One Night with Her Italian Doc

by Karin Baine

  He hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Whatever she’d thought, it had been more than a fling to him. When she’d gone home, the heart had gone out of the cruise life for him. He’d stuck it out for a little while longer, irrationally hoping their tryst had resulted in a pregnancy and she’d have to get in touch with him again. Given the chance to do things over, he’d play things differently and not to come on so strong.

  As time had gone on without any word from her, he’d become restless, eager to join the real world again. That was still thanks to Sophie and he’d have preferred to have done it with her by his side. However, that wasn’t to be and he’d simply have to get over it the same way he’d had to get used to the idea of living without Renata. This time he’d accept the comfort and support of his family, even though they knew nothing of his most recent heartbreak.

  ‘But this is the first time the whole family has all been together since then.’

  ‘Any excuse for a celebration, eh?’ If he believed this was nothing but a ruse for his parents to feed them all up he wouldn’t feel so undeserving.

  ‘Do you honestly think they’d let the return of the prodigal son pass without a party?’ His youngest sister, Carlotta, nudged him with one hip whilst balancing a toddler on the other. She set a bowl of olives on the table in front of him. It was the kind of sibling teasing he’d grown up with and had missed during his all-too-serious year away.

  ‘I suppose I am the favourite,’ he teased back.

  ‘Were. There are a lot of younger cuties vying for your crown now.’ With that she dumped her chubby cherub accessory into Luciano’s lap.

  ‘He’s changed so much. They all have. I’m so sorry I stayed away for so long.’ He cuddled his nephew, who hardly knew him, and watched the offspring of his brothers and sisters playing in the garden. He didn’t know if he was apologising to the baby, his sister or himself. He’d missed a lot.

  In his failure to become a father he’d been jealous, bitter at times when his family seemed to reproduce at the drop of a hat. Then his grief had kept him away, a recluse unwilling to engage with anyone. Finally, he’d run away to sea for the better part of a year. The whole time he’d been absorbed in his failure to have a family he’d ignored the one he already had at home. Now that he was back he wasn’t going to take any of them for granted. Fate had stolen away his chance to be a husband or parent but he could still be a good son, brother and uncle. He had a life to lead that included so many wonderful people.

  ‘We’re just glad you’re back, bro, and more like your old self. At least now we can ask you to babysit without worrying that you’re going to top yourself.’ His brother Sylvestro, as tactful as ever, slapped him on the back.

  ‘Sylvestro!’ It was his mother’s horrified gasp he heard above all the other noise of cutlery and plates hitting the floor. The eyes of his family were all on his brother, chastising him for his forthright comment.

  ‘What? You know we’re all thinking it.’ His beefy older brother held his hands up, apparently surprised he’d offended anyone present, including Luciano.

  ‘You could have worded it better.’ Emilia, the eldest of his siblings, threw an olive at him, which bounced off Sylvestro’s head without making much impact.

  ‘Sylv’s not known for his subtlety, though, is he?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m available for guilt-free babysitting any time.’ He didn’t want anyone to feel bad on his account. Especially when his brother was just being honest. It was only now he could see what he’d put his family through. They’d been walking on eggshells, worried about his state of mind, and he’d selfishly shut them out. Goodness knew what they’d thought when he’d gone off to sea. He’d kept contact to a minimum, only phoning sporadically to let them know he was in the land of the living.

  ‘Well, we’re all happy you’re here, Luciano. Salute!’ His father raised a glass of wine and the rest of the family joined him in the toast.

  He barely managed to lift his glass in response, overwhelmed by the love directed towards him, including from the two-year-old who was now swinging from his neck in an over-enthusiastic hug. ‘Glad to be home.’

  Perhaps it was his absence that had made his heart grow fonder, or it could be due to Sophie’s influence. She’d shown him the difference it made to have someone close again.

  ‘Is that a car coming up the lane?’ Everyone followed his father’s gaze towards the taxi making its way towards the villa.

  Luciano did a quick head count and though he’d lost track of his family for a while he was pretty sure they were all here now. They didn’t get many visitors out this way, so the sight of a taxi had everyone straining their necks trying to catch the first glimpse of who was in the back of the car. Unfortunately, his view was impeded by the toddler currently climbing on his head. He did hear the car pull up and the door open as someone got out.

  ‘Who is that?’ His sister’s whisper was accompanied by his little brother Galen’s wolf whistle.

  ‘Ciao, possiamo aiutarti?’

  His mother rushed out first to see how they could help the interloper. More out of curiosity than any other reason, he imagined.

  ‘I...um... I’m looking for Luciano.’

  There was no denying the owner of that English voice, despite her uncertainty. It had been haunting him for months.

  He stood up, peeled off his nephew and handed him back to his mother. His whole body was electrified by the thought of her being here but he needed to see her for himself.

  ‘Sophie?’ He could feel the eyes of his family on him filled with questions and astonishment. But his only concern was the woman standing in the driveway, looking as though she was about to duck back into the taxi and make a quick getaway. He wasn’t going to let her go a second time.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise... I should have called ahead.’ She gestured to his gathered family and he realised she was carrying a suitcase in her hand.

  ‘No problem. I’m just glad to see you. Surprised, but happy.’ Before she changed her mind about being here, he jumped down off the porch, paid the taxi driver and took her case. She wasn’t going anywhere until he found out what had brought her here in the first place. ‘How did you find me?’

  She gave him an uncertain smile before flicking a glance over at their audience. ‘You’re a hard man to track down. I managed to get hold of Patrice—she’s still working for the cruise line. She told me you’d left and I remembered the name of the village you came from. It took a bit more trouble to get information about the family vineyard from the locals with my limited grasp of the language.’

  She’d gone to a lot of trouble to find him. He wanted to believe she’d thought him worth it rather than being simply a stop on her grand tour.

  ‘Are you staying for a while?’

  ‘I, er, don’t know. That depends on you. I didn’t realise you were back living with your parents. I’m sure I can find a hotel nearby.’

  ‘Not at all. My mother would never allow it. I’m here temporarily after selling my house until I find somewhere new.’ There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed to ask her, but it would have to wait until they had some privacy...which could prove difficult at a family dinner hosted in his honour.

  ‘Buona sera.’

  ‘A friend of my brother’s?’

  ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us, Luciano?’

  Sophie was inundated with greetings and handshakes, Luciano with questioning looks. How did he even begin to explain this when he didn’t know what had brought her here?

  ‘Sophie, meet the family. Family, meet Sophie.’ It was a meeting she’d told him not so long ago was too much, too soon and now here she was under her own steam.

  He ushered her through the curious throng of family members to the front of the house, where she was ambushed by his father.

  ‘Sit. Sit.’ He set a plac
e for her at the table whilst everyone scrambled to sit next to her as though she was some sort of sideshow. ‘Galen, take the lady’s bag to the spare room.’

  ‘How did you two meet?’ Carlotta, the romantic, could probably hear wedding bells already.

  Luciano didn’t want to embarrass Sophie, or his parents, with the truth of what had happened between them. Neither did he know if that was what had brought her out here or if it was mere curiosity when she’d once expressed interest in seeing his home.

  She met his eyes across the table, begging him to help her out.

  ‘We met on the ship. Sophie was a passenger, a nurse, who helped out during that rogue wave.’ He had mentioned the incident in passing but nothing about falling for one of the passengers during the crisis.

  His mother crossed herself and said a prayer. ‘I’m so happy my son is on dry land but tell me, Sophie, what brings you out here, other than my son?’ The interrogation to uncover the truth began, assisted by the offer to pour Sophie a glass of lip-loosening wine.

  He saw her cheeks go pink as she put her hand across the glass. ‘Not for me, thanks.’

  ‘Sophie prefers more exotic drinks. I’m sorry we can’t offer you anything blue or with a paper parrot.’

  The in joke made them both smile at the memory of that afternoon but he was aware they both remained the centre of attention.

  ‘I’m fine. I’ll be quite happy with a glass of water.’

  His brother returned minus Sophie’s luggage.

  ‘You can stay as long as you like, Sophie.’

  ‘Thank you. That’s very kind, Mr Montavano.’

  ‘Sophie might prefer to share Luciano’s room, Pop. It is the twenty-first century. I couldn’t figure out what had caused the change in my brother when he came home. Now I know. You’re punching above your weight, Luciano, but good luck to you.’ It was Sylvestro’s wife who chastised his tactlessness this time with an elbow to the ribs.

  For the first time since he’d returned, he was regretting selling his own house, simply for the privacy it would have afforded them now. He couldn’t bear the hopeful looks in his parents’ eyes when there was no guarantee Sophie would stick around, especially if she was going to be confronted by a barrage of personal questions and insinuations by this mob.

  He kicked his chair back and went to rescue Sophie before they scared her off altogether. ‘I think Sophie and I will go for a walk. I know she’s keen to see some of the Italian countryside.’ He extended his hand towards her and she seemed grateful to take it.

  ‘Nice to meet you all,’ she said graciously, before they walked off hand in hand towards the green fields where they’d have space to breathe. And to talk.

  ‘I’m so sorry about that. If I’d known you were coming I’d have arranged somewhere quieter, minus an audience.’

  ‘It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I quit my job, sold up and this was the first place that came to mind.’

  ‘You’re finally doing the travelling you’d planned?’ He’d been hoping it was more about coming to see him but she’d already made it clear there wasn’t a future for them.

  ‘I haven’t decided anything really.’ She began picking some of the wildflowers nearby, concentrating on the posy she was gathering and not on him.

  It didn’t make any sense to him why she’d pack up her life in England and head out here without any plan. Not when she’d been so against the idea of risking everything when he’d suggested it.

  ‘How’s Edith?’

  ‘She’s really well. Her son invited her to go and live with him in Seville, so she’s moved on too.’ That meant Sophie was on her own, although that didn’t fully explain why she’d come here.

  ‘Forgive me, cara mia, but why are you really here? You didn’t want to see me again after I proposed. I admit that was rash but I apologised. I was afraid of losing you or never seeing you again.’

  She stopped rummaging in the undergrowth to look at him. ‘Do you really mean that?’

  He took her hands and turned her round to face him. ‘Of course I do. I don’t go around proposing to just anyone. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Sophie. If you’re not in a hurry to leave I’d really like to spend more time with you.’

  He’d do whatever it took to convince her he was serious. If she was giving him a second chance to be with her, he’d grab it with both hands.

  ‘I’d like that too but...er...there’s something I have to tell you first.’ Her throat bobbed as she swallowed and he could see she was anxious about saying anything more. Whatever it was, he was sure they could get through it if it meant they could start over together.

  ‘You can tell me anything. I’m not going anywhere.’ He hoped he could say the same about her.

  ‘I’m pregnant.’ She blurted it out, watching for his reaction. Luciano was too stunned to say or do anything whilst he processed that information.

  ‘Say something. Even if it’s only to tell me I’m on my own and you don’t want anything to do with me or the baby. I came all this way to tell you and I have so I should go.’

  ‘You’re pregnant with our baby.’ He was really going to be a parent. With Sophie. He almost fell to his knees with gratitude but he didn’t think that move would go any better the second time around.

  ‘Yes. I, um, haven’t been with anyone else.’ She mistook his disbelief for something negative when, in fact, this meant everything to him.

  ‘I didn’t mean... I haven’t either, just so you know. We weren’t very careful.’ One could say perhaps subconsciously the lack of contraception had been about his desire for a family but he knew it was more about his desire for Sophie. They’d both been carried away in the heat of the moment and the passion they hadn’t been able to escape.

  When Sophie didn’t seem as thrilled by the consequences as he was, his elation began to subside. She’d made the first move in coming out here to see him, to tell him, something she wouldn’t have done if she didn’t want to maintain a connection or have him in her life in some capacity. Now it was down to him to convince her to stay.

  * * *

  Sophie had never really had any doubt Luciano would take the news graciously. He was a gentleman and he wanted to be a father. His hesitation had thrown her so much she was in danger of collapsing. The relief as he accepted equal responsibility for her predicament was overwhelming. As much as she’d told herself she could do this on her own, being here, seeing Luciano, she realised how much she didn’t want to.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Luciano slipped an arm around her waist to help her stay upright.

  ‘Yeah. A little faint.’ It was all she could do not to bury her head in his chest and ask him for a hug.

  ‘Sit down. I’ll go back and get you some water once I know you’re not going to pass out.’ He eased her down onto the grass and sat beside her.

  ‘It’s okay. Everything has just been a bit much for me on my own.’ Only now had she admitted to herself she was out of her depth alone, pregnant, with no home or job to fall back on. What she’d thought of as a great adventure when she’d started out here had seemed more of a mistake with every passing minute. She’d barely given herself time to think since landing, coming here instead of checking into a hotel.

  ‘You’re not on your own any more.’ Luciano put his arm around her shoulders and Sophie watched her tears drip onto the grass, clinging to the blades like fresh morning dew and feeling just as cleansing, like the start of a new day full of possibilities she hadn’t dared hope for until now.

  Then she remembered they hadn’t seen each other in weeks. Even then they’d only been together for a few days. She might have been thinking about him this entire time, imagining what could have been and regretting turning him down. That didn’t mean they were going to pick up where they’d left off. It was only natural he’d want to be part of his baby’s life but she didn’t
know where she’d fit in. If at all. It wouldn’t do to lie to herself that this was something it wasn’t.

  She shrugged his arm off but lamented the loss as the weight of it lifted from her.

  ‘I don’t want you to think you have to take me on too. I’m sure we can work something out between us over child care, once I figure out what I’m going to do for a job or a house.’ She was trying not to panic but she hadn’t given proper thought to the practicalities of travelling with a baby. It would be completely different as a new mum compared to the young singleton she’d been the last time she’d done it.

  He scowled at her. ‘Why wouldn’t you stay here with me? I told you I’m here for you. Both of you. I know I scared you off by proposing and planning out a life together but I was serious about wanting this to work, Sophie.’

  ‘Are you?’ She’d been afraid to believe it had been anything more than a knee-jerk reaction to their time together, or living with the consequences of it, but he’d felt the same.

  ‘I think I fell for you the moment you shouted at me over Edith’s treatment,’ he said with a grin.

  ‘Mmm, I think it took me a little longer. Perhaps when you threw me out of your clinic like a boss.’ She didn’t know when exactly it had happened but it had been on the cards since that first meeting.

  ‘I’ve missed you.’ Luciano leaned forward and leaned his forehead against hers.

  ‘Me too.’ All the recent uncertainty and worry melted away when Sophie’s lips met his in a soft kiss. She wanted this but she’d been so afraid of letting it happen or, worse, discovering Luciano wasn’t the man she’d thought; she’d been in denial. Now she could actually express how she felt, it was liberating.

  ‘I know things have moved faster than either of us were prepared for but I want to give us a chance.’ He laid his hand gently on her slightly rounded belly.

  ‘That’s why I came.’ Being with the man she’d fallen for, raising a family of her own was something she was willing to risk everything to get right.