She drove through the gates and went all the way to the circular drive in front, where she parked the car behind Giustina’s. After retrieving the gift, she joined her at the entrance, where another woman answered the door who was all smiles.
“Ines? Please meet Gabi Parisi from the Start with a Wish foundation. Gabi? This is the nanny who has looked after our precious Dino with unswerving devotion.”
“I’m very happy to meet you, Ines.”
“It’s a privilege to meet someone from the program we see on TV. He loves it and watches it every time it’s on. He won’t believe you’re here.”
“I hope it will bring him some comfort.”
“We’re counting on it, aren’t we, Ines? Will you take this gift into the family room?”
“Si, signora.”
They followed her through the magnificent interior to the rear of the villa. It overlooked the breathtaking town with snow-covered summits beyond it in the far distance. Ines placed the present on the big table.
The first thing Gabi saw was the framed photograph of a young woman that hung above the fireplace. With her long dark hair, what a beauty she was! “Is this Dino’s mother?”
“Yes. That’s Catarina.”
Gabi looked around at the warm, friendly room. It was made for a child’s pleasure with books and games, comfortable furniture, a TV and several wonderful photographs of animals living in the wilds of Africa.
She turned to Giustina. “A room like this must be heaven for a little boy.”
“Dino’s mother decorated it. Naturally it’s his favorite spot in the villa.”
“It would be mine.”
“Gabi? I’ll leave now to get Dino and won’t be long. His school is nearby. I’ll ask the maid to bring you tea or coffee. Do you have a preference?”
“Tea would be lovely.”
When she left, Gabi walked over to the floor-to-ceiling bookcase to look at them all. There were so many darling storybooks he’d probably been read over and over again.
Ines brought the tea. Now would be a good time to ask a few questions. “Tell me about what Dino is like.”
“He’s very bright and loves to play with friends. When he doesn’t have a headache, you would never know he has a problem. But he still suffers from nightmares to do with the avalanche. It came upon them so fast. When he hears a really loud noise like thunder, he freezes and runs to hide under his bed.”
“I can imagine. How horrible for him.”
“His father is hoping that once the operation is over, he won’t be so anxious about everything.”
“The poor dear. What are some of the things he likes?”
“Swimming and comic books. His father won’t let him look at Diabolik for fear it will give him nightmares, but he’s allowed to read Lupo Alberto.”
“I too loved the comics when I was young.” While she was deep in thought, she heard the sound of footsteps running down the hall toward the family room.
Suddenly the boy raced inside but came to a halt when he saw Gabi.
She jumped to her feet, taking in the sight of Dino Berettini in the blue smock all Italian children his age wore to school. He appeared on the taller side of seven with forget-me-not-blue eyes and black shiny hair like his mother’s in the photograph. The handsome child didn’t look like anything could be wrong with him.
“Hello, Dino.”
“Hi! Who are you?”
His grandmother came in the room. “Dino? You should wait to be introduced.”
“Sorry, Nonna,” he murmured.
“I’d like you to meet Signora Gabi Parisi. She’s come all the way from Padova to meet you.”
“How do you do, signora?” What an adorable boy. “Why have you come to see me?”
Gabi took a deep breath. “Because you sent a letter to the Start with a Wish foundation, right?”
His eyes widened. “You got it already?”
“Yes. That’s where I work. Yesterday the mail came and I opened it.”
“You did?” He sounded utterly incredulous, then turned to his grandmother. “You said you mailed it, but—”
“You didn’t believe me?” The older woman sounded surprised.
“Yes, but... I was afraid it wouldn’t get there.”
Gabi took a step closer. “Well, it did, and it was my lucky day because my boss said I could come to visit you and bring you a present.” During their conversation Gabi had seen his eyes darting to the package on the table.
“You have a boss?”
“Yes. Her name is Edda.”
“My papà is a boss, too.”
She nodded. “He’s such an important boss, everyone knows him, even Edda. She was the one who wanted me to bring his son a special surprise in person. Would you like to open it?”
“Yes, but it’s wrapped for Christmas.”
“That’s true, but she said you could open it now if you want. I know if I were in your shoes, I’d run right over to the table and rip off the wrapping paper to see what she sent you.”
A smile broke out on his face. No longer hesitating, he rushed toward the table. Gabi’s eyes met Giustina’s. They both walked over to watch the untidy unveiling.
“A building blocks set!” His happy exclamation told her a lot.
“It’s a winter wonderland scene. I bet you can make it look like the one here in Maniago at Christmastime.”
Those brilliant blue eyes darted to her. “Can you stay and help me put it together?”
“There’s nothing I’d rather do, if it’s all right with your grandmother.”
“Is it, Nonna?”
“Of course. I’ll have lunch served in here while you play.”
“Can I call you Gabi?”
“Of course.”
“Evviva!”
For the next two hours Gabi had the time of her life helping him put the project together while they ate. They talked about dinosaurs and his favorite emojis. Soon they got on the subject of another comic book character called Tex, from American television; the indomitable hero. Dino was so smart and a perfect delight. You’d never know anything was wrong with him.
Unfortunately, she’d overstayed her welcome and the time had come when she needed to leave for Padova. Edda would want a report in person before the day was out. “Guess what, Dino? I’ve had such a terrific time, but now I’m due back at the office.”
“No—” he cried out and jumped to his feet. The abrupt change in his demeanor took her by surprise.
“I’m sorry.”
Tears filled his eyes. “But I want you to stay.”
“I would love to if I could.”
“Will you come tomorrow?”
“She has to get back to work,” Giustina spoke up. “Now thank her and say goodbye.”
“But I don’t want her to go.” He was relentless. It was an indication of how difficult life could be for him at times. Her heart ached for him and his whole family. His grandmother looked absolutely crushed.
As Gabi turned to leave, he dashed past her and out of the family room.
The older woman seemed frantic. “I’m sorry. I’ve never seen him act quite like this before.”
“He’s going through a very difficult time in his life.”
“I shouldn’t have mailed his letter.”
“Don’t say that. He loves and trusts you. Now he knows our foundation received it. He believed in something and it happened. That has to have increased the faith he needs to face his operation.”
Giustina followed her to the door. “About his letter... There’s something I have to tell you before you go. As I told you, his father doesn’t know about it. When he finds out, I don’t want him to know everything Dino said. It would kill my son if he thought Din
o saw him so unhappy all the time.”
“I hear what you’re saying and will let Edda know.”
“Thank you, Gabi.”
“Thank you for the delicious lunch. I’m happy to have met you.”
Gabi hurried out of the villa to her car. As she started the engine, she looked up and saw Dino standing at an upstairs window staring down at her. That precious boy. There was so much sadness in that house, she could hardly bear it as she drove away.
Between the grandmother’s pain and the worry in Ines’s expression, Gabi couldn’t see any happiness. She wished something else could be done, but she didn’t know what.
* * *
At four o’clock, Luca ended the staff meeting and headed for home. His mother’s earlier message that she’d be picking up Dino had allowed him to get a lot of work done today.
For the last two years Luca had trimmed his work schedule in order to put his traumatized boy first. Because he was no longer in kindergarten, their normal routine had changed.
Monday through Saturday they ate breakfast together first before he drove Dino to primary school at eight o’clock. Then Luca would leave his office in time to pick him up at one o’clock and they’d go home for lunch. After that, Luca would go back to work until five and Dino’s nanny, Ines, would take over.
But today had been an exception from start to finish. Now he could enjoy the rest of the time with his son. Maybe they’d go to another hockey match. He liked watching it with Luca.
He got back in his car and drove to Tauriano. He was furious that his father, who’d always been cold and unyielding, seemed especially devoid of human feelings when it came to Dino. He’d always resented Luca’s marriage to Catarina, and had passed on a feeling of dislike toward his grandson.
Thank heaven for Luca’s mother and Catarina’s aunt and uncle Maria and Tomaso, who’d raised her from a young age. They were like another set of grandparents to Dino, and he adored them.
For the next three weeks he needed to fill each day with activities for both of them in order to face the ordeal coming up. Once the tumor had been removed, who knew what other problems might ensue. But right now he needed to shelve that worry and handle the present.
He pulled up to the villa and hurried inside. Since his son was usually in the family room, he headed there first. “Dino? Papà is home!”
There was no answering cry, and nothing from Ines. Luca paused long enough to see a giant set of building blocks on the table. The box it came in showed a winter wonderland scene. A certain amount of work had been done on it already. He was impressed.
Apparently this was a surprise from Luca’s mother and that was why she’d gone to pick up Dino today. Maybe he’d gone home with his grandmother for dinner.
Curious, he took the stairs two at a time to the next floor, passing Dino’s bedroom on the way to his own suite for a shower. That’s when he heard sobbing and opened the door to see Ines sitting on the side of the bed trying to comfort his son. Luca felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.
Ines got to her feet and hurried over to him. Sorrow was written all over her face. “He’s had an upset today,” she whispered, “but it’s not because of a nightmare or a headache. He had a visit from a woman representing the Start with a Wish foundation. She brought him a gift, but when she had to leave, it upset Dino. I’m glad you’re home. He’ll be much better after talking to you.” On that note, she left the bedroom.
Luca walked over to the side of the bed. Dino lay on top of the covers on his stomach, hugging a pillow. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Luca sat down and began to rub his back.
“Polpetto mio.” The meatball endearment he’d used with him forever usually brought a laugh, but not this time. “Want to tell Papà what’s wrong?”
He whirled around and sat up. His face was a study in misery. Luca hadn’t seen a look like that in a long time. “My nonna is mad at me. Did she call you?”
His mother didn’t have a mean bone in her body, but clearly something had disturbed Dino to the point of tears. “No. I just got home from work.”
“She didn’t say anything?”
Luca put up both hands. “I swear it.”
“Well, she’s going to.” He slid off the bed. “And then you’re going to be really mad at me.”
Since when? What the devil had gone on here? “Why would I be mad?”
“Because... I was rude to Gabi.”
Gabi? “Who’s that?” he asked, though Ines had already informed him.
“She brought me a present from that Start with a Wish program on TV.” Luca had heard of it, of course. Who hadn’t? How had they known about Dino?
“We were having so much fun putting it together, and then she had to leave and I didn’t want her to go. I got so mad I ran out of the room. After I went upstairs, I watched her drive away. And now I know she’ll never come back.”
He ran to Luca and wrapped his arms around him. “I’ll never see her again.”
Luca didn’t have a clue what was going on, but with those words, he knew this had something to do with the loss of Dino’s mother. Luca needed to stop the bleeding before there was a full-blown emotional hemorrhage.
* * *
Gabi arrived at work Wednesday morning, anxious to talk to Edda when she came in. She hadn’t been in her office when Gabi returned yesterday. Today she needed to pass on Giustina’s concerns about certain contents of the letter and tell her what had happened at the Berettini villa. Dino hadn’t wanted her to leave, and heaven help her, she hadn’t wanted to leave either.
His quick mind, his laughter, the funny things he said—everything about him tugged at her heart. She’d meant it when she’d told him she’d love a son just like him. It was true. What wasn’t there to like? The fact that he was facing a serious operation only made her feelings more tender toward him.
An hour later, in the middle of opening more letters, Stefania told Gabi that Edda wanted to see her in her office. Gabi hadn’t realized her boss had already come in.
She excused herself and walked down the hall. Edda welcomed her in and told her to sit down. “I’m happy to inform you that your visit yesterday made a deep impression on Dino Berettini. So much so in fact that he’s downstairs in the reception area with his father, who took time off from his work to drive them here. They’ve come specifically to see you.”
What? His father had brought him? Gabi couldn’t credit any of it.
“There’s more, Gabi. They’ve asked if you could spend the day with them while they’re here in Padova. I told them it would have to be your decision. Of course you have my permission. How do you feel about that?”
How did she feel? “Do you think I should?”
Edda scrutinized her. “Is there a reason you wouldn’t want to see him again?”
“No, but I haven’t met his father.”
“Ah. The idea makes you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all, but I’m just surprised he’s here. Did you show him Dino’s letter?”
“The subject didn’t come up. It appears he wants his son to apologize to you in person for the way he behaved toward you before you left their home. He’s concerned that Dino ran out on you and didn’t say goodbye or even thank you.”
She shook her head. “That wasn’t important. He was like all children who don’t want something fun to end.”
“Well, he’s here now and waiting to see you. I’ve informed Stefania.”
“Thank you.” Gabi stood up. “I’ll go down.”
“Keep me informed.”
“Of course.”
Fortunately, Gabi had worn her navy suit with a lighter blue collared blouse to work and felt presentable. She stopped in the conference room for her purse and waved to Luisa, who knew about her visit to Dino. Once outside in the hall, she
brushed her hair and put on a fresh coat of pink frost lipstick before she made her way downstairs to the reception room.
People doing business or needing information came to the foundation throughout the day. Gabi looked around at the half-dozen visitors until she saw Dino, who slid off the chair but didn’t run to her.
Seated next to him had to be his father, who got to his feet. He was tall and fit, with black hair and blue eyes that matched his son’s. The thirtyish male who’d once won an Olympic gold medal for Italy’s ski team was beyond gorgeous despite the telltale lines of grief.
She took a quick breath and walked the short distance to them. “Benvenuto, Dino! What a wonderful surprise! Here I thought you were at school this morning.”
He looked so solemn. “I asked Papà to drive me here. I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Gabi smiled. “I’m not. I had such a great time and didn’t want to go back to work. I felt just like you did.”
A half smile broke out on his face. “So...you’re not mad at me?”
“What do you think?”
A huge smile broke out on his face. Over his dark head her eyes fused with his father’s.
“Dino?” the man asked in a deep voice that penetrated her body. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
His son looked at both of them. “Gabi? This is my papà.”
CHAPTER THREE
GABI CHUCKLED. “SINCE you two look like each other, I figured he has to be your father. I’m delighted to meet you, Signor Berettini.”
The CEO of the Berettini empire had dressed in a charcoal-colored suit with a gray pullover and probably had to shave twice a day. No man’s looks or masculine aura had ever given her such a visceral reaction.
Amusement lurked in his eyes fringed with sooty black lashes. He took her breath. “After hearing about Gabi this and Gabi that, I’ve been the one anxious to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand.
She felt the contact zap through her like a bolt of lightning. His blue gaze traveled over her as if he were trying to piece everything together using his son’s assessment of her. In truth she’d been doing the same thing to him and hoped to heaven it didn’t show.
The Magnate's Holiday Proposal Page 3
