shoulder to cry on.

      Gabby was frantic, rummaging through her closet for the perfect dress to wear. She had plenty of dresses to choose from, but for the first official date with Kadir Divit, and the wedding of his brother, it would require the best and most stylish outfit she had. 

      She had taken them all and place them on her sofa so she could inspect them. She knew she would need something light and airy, maybe even floral. First she held up her light blue maxi dress. It was form fitting, a draped neckline with thin straps, but maybe it was too formal, she thought, tossing it to the side.

      After a few minutes, she had narrowed it down between the short pale yellow dress with the full shirt and lace overlay on the bodice,…and the lavender mid length dress, made of a soft silky material. It was an off the shoulder style that came with a wide belt to accentuate her tiny waistline..

      She was completely engrossed in making her decision when someone banged loudly on her door. Before she had a chance to turn around, they banged again, even more demandingly on her door. ” Ok, ok, I’m coming.” She yelled, reaching for the door and swinging it open..

      Paola stood there fuming, ” Gabby, why have you not returned my calls?” She shouted. “I needed you and you weren’t there. Now you have some explaining to do.” She said, stomping past Gabby in the doorway and into the living room. 

      Gabby stood there in shock, ” Paola, what, why are you here.” She asked. Paola looked around, ” What’s all this Gabriela. Why are you going through your best dresses.” She asked, turning slowly to glare at her.

      Gabby stood tall and looked her in the face, ” Let’s get something straight Paola,…I have nothing to explain. And I have nothing to hide.” She spoke defiantly.  

      ” Then what are you doing with all your dresses out here?” She said, picking one of the dresses up and tossing it on the floor…

      She feel the heat rise up to her face, ” Well, if you must know I’m going out with Kadir.” She answered. Paola smirked, ” Kadir?…On a date? And where is he taking you,… She blurted out…

      ” He is taking me to Efe and Carolina’s wedding,…it’s tomorrow evening. Now,…are you satisfied?” She snapped back, her eyes flaming….

Chapter 27

Gabby felt a sharp stab of guilt as the hurtful words tumbled from her mouth. The surprised look on Paola’s face was a look she had never seen before. Paola had always seemed to be in control of herself….and everyone else.

      Paola opened and closed her mouth, as if she were trying to speak but couldn’t. Gabby was beginning to get concerned as she watched Paola struggle to speak, ” No,…No, you will not do any such thing. And Kadir is playing a trick on you,…Efe is not going to marry that woman.” She spoke as if she were gasping for air.

      ” Why are you doing this to me Gabby,..I’m your best friend,…I’m your family. Why would you believe such a thing. Efe and I are going to….. ” She stammered, as she flopped down on the sofa. ” Efe and I are going to be a family…..not Carolina….not her.” She mumbled, rubbing her face with her hand.

      “Paola, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you like that…but you just made me so mad.” She pleaded, trying to console her. Paola jerked away from her, ” I think you’re lying, I think you wanted to hurt me. Well, if you think you are going to keep me from getting what I want, …you have another think coming.” She recited, as she stood up, looking her directly in the eyes.

      Paola marched to the door, obviously fuming from the encounter. Before opening the door, she turned to look at Gabby, ” Oh Gabby, don’t bother with any of those dresses, nothing will make you look like you belong with Kadir Divit, certainly not those rags you call dresses.” She snapped, with a satisfying look on her face.

      She slammed the door behind her, leaving Gabby standing there with her mouth open. She had never intended to tell Paola like that, to deliberately say things to hurt her. She dropped down on the sofa, realizing that she had probably lost the only person that she considered family.

      She covered her face with her hands and let the tears come. “Maybe she is right….maybe I will never be good enough for Kadir.”  She thought. She scooped up the dresses from the sofa and threw them on bed, ” She’s right, nothing I have is good enough, so what am I doing.”

      Paola sat in her car for a minute, reliving what Gabby had said. “That’s what was in the garment bag when I saw them today,…her wedding dress. He isn’t taking this baby seriously.” She thought, her body trembling. 

      ” No one is going to treat me like that and get away with it, least of all Efe Divit. He has humiliated me for the last time.”  She started her car and drove toward home. ” A wedding without your child being there, no….. I’m sure he wouldn’t want that. I’ll make sure that we are both there…..mother and baby.”    She smiled, thinking how happy he would be to have his child at his wedding….

      Adam sat in the chair on the patio, his mind in a state of confusion. Where had he gone wrong, where had he failed his daughter, he wondered. She was just like her mother, a hopeless romantic. 

      Maggie would have been supportive of her, he knew that for sure. She would have loved Efe and how romantic it all seemed. A dashing sailor, sailing the seas looking for the love of his life….. And their daughter Carolina, living an amazing adventure on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, finding each other and falling hopelessly in love. ” She would have loved everything about this.” He scoffed, shaking his head in disgust.

      He closed his eyes, ” Maggie, she’s making the biggest mistake of her life….and I can’t stop her.” He mumbled. 

      His phone rang, making him jump. He grabbed his phone to see who was calling,…and unknown caller is all it said..  He couldn’t help but think something might have happened to Carolina, so he answered. 

      ” Mr. Munro, this is Efe Divit…I know it’s the middle of the night there, but I hope you don’t hang up…because we need to talk.” Efe spoke with sincerity. There was no response from the other end of the call, but Efe continued. ” I know that Carrie left you a message about our wedding earlier, and I’m sure you have a lot of reservations about that happening. But for Carrie’s sake, I hope we can find a way to come together.” 

      Adam was silent for a minute before answering, ” Efe, I don’t know if I can ever forgive Carolina for doing what she’s doing. And I not sure if I can accept a person like you for my daughters husband. But what I do know is,…. I love my Carolina with all my heart and if she is happy with you…..then I will not stand in her way.” He spoke, his body and heart feeling defeated.

      The words might not have seemed like a victory, but to Efe, he had just won the Nobel Peace Prize. ” Mr. Munro, I know that would mean the world to Carolina, but it would mean even more if it came from you. Would you consider giving her a call and telling her that?” He asked.

      Adam Munro was not one to back down or admit he was wrong, but at that moment he felt he had no other choice. ” Efe, first I want to ask something of you. I want you to tell me how you are going to take care of my daughter. Where are you going to live, ….do you plan on getting a job?” He bombarded Efe with questions.

      Efe took a deep breath, ” I would expect all these questions and I hope I have the answers you want to hear. Firstly, I am going to take care of Carolina by loving her, respecting her and putting her above everyone else. I want you to know that we will have a home wherever Carolina chooses. And lastly, I have a job, a very good job, that is waiting for me to begin right after our honeymoon.” He explained, then waited for Mr. Munro’s reply..

      Adam felt as if the last of his strength had vanished, he had nothing more to say. “Well you seem to have all the answers Efe. I will call my daughter and give her my blessing,… but if anyone or anything harms my daughter, I will hold you personally responsible. Do you understand?” Munro muttered, feeling as if his world was collapsing around him.

       The whole house was already in a rush as Efe came out of his room that morning. Kadir met him in the hallway, ” Brother, tell me now, what do you have planned for your wedding night and your honeymoon?” He whispered loudly, not wanting the rest to hear. 

      Efe stared at him, his mind whirling. ” Oh my god, nothing,…I have nothing planned Kadir. Am I an idiot….What am I going to do?” He stammered, grabbing his brother by the shoulders.

      “Just calm down brother, I think I have an idea. What,..or where is the most important place to you both?” He asked…waiting for an answer..

      Efe ran his hands through his hair, ” I don’t know, I don’t know. Come on Kadir, don’t play games with me….what did you have in mind?” He asked desperately.

      Kadir smiled, ” The boat Efe,….the boat. What better place for your wedding night slash honeymoon than spending it on the boat. Then taking a few days and sailing down the coast to that deserted little beach that we used to go to with dad.” 

      Efe let out a sigh of relief, ” Of course. That would be perfect. Kadir, you are the best brother ever, and a genius as well. But the boat needs to be prepared. We’ll need some food and water and,…and..” He stammered.

      Kadir held up his hands, ” Say no more. I have already started the preparations. Your friends and I will have everything ready by the time you get Carolina to say “I Do”……..

Chapter 28

Carolina and Sanem were sitting in the middle of her bed, making the final adjustments to the crown of white daisies that she was wearing in her hair. 

      Sanem held it up in the air, as she examined it, turning it back and forth. ” There, that should do it, don’t you think?” She said, her thoughts going back to that unforgettable day at Can’s  home and the photo shoot.

      Carolina could see that Sanem was reminiscing about that time when the picture was taken, “Sanem, I appreciate you letting me wear this crown of flowers. It’s obviously an important part of your love story, with Mr. Divit.” She replied, grasping her hand…

      Sanem looked down, her face flushed with memories and embarrassment. ” Well let me just say, that was a very difficult day for me.” She spoke, a childish like smile spreading across her face. ” Let me start by saying that I was a very naive and inexperienced girl back then, and I did some things that when I look back on them now…well they are embarrassing, that’s all I can say.” She replied with a giggle.

      Carolina was more than intrigued. ” I can’t imagine that you were ever naive, or inexperienced for that matter. But, please tell me what happened.” She pleaded, her curiosity peaked.

      Sanem took the next little while telling her how she all but ruined the career of the top model in the country. ” It’s not something I’m proud of, but when her face became distorted and red from the strawberries in her smoothie, I couldn’t help but laugh….and I think that made Can even more upset with me. But that was the day he took those pictures of me without me knowing.” She laughed, as the full memories of that day circled in her mind..

      Within seconds Sanem changed, becoming serious, ” That was a day of turmoil for me too.. I didn’t know what these feelings were that had burst open inside me. Just the sight of Can would make me shudder inside, like nothing I had ever experienced before. I couldn’t stand to be away from him,….and I couldn’t stand to be with him. It was just like they say,… he was my magnet…my pull of nature and I didn’t understand what was happening.” She muttered, as if she were reliving that time all over again.

      Carolina wiped a tear from her cheek, she didn’t even realize she was crying, until it tickled her cheek as it slowly rolled down. ” I’m sorry Sanem, I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories.” She said. 

     Sanem smile, ” No Carolina, you didn’t bring bad memories. These are memories of my heart. These are the memories that make me who I am….Sanem Divit. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.. There was nothing in my life that could ever keep me from loving Can… I knew it that day, and every day after that…He was the only person I would ever love.” She whispered softly, as she wiped the other tears that trailed down Carolina’s cheeks.

      Kadir had all the arrangements handled. Daniel and Leo, Efe’s friends since high school, were the ones in charge of stocking the boat with all the necessary supplies for a few days of sailing. 

      Daniel and Leo’s girlfriends had offered to decorate the cabin of the boat to welcome the honeymoon couple, so Kadir left the boat in their capable hands. ” If we know Efe, he won’t be interested in the decor when he gets his bride to the boat.”  Daniels girlfriend said, making the rest of them laugh…

      The hours of the day were ticking away, as the time of the wedding grew closer and closer but Carolina had been adamant about Efe not seeing her until the ceremony. It was one of her only traditions that she was sure she wanted to uphold, and Efe was happy to agree. 

      Carolina looked at her phone one more time. “ It’s 5:00. In a little over two hours I will be a married woman.”  The thought made her shiver with excitement. Her and Efe had refrained from  any kind of close intimacy, and to be truthful it had been the worst thing she had ever done. 

      Tonight,….tonight they would makeup for all the nights they had missed together, tonight would be special…. Her mind was thinking of all the possibilities of the night when her phone rang. She picked it up, looking at who was calling. ” Dad, is that you?” She asked hesitantly.

      Adam cleared his throat, ” Yes Carolina, it’s me. I got your message. So you are going through with it? And there’s nothing I can say to change your mind?” He asked, his voice was strained and  she could tell he was crying.

      ” Daddy, please,…I want you to understand. I’m not doing this just to hurt you,..I’m doing this because I love Efe. Because you taught me what love is,…because you and mom loved each other,…because, because I love you.” She sobbed, wanting him to understand…

      Adam swallowed what seemed to be the last bit of his heart, ” Your mom would have loved Efe…she would have loved this whole thing,… You, Efe, your love story,….the magic of it all…

      “She would have given you her blessing. So, since she is not here to say those words to you,…Then I will.”

      “My beautiful, wonderful, loving daughter….. You have my blessing,..my blessing to be happy for the rest of your life.” He uttered, speaking through the tears.

      ” Oh daddy, thank you….you don’t know…… dad, dad, are you there? She asked, as she listened to the silence on the other end of the phone.

      Carolina held the phone tightly against her chest, “Thank you daddy,…. But most if all,..thank you momma. Thank you for being with me today.” She said, her heart filled with love..

      Gabby was still curled up in the sanctuary of her bed when someone knocked on her door. She threw her hands over her face, ” Now what, this had better not be Paola again. I don’t need anymore reminders of how insignificant I am.” She huffed, climbing out of bed and stomping to the door. 

      When she opened the door, she  was met with a huge bouquet of lavender and purple flowers. ”  Gabriela Delgado Cruz?” The person asked, shoving a notebook in front of her to sign. ” Here, sign it on the line please.” 

      ” But, who,…where did …ahh, ok.” She said, scribbling her name on the paper. She took the flowers, still confused at who could be sending her flowers, and closed the door. A card was sticking out from the top of the bouquet, so she took it out and opened it..

      ” Gabriela,… I am glad you have accepted my invitation to the wedding. Be ready at 6:00, and I hope these flowers will eliminate any doubts you might have about me…. Oh, by the way… I think this color would look beautiful on you.  Kadir….” 

      She couldn’t keep from laughing, but she wondered how he knew she was considering a lavender dress for the wedding….. It was magic….destiny…..clairvoyant…

      Whatever it was, she was convinced…. Kadir wasn’t just using her as Paola had said…

She quickly glanced at the clock,…. ” He will be here in an hour…… so wipe all those doubts from your mind and get ready…..She thought as she placed the flowers in a vase.

      Paola had chosen a dress that she was sure to make Carolina Munro look like a nun…..She skillfully applied her makeup and pulled up her silky black hair into a bun on top of her head. 

      She stepped back to evaluate herself in the mirror, “ You look fabulous, if I do say so myself.” She smiled, placing her hand on her stomach…. ” Don’t  worry my baby….your father will love you know matter what. I will make sure of that.” 

      She was watching the clock, ” She knew that the wedding would probably be at sunset,…an unoriginal thought of course, but she wouldn’t have expected anything out of the ordinary for Carolina anyway. 

      She grabbed her wrap and her bag and headed out….allowing herself just the right amount of time…..” I want to be there just in time to see here walk down the beach…..And then I can spoil all of her dreams.” She smirked. ” I will almost feel sorry for Red,… no, maybe not..” She laughed…

Chapter 29

Gabriela rushed about, getting ready for the wedding. She stepped from the shower and pulled her robe tightly around her, as another wave of excitement washed through her.

      ” I’m going out with Kadir Divit….I can’t believe it.”  She sang out loud to herself. She took a little bit more time with her makeup than usual, making sure she looked appropriate for a sunset wedding.

      She wrapped her hair up in a bun at the back of her head, and framed her face softly with loose tendrils of hair. The dress fit to a tee, and she couldn’t help but smile as she looked at herself in her full length mirror. But she still needed something else,….something special to make everything pop…

      ” A flower,…that’s what I need, a lavender flower for my hair.” She rushed to the living room and snipped off one of the largest lavender blooms in her bouquet of flowers. She carefully wove the stem of the flower into the side of her bun. 

      She stood tall, turning her head from side to side,….”Now, that’s better. Just enough to let Kadir know I loved the flowers, but not enough to look gaudy.”  

      She knew better than to wear her heels to a beach wedding, so she slipped into her dressy sandals. She stepped back for one final look, “ Not bad Gabriela Delgado Cruz….not bad at all..

      Her soft pastel floral scarf with fringe would be just perfect to wrap around her shoulders later after the sun went down, she thought, as she searched for it in her drawer. She draped the scarf over her arm and took her small clutch bag, admiring herself in the mirror….

       Kadir stood outside her door for a second before knocking. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous, so jittery, almost like he couldn’t breathe. He tugged at his soft blue linen shirt, making sure it was tucked properly into his light khaki colored slacks. 

      He ran his hand down the back of his head, smoothing his hair, then he knocked. It seemed like it took forever for her to open the door,…but when she did, he couldn’t believe what he saw. A vision of beauty,….perfection… it made him gasp. ” Gabby,…you look beautiful,..no, more than beautiful,..you look perfect.” He muttered.

      Gabby smiled, ” Are you sure I look ok. I don’t want to embarrass you at your brothers wedding.” She spoke, wrinkling up her nose. He laughed, ” I’m sure, and you could never embarrass me….anywhere..” He said, reaching out his hand to her. ” Shall we go?” He said, stepping aside and bowing.

      She laughed, ” Yes, we shall.” she joked, taking his extended arm. She must be dreaming, she thought, as they walked to the car, but she hoped she wasn’t. She was ready for all of this to be true….

      Carolina had done everything herself, her makeup, her hair, but the whole time she wished her mother had been there. In all her wildest dreams, she could never imagine she would marry a man like Efe and live in another country.  

      A soft knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts, ” Yes,..who is it? She asked, thinking  it would be Efe. ” It’s Sanem, can I come in?” She said. Carolina opened  the door, ” Of course, come in.” 

      Sanem was carrying the crown of white daisies in her hands, ” I wanted to help you with your headpiece. Oh, Carolina you look beautiful, just beautiful.” She gushed, stepping back to admire her. 

     She sat down in front of the mirror, letting Sanem place the flowers gently on her head. The white daisies and baby’s breath entwined with a few green leaves looked breathtakingly beautiful nestled softly in her auburn red hair.

      Sanem covered her mouth with her hands, ” That is perfect, just perfect. And I have something else for you.” She said, reaching into the pocket of her dress. 

      She pulled out a necklace, a thin silver chain with a small stone attached. The stone was like none she had ever seen before, ” Oh Sanem, this is beautiful. What gemstone is this?”  Carolina asked, viewing the clear blue stone.

      Sanem smiled as she dangled the necklace from her hand. ” This is a moonstone, a stone that has many different looks and meanings. Its name comes from its moon-like appearance and shine. But most of all it promotes emotional balance and spirituality.” She recited.

      Carolina lifted her hair as Sanem placed the necklace around her neck. ” Can gifted me this necklace many years ago. The moonstone always had a deep meaning for him, he felt it kept him safe. Something he always wanted for me and for his children,…. to be emotionally whole.”

      Carolina touched the crystal blue stone as it laid against her skin, ” But this was your husbands gift to you, I shouldn’t take it from you.” She muttered, her throat was tight with emotion as she tried to speak.

      Sanem touched her cheek, ” You are our child now, and we both want the same for you. This necklace has worked its magic for Can and I, so now it’s time for it to keep you safe and whole as our sons wife.” She spoke.

      ” And just so you know,…we, us, you and I, we keep the Divit men on track. If we are in balance, then so are they”…..She giggled, and gave her a hug. ” It’s almost time, so I will leave you alone, but just know….. we couldn’t have picked a more perfect match for our son than you.” She said as she left the room.

      Efe paced the dock next to the boat, “Kadir are you sure that everything has been stocked. I don’t want anything to go wrong.” He exclaimed nervously. Kadir looked at their dad and shook his head, ” Dad I think we have a nervous groom on our hands, don’t you.” He joked, slapping his brother on the back.

      Can placed his arm around Efe, ” Son, your brother had taken care of everything. Don’t worry about it. We have even checked the weather for the next few days, and it looks like you will have perfect days and nights to enjoy,” He replied.

      Efe nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets, ” Ok, I trust you. But if…..” He spoke, pointing his finger at Kadir. 

      ” Nothing is going to happen. Nothing but you and Carolina having the best honeymoon ever.”  Kadir said. ” Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to see about my date. I just showed her to her seat then ditched her.” He explained, as he hurried down the dock. 

      Efe stood there looking at the water, ” Dad, it seems as if Carolina and I are starting out our lives together much like you and mom did. Maybe not quite as many problems, but still not the way I wanted it to be. Do you have any advice for me?” He asked, turning to look at his father.

      Can looked solemn, ” Efe, do you love her?  Does she make you feel at home and peaceful when you are with her?  Do you worry more about her than you do yourself? Is it impossible for you to consider your life without being able to feel her skin or smell her scent?  If you answer yes to these things then there will never be a problem to big for the both of you to handle.” 

      Efe smiled, ” I answer yes to all of those things dad, so I guess it’s time to go to my wedding.” He replied, giving his dad a huge hug. 

      The closer Paola came to Divit Estates, the more her anger boiled up inside.  “ How could he do this to me…. I gave him everything, all of me. But he never even wanted it.”  She thought, the tears filling her eyes. 

      ” Well he is not going to do that to me. He isn’t going to make me look like a fool.” She yelled out loud, as she sped down the road going toward the beach. 

      The world seemed to be spinning out of control for her. All she could think of, was revenge.

      She never saw the stop sign, or the car coming from the other direction….not until her car was slammed into viciously….and the glass shattered all around her….

Chapter 30

 Can tapped lightly on her door, ” Carolina, it’s time. All the guests are here and one very anxious groom.” He told her. She opened the door slowly, almost too nervous to walk, ” Ok, I guess I’m ready.” She said,…her voice quivering.

      Can raised his hand in the air, ” Carolina you are a vision to behold. And the necklace,…it’s perfect for you. My son is a lucky man.” He announced, holding on to her hand.

      He walked her down the hallway and out across the beautifully decorated courtyard. “Ok, you have it from here my daughter. We will wait for you on the beach.” He muttered, holding back his tears of happiness.

      She could see the spot from where she stood, the archway of flowers, a few chairs lined along the sand filled with the most important people in their lives,…all waiting for her to walk down to meet the man she loved.

     Her hand touched the moonstone that dangled there around her neck, she closed her eyes, letting the strength from the stone fill her body. “ All your troubles will soon be over….all your fears will soon be in the past…. You will soon be the happiest you have ever been.”  A voice recited in her mind.

      The voice startled her at first, it was unexpected, but she recognized the voice….it was her mother’s voice. She looked around, seeing if she could see her there, any sign of her, but there was not.

      She fought back her own tears, took a deep breath and walked toward that special place on the beach where Efe was waiting for her, her eyes lock with his all the way.

      Efe couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked the short distance across the beach. It looked as if she was glowing, as she made her way toward him. The first streaks of orangey gold rays spread out across the water as he took her hand…

      ” Carrie you look stunning, beautiful, even more than I could have expected.” He spoke softly as they turned to face each other….

      She could see his watery eyes, ” Efe…don’t you dare cry. If you do then I’ll cry, and that won’t be good for my makeup.” She whispered to him with a little smile.

       There was definitely a higher power that evening as the sun set easily into the soft blue water. Only god could have provided the beauty of a sunset like that…. As Efe and Carolina declared and promised there love for each other for the rest of their lives…..

       Kadir watched as his brother promised his life to Carolina, while sitting next to the first woman that had ever made him think about doing the same. He glanced Gabriela’s way as Efe and Carolina sealed their vows with a long kiss….She was glowing.

      ” Oh Kadir, thank you for bringing me here, it was a beautiful ceremony.” She said, as the minister announced Mr. & Mrs. Efe Divit to guests. Kadir smiled and circled her with his arms. The gesture surprised even him a first, but it just seemed natural.

      Gabby stood there a little shocked at his actions. ” Oh, well…. Ok. Thank you Kadir, uhh,…for the hug.” She stammered, her body feeling hot from the encounter. Kadir held on to her, not wanting to let her go.. 

      He wasn’t sure if it was the occasion, the beautiful sunset, the fact that she looked so ravishing, but he loved the way she felt in his arms. ” No, thank you Gabby for being my date tonight. I couldn’t imagine watching my brother get married with anyone else but you.” He muttered, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers.

     Gabby gazed into his eyes, ” Me either, I,..I am really happy for Efe.” She stuttered, as she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her. 

      Kadir couldn’t resist any longer, his lips pressed gently and softly against hers. That feeling of excitement filled his heart, as the kiss lasted longer than either of them expected. 

       Gabby melted into his arms, letting that first and most important kiss carry her away. She was spinning, her head, her body, her heart….all spinning. 

       Her phone rang, breaking the silence of their most intimate experience so far. Gabby pulled back, looking at Kadir, ” I’m sorry, but my phone….it’s ringing. I will see who it is.” She mumbled, her lips still begging for his touch.

      She fumbled in her small bag, looking for her phone. The call said “unknown caller” and she rarely answered those, but this time something told her to answer. 

      ” Hello, this is Gabriela.” She spoke hesitantly, waiting for a reply. ” Yes, you are Gabby? They called you Gabby right?” The woman on the other end of the call asked. Gabby stepped a few feet away from Kadir before answering, feeling in her gut that this wasn’t going to be a pleasant call.

      ” Yes, I’m Gabby, this is Gabby. Who is this?” She asked, her heart already pumping her blood violently through her body. ” What do you want,…has something happened?” 

      The woman cleared her throat, ” Well, it seems that a Paola Torres has been brought in to the Hospital. She had a car accident. Your name was the first name in her contacts,…so,…so we called you.” She informed her.

      Gabby gasped, ” What,…is she ok? What happened…ok, what hospital? She blurted out. The woman answered, ” Hospital Quironsalaud Malaga. She is in the ER.” 

      Gabby started toward the house, leaving Kadir standing there wondering what happened, “Hey Gabby, what’s wrong, where are you going,…Gabby, wait.” He yelled after, jogging to catch up with her. 

      She turned to him, ” Kadir, take me to the hospital…  I forgot I don’t have my car. Please, Paola was in a car accident and she is injured. I have to go,…she doesn’t have anyone else.” She muttered, as the tears ran down her face.

      Kadir took her in his arms, ” Hey calm down, I’ll take you. Don’t worry she’s going to be ok.” He told her, feeling that strong urge to protect her. ” Shouldn’t we tell Efe. Just in case,..you know, the baby.” He said quietly, not wanting upset her anymore.

      She covered her mouth, ” Oh my god, the baby…..yes, yes….I guess we should.” She said, hating that she had to continue on with the lie. She knew that some way she would have to let Alvaro what was going on,……just in case….. because it was his baby after all.

      Kadir rushed to the courtyard where the party was already starting, motioning for Efe to follow him. Efe wrinkled up his forehead, annoyed at being pulled away from his bride.

      ” What is it Kadir. The party has started. What’s wrong?” He asked, looming over his brother with his hands on his hips. ” I know brother, but something has happened. Gabby just got a call from the hospital,…..Efe,…Paola was in a car accident this evening. She’s in the hospital..” He spoke, resting his hand on Efe’s shoulder……

      ” What,…an accident. Is she hurt badly,….should I go,….Yes, I better go. I’ll tell Carrie.” he rambled, as a strange feeling of panic set in. Efe hurried back to the party to look for Carrie.

      She met him, ” Ok, what’s going on. You look white as a sheet.” She asked, clinging on to his arm. ” Carrie, I have to go…..to the hospital..Paola was in a car accident and…and …I don’t know how bad….or if the baby is hurt.” he mumbled.

      ” Ok, then let’s go. What are you waiting on Efe….let’s go.” She shouted, grabbing his hand and starting toward the car..

      Gabby had been waiting in the car for Kadir to tell Efe, so in the meantime she found Alvaro’s number and called….

       ” Gabby,… this is a surprise. What dirty work is Paola having you do now?” He snapped at her. ” Alvaro, Paola has had an accident….she’s in the hospital.. we don’t know anything yet, but Kadir is taking me there now……I thought you might want to know. Hospital Quironsalaud…” She said, then hung up…      

      Efe took a second to let his mom and dad know what was going on before they jumped in the car a followed Kadir and Gabby to the hospital….

       All the way to the hospital Carolina thought about hearing her mother’s voice, just moments before the wedding,….telling her that “ soon your troubles would be over …. Your fears will be in the past…….  Was this what her mother was telling her…….

Chapter 31

Can and Sanem said goodbye to the rest of the guests.. ” Sorry everyone, but we will have to reschedule this celebration for Efe and Carolina. There seems to be an emergency with one their friends and they had to rush to the hospital.” Can explained. 

      ” We promise to make it up to you as soon as they return from their honeymoon in a few days.” Sanem added, waving as their friends left.

      ” Can, should we go to the hospital too, Efe might need us if things don’t go well with the baby.” She asked… her heart breaking…

      Can shook his head, ” No, let’s let Efe take care of this himself. Besides Carolina is there for him now, that’s the only person he will need. But we will be here waiting for them when they come home.” He said, holding Sanem tightly against him.. 

      Kadir held Gabby’s hand the whole way, as they sped to the hospital. ” Gabby, please don’t cry anymore. You are going to make yourself sick.” He pleaded with her, methodically messaging her hand with his thumb.

      Gabby wiped the tears from her face, ” Kadir she doesn’t have anyone…. I was the only person she had,…and I turned my back on her. Do you know how that makes me feel.” She mumbled through the sobs.

      ” You never told me why you and Paola were fighting…. But I bet she has forgotten all about it by now. Do you want to talk about it?” He urged, trying to make her feel better.

      Gabby turned away, ” No, I can’t talk about it. But it won’t be okay, trust me.” The rest of the drive to the hospital was in silence. 

      Efe had so many emotions running through him at the moment that he couldn’t even think, as they sped down the Highway toward Malaga, but Carrie’s feeling were the most important to him right now. ” Babe, are you ok?” He asked, reaching for her hand..

      Carolina had sat frozen in one spot, rethinking the bizarre event that happened just before the ceremony. She glanced his way with a slight smile, ” I’m fine sweetie, don’t worry about me. Your have more to worry about.” She answered, wondering if she had some strange connection to what had happened to Paola…

      Efe sighed heavily, ” But you are the one that I worry about most, Mrs. Divit.” He said, giving her a boyish grin. ” You are my wife, my heart, my soul,… so I just can’t worry about anyone else.” 

       The sound of him calling her Mrs. Divit was music to her ears. She was his wife, his partner and the person she loved most in this world, and she would stand beside him no matter what.

      They found a parking spot just outside the emergency room door, and all four of them hurried inside. Gabby and Efe inquired about Paola at the admissions desk and the clerk directed them down the hallway to another nurses station and waiting room.

      Gabby stopped a nurse as she rushed by, ” Hey, excuse me, but someone called me about Paola Torres. She has been in an accident.” She asked. The nurses nodded, ” Oh yes, wait in the waiting room there and I’ll get the doctor.” 

      They all stepped into the waiting room where a few other people were waiting to hear about their loved ones. The others all looked their way as the entered, that’s when Gabby noticed Alvaro sitting at the back of the room.

      Alvaro nodded a hello to Gabby, then looked away. She hoped that Efe didn’t ask her about him, she wasn’t sure if she could lie straight to his face. 

      Efe had also noticed Alvaro there when they came in, and he wondered who he was waiting for. He hadn’t seen Alvaro in a while, not that they had ever been close friends, but they had been acquaintances. 

      The doctor came in the room and they immediately stood, ” Are you here for Ms. Torres?” He asked, flipping through the chart in his hands.

      Gabby was the first to answer, ” Yes, she’s my friend. How is she?” She said. The doctor took a second to scan over the chart, ” Well she was very lucky I think. The other car hit her broad side on the passenger side of her car.” He reported.

      Alvaro had moved closer to Gabby and the doctor so he could hear what was being said. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the doctor say that Paola had been lucky. But he was worried about more than just Paola,…. he was worried sick about the child she was carrying.

      A wave of emotions hit Gabby, as she grabbed onto Kadir’s arm for support. ” So she wasn’t badly hurt doctor, is that what you’re saying?”  The doctor smiled, ” I think your friend had a guardian angel with her tonight.” He answered.

      The doctor looked at the four of them, ” And where is the father of the child she is carrying?” He asked. 

      Efe cleared his throat, ” Oh, that’s me doctor, I’m the father. The baby is fine, right?” He muttered, embarrassed to be saying the words as he stood there in his wedding clothes and holding his new brides hand.

      The doctor hesitated for a second, ” Oh, well….the baby has come through this just fine. I do not see any problem with your, uhh,… the mother carrying the child to full term.” He reported, a bit confused.

      Alvaro covered his face with his hands, ” Oh thank god they are both ok.” He mumbled quietly. Gabby turned to look at him, giving him a slight smile…but she wished he hadn’t showed up there. 

      The news brought a strange sigh of relief from Efe as well. He hadn’t really considered this child as his own yet, but the thought of her losing the baby had made him feel strange.

       ” Now, as far as the mother,…she has a broken ankle, a few scrapes and bruises and she will need someone to help her for a few days,  but other than that, she is fine.” He said with a smile….

      The doctor then directed his attention toward Efe,  ” I know you must be worried about your baby,…but I can tell you that baby’s are very well protected in the mothers womb. The fetus in this early stage of pregnancy is quite healthy.” The doctor said, patting Efe on the shoulder.

      Efe smiled and nodded, ” I don’t know much about pregnancy but I think that at 13 weeks, isn’t the baby less likely to be in harms way.” He said. The question took Carolina by surprise, but by the look on the doctors face, she could tell he was just as surprised.

      The doctor looked at all of them before answering, ” I’m sorry, I think that you all have been misinformed.” He spoke, with confidence.

      Gabby felt her heart skip a beat, ” Oh no, here it comes….the truth. When the doctor tells them have far along she really is,… that’s when my life is over.”  She thought as she listened to the doctor.

      ” How so doctor?” Efe asked, stepping a bit closer to doctor. His whole body language was demanding to know what he was talking about..

      ” Well, Ms.Torres is not 13 weeks along in her pregnancy, and I’m not sure how you could have been given that information.” He began, as he checked over the paperwork on his clipboard again.

      Efe felt his body tremble as he listened to the doctor…..” Ms. Torres is approximately 7 weeks into this pregnancy, but she was very concerned about the well-being of this child. I have assured her that there is nothing to worry about.” He answered, with a smile.

      ” Seven weeks, …are you sure…seven weeks.” Efe uttered, as a hundred red flags went off in his head….” But, I saw the reports…they said…. I’m sorry but, can I see Paola?” He asked the doctor.

      Carolina held onto Efe’s arm tightly….” Babe, I don’t think it’s a good idea….not now.  Efe took a deep breath before turning to Gabby….

      ” Ok Gabby,…. Whose baby is it?…..And I want the truth this time” ….His eyes glaring at her..

Chapter 32

 Carolina was in shock, just as much as Efe. The doctor said she was only seven weeks along…..So how had she given Efe the results from her doctor… 

      ” Gabby…. Who is the father? I know you are part of this lie….so tell me.” Efe asked, gritting his teeth. 

      Gabby felt weak and lightheaded,… ” I…..I….I’m sorry Efe. It was,…it was her idea.. I tried to talk her out of it.” She stammered, as she slowly backed away from him. Panic began to set in, she wanted to run as far away as possible, but her legs were as heavy as boulders..

      Kadir quickly stepped in between Gabby and Efe,..” Brother, don’t. Gabby didn’t have anything to do with this. Please, leave her alone.” He reasoned, holding back Efe.

     Carolina stepped up as well, ” He’s right Efe…This isn’t Gabby’s fault. Just calm down.” She spoke quietly, soothing him with her touch.

      Efe stood toe to toe with his brother, his eyes glaring, ” You know that Gabby was in on this,…that’s why you got friendly with her….to find out what she knew. Don’t deny it Kadir”…He spit the words out with vengeance.

      Gabby felt the tears sting her eyes as she listened…. “ So Paola was right….Kadir was using her…”  She slowly backed away, letting it all sink in.

      Kadir moved even closer to Efe, ” Efe, that’s enough.. don’t make this even worse.” He spoke almost in a whisper.

      ” HEY, …listen to your brother Efe. Calm down before you say more than you want to.” A voice spoke up from behind.

      Efe turned and saw Alvaro standing there. ”  I’m sorry but this is not your concern Alvaro. So I don’t want to hear it.” He spit back at him. 

       ” Well it’s more my concern than you think…. The baby Paola is carrying is mine.” He announced, stepping in closer. 

       ” Yours,… you and Paola….” Efe was stunned, as he listened to Alvaro. ” Yes, Paola and I have been together for a little while now. Well, we were together, that is until you came back to town.” He explained.

      Efe felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach, as he turned, walking a short distance away. Carolina followed, ” Efe, babe…. Are you ok.? I think you need to listen to what he has to say.” She told him, feeling a sense of relief. 

      Efe nodded, ” You’re right. So this was all a scam. Just to keep us apart Carrie.” He mumbled quietly, reaching for her and pulling her close. 

      With everyone focused on Efe and Alvaro, Gabby quietly slipped away. She made her way outside, hailed a taxi and headed home. Her heart was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces as she relived the last few moments. 

      ” Kadir had played you….it was all nothing but a terrible joke. Huh.. and you were stupid enough to fall for it..”  She thought, as she stared out the window of the taxi, her eyes overflowing with tears. All she wanted to do was get home,…shut the door and pull the covers over her head….And she never wanted to hear from Kadir again….. Or so she thought…

      It took a few minutes for Kadir to see that Gabby was gone. He turned around to try and explain to her what his brother was saying….and she was gone. 

      His first instinct was to try and find her as fast as possible, but maybe it would be better to let things settle first. They both had a lot to talk about…… He needed to explain how he felt..

      Efe listened to Alvaro as he revealed the past few months of his relationship with Paola. ” She told me she was through with you. That you had humiliated her for the last time.” He told him. 

      ” I didn’t know that you had broke it off with her. She told me she was sick of you…and needed to get away from you….So… I’m sorry…. I loved her,..I still do love her. She’s carrying my child.” He said, admitting it all. 

      Efe stood, pacing back and forth, ” So you were going to let me think that this was my child and let Paola trap me into some lifetime agreement of parenthood. You are some piece of work Alvaro.” He scoffed with anger.

      Alvaro shook his head, ” No, I wasn’t, but I needed to pick the right time to tell you.. I didn’t want to think that I was that kind of person. And besides, I want to be the only father to my child…l hope you can forgive me.” 

      Carolina had listened in silence….”Was it over…was this it. Paola would no longer be a part of their lives.”  The thought of it made her smile. But she was still furious with Paola for trying to trick them into a life of a constant connection with her. 

      Efe turned to her, ” Babe, I need to go talk to Paola. Are you ok? I have to get this cleared up.” He told her, giving her a kiss.

      She nodded, ” I know, go…talk to her. I’ll be here waiting.” Efe headed down the hallway to her room, not sure what exactly he was going to say to her, but he wanted her to know that she no longer had any place in his life.

      He pushed the door open slowly, and entered her room. ” Paola, are you ok.? I’m sorry that this happened to you, but if it hadn’t I would never had known the truth.” He  said, as he sat in the side of her bed.

     She lowered her head, not wanting to look him in the face. ” So, you know?.. the baby isn’t yours. I wanted you more than anything Efe… or that’s what I thought. And I thought you would never walk away from me if I was carrying your child…. But you did.” She muttered, wring her hands nervously.

      ” But what I just realized is,…I want this baby more than anything or anyone.. including you… So I’m sorry for trying to ruin your relationship with Carolina. I will have this baby on my own,…then I won’t be alone anymore.” She sobbed..

      ” I don’t think you are alone Paola. There’s someone outside that loves you very much, in spite of everything you’ve done. He has been here for you. I think you owe him a chance, he wants to be a father to his baby.” Efe spoke, surprisingly the words came from his heart.

      She looked at him with red, swollen eyes from all the tears she had cried. ” Alvaro is here? I had no idea he would come.” 

      Efe nodded, ” He is…and you need to see him.. I will send him in.” He told her, as he turned to leave.

      Kadir couldn’t wait any longer to go to Gabby. ” Carolina, tell Efe that I have to make things right with Gabby. Im going to find her and see if I can fix things.” He said, giving her a quick hug before heading to his car. 

     He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get her to listen, but he had to try, he thought as he drove toward her apartment. “ She has to understand how much she means to me…. She has to know that I’m in love with her”…..

      Efe walked back to the waiting room a different man. As much as he wanted to be furious with her, he couldn’t. He was a man that had been give a new look on life. ” Alvaro, Paola wants to see you. I think she needs the father of her child to be with her right now.” He told him, with a smile.

      Alvaro shook his hand, ” Thank you Efe. I want you to know,…I would have told you about the baby. I would never have let someone else raise my child.” He rushed down the hall toward Paola’s room.

      Efe wrapped Carrie is his arms, ” Well, let’s go home my sweet wife. I think we have a honeymoon to go to.” He whispered, tasting the sweetness of her lips…

Chapter 33

Carolina and Efe walked to their car hand and hand, still in a daze from the evening events. She looked at Efe as he got in behind the wheel, ” So are you sure you’re ok. This is quite a shock, and I know you must be disappointed.” She spoke softly, as she stroked his cheek.

      He smiled just slightly, ” I have to admit, this has affected me more than I thought. I feel as if I have lost a part of my family…even though I wasn’t thrilled about having a child with Paola, it was still my flesh and blood, or so I thought…..

      She leaned over, giving him a kiss, ” Let’s just be thankful that she didn’t lose the baby and now the baby will have his real father.  She said, hugging up to him. ” And did I hear you say something about a honeymoon Mr.Divit….” 

      Kadir went over and over his speech in his head on his way to Gabby’s apartment. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he had to make her believe him.  They weren’t going to end this way, not if he could help it. 

       It seemed as if it took forever before her finally pulled up in front her door. He sat there for a second just to compose himself, ” Ok, this will probably be the most important thing you will ever do in your life….so make her listen and make her believe.”  He told himself as he started to the door.

      Gabby had been home long enough to rip off her dress, kick off her shoes and let her hair down. She found her favorite pj’s and pulled them on, ready to crawl into bed and die…..

      But first she needed a glass of wine….no, maybe two glasses….” Oh what the hell, just take the bottle,…. you deserve it.”  She snipped, grabbing the bottle of sangria from the fridge. 

      As she started back to the bedroom, the large bouquet of lavender and purple flowers sitting on the bar caught her eye…. She stopped and took a deep breath, ” I thought that you meant something, I thought he sent you to me because he cared for me….. But I was wrong.” She spoke out loud to the flowers.

      She instantly ripped the flowers from the vase and threw them on the floor, taking her foot and stomping the blooms. Taking out all of her hurt on the beautiful flowers.

      With the bottle of wine tucked under her arm and a glass in her hand, she crawled in the bed,  ready to drink all of her problems away. But before she could pour the first glass, she heard a knock on the front door. 

      She leaned her head back in total exhaustion, knowing it was probably Kadir.  He knocked again, ” Gabby, I know you there. I want to talk to you. Please…. Efe didn’t know what he was talking about. Open the door, I need to see you.” He pleaded through the closed door.

     She sat up in the bed realizing that Kadir was more concerned about what Efe had said than the fact she knew about Paola’s lie and didn’t tell him….

      As she started to the door he knocked again, ” I’m not leaving until you see me… I’m not leaving your door….I will stay here all night.” 

      She opened the door slowly, ashamed and hurt, but wanting so badly to see him. ” Kadir, what do you want. I know I messed up, I should have told you from the beginning…..but,” She said. 

      Kadir was so glad to see her…even though her hair was all a mess, and her face was streaked with tears and makeup…..she looked beautiful to him….

      ” Gabby, it wasn’t your fault. I know that’s what you and Paola were fighting about. I know you didn’t agree with what she was doing,….and I know you weren’t going to let her go through with it”…He uttered, reaching for her and pulling her close.

      ” What Efe said about me just using you,..that isn’t true.” He said. ” Well, maybe the first time I came to the bar to talk to you that might have been true. But the second time I came, it was because I wanted to see you. And every time after that….it was because I needed to see you, I couldn’t stand not being with you.” He admitted. ” I’m here right now because I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”

      She held on tightly to him, sobbing….” I’m sorry,…I’m happy,….I’m relieved, and I can’t imagine not having you in my life either.” She mumbled through her tears.

      Kadir picked her up, covering her face with kisses…. When they finally parted, he saw the pile of crumbled up flowers lying in the floor…. Gabby looked away, embarrassed, ” Sorry, I was a little upset.”

      He smiled, ” Looks like you may need a fresh bouquet of lavender and purple flowers…..

      Efe and Carolina spent the next little while explaining to Can and Sanem exactly what had happened… ” So, Paola had faked the paperwork, and even coerced Alvaro into going along with her plan. But Alvaro told me he would never have gone through with it all…he is genuinely in love with Paola and wants this baby more than anything.” Efe spoke, with a bit of regret…

      Can could tell that Efe was having a bit of a hard time with what had just occurred. So he took him aside, just to make sure he was ok. ” Son, I know this must be hard on you. I’m not sure if you had thought about this baby as a part of you yet,…but if you had, it’s best to find out the truth now than later.” He acknowledged, giving him a  hug…

      With both Efe and Carolina ready to put this all behind them, they said their good nights to Can and Sanem and strolled down the beach to the dock.

      ” I hear that my little brother went all out in making this boat the perfect honeymoon suite… I hope you like it my beautiful, sweet wife.” He told her as they got ready to board the boat…

      Efe stepped over into the boat first, then scooped his wife up in his arms, bringing her aboard in true honeymoon fashion…..

      Carrie squealed with delight as Efe swung her over the side of the boat and into their love nest for the next few days…..

      She was in awe of what Kadin had done with the boat. He had turned it into a floating suite of pure fantasy…..

     She looked at Efe, her husband,….the man she loved more than anything in the world…

” I love it….its perfect….but anywhere that I’m with you is perfect. This is the beginning of our perfect life together…….

Chapter 34

The next day, Can, Sanem and Kadir all stood on the dock, saying there goodbyes to Efe and Carolina… 

      Kadir gave Efe a huge hug, ” Be safe and take as long as you want…we stocked enough food and water for a month if you want to extend your honeymoon trip.” He said, giving him a wink.

      Efe laughed, ” Thanks Kadir, but I have a job waiting for me in two weeks, so we will be back before then… By the way, how did things work out with Gabby?” He asked, slapping him jokingly on the back…

      Kadir hung his head, ” Well it took a little bit of talking but we are good. In fact we are better than good. I think you we will be seeing a lot more of Gabby around here”….He replied, as his face beamed with excitement…

      Can untied the ropes from the dock and tossed them in, ” Take care son,…you are carrying precious cargo with you…come home safe and sound.” He called out to them…

      Efe and Carolina waved until they were out of sight….

” Now all they had were each other… And a boat full of love”……

      Efe  and Carolina Divit  began their life together in very close proximity to where Efe had grown up… They purchased a villa not far from Divit Estates and set up their home…

      Their love for each other was as strong as the love of Can and Sanem and just as passionate…

      It wasn’t long before Adam Munro had a change of heart about the whole Divit family and showed up on their door step, ready to welcome his new son-in-law into his heart.

      That was just the first of many visit to Malaga Spain and the Divit home for Adam. His heart was the happiest when he was with his daughter and her new family…

      Kadir and Gabriela spent a lot of time together getting to know each other and realizing that the lies and manipulation of Paola that had brought them together, had been the best thing that could have ever happened…

      One year later, Kadir and Gabby exchanged their vows on the beach, in much the same fashion as Efe and Carolina…..

      They too made their home along the same stretch of beach.  Happy and content to live the rest of their lives all together..

     Efe and Carolina extended their family with two beautiful girls. The oldest, Margaret( Maggie for short) had beautiful flaming red hair like her mother, and eyes as dark and expressive as her father….

      The  youngest daughter, Suraya, was the spitting image of her grandmother Sanem, and became a gifted and talented writer as well…Taking the Divit name well into future of bestsellers in the world of literature…..

      Kadir and Gabriela filled their home with four beautiful children, three boys and one very spoiled daughter… The boys, Diego, Sergio and Altan, carried on the Divit trait of sailing, learning from the best sailor they knew….their grandfather.  And Olivia, their daughter grew into a strong and intelligent woman, working as a journalist for a local magazine.

      Even Paola and Alvaro lived a life of happiness after the truth was revealed. The birth of their son was the best thing that ever happened to them, and he remained their only child. A move to Barcelona came shortly after his birth and that is where they remained for many, many years.     

      That long stretch of white sand that Can had discovered so many years ago,…where he waited for his beloved Sanem to come back to him, where they began their life together……

      This was the place where the Divit family would live and thrive for years and years to come…

It was a place where “Love Makes Everything Right”……..

Thank you everyone for continuing to read and support my stories….

This will bring ” The Brother Series” to a close….I hope you have enjoyed the series about Can and Sanem’s sons…Efe and Kadir Divit.. 

We have followed this family through so much love and heartache to bring them to this point of contentment…  So we will leave them here, but they will never be far from our hearts….

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