by Tina Beckett
“Eight this morning.”
That would have been around the time she had gone out to the garage and seen him wiping down his car.
The memory of him bending her over that hood sent heat scorching through her.
Luca glanced at her, head tilting before saying, “I can look now, if you’re okay with waiting.”
“Yes. I have a consult in about fifteen minutes. The patient is adult. Worsening symptoms since yesterday.”
Luca went to his computer, the keys clicking as he looked for whatever it was the surgeon wanted him to see. “Elyse? Care to throw your opinion in as well?”
She went around the desk to find him looking at a series of MRI slides. “Oh, wow.”
The images showed a series of lesions in different parts of the brain. “MS?” she asked.
Giorgino nodded. “This is what I thought too.”
It looked like a typical case, but there was something...
Luca shook his head. “I don’t think so. They’re on the basal ganglia. Nothing on the brain stem, like you’d expect with MS.” He stared at the images. “Maybe acute disseminated encephalomyelitis?”
“ADEM?” she said. “Yes, it could be.”
Similar in many aspects to MS, ADEM often came on after an illness. But it was seen mostly in children, not adults. “How old is she?”
“Fifty-four,” said Lorenzo.
“Was she sick recently? Have any type of vaccine?”
The surgeon came around to look at the screen as Luca scrolled back through the medical history. “Nothing.”
“Is there someone here with her? A relative, maybe?”
“Suo marito.”
Giorgino explained that her very worried husband was down in the waiting area. Calling down to the lobby and asking them to relay the question, they soon had their answer.
“She came down with the shingles virus about a month ago.”
Elyse bit her tongue to keep from playing devil’s advocate. She hated to be wrong, but in this case she had to admit that Luca probably was correct in his diagnosis. Plus the fact that looking at the scans a little closer, the lesions were more perivenous as opposed to the way multiple sclerosis normally presented. At least this time they hadn’t argued about it. Although she might have presented her theory more vehemently if they had been on her home turf, which made her wonder why she hadn’t here. Maybe because they weren’t as close as they once had been.
Or maybe she’d learned a thing or two since then. If that was the case, something good had come of their last few arguments. Something besides Annalisa.
“Standard treatment, then,” she said, “consists of high doses of dexamethasone or methylprednisone to lower inflammation, wouldn’t you say?”
Luca and Giorgino suddenly began speaking in rapid Italian that she couldn’t keep up with. The surgeon’s glance went to her once then back to Luca.
Did they disagree with her treatment plan? Or was the surgeon asking about what she meant to Luca?
No, of course he wasn’t. She was being paranoid. They had to be talking about treatment options.
Then Giorgino was gone with a wave and a quick word of thanks.
“Everything okay?”
Luca clicked off the computer screen. “Yes, he went to initiate treatment. He said to tell you thank you.”
“That was a pretty long thank you. Besides, you came up with the diagnosis first.”
He grinned. “Yes, but I’m not nearly as cute as you are.”
“You’re a funny guy.”
Through it all, Anna had remained quiet as if she knew that they were doing something important. Now that they were done, though, she gurgled, then jammed her hands into her mouth.
“I thought you said she wasn’t hungry.”
“She shouldn’t be. Not yet. And now that the Great Diaper Crisis is over, she should be fine.”
“Diaper crisis?”
“Um, you still have a little wet stain on your shirt.” A sudden thought made her laugh. “No wonder Enzo looked at us kind of weird. Probably thought something kinky was going on in here.”
“Good thing he didn’t see us yesterday, then.” The sardonic note in his voice stopped her in her tracks.
She guessed what they’d done was a little beyond what they’d experimented with in the past. But it had been incredibly exciting, and she was finding she didn’t regret it nearly as much as she should have. “Yes. Good thing.”
The moment of telling him she couldn’t have kids had come and gone.
“Is the department in Atlanta still downsized?”
The question came out of the blue, taking her by surprise. Was he thinking about her suggestion of moving back to the States? “Yes, unfortunately.”
“Why did you stay, then? Afterward?”
“I couldn’t leave the patients without anyone there. I know they would have replaced me, but I felt an obligation to them. I still do.”
“Even if the hospital works you to death in the process? With those kinds of cutbacks, there’s no way you can do justice to the patients that come in.”
He was voicing exactly what she’d been thinking. Her voice went very soft. “I know that. But I have to try, while attempting to turn the boat back in the other direction. Sooner or later, they’re either going to have to close our trauma center or hire more staff. Because lots of times those trauma cases involve neurological issues.”
“Agreed.” He touched her hair. “Anna needs you healthy and well. Not a...a wrung-out towel that has nothing left for herself.”
“A wrung-out towel?” Is that how he saw her? Not very flattering.
“It doesn’t quite come across the same way in English.”
“I think I understand what you’re trying to say. But since I haven’t worked since I had her, I don’t know how it’s going to be yet. The hospital is using a borrowed surgeon from a sister hospital until I come back online.”
“Online. Like a computer program?”
She knew he was trying to help, and she shouldn’t be offended, but she didn’t like the inference that she would give Annalisa any less than all she had.
And if she really did become a wrung-out towel, like he’d said?
“You have your life together, no bumps in the road, I suppose.”
His brows went up. “There have been some very big bumps, especially recently, but as you can see I am making time for both of you.”
“As will I when I go back to work.”
He nodded. “Very good, then. Let’s talk about something else. Like our trip to Rome.”
They spent the next twenty minutes discussing their game plan for that first actual meeting. And when they were done, Elyse wasn’t sure whether tomorrow was going to be a celebration. Or a wake.
But they would all find out, very soon.
CHAPTER TEN
HIS MOTHER’S GREETING over the phone was filled with warm excitement. “Everything is ready here. I have the ingredients for your favorite meal, ready to prepare. Are you bringing Emilia with you?”
“Not this time, Mamma, but I am bringing someone with me.”
“Una fidanzata?”
He cringed at the word fiancée. How exactly did one explain that someone was the mother of your child but not attached to you in any way, shape or form? You didn’t.
“Are you sitting down?”
“Don’t tell me. You really have chosen someone?”
His mother had been on his case to find a wife for the last several years. Even in medical school she’d asked about girls, despite the fact that the last thing he’d had time for was finding that special someone.
Until he’d met Elyse.
“No. But there was a girl. For a while. In Atlanta. We broke up, but I’ve since found out that there was...is...a...” He cleared his throat. “A ba
by involved.”
“I don’t understand, Lucan. A baby involved in what?”
“She has a child, and that baby is mine.”
There was silence over the phone, then he heard her shrieking for his father to come into the room.
Luca held the phone away from his ear to avoid hearing loss.
Dio. He’d known she’d be shocked. Dismayed, maybe. But ultimately he’d thought she’d be happy.
His father must have arrived because he heard rapid-fire voices, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then his father came on.
“Luca, what the hell is going on? Mamma says you have a child?”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s sobbing.”
Damn. She was taking this a lot harder than he’d thought she would. He was glad now that he’d gone into his bedroom to make the call and doubly glad he hadn’t waited to tell her upon their arrival in Rome. “I’m sorry, Papà. I only found out myself recently.”
“Sorry?” He paused and shouted something to someone, evidently his mother. “I can’t hear over her wailing. Why are you sorry?”
“Well... Mamma is crying.”
A gust of laughter blew through the line. “She’s not crying because she’s sad. She’s happy. Ecstatic. She was sure this day would never come.”
“I’m not married to the baby’s mother—and I don’t plan on ever getting married to her.” That sent a shaft of pain right through his chest. Because at one time he had fantasized about Elyse walking down that aisle. He’d had the ring in a little box in his drawer for a month. He’d held on to it, waiting for the right moment to come. It never had. And now it was stuffed in his sock drawer somewhere, since he’d never had time to return the ring before he’d left for Italy.
“Is she a good girl?”
He blinked at that. “She’s a grown woman, Papà, and if you mean is she nice, then, yes, she’s very nice. It just didn’t work out between us. She flew to Florence to tell me a week ago.”
“How old is the baby?”
“Four months, and she’s a girl. Annalisa Marie Tenner.”
He waited while his dad relayed the information. “Why doesn’t she have your last name?”
“Because I wasn’t there when she was born. And maybe Elyse wasn’t sure what to do about that fact.”
He’d assumed she hadn’t wanted to give Annalisa his last name because she hadn’t been sure how he would react to the news. Or maybe there had been a period of time when she wasn’t sure if she would even tell him.
But that was something he could do nothing about at the moment. Maybe later, once they’d come to some sort of understanding and things weren’t quite so emotional.
Strike two for having sex with her on the hood of his car. It had muddied the waters and made it hard for him to do anything but think about those last memorable seconds. Because he badly wanted to do it all over again.
And there was no way he could. He needed to keep his head about him, especially now that his parents knew. He didn’t want to give them false hope.
Again, his dad stopped to relay the information. “Papà, just put Mamma back on the phone, please.”
A minute later, she came on the line, speaking so fast that he could barely understand her. Something about wanting to have a huge party to introduce the baby to the extended family.
Dio! That hadn’t been on his radar at all. “Let me talk to Elyse first. She might not want that kind of attention.”
“Elyse? This is the mother?”
“Yes. And I’m not sure she’s up to one of your parties.”
“Of course she is. This is our first grandchild. Everyone must know.”
He was pretty sure everyone already did with the way she’d carried on a few moments earlier. “We’re only going to be at the house for a week. There won’t be time to put anything together.”
“Yes, there will. I’ll make it work. It can be on your last day at the house.” She paused her tirade. “But only a week? How will we get to know either of them in that time?”
He hadn’t talked to Elyse about spending more time than that, although she was slated to be in Italy for a month. But he’d been hoping to get to know his daughter a little bit better without his mother hovering over his every move. “She won’t be here that long. She’s only in Italy for a month and she’s been here nearly a week already.”
“A month? Spend the rest of the time with us, then.”
“No, Mamma, I can’t. I have to work. I’ve already taken a week off as it is.”
“We barely see you.” The complaint was one his mother always made.
“That’s not true. You saw me less than six weeks ago.”
“Why don’t you come back to Rome and work?”
They’d been over this same argument time and time again. Priscilla believed all her children should be gathered around her. And his sisters were. They had both settled less than ten kilometers from their birthplace. After his breakup, though, Luca hadn’t been able to bear the thought of moving back to Rome. His mom was far too intuitive. Between her and his sisters, they would have yanked every last detail from him.
It looked like they might get that chance after all.
“I told you. This clinic specializes in neurology. They’re doing great work.”
“There are clinics here in Rome as well.”
“I’m already here, Mamma. I can’t just uproot myself.” He paused, not letting his voice run ahead of his mind. He decided to steer her back to one of her original subjects just to save himself. “About the party. Nothing too big. Promise me.”
Elyse was going to kill him for throwing her to the sharks, so to speak.
“It will just be family. Maybe fifty people.”
“No. That’s too big.”
“But your aunts, uncles and cousins will be offended if they’re not all invited.”
“I don’t think I even have that many cousins and aunts.”
“Oh, at least that many. I can think of a hundred off the top of my head.”
Okay, so now fifty was sounding a whole lot better. “Let’s not invite all of Rome, Mamma. And I really need to ask Elyse if it’s okay. If she says no, we’ll have to skip it.”
“Ask, then. I’ll wait.”
“She’s probably already asleep. I’ll ask her in the morning before we leave and call you then.”
He doubted that Elyse was asleep at nine o’clock, but the last thing he wanted to do was knock on her bedroom door and have her answer in pajamas. Or worse.
“Do you promise? Call me early. I have a lot of work to do as far as planning goes.”
This time he gave an audible sigh. “Nothing too extravagant. Please, Mamma.”
“Of course not. You know me.”
Yes, he did, which was why he’d said it. But it really didn’t matter. She was going to do whatever she wanted to, and his sisters were probably going to be cheering her on the whole way. Not the way he’d wanted to introduce Elyse to his family. Priscilla had a kind of frenetic energy that others tended to feed off. Either that or they were horrified by it.
She was in her element when planning festas. He could remember all the huge Christmas and Easter bashes that she’d hosted. “Just a few family members” quickly became “the” place to be on holidays. Distant relatives finagled invitations just to come and see what his mother had cooked up for that particular celebration. Time to hammer his point home.
“Keep the guest list small. Elyse doesn’t speak Italian, so she’s going to feel totally out of place as it is.”
“I will enlist your father’s help. I will tell him to rein me in if I’m getting too...what was the word? Stravagante.”
She said it with such a flourish he had to laugh. “You’re impossible, but ti amo, Mamma. Don’t do anything until I call y
ou in the morning.”
“I won’t, I promise. I love you too, mio figlio.”
He hung up the phone and sat on his bed for a minute. Should he ask Elyse tonight?
No, because, again, that would entail him knocking on her bedroom door. Which was probably why his subconscious was pushing for him to do just that.
Well, it could keep pushing all it wanted. This time he wasn’t listening.
* * *
“She wants to do what?”
Elyse was horrified. Luca’s mother wanted to throw a party—for Annalisa—and she knew nobody. Suddenly she wondered if coming to Italy had been a mistake, if everything she was doing here was just going to make things worse. She glanced in the back seat, where Annalisa was sleeping, hoping beyond hope she was doing the right thing.
“It will keep her busy and stop her from asking too many personal questions.”
She could just imagine what some of those questions might be. A party didn’t sound too bad when you looked at the other possibility. She relaxed in her seat. “I don’t even speak Italian.”
“I’ll translate for you. It’s only for relatives, and she’s excited about meeting Annalisa. That’s what you were worried about, right?”
True. Luca had said his mother was old-fashioned. It would have been worse if she’d wanted to hide Annalisa away and never speak of her to anyone outside Luca’s immediate family. But the last time he’d translated for her, she’d been a royal wreck. She’d have to be careful about letting that happen again.
“Yes. Tell her okay. I just don’t want to embarrass anyone.”
“Elyse, you could never embarrass a soul.”
She shivered the way she always did when he said her name. His accent combined with that low graveled voice gave the word an exotic sound that got to her. Every single time.
“Oh, believe me, I could. I embarrass myself all the time. In lots of different ways.”
He took his hand off the stick shift and touched her knee. “You’re an excellent surgeon. And caring and compassionate with your patients.”
A smile came up from deep inside her. “Right back at you.”
He tilted his head, and she realized he wasn’t sure what she meant. His English vocabulary was so extensive that she sometimes forgot there were still things that confused him. “It means that I think you’re also an excellent doctor and caring and compassionate with your patients.”
