Expecting the Prince's Baby (Harlequin RomancePrinces of Europe)

by Rebecca Winters

  Everything was planned out. Once Abby delivered, she’d be taken to a private place away from any staff or media before the flight back to the States. The contract she’d made in the beginning was specific: no contact with the baby or the parents. Abby’s job would be done. That would be it, the end of her association with Vincenzo.

  No meetings, no Skyping, no technology to connect them. It had to be that way for the rest of their lives, for the good of the kingdom, for all of them. Vincenzo would be the prince she couldn’t forget, but he could never be a part of her life again.

  * * *

  Carolena was getting ready to go to court with a big law case. The work she’d asked Abby to do while she waited out these last few weeks was heaven-sent. Every time she started thinking about the little life getting ready to come into the world, she’d get busy doing more research. But she couldn’t turn off her mind in the middle of the night.

  Like Vincenzo, this child would be born into that world never knowing anything else. He’d make a marvelous father. She was excited for him, because his whole world was going to change once the doctor put the baby in his arms.

  But to never see the baby, to never see Vincenzo again. She sobbed until oblivion took over.

  Dr. DeLuca had given her the phone numbers of several former surrogates, but she hadn’t felt the need to talk to them. No matter what, every surrogate’s experience giving up a baby was different. Hers most of all, since she loved this royal heir and its father with every fiber of her being.

  About five in the morning she woke up with lower-back pain. This was a little stronger than usual. She knew it could mean the onset of labor. Then again, it might be because she’d been to the opera last evening and it had been too much for her poor back.

  She went to the bathroom and walked around the apartment for a few minutes. The ache subsided. Instead of going back to bed, she sat on the couch with her legs outstretched to watch a Godzilla film in Italian. Her feet were swollen. So were her fingers.

  The film put her to sleep, but pain woke her up again. Whoa. She got up to go to the bathroom. Um. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

  She went into her father’s bedroom. “Dad? Did Mom have a bad backache before I came?”

  He shot up in bed. “She sure did. The pain came around to the front.”

  “Yup. That’s what I’ve got.”

  “I’ll call the doctor.”

  “Tell him not to alert Vincenzo and tell him no one at the hospital is to leak this to him on the threat of death!”

  “You can’t ask him that, honey.”

  “Yes, I can!” She yelled at him for the first time in her life. “I’m the one having this baby and I’m not Vincenzo’s wife. This isn’t my child.” Tears rolled down her hot cheeks. “If something goes wrong, I don’t want him there until it’s all over. He’s been through enough suffering in his life. If everything’s fine, then he ca— O-o-h. Wow. That was a sharp pain.

  “Dad? Promise me you’ll tell the doctor exactly what I said! I’ve been good about everything, but I want my way in this one thing!

  “And make Angelina swear to keep quiet. If she breathes one word of this to Vincenzo, then—oh, my gosh—you’ll fire her without pay and she’ll never get another job for as long as she lives. I’m depending on you, Dad. Don’t let me down.”

  He put a hand on her cheek. “Honey, I promise to take care of everything.” Then he pressed the digit on his phone.

  * * *

  Vincenzo’s life had become a ritual of staying alive to hear about Abby’s day, but he was slowly losing his mind.

  After a grueling session with parliament, he hurried to his apartment for a shower, then rang for some sandwiches and headed for the computer. It was time for his nightly call to Abby. With the baby’s time coming soon, he couldn’t settle down to anything. The only moments of peace were when he could see her and they’d talk.

  Tonight he was surprised because he had to wait for her to tune in. One minute grew to two, then five. He gave her another five in case she was held up. Still no response.

  The phone rang. It was Angelina. He broke out in a cold sweat, sensing something was wrong before he clicked on. “Angelina?”

  “I wasn’t supposed to let you know, but I think you have the right. You’re about to become a father, Vincenzo.”

  What? “Isn’t it too soon?”

  “Not according to Abby’s timetable. She didn’t want you to worry, so she didn’t want you to come to the hospital until after the delivery, but I know you want to be there. The limo is waiting downstairs to take you to the hospital.”

  His heart gave a great thump. “I owe you, Angelina! I’m on my way down.”

  Vincenzo flew out of the apartment and reached the entrance in record time. “Giovanni? Take me to the hospital, stat!”

  Everything became a big blur before one of his security men said, “Come this way, Vincenzo.” They took the elevator to the fourth floor, past the nursery to one of the rooms in the maternity wing.

  “When did she go into labor?”

  “Awhile ago,” came the vague response. Vincenzo wanted to know more, but a nurse appeared and told him to wash his hands. Then she put a mask and gown on him before helping him into plastic gloves. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening.

  “Wait here.”

  As she opened the door, he saw Dr. DeLuca working with Abby. He was telling her to push. His beautiful Abby was struggling with all her might. “Push again, Abby.”

  “I’m trying, but I can’t do this alone. I need Vincenzo. Where is he?” Her cry rang in the air. “I want him here!”

  That was all Vincenzo needed to hear. He hurried into the operating room. The doctor saw him and nodded. “He’s arrived.”

  “I’m here, Abby.”

  She turned her head. “Vincenzo!” He heard joy in her voice. “Our baby’s coming! I should have called you.”

  “I’m here now. Keep pushing. You can do it.”

  After she pushed for another ten minutes, before his very eyes he saw the baby emerge and heard the gurgle before it let out a cry. Dr. DeLuca lifted it in the air. “Congratulations, Abby and Vincenzo. You have a beautiful boy.” He laid the baby across her stomach and cut the cord.

  “A son, Vincenzo!” Abby was sobbing for joy. “We did it.”

  “No, you did it.” He leaned over and brushed her mouth.

  The staff took over to clean the baby. In a minute the pediatrician announced, “The next heir to the throne is seven pounds, twenty-two inches long and looks perfect!”

  He brought the bundled baby over and would have placed it in his arms, but Vincenzo said, “Let Abby hold him first.”

  The moment was surreal for Vincenzo as together they looked down into the face of the child he and Michelina had created, the child Abby had carried. His heart melted at the sight.

  “Buonasera, Maximilliano,” she said with tears running down her cheeks. “Oh, he’s so adorable.”

  Vincenzo could only agree. He leaned down to kiss the baby’s cheeks and finger the dark hair. Carefully he unwrapped their little Max, who was perfect, with Michelina’s eyes and ears.

  “Look, Vincenzo. He has your jaw and the Di Laurentis body shape.”

  All the parts and pieces were there in all the right places. Vincenzo was overwhelmed.

  Dr. DeLuca patted his shoulder. “You should go with the pediatrician, who’s taking the baby to the nursery. I need to take care of Abby.”

  “All right.” He leaned down again, this time to kiss her hot cheek. “I’ll be back.”

  * * *

  An hour later he left the nursery to be with Abby, but was told she was still in recovery. He could wait in the anteroom until she was ready to be moved to a private room. But the wait turned out to be too lo
ng and he knew something was terribly wrong.

  He hurried to the nursing station. “Where’s Signorina Loretto?” He was desperate to see the woman who’d made all this possible. She’d done all the work. She and the baby were inseparable in his mind and heart.

  “She’s not here, Vincenzo.” Dr. DeLuca’s voice.

  He spun around. “What do you mean? To hell with the agreement, Doctor!”

  Vincenzo felt another squeeze on his shoulder and looked up into Carlo’s eyes staring at him above the mask he’d put on. “We all knew this was going to be the hard part. Abby’s out of your life now, remember?

  “Your boy needs you. Concentrate on him. You have all the help you need and a kingdom waiting to hear the marvelous news about the young prince, especially this bambino’s grandfather and grandmother.”

  Vincenzo didn’t feel complete without her. “Where is she, Carlo?”

  “Asleep. She had back pain around five in the morning. In total she was in labor about fifteen hours. All went well and now that the delivery is over, she’s doing fine.”

  “Tell me where she is,” Vincenzo demanded.

  “For her protection as well as yours, she’s in a safe place to avoid the media.”

  He felt the onset of rage. “You mean she’s been put in a witness protection program?”

  “Of a sort. She fulfilled her part of the bargain to the letter and is in excellent health. You once saved her life. Now she’s given you a son. Let it be enough.”

  Carlo’s words penetrated through to his soul. What was the Spanish proverb? Be careful for what you wish, for you just might get it.

  Vincenzo stood there helpless as hot tears trickled down his cheeks.

  * * *

  “Good morning, honey.”

  “Dad—”

  “I’m here.”

  “This is a different room.”

  “That’s right. You’re in a different hospital. You were transported in an ambulance after the delivery.”

  “I’m so thankful it’s over and Vincenzo has his baby.”

  “Yes. He’s overjoyed. I’ll turn on the TV so you can see for yourself.” Carlo raised the head of the bed a little for her to see without straining.

  Abby saw the flash, “breaking news,” at the bottom of the screen. “For those of you who are just waking up, this is indeed a morning like none other in the history of the world. There’s a new royal heir to the throne of Arancia. Last night at six-fifteen p.m., a baby boy was born to Crown Prince Vincenzo and the deceased Princess Michelina Cavelli by a gestational surrogate mother who we are told is doing well. The new young prince has been named Maximilliano Guilio Cavelli Di Laurentis.”

  Vincenzo...

  “The seven-pound prince is twenty-two inches long.”

  “Max is beautiful, Daddy.” The tears just kept flowing. “He’ll be tall and handsome like Vincenzo!”

  “According to the proud grandparents, their majesties King Guilio Di Laurentis and Queen Bianca Cavelli of Gemelli, the baby is the image of both royal families.

  “We’re outside the hospital now, awaiting the appearance of Prince Vincenzo, who will be taking his son home to the royal palace any minute. A nanny is already standing by with a team to ease Prince Vincenzo into this new role of fatherhood.

  “Yes. The doors are opening. Here comes the new father holding his son. We’ve been told he’s not going to make a statement, but he’s holding up the baby so everyone can see before he gets in the royal limousine.”

  Darling. Abby sobbed in joy and anguish.

  “This must be a bittersweet moment for him without Princess Michelina at his side. But rumor has it that sometime next year the king will be stepping down and the Principality of Arancia will see another wedding and the coronation of Prince Vincenzo.”

  Abby was dying for Vincenzo, who was being forced to face this. “I can’t stand the media, Dad. Couldn’t they let him enjoy this one sacred moment he and Michelina had planned for without bringing up the future?”

  “Speculation is the nature of that particular beast. But we can be thankful that for this opening announcement, they played down your part in all this. For such forbearance we can thank the king, who told me to tell you that you have his undying gratitude.”

  Abby’s hungry eyes watched the limo as it pulled away from the hospital escorted by security. The roar of the ecstatic crowds filled the streets. Her father shut off the TV.

  She lay there, numb. “It’s the end of the fairy tale.” Abby looked at him. “I can’t bear it. I love him, Dad, but he’s gone out of my life.”

  He grasped her hands. “I’m proud to be your father. You laid down your life for him and Michelina and he has his prize. Now it’s time for you to close the cover of that scrapbook and start to live your own life.”

  “You knew about that?”

  Her father just smiled. He wasn’t the head of palace security for nothing.

  Abby brushed the tears off her face. “I gave it to him months ago when he told me he didn’t want to be king. I wanted him to look through it and see all his accomplishments.”

  Her father’s eyes grew suspiciously bright. “You’ve been his helpmate all along and it obviously did the trick.”

  She kissed his hand. “Thank you for keeping him away as long as you could. I didn’t want him to have to go through any more grief, not after losing Michelina. Forgive me for yelling at you at the apartment?”

  “That’s when I knew you meant business. As it so happens, I agreed with you, but a man should be at the bedside of the woman who’s giving birth to his baby. Evidently Angelina thought so, too. She’s the one who told him to get to the hospital quick.”

  “Bless her. I needed him there.”

  “Of course you did.”

  “Lucky for me I was blessed to have you there, too, Daddy.”

  “Someday you’ll get married to a very lucky man, who will be there when the time comes for your own child to be born. I look forward to that day.”

  Abby loved her father, but he could have no conception of how she felt. Vincenzo was the great love of her life. There would never be anyone else and she would never have a baby of her own. But she’d had this one and had been watched over by Vincenzo every second of the whole experience.

  Through the years she would watch Max in secret, because he was her son and Vincenzo’s as surely as the sun ruled the day and the moon the night. No one could ever take that away from her.

  “Honey? The nurse has brought your breakfast.” He wheeled over the bed table so they could eat together. “Do you feel like eating?”

  Abby felt too much pain and was too drugged to have an appetite yet, but to please her father she reached for the juice.

  “We haven’t talked about you for a long time.” She smiled at him. “I want to know the real reason you decided to step down and move back to Rhode Island. Is there a woman in the picture you haven’t told me about? I hope there is.”

  He drank his coffee. “There has been one, but it was complicated, so I never talked about it.”

  “You can talk to me about it now.” Because if there wasn’t, then it meant she and her father had both been cursed in this life to love only one person. Now that she’d lost Vincenzo, both she and her dad would be destined to live out the rest of their lives with memories.

  “Can’t you guess? There’s only been one woman in my life besides your mom. It’s been you.”

  “Don’t tease me.”

  “I’m not.”

  She frowned. “Then why did you decide you wanted to leave Arancia?”

  “Because I could see the hold Vincenzo has had on you. Otherwise you would never have offered yourself as a surrogate. If you hope to get on with your life, it has to be away from here.”

 
; Abby lowered her head. “I’m afraid he’ll always have a hold on me.”

  “That’s my fear, too. It’s why we’re getting out of Arancia the moment you’re ready to travel.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  VINCENZO HAD SUMMONED Angelina to his apartment as soon as he’d returned to the palace with his son. He’d spent time examining Max from head to toe. After feeding him the way the nurse had showed him, and changing his diaper, Vincenzo gave Max to the nanny, who put him to bed in the nursery down the hall. Now there was no time to lose.

  “Tell me what you know of Abby’s whereabouts, Angelina.”

  “I can’t, Your Highness. Please don’t ask me. I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

  “By whom? Carlo?”

  “No.”

  “The king?”

  “No.”

  “Abby?”

  She nodded.

  He knew it!

  “Tell me which hospital they took her to.”

  Angelina squeezed her eyes tightly. “I don’t dare.”

  “All right. I’m going to name every hospital in Arancia.” He knew them all and served on their boards. “All you have to do is wink when I say the right one. That way you never said a word.”

  “She’ll hate me forever.”

  “Abby doesn’t have a hateful bone in her body. She carried my son for nine months and gave me the greatest gift a man could have. Surely you wouldn’t deny me the right to tell her thank you in person.”

  “But she’s trying to honor her contract.”

  “Contract be damned! She’s fulfilled it beyond my wildest dreams. If another person had done for you what she’s done for me, wouldn’t you want to thank them?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “But nothing. That may have been the rule when Michelina and I signed on with her, but the baby has arrived. There’s no more contract. You’re free of any obligation. What if I tell you I won’t approach her in the hospital?”