Читать книгу A Forever Family Collection - Коллектив авторов - Страница 16

IN A PANIC over feelings completely new to her, Belle raced to her room and jumped in the shower to wash her hair. In getting what she’d wished for by finding her mother, her world and everyone else’s had been turned upside down. Nothing would ever be the same again and it was her fault!

Since she turned eighteen she’d been leading her own life as a liberated adult, in charge of herself and her decisions. No matter the situation now, she refused to be a weight around Leon’s neck.

Her roommates would tell her she was stark staring crazy to run from the situation. They’d kill for the chance to stay with a gorgeous widower in his fabulous Italian villa. What was her problem?

Belle could only shake her head. What wasn’t her problem? When Leon had driven her away from the palazzo earlier, she’d left it in an emotional shambles. After trying so hard not to hurt anyone, she found out that every life inside those walls standing for hundreds of years had been changed because of her driving need to know who she was.

Are you happy now, Belle?

In a matter of minutes Dante’s life had been turned into a nightmare. She couldn’t live with herself if something drastic wasn’t done to staunch the flow of pain for him.

But she couldn’t stay with Leon any longer, either. Through an accident of marriage, he was her stepbrother, for heaven’s sake! Yet she had to face the awful truth that her feelings for him were anything but sisterly. She could be arrested for some of the thoughts she’d been having about him.

Just now on the beach, the ache for him had grown so acute she’d literally melted when he’d grasped her arms. It wouldn’t be possible to stay with him any longer and not act on her feelings for him.

She finished blow-drying her hair and slipped on the only pair of jeans she’d brought, along with a khaki blouse. It was time to play tourist while she decided what she was going to do.

Before leaving the room in her sneakers and shoulder bag, Belle dashed off a note, which she propped on the dresser. In it she explained she’d gone for a walk and would be back later.

No one was about as she retraced her steps to the beach. It was the only way to leave his gated property. She hurried past a lifeguard tower. For all she knew, the guy on watch was one of Leon’s security people. But she wouldn’t worry about that now, because she’d reached the crowded public part of the beach. From there she entered one of the hotels.

After taking a couple of free pamphlets printed in English from the lobby, she walked out in front to get a taxi. She told the driver where she wanted to go. In a few minutes he dropped her off at the ancient Tiberius Bridge.

The leaflet said it was begun by the Emperor Augustus in AD 14, and completed under Tiberius in AD 21. It was a magnificent structure of five arches resting on massive pillars. Incredible to think that she was here in such a historic place, but she couldn’t appreciate it.

Tormented because she didn’t know what she should do, Belle crossed the river to the city center to window-shop and eat a late lunch. The brochure indicated the Piazza Cavour was once the area of the fish and vegetable markets during the Middle Ages.

It was fascinating information, but partway through her meal she lost interest in her food. Sightseeing hadn’t been a good idea and there were too many tourists. She decided to find a taxi and return to the villa. As she got up from the table, she almost bumped into Leon, who was pushing Concetta in her baby stroller.

“Leon!” Belle cried in utter surprise. The sight of his tall, powerful body clothed in jeans and a white polo shirt took her breath. “Where did you come from?”

A seductive smile broke out on his firm lips. Her gaze traveled to the cleft in his chin. The enticing combination was too much for her. “We’ve been following you.”

Belle might have known Leon’s security people would keep him informed of her every step. In spite of knowing she’d been watched and followed, a rush of warmth invaded her. To offset it, she knelt down to give the baby kisses. “So that’s what you’ve been doing. Are you having a wonderful time?”

Concetta kept smiling at her as if she really recognized her and was happy to see her. That sweet little face had a lock on Belle’s emotions.

“When we found your note, we thought we’d join you.”

No… To spend more time with him and the baby wasn’t a good idea. “I was just going to find a taxi and go back.”

“Fine. My car is parked right over there on the side street.”

Caving to the inevitable, Belle said, “May I push her?”

“Go ahead, but you’ll have to dodge the heavy foot traffic.”

She rubbed her hand over Concetta’s fine hair. “We don’t mind, do we, sweetheart.”

As they navigated through the crowds toward his car, every woman in sight feasted her eyes on Leon. His black hair and striking looks compelled them to stare. Belle felt their envy when they glanced at her. She had to admit that if she’d been a tourist and had seen him with his little girl, she would have found him irresistible. There was nothing that captured a female’s attention faster than an attractive man out with his baby and enjoying it, especially this one.

“On the way home we’ll stop by the Delfinario.”

“That’s an intriguing word.”

With half-veiled eyes, he helped her and Concetta into the backseat of the sedan. “I think you’ll be entertained.”

“Is it animal, vegetable or mineral?”

Leon burst into rich laughter. “You’ll get your answer before long.”

Her heart went into flutter mode, something that had started happening only since she’d been in Leon’s company.

He drove along the beach until they came to what appeared to be a theme park. After they got out he said, “I’ll carry Concetta. Come with me.”

Belle followed him to a large, open-air pool. She spotted some mammals leaping out of the water. “Dolphins?”

“Sì, signorina. Delfino.” Leon paid the admission and found them two seats in the packed arena where they were performing. Belle could pick out a few familiar words spoken by the man narrating the show in Italian. She loved the sound of the language. The children in the audience were enraptured by the sight.

“Look, Concetta!” Belle pointed to them. “Can you see the delfino?”

The baby got caught up in the excitement and clapped her hands like the kids surrounding them. More enchanted by her reaction than by the remarkable tricks happening in the water with the trainers, both Leon and Belle laughed with abandon.

After one spectacular feat, their eyes met and she flashed him a full, unguarded smile. Belle found it impossible to hold back her enjoyment in being here like this with the two of them, as if they were a family. It wasn’t until later, on their drive home, that she was brought back to reality, knowing she had a huge decision to make.

“I think my little tesoro needs her dinner.”

“Would you let me feed her and put her to bed?” Being with the baby brought Belle comfort, the kind she needed right now.

“Of course. It will give Talia a break.”

“Oh goody. Did you hear that, Concetta?” Belle was sitting next to her in the back of the sedan and kissed her half a dozen times.

Once they arrived at the villa, Leon carried her in the kitchen to her high chair and got out the baby food for Belle. Another fun-filled half hour passed while the child ate and played with her food, smearing some of it on the traytop as well as herself.

Laughter rumbled out of Leon. “I had no idea she could be this messy an eater.”

“Most babies make a huge mess when you make a game out of eating. She’s so happy. Look at the way she beams at you, Leon. It’s the cutest thing I ever saw. But let’s be honest. She’s in need of a bath big-time.”

“You took the words out of my mouth. Her little plastic tub is under the sink in the bathroom.”

“I’ll get everything set up.” As Belle turned to leave the room, Concetta started to cry, causing Belle to turn around. “Oh, sweetie, I’m just going upstairs.”

Leon darted her a piercing glance while he cleaned the baby off. “My daughter is already so crazy about you, she’s not going to want Talia’s attention.”

Belle’s heart thudded. “I hope that’s not true,” she whispered. “See you in a minute, Concetta.” She hurried through the house and up the stairs to the nursery. Once she’d started filling the tub, she found the baby shampoo and a towel.

“Leon?” she called out. “Everything’s ready!”

“Here we come!” He breezed into the bathroom, carrying his daughter in the altogether and lowering her into the water. Concetta talked her head off and splashed water everywhere.

“Already you’re a water baby, aren’t you, sweetheart? That’s a good thing, because you’ve got a swimming pool and the Adriatic right in your own backyard.” Leon grinned as he poured a little shampoo on her head.

Belle massaged it in. “Are you having fun, my little brown-eyed Susan?”

“What’s that?” Leon asked. His command of English was remarkable, but once in a while he could be surprised.

“A yellow flower like a daisy with a center just like her incredible eyes.”

He nodded. “The first time I looked into them, they reminded me of poppy throats.”

Spoken like a father in love with his little offshoot. “They’re both apt descriptions. One day she’s going to grow up and drive all the Rimini ragazzi wild.”

A burst of laughter broke from his throat. “Your knowledge of Italian is impressive. But let’s hope that eventuality is years away yet.”

“I don’t know. They grow up fast.” Belle kissed the baby’s neck. “Are you having fun, sweetheart? I know I am.” Truly, she’d never had so much fun in her life.

“That makes two of us,” Leon said in his deep voice.

He made a wonderful father. If every child could be so lucky…

Once the bath was over, she slipped a diaper on Concetta and Leon found a light green sleeper. “Here’s the bottle.” He handed it to her. “Would you like to give it to her?”

“You know I would.”

Belle sat down in the rocker with the baby and sang to her. So much playtime had made Concetta sleepy. Her eyelids drooped almost at once while she drank her formula. The long lashes reminded Belle of Leon’s. Before long the child stopped sucking and fell sound asleep.

Leon watched as Belle put the baby down in the crib on her back. After they’d left the nursery he turned to her.

“Now that we’ve got the evening to ourselves, I’m taking you out on the cabin cruiser so you can get a view of the coast from the water. It’s a sight you shouldn’t miss. The pier is a few steps down the beach, in the opposite direction from where you went earlier today.”

“I figured the lifeguard was one of your security people, but he didn’t try to stop me.”

Leon’s lips twitched. “While we’re out, I’d like to discuss something of vital importance with you. I’ve worked out a solution to our problem.”

“So have I.” She was going home on Sunday as planned, with no interference from him.

His black brows lifted in challenge, as if he could read her thoughts. “Then we’ll compare notes,” he said in an authoritative tone. His hauteur came naturally to him, because it was evident few people had ever dared thwart him. “Meet me on the back patio in twenty minutes. Bring a wrap. It will get cool later.”

She nodded before hurrying downstairs to her room. She couldn’t imagine what kind of solution he’d worked out, and didn’t want to listen to him, not when Dante’s happiness was at stake. But she was a guest in Leon’s home and couldn’t forget her debt to him. It was one she could never repay.

Without him acting on his uncanny instinct to follow through on her inquiry at the bank, she would have gone on searching for her mother in vain. The situation was untenable any way she looked at it.

A tap on the door a few minutes later brought her head around. “Signorina?” Belle rushed over to open it and discovered Carla. “The Countess Malatesta phoned while you were bathing the baby. She would like you to call her.” The maid handed Belle a note with the phone number written on it.

“Thank you, Carla.”

After she left, Belle pulled the cell phone out of her purse and called her mother. Two rings and she answered. “Arabella?”

It was still unbelievable to Belle that she was talking to the mother she’d ached for all her life. “Mom—I’m so glad you called. To hear your voice…it’s like a miracle to me.”

“I was just going to tell you the same thing, darling. What have you done with your day?”

Belle bit her lip. “I went sightseeing and Leon took me and the baby to see the dolphins. Then we fed her and bathed her. Now she’s just gone to sleep.” But Belle didn’t want to talk about Leon and the way he made her feel. Her mouth had gone so dry thinking about him, she could hardly swallow. “How’s Dante? I’ve been worried sick about him.”

“To be truthful, we’ve been worried, too. They’ve stayed in their wing of the palazzo all day. Since they have their own entrance, they could have gone out without our knowing it. Sullisto and I thought we’d done the right thing to tell him the truth this morning…” Her voice trailed off. “I know my husband’s hurt by this.”

Belle gripped the phone tighter. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think it would have mattered when you told Dante. The outcome would be the same. Maybe tonight he’ll decide to talk to you, so I’m not planning to come over. Can we see each other tomorrow?”

“That’s why I phoned you. I’ll pick you up in the morning and we’ll take a drive. I want to show you my world. We’ll talk and eat our heads off. How does that sound?”

She smiled. “Like heaven.”

“Let’s say eight-thirty.”

“Perfect. I’ll be ready. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you. Isn’t it wonderful to be able to say it to each other?”

“Yes.” Oh yes.

After they hung up, Belle threw herself across the bed and thought about the day Cliff had let her know she wasn’t wanted or loved.

She’d been a child then, with a child’s reaction. But she was a woman now, and understood Cliff’s behavior, just as she understood Dante’s. In both cases Belle had been the one to bring on more suffering. This time she had the power to end it.

When it was time to meet Leon, she grabbed her sweater and hurried down to the patio. She would listen to what he had to say, but it wouldn’t change her mind about leaving on Sunday.

Leon knew something was up the minute he saw her. “What’s happened since you went downstairs?” he asked as they headed for the dock.

“I just got off the phone with Mom. They haven’t seen Dante all day.”

“My father told me the same thing a few minutes ago, but it isn’t surprising. His way is to hide out.”

“What do you mean, his way?”

Leon sobered. “There are things you don’t know.”

She took a shuddering breath. “Well, I know one thing. My arrival in Rimini has hurt him.”

“It’s not personal, Belle. I’m the one who has hurt him.”

Her brows met in a frown as she looked at him. “How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true. You saw and heard what happened at the table when Father said I was the one who made the reunion possible. Dante couldn’t handle it and blew up at me in Italian.”

She shook her head. “The whole thing is tragic. Mom’s going to take me for a drive tomorrow. Maybe if Dante knows she’s out of the palazzo, he and your father will be able to talk.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why do you sound so sure about that?”

“Once we’re on board, I’ll explain.” Leon couldn’t let Belle go on thinking she was the cause of everything.

He helped her climb over the side of the cruiser. After giving her a life jacket to put on, he undid the ropes and started the engine. They moved at a wakeless speed until they were past the drop-off before he opened it up.

She knelt on the bench across from the captain’s seat, looking out to sea. “Is it always this placid?”

“It is this time of evening. Much later a breeze will spring up.”

“You weren’t exaggerating about the view. With the blue changing into darkness, all the lights twinkling along the shoreline make everything magical.”

“Your eyes are the same color right now. Twilight eyes.”

His words seemed to disturb her, because she turned around to face him. “You said you would tell me about Dante. Let’s talk about him.” She was a businesswoman who’d been fending off men’s advances for years and knew how to probe through to the marrow.

He shut off the engine and lowered the anchor. After turning to her, he extended his legs. “When Dante and I lost our mother to cancer, he was ten and I eleven. For several years we were pretty inconsolable. Father had always been so preoccupied with business, she was the one who played with us and made life exciting. No one could be more fun. We could go to her with any problem and she’d fix it.”

“You were blessed to have her that long.”

“We were, but at the time all we could realize was that her death left a great void. Sometimes Benedetta saw me walking on the grounds and she’d join me with her dog. She wouldn’t say anything, but she was a comfort, and I found myself unburdening to her the way kids do. Unfortunately, Dante didn’t have that kind of a confidante. All he had was me, and I was a poor substitute.”

“Don’t say that, Leon. Just having a sibling, knowing you’re there, makes such a difference. There were several siblings at the orphanage. They had a special bond without even talking. If you could discuss this with Dante, I’m sure he would tell you how much it meant to have a brother who understood what he was going through.”

Leon studied her for a moment. “You have so much insight, Belle, there are times when I’m a little in awe of you. But you haven’t heard everything yet.”

She smiled sadly. “I was the great observer of life, don’t forget. You’ve seen people like me before. We hover at the top of the staircase, watching everyone below, never being a part of things. But I eventually grew out of my self-pity. I had to!”

“Look at you now, a successful businesswoman.”

Belle leaned forward. “What happened to your relationship with Dante? I want to know. Was it terrible when your father told you boys he was getting married again?” The compassion in her eyes was tangible.

“The truth?” She nodded. “We both felt betrayed.”

“You poor things.”

“To be honest, I couldn’t fathom him marrying anyone else. Our mom was a motherly sort, the perfect mother, if you know what I mean. She made everything fun, always laughing and lively, always there for us.

“Her death brought a pall over our household. Dante came to my room every night and cried his heart out. I had to hold back my tears to try and help him.”

“That’s so sad, Leon. I believe the heartache you two endured had to be worse than anything I ever experienced at the orphanage. To be so happy with your mother, and then have her gone…”

He sucked in his breath. “Things got worse when Papà brought Luciana to the palazzo to meet us. The diamond heiress looked young enough to be his daughter. In fact, she didn’t look old enough to be anyone’s mother. I found her cool and remote.”

Belle’s heart twisted. “I can’t picture her that way.”

“That’s because meeting you has changed her into a different person. At the time I hated her for being so beautiful. Anyone could see why she’d attracted our father. As you heard through the librarian, there’d been rumors that both Luciana’s mother and her widowed father might have been murdered.”

Belle nodded.

“Some of those rumors linked my father to the latter possible crime. I knew in my heart Papà couldn’t have done such a thing, but I was filled with anger.”

“Why exactly?”

“Because I was old enough to understand that love had nothing to do with his marriage to her. He’d done what all Malatestas had done before him, and reached out to bring the Donatello diamond fortune under the far-reaching umbrella of our family’s assets.

“Gossip was rife at the time. People were waiting to see if he produced another heir. It felt like he’d betrayed our mother, and I couldn’t forgive him. Dante felt the same way and threatened to run away.”

“How terrible,” Belle whispered sadly.

“I told him we couldn’t do that. But when we turned eighteen, we would leave. Until then we had to go along with things and deal with the ugly rumors surrounding the Donatello family. But I let him down when I made the decision to go away to college.”

“You had to live your own life.”

He raked his hair back absently. “This morning’s explosion lets me know I made a big mistake in leaving.” Pain stabbed his insides, forcing him to his feet.

“What do you mean?”

“I left Dante on his own to deal with his pain. I should have stayed and helped him, but I didn’t. Papà’s marriage to a princess shrouded in gossip and mystery was so distasteful to me, I couldn’t get out of the palazzo fast enough. I could have gone to college in Rimini, but instead I went to Rome in order to get away.

“During the years I was gone, Dante’s pain turned to anger. When I returned, he was involved with his own friends. I moved to the villa, one of the properties I inherited from our mother’s estate, and dug into business at the bank. Later on I began to spend more time with Benedetta. My brother and I had grown apart, but that was my fault.”

Belle put a hand on his arm. At the first contact, tiny sensations of delight he couldn’t ward off spread through his body. “You couldn’t help what happened then,” she murmured.

Leon looked down at her hand. “Oh yes, I could have, but I was too caught up in my own pain to reach out. Dante didn’t display any outward signs of rebellion, but obviously, he was riddled with turmoil once our father’s marriage was a fait accompli. I didn’t see it manifested until I came home from college.”

“Didn’t your father try to prepare you for his marriage to my mother?”

“No, but to be honest, if he had tried, it wouldn’t have done any good. Be assured I’ll always love my father, but there was a gulf between us. While I was gone I stayed in touch with him and Dante, even made a few short visits on holidays. But it was four years later before I returned to Rimini to live.

“By that time Dante no longer shared his innermost thoughts with me. The closeness we once enjoyed seemed to have vanished for good. I’m afraid that for him, it was a hurt that never went away.

“He married Pia Rovere, a distant relative from our mother’s side of the family. They chose to live in another wing of the Malatesta palazzo. That arrangement pleased my father and suited me, since I preferred living on my own at the villa.”

“She’s lovely.”

“And very good for Dante, I think. Since then the three of us work in the family banking business. Unfortunately, the relations between my father and me continue to be frayed because of my marriage to Benedetta.”

Belle’s delicately arched brows met. “I don’t understand.”

“When I married her, I did something no other Malatesta has done, and took a woman without a title for my wife. I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with such an archaic custom. My father has had no choice but to look to Dante to follow in his footsteps.”

“Which he has done by marrying Pia, who’s from a royal house.”

Again Leon frowned. “But now that Benedetta is gone, Papà is counting on my marrying a titled woman he has in mind to be Concetta’s new mother. He’s made no secret about it. Every time he brings it up in front of Dante, which is often, I keep reminding him that even if I weren’t in mourning, I would never do as he wants. I’ve told him I’m not interested in marriage and only want to be a good father to my daughter.”

Belle let out a troubled sigh. “Why do you think he’s so intent on it?”

“Because I’m the firstborn son and the firstborn is supposed to inherit the title.”

“In other words, he would prefer you to receive it over Dante.”

“Yes. It isn’t that he loves Dante less, but he’s a stickler for duty. Luciana’s father was of that same ilk. It’s the one area where Father and I don’t get along.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t forbid you to marry Benedetta.”

“He did, but we got married in a private ceremony before he knew about it, and his hands were tied.”

Belle studied him for a minute. “I’m sure you must miss your wife terribly. Tell me about her.”

“I knew her from childhood. She was Dante’s age. Our mother was an animal lover. We spent hours at the kennel playing with the dogs. Benedetta was always there, helping her father. She’d lost her mother to pneumonia, and our mom took her under her wing. It was like having a sister.”

“So your love for her was based on long-standing friendship first.”

He nodded. “It wasn’t until several years after I returned from Rome that my feelings for her underwent a change.”

“What happened?”

“She worked for her father and had a Spinone who’d been her devoted pet for a long time. I happened to be at the palazzo one day in the fall when word came to us that her dog was missing. I knew how much she loved him, so I gathered some staff to go look for him. We found him shot dead by a hunter we presumed had trespassed on the property.”

“What a dreadful thing to happen. I can’t bear it.”

“Neither could I. When I saw him lying there, I felt like I’d been the one who’d received the bullet. Benedetta was so heartbroken, I didn’t think she’d recover. I dropped everything to be with her for the next week. We comforted each other. She’d always had a sweetness that drew me to her.”

“You must have had a wonderful marriage.”

“For the short time we were given, I was the happiest I’d ever been.”

Leon heard Belle take a deep breath. “One day your daughter is going to love hearing about your love story.” After a slight hesitation, she added, “How hard for both of you to find out she had that disease. What was it like? I hope you don’t mind my asking.”

For the first time since it happened, Leon felt like talking about it. “At first she grew very tired, and then suffered some hair loss. I came home from the office early many times to be with her, console her. After a while she couldn’t go out in the sun. As time passed, more symptoms occurred. She had painful swollen joints and fever, even kidney problems.”

“That must have been so awful, Leon.”

“I didn’t want to believe it would get worse. We prayed she’d get it under control, and were both looking forward to the baby. I never dreamed I’d lose her during the delivery. I was in shock for days.”

“Of course. I’m so sorry. Did she suffer a long time?”

“No, grazie a Dio.”

“Then you received two blessings, one of them being your adorable daughter.” Belle shifted position and lowered her head. “How did you cope with a newborn?”

“You’ve met Simona and Talia. They worked for my mother’s family and I trusted them implicitly. They fell in love with the baby and have been with me ever since. I couldn’t have made it without them.”

“Did your father help?”

“Yes. Everyone did what they could. Their love for Concetta brought us all a little closer together.”

“Then you’d think that after a marriage like yours, and that sweet baby, your father would give up his futile desire and leave you alone to decide what you want from life.”

Leon nodded. “That’s what a normal parent would do. Perhaps now you’re beginning to understand what I’ve always been up against. The point is, I would never choose a woman of rank.”

“Why do you feel so strongly about it? I’m curious.”

“My parents were officially betrothed before they ever met each other. They made their arranged marriage work. From what I saw, they were kind and decent to each other, sometimes showing each other affection. But until Mother was dying, I didn’t know she’d loved another man and had to give him up.”

His mother had told him something else, too.

“I can’t begin to imagine it,” Belle was saying.

“After realizing the sacrifice she’d made to marry for duty, I made up my mind that her situation wasn’t going to happen to me. When the time came, I proposed to Benedetta without hesitation.”

Belle shifted restlessly in her seat. “I guess that meant your father had to sacrifice, too.”

Leon nodded. “You know what’s interesting? The other night Father told me that when he asked Luciana to marry him, he said, ‘Naturally, it wasn’t like the feelings I had for your mother, but then you can’t expect that.’”

“So what do you think he was really saying?”

“That he was still trying to protect me by pretending he’d loved our mother, but I knew it wasn’t true. They were never in love with each other. Do you want to know something else?”

Her eyes fastened on him, revealing her concern in the reflection of the cruiser’s lights.

“I think the real truth is he fell deeply in love with Luciana, enough to overlook everything in order to make her his wife.”

After a slight hesitation, Belle said, “I’m pretty sure she has learned to love him, too. The way she talked to him at the table convinces me they are very close.”

“So close, in fact, he wants to adopt you to make her completely happy.”

“He mustn’t do that…” Her features screwed up in pain. “Think of the damage it would do to Dante. I can’t handle that. You’ve got to stop him, Leon!”

Her reaction was even more than he’d hoped for. “I agree, and I’ve thought of a foolproof plan. I failed my brother when I went away to college in Rome, but this will be a way to atone for my sins.”

“What can you do?” she cried. “Tell me.”

“It involves your cooperation, but it has to be so convincing to everyone, and I mean everyone, no one will believe it’s not true.”

Determination filled her gaze. “I’ll do anything.”

“I hope you mean that.”

“I swear it. Since Dante left the table, I’ve been dying inside.”

Leon reached out to squeeze her hand before letting it go. “First you have to phone your boss and tell him you need to take family leave. Let him know you’re in Italy visiting the mother you were just reunited with. Tell him an emergency has arisen that prevents you from returning to work Monday. They have to give you the time off.”

Leon heard her take several short breaths in succession. “I…suppose that could be arranged, especially when I’ve never asked for it before.”

“Bene.” He checked his watch. “Now would be the perfect time to reach him at work.” He handed her his phone. “Once you’ve talked to him, you’ll be able to concentrate on our plan.”

“I don’t know what it is yet.”

“Before I say anything else, we need to know if everything’s all right for you to stay in Rimini. If not, I’ll have to come up with another plan. While you do that, we’ll head back to shore.”

He raised anchor and started the engine. The sound prevented him from hearing much of her conversation. By the time they reached the dock, she’d finished the call. While he tied up the cruiser, he gave her a covert glance. “What’s the verdict?”

“I couldn’t believe he was so nice. He said for me to take all the time I needed. Not to worry.”

“Eccelente.”

One roadblock removed.

Belle handed him the phone and took off her life jacket, which he stowed away under the bench. She replaced it with her sweater. “When are you going to tell me the plan?”

“I don’t know about you, but I could use some coffee. Let’s go up to the villa and check on Concetta. Then we’ll have the rest of the night to talk everything out.”

“I admit coffee sounds good. It’s getting cooler.”

He helped Belle step onto the dock and they made their way back in silence. They might not be touching, but the sensual tension between them was palpable. Talia saw them in the hall and told him Concetta was sleeping like an angel.

Before heading for the kitchen, he and Belle went upstairs and tiptoed into the nursery to take a peek. Suddenly, both of them chuckled, because the baby was sitting up in the crib. She saw them in the doorway and started fussing.

“It looks like she was waiting for you to say good-night,” Belle whispered. Leon crossed the room to pick her up and hug her. His heart dissolved when his child kissed him and patted his cheeks. “She adores you, Leon.”

The sound of her voice brought his daughter’s head around. To their surprise she reached for Belle, who caught her in her arms.

“Are you going to give me a kiss good-night, too? How lucky can I be? I love you, sweetheart.” She walked her around the room. “I wish Concetta knew what I was saying, Leon.”

“She doesn’t need to understand English to know what you mean,” he murmured in a satisfied voice.

“Is that true?” Belle kissed her again.

In the intimacy of the darkened room his daughter clung to her as if she were her mother. It added substance to an idea that had been building in his mind since the first time Belle had picked her up.

He’d planned to talk to her after they’d gone back downstairs for coffee, but his little girl had unexpectedly chosen the place and the moment for this conversation.

“Since she’s not ready to go to sleep yet, I’ll tell you my plan now. We need to get married right away to prevent my father from adopting you.”