Read Family Matters (DiCarlo Brides book 4) (The DiCarlo Brides) for Free Online

along with Rosemary to fill up their plates from the fruit and veggie trays, cold cuts and cheese, bread and rolls in several varieties, and Cleo grabbed a slice of cake. They got glasses of water and found spots away from the main traffic.
    “How are you doing?” Rosemary asked when they were seated.
    “I miss you.” Cleo leaned slightly against Rosemary. “You used to come over all the time.”
    It had been one of the reasons she hadn’t wanted to take the job in Colorado. Though ‘all the time’ was a bit of an exaggeration. A couple of times a month was more accurate. Though Cecilia and Don had both kept Rosemary’s connection to the girl a secret, they had encouraged the two of them to spend time together. Rosemary had been grateful, as giving up Cleo had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Going to Europe for two years to study with master chefs had been agonizing—she’d only made three visits home the whole time. Thank goodness for email.
    “My Uncle Mike doesn’t really want me. But he thinks I should live with him anyway. My other uncle says it’s because he wants my parents’ money.” She looked at Rosemary quizzically. “We weren’t rich.”
    “No, sweetie, you weren’t.” You will be now. “But there’s often money set aside in case one of your parents dies, to protect you and take care of your needs while you’re growing up. Your uncle must think whomever takes care of you will get that money.” Don and Cecelia had been frugal, but he didn’t make more than enough for a comfortable life, and court costs for the ‘estate’ would probably eat up most of what was left.
    “I don’t like Mike much. I don’t want to live with him.” Cleo’s brow furrowed and her jaw set.
    So no one had seen fit to tell her the truth. Rosemary nearly did, but decided she better wait until after everyone left and she had a chance to talk to the attorney. “I don’t think that will be a problem, sweetie. Now eat some more. It’s been a crazy few days for you.”
    Cleo ate, quietly, wearing her thinking face. “I miss my parents.”
    Rosemary put her arm around the little girl and pressed her cheek to Cleo’s hair. “Oh, sweetie. So do I.”
    People milled around. A few stopped in to say hello, talked to Cleo—or talked down to her, which was more often the case. Her uncle Mike made a show of being solicitous, but Rosemary could smell insincerity a mile away. Cleo was right about them. Rosemary could see it. She’d been through it with half a dozen of her mother’s live-in boyfriends over the years.
    She was happier than ever that Don and Cecelia had thought to make her the guardian instead of either uncle.

    When they met afterward for the reading of the will—a term which made Rosemary want to laugh because they couldn’t have had much besides their daughter and their home to settle—only the two brothers, Cleo and herself were in the room. Rosemary was glad she’d had the heads up about the will stipulations regarding guardianship, because finding out about their wishes in front of these people would have been disastrous.
     “I know you’re all here today because you’re concerned about Cleome’s welfare,” the attorney began.
    “Cleo. Just call me Cleo,” she said in a low voice. “Cleome’s a stupid name.”
    “Sorry, Cleo,” he said. “This must be a very scary time for you. But your parents wanted to make sure you had the best person to take care of you.”
    “I want Rosemary.”
    The room went quiet.
    “But, honey,” Mike interjected. “Why would you want to live with her? She’s practically a stranger. We’re family.”
    “Back less than a day and you’re already sinking your fingers into things,” the other uncle, Scott, said.
    “I never talked to her about staying with me,” Rosemary objected. “But I’d love to have her if that’s what’s best for her.”
    “That’s what I want. I don’t want to live with them.” Cleo pointed to both uncles in