Deep (The Pagano Family Book 4)

by Fanetti, Susan

  The children were innocent of the solemnity of the occasion and the changes it meant. Out here, they were simply playing with their cousins, reveling in so many days in a row together. Little Ben, Carlo and Sabina’s youngest, and Teresa, Carmen and Theo’s only, were both six. Teresa, a quiet girl like Elisa, was enjoying the chance to play mentor to Elisa and Lia, and the three of them were tromping around the garden, squatting here and there to study a flower or a bug.

  Little Ben was playing cars with Teddy, Rosa and Eli’s tow-headed two-year-old. Trey was inside; he had become a serious-minded young man and had been at his father’s side through much of the vigil. Nick hadn’t spoken much to Carlo this week; his attention had been consumed elsewhere. But he got the impression that Trey had come to the age when he no longer saw himself as a child. Nick was sure Trey’s transition would be smoother than his own had been.

  Nick had a thought that they should spend more time socializing with the cousins. They had been closer in the past several years, and their children were so close in age, a whole new generation. They always enjoyed playing together, and, since Carmen and Theo had moved back to the Cove, almost everyone lived within a ten-mile radius of each other. Only Rosa and Eli lived farther than that, in Washington, D.C., now.

  And Ben’s daughters—but it had been so very long since they’d lived in the Cove, Nick found it hard to remember them when he thought of family. They only came home for weddings and funerals.

  He didn’t want that kind of distance from the rest of his family. He wanted his children to grow up in the bosom, not on the edges as he had.

  But his life was complicated, and being who he was still held him a bit apart. Beverly was the nexus between him and his cousins, but she was raising three daughters under the age of five, as well as running a business. There wasn’t a lot of time to be social. Though Katrynn Page was an excellent manager for the bookshop and was in charge of the day-to-day operations, Beverly still put in at least twenty hours a week there. Or she did when she wasn’t serving as a round-the-clock milk machine.

  She was nursing Carina now, sitting at the table, the baby in her sling. Nick hated the pale skin and dark circles she’d camouflaged with makeup. He didn’t think she was fooling anyone. Certainly not him.

  Nick turned to his mother. “I’m sending Sam out for formula. If you’re sure you’re up to it, and if you have help, the girls can stay with you tonight. Carina, too.”

  She answered him with a teary hug.

  He didn’t think his wife would give him a similar response, but it was time to take care of her, whether she liked it or not.

  ~oOo~

  “I should call.”

  Nick took the phone out of Beverly’s hand. “No, bella. You should relax.” He turned her phone off and tucked it in his pocket.

  “What if she doesn’t eat? What if the formula makes her sick?”

  Aside from this anxiety, Beverly had barely protested Nick’s decision at all—and that, honestly, alarmed him. She’d made a minor fuss about him laying down the law and not giving her a choice, but she’d been obviously relieved, almost to the point of tears. She would never have made a choice that she thought foregrounded herself over her child, and he knew that—which was why he’d made the choice for her—but she had been on her way to a collapse.

  He pulled her into his arms. “Ma will call me if there’s any trouble at all. We live three minutes away. But there won’t be any trouble. Elisa and Lia are having a sleepover with their cousins, and they’re elated. Carina is going to get a whole night of Nonna snuggles. Everyone will be well and happy. For the rest of the afternoon, and for the full night, you are going to relax. You’re going to eat a meal with both hands free, and you’re going to sleep in my arms for the entire night. Carina will be fine. Millions of babies for generations have had formula without incident. I was a formula baby, and look how well I turned out.”

  Her head on his chest, Beverly nodded. And then she whispered, “I’m so tired,” and began to cry.

  Nick swept her into his arms and carried her up to bed. Cuddles followed behind them, his wagging tail hitting the wall as they went down the hallway.

  ~oOo~

  She slept for five hours. Nick held her all the while, dozing a little himself, but otherwise letting his mind wander where it would. It was peaceful, and Nick was content. It felt like a fitting end to the day on which his uncle, for whom family had been everything, had been buried.

  Beverly woke when her breasts were full, and while she expressed—refreshed and buzzing happily about finally having some in reserve—Nick took the dog out and then called in a late take-out order to the Red Dragon. A grunt picked it up and delivered it, and Nick took it upstairs. They ate in bed, and then, after some time spent stressing about Carina and how she was doing, Beverly slept again. In all, she slept sixteen of the twenty hours they had without their girls, and Nick stayed at her side.

  When Nick collected his daughters and brought them home the next day, he brought with him the news that Carina had gone three and four hours between every bottle feeding. Then he held Beverly while she dealt with that information and wept at the thought that she had been failing her baby. Once she worked through that absurdity, she agreed to continue supplementing with formula.

  The rest of the week seemed to augur a return to brighter times. Both Beverly and Carina were resting better. Elisa and Lia got their mamma back. And Nick finally got some real time of his own with his new baby girl. Until then, she’d been so firmly tethered to her mother he could hardly get his hands on her.

  He stayed home as much as he could that week, until home had settled back into balance. But the period of mourning was over, and it was time to return to business. So just less than a week after his uncle’s funeral, Nick slid into a navy blue Armani suit, straightened his French cuffs, kissed his wife and daughters, scratched behind the dog’s ears, promised to be home for dinner, and returned to Pagano Brothers Shipping.

  Though both Pagano brothers were in the ground now, Nick gave no thought to the idea of changing the name of the business or the organization. Ben and Lorrie had taken the business over from their father and built the name to its full power. As long as there was a Pagano at the helm, they would be known as the Pagano Brothers.

  As always, Sam drove him, dropping him off at the door and then parking at the far end of the lot.

  The receptionist stood when he came through the door. “Good morning, Don Pagano.” She’d been working there for three years, but today she seemed nervous.

  “Good morning, Cherie. You don’t have to stand, sweetheart. A greeting is fine.”

  She blushed and nodded. “Yes, sir. Stephanie has the day off today—it’s her birthday—so I have your book.”

  “Right. That’s fine. Just let me know of any changes.”

  “Yes, sir.” She nodded to the waiting area. “Your first appointment was early.”

  A man in a grey tweed jacket and black pants, looking uncomfortable in the clothes, sat on one of the upholstered chairs that made up the waiting area. Nick recognized him as Howard Slattery, the owner of the boardwalk arcade.

  “He waits until his appointment, then have Fred bring him in.” He tipped his head to Cherie and turned toward the wide, burled walnut double doors, then turned back. “Send wine and flowers to Stephanie for me, please.”

  “Yes, sir. Any particular kind?”

  He smiled. “Italian wine. And pretty flowers. Your choice.” He turned and pushed open the doors to the office of Don Pagano, President and CEO of Pagano Brothers Shipping. And then he crossed the room and sat behind the massive walnut desk, in the tall, red leather chair.

  When Fred ushered Howard Slattery into the office, Nick didn’t stand. The man walked over and extended his hand, and, when Nick shook it, bowed his head.

  “I’m very sorry for your loss, Don Pagano. Your uncle was a great man.”

  “Thank you, Howard. Sit and tell me your business here.”
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  He sat. “First, I want to thank you for seeing me. I realize you’re a very busy and important man.”

  Irritated with the man’s bootlicking, Nick simply waited, keeping his eyes steadily on him.

  Slattery cleared his throat. “I need help, Don. I come hoping I can ask for a favor.”

  Nick moved his eyes to Fred, sitting at Slattery’s side. Fred cocked his head, his signal that the man’s problem was worth his attention, and that he had some value toward repayment. Nick looked back at Slattery.

  Business as usual.

  “Tell me.”

  THE END

  The Pagano Family Series is now on hiatus.

  Next up:

  Strength & Courage: The Night Horde SoCal, Book One

  Release Date: 31 January 2015

  Find more information, including a teaser, at the Freak Circle Press blog:

  http://tfcpress.wordpress.com/