Ric frowned as he glanced at the overflowing desk drawers. He shouldn’t have put off cleaning out the house. Not only did he have the unruly garden to tend to, but the inside would need a cleaning crew if he was ever going to make it presentable for a buyer. But those were problems for him to deal with another day.
However, he realized if he had taken the time to clean out the house, he would have found this information sooner. Realizing he’d paused, he continued scanning the page before him.
“What is it?” Gia’s voice cut through his thoughts. “What did you find?”
There it was again. The hope in her voice. She wanted Uncle Giuseppe to be her father. She wanted this to be her reality. And suddenly Ric felt guilty for being right.
He cleared his throat. “My uncle saved everything. And when I say everything, I mean it. It’s going to take forever to sort through all these papers.”
She moved over next to Ric on the couch. In that moment, he was tempted to turn to her—to take her in his arms and kiss her.
He halted his runaway thoughts. What in the world was wrong with him? He barely knew her—though that had never stopped him in the past. And she would probably be leaving town after he confirmed his suspicion—though her imminent departure was more of a reason for him to get involved. He was torn between his rising desires and his common sense.
Stay focused. Tell her the truth. And then walk away.
He focused on the papers in his hands. “What is your birth date?”
She told him.
“So that would mean at the time of your conception my uncle didn’t own this house. He was, in fact, working in New York City.”
“That can’t be right.” She frowned.
“It is. I checked three times.” He handed her the documents to see for herself. “I’m sorry.”
Gia’s fine brows drew together as she scanned the very old pay statements from his uncle’s employer as well as the sales agreement for the house. There was no way she could claim they were forged. Those papers were so old and aged that they’d fall apart if anyone were to tamper with them.
Maybe his uncle being a bit of a hoarder wasn’t such a bad thing. Still, Ric was going to have to go through this stuff page by page. He didn’t relish the idea. And he wasn’t taking this mess to his apartment. No way. He’d sort through it here with a paper shredder and a very large garbage can—or two.
Gia was quiet for a long time. She must have had her heart set on finding answers today. He told himself not to get drawn in. It wasn’t any of his business.
And then he made the mistake of looking at her. The pain and disappointment in her big blue eyes was like a kick in the gut. He understood her turmoil. He’d tried for years to search for his mysterious biological father. With his mother unable or refusing to help, there were no other leads for him to follow.
Gia glanced down, staring at the pages in her hand. She flipped through the papers. Her gaze quickly scanned for something.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“The ink is faded on this sheet. I’m trying to figure out who sold your uncle this property.” Lines of frustration formed on her beautiful face.
“Here. Let me take a look.”
She hesitated as though unwilling to admit defeat but then she handed him the pages. He looked through them and noticed how some of the corners had fallen off or had been torn off. And he couldn’t read the faded type print.
“I’m sorry. I can’t make it out either,” he said.
Gia lifted her head. Her eyes were misty. “I should have known it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing about this entire journey has been easy.”
The unshed tears shimmering in her eyes tugged at the walls around his heart. He reached out and squeezed her arm. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. Even if you never find him, you are strong and you’ll find a way to make peace with it—”
She pulled away from his touch. “How do you know that?” Anger and pain vibrated in her voice. “You have no idea what I’m going through. No one knows.”
He didn’t know if he should remain quiet or if he should speak up. It wasn’t like he ever talked about it, though it was no secret. “I don’t know my father either. I have absolutely no idea who he is or anything about him. And trust me, I did everything I could think of to find him.”
Her eyes widened. For a moment, she didn’t speak. “I... I’m sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn’t have said that.” She shook her head. Her shoulders drooped. “I’m just so frustrated. I don’t know why my parents kept this from me. They should have told me a long time ago.”
“My mother didn’t tell me either. Well, I obviously grew up without a father, but she refused to tell me his name.” He gave himself a mental shake. “But this isn’t about me. I hope you’re not too disappointed.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment as though thinking things over. “It’s okay. I’ll find him another way.”
“I guess this means you’ll be heading home.” The thought should have elated him. It didn’t, which made no sense.
Her gaze met his. “No. I’m not done here.”
“What else is there?”
“My mother kept this address in her journal. There has to be a reason. And I’m not leaving until I find out who lived here at the time of my conception.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “What happens if you still aren’t able to get the answers you want?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not giving up. I have to find him.” She turned to Ric. “Don’t you see? He clearly doesn’t know about me.”
“How do you know?”
“Because if he did, he’d have come to find me.”
Ric wasn’t so sure that was the case, but the hope in Gia’s eyes kept him from vocalizing his doubts. She’d already had enough disappointment for today. But then again, just because he’d had a disappointing journey searching for a missing parent didn’t mean Gia’s journey would yield similar results.
Feeling himself being drawn further into Gia’s troubles, Ric stood. “I should clean up these papers before we leave.”
Gia handed him back the documents, and he returned them to the big wall safe that was crammed full of information. Then he swung the heavy door closed. Safe for another day.
When he turned around, he found Gia had gathered all the folders scattered over the coffee table. He hadn’t had a chance to go through them because they hadn’t been labeled as anything he thought would reveal information related to the time period surrounding Gia’s birth.
He noticed she had opened a folder to replace something that had fallen out. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a drawing. Her gaze turned to him. “Did you draw this?”
He shook his head. “I don’t draw.”
“But this looks like you might have done it when you were a kid. I think this is your name at the bottom.”
He moved to the couch. He took the drawing and stared at it. He didn’t recall it. But when he peered at the bottom right corner, he found his name penciled in childlike writing.
He couldn’t believe his uncle had kept this. Why would he do that? His uncle never seemed that interested in his schoolwork other than making sure he got his homework done.
“Look,” Gia said, “there’s more of it. This folder is filled.” She checked another. “So is this one. And this one.”
Ric was left speechless, and that didn’t happen often. After all these years thinking his uncle had been indifferent to him, Ric was deeply touched that his uncle had kept all of this stuff.
He started sorting through the folders, finding all sorts of things he’d done in school. And then they uncovered a folder with his accomplishments as an adult, including every press release since the launch of his company. It was all there. And Ric had to blink a few times. Stupid dust.
“I had
no idea he kept all of this stuff.”
“He loved you a lot.”
A rebuttal rushed to the tip of Ric’s tongue, but then his gaze moved over all the papers in front of him. Art projects to term papers to newspaper clippings. It was like a synopsis of his life. How could he deny his uncle cared for him when the evidence was staring him in the face?
“I had no idea.” His voice was so soft it was like a whisper.
Gia rubbed his back as though in comfort. His instinct was to pull away. He wasn’t used to anyone comforting him. But he liked her touch. He found himself welcoming her gentle concern as he took in this monumental realization.
“I was so wrong about him,” Ric said. “How did I not know any of this? I thought I was a bother—a nuisance. And worst of all, I never got to tell him how much I appreciated him always being there for me—no matter what. I... I never told him that I loved him.”
Gia’s hand moved to his shoulder and squeezed. “He knew.”
Ric wanted to believe her—he really did—but he wasn’t so sure.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THINGS HAD WORKED out for Ric.
Gia was happy for him to have proof of his uncle’s love.
But what about her? She let out a deep sigh. Where was her rainbow?
The following day, Gia took a moment to feel sorry for herself. Then she straightened her shoulders. Her father, um, Aldo, had taught her not to be a quitter.
Nothing good came to those who quit.
If Ric’s uncle wasn’t her father, she would find out who lived in the house before him. She was close—very close. She could feel it.
And then there’d be a happy reunion. Reunion? Was that the right word? After all, they hadn’t actually ever met. Had they?
No, of course not. Fathers didn’t just let go of their children, never to see them again. She imagined a man with the same shade of brown hair as her own, much taller than her and wearing a warm smile as he enveloped her in a big hug. Because he’d be overjoyed to know her. He had to be. Anything else—it was unacceptable. Just the thought of being rejected by her own flesh and blood...
No. It won’t happen. Everything is going to work out.
The buzz of her phone halted her thoughts. Gia moved across her spacious bedroom to retrieve it from the bedside table. She glanced at the screen, finding a message from Enzo.
When are you coming home? The hotel reservations have declined dramatically. We’re in trouble. You need to fix this.
He’d been trying to reach her since last night, and she’d been dodging his phone calls. The hotel was in trouble. But Gia knew if she took the call that she’d be obligated to return to Tuscany to try to fix the problem, something she couldn’t do until she learned the truth about her birth. Usually she put family first, but in this moment, she needed to put herself first.
She knew that made her selfish and she felt awful about it, but if their parents hadn’t kept this huge secret, she wouldn’t be searching for her biological father. If there was anyone to blame for this mess, it was them. And worst of all, they weren’t even here to explain any of this to her.
And right now, she desperately needed her mother. She needed to hear her soft, comforting voice. She needed her to say everything would be all right.
Gia’s vision blurred as she stared at the phone. She blinked repeatedly. She would keep it together. She wasn’t a crier. She was strong.
Her fingers hovered over the phone. And then she started to type.
Michael and Rosa have this. Don’t worry. Everything will work out...
She reread what she’d written. Would everything work out? She wasn’t so sure about that anymore. Too much had happened to continue being a Pollyanna.
She knew no matter what she said, it wouldn’t be the end of the discussion. Her brother hadn’t wanted her to go on this trip. He wouldn’t give up until she was on a plane home. And so she deleted the message.
Knock. Knock.
“Gia?”
It was Ric. He’d promised to help her track down the prior owner of the villa. Maybe she would have news for her brother soon.
“Coming.”
She took one last glance in the mirror. She ran her fingers over her hair, smoothing a flyaway strand or two. And then she glanced down to find Gin staring up at her as though questioning what she was doing.
She realized she was nervous. She wanted to look her best for Ric. There wasn’t anything wrong with that, was there? She applied some lip gloss, and then she was ready.
When she glanced down once more, Gin was still giving her a questioning look, making her feel paranoid that she was trying too hard to impress Ric.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
The puppy whined.
“Did you say something?” Ric called through the door.
“Um...” She rushed over and opened it. “I was just telling Gin that we were leaving.”
Ric’s gaze moved to the dog, who rushed over and propped himself against Ric’s leg. He bent down and picked up the dog. “And how’s Gin this morning?”
Arff!
Ric laughed. “That good, huh?”
“Someone has you wrapped around his paw,” Gia teased.
Ric put the dog down. “I think you must be looking in the mirror.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Good one. But I think Gin has won us both over.”
“Agreed. Are you ready to go?”
She felt bad about him missing work. “You know, I can go to the library and the courthouse by myself.”
“And miss the adventure? Never. I’m curious to learn about the history of the house.”
A thought hit her. “So you can use it when you go to sell the place?”
“That hadn’t occurred to me, but now that you mention it, if the history is interesting, sure, why not?”
She shouldn’t have asked. She didn’t like the answer. But then again, why should she care what he did with his property?
Maybe it was because it was a piece of his past and right now, she was searching for her past without any luck. Surely things would be different today. Today she would uncover the key to her story—something to lead her in the right direction. She could feel it in her bones.
* * *
The library and the courthouse were at the center of town.
Not far from Ric’s apartment.
And so they opted to walk. With the housekeeper watching Gin, they set off on the beautiful sunny day. The light sea breeze made the summer day quite comfortable. Plus, Gia wanted a chance to take in more of the old-world city.
The only disappointing part was having to switch from her pretty pink-and-white heels that matched her white skirt and pink top so well to a pair of sneakers. At least her sneakers were white with pink and yellow flowers. She couldn’t help it; she like coordinated, colorful outfits. They helped her feel more confident. And today she needed a boost to get through this challenging period.
She turned her thoughts to more serious matters. What would happen after she located her father? Would he invite her to move in with him so they could get to know each other? There was no making up for all the years they’d been robbed of, but they had the here and now. They would make the most of it. Excitement and nervousness fought for room in her chest.
As they continued to walk, Ric informed her that there was an ordinance requiring new architecture to be approved by the city council so it didn’t conflict with the older structures. Thus, the city looked as though it were from another era. Gia immediately fell in love with it. It was like stepping back in time. That was until you had a look at the pedestrians with their smart phones. It was quite the contrast. Still, she wouldn’t change any of it.
She snapped some photos with her phone and then sent them off to her sister. She missed her siblings—even if she wasn’t rea
dy to go home. Not yet. Not without answers.
A message dinged on her phone. It was from Bianca.
Thank goodness. We’ve been wondering if we’d ever hear from you.
Sorry. I just need some time to do this on my own.
Gia’s thoughts turned to Ric. Maybe not exactly on her own, but she wasn’t ready to tell her sister about Ric.
Everything is good. Tell Enzo not to worry. I just need some space.
Have you found your father?
Not yet.
Gia had to keep glancing up to make sure she didn’t run into anyone or walk into a lamppost.
But soon.
Is there anything I can do?
Talk to Enzo. Let him know I’m okay. But I can’t come home yet.
I’ll try. He’s worried about you. We both are.
I love you.
I love you too.
Gia slipped her phone back in her purse.
“Everything okay?” Ric’s voice drew her from her thoughts.
“Um...yes. It was just my sister. She hadn’t heard from me in a while and was worried.”
“I’m surprised she isn’t here with you.”
Gia shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“How so?” When she didn’t immediately answer, he said, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ve certainly insinuated myself into your life.”
“You had a reason,” he said. “You thought I could help you figure out your past.”
“Sadly, we aren’t related.” She glanced his way. “Or perhaps we’re lucky the way things worked out.”
What had she gone and said that for? Heat rushed to her cheeks. She was flirting with him? She pressed her lips together before she could say more.
“Maybe you’re right. Otherwise it’d be quite inappropriate if I were to, say, kiss you.”
“You want to kiss me?” There she went again, saying the wrong things. She should have pretended that she hadn’t heard him, but how did you pretend you didn’t hear something like that?
The CEO, the Puppy and Me Page 6
