by Sue MacKay
‘You pick good friends.’ Mattia sat forward and placed his hand over her chilled one. ‘Thank you for telling me. I know how hard it is to do that. Now enjoy the rest of dinner.’
From then on they talked only about the ordinary everyday things in their vastly different lives, until finally Mattia drained his glass and pushed his plate aside. Resolve began taking over in his countenance. ‘Right, finished here?’ He didn’t wait for her reply, standing up and dropping a wad of notes on the table, suddenly looking impatient.
Just as well she wasn’t craving that tiramisu on the menu. ‘Sure.’ She hurried after him. ‘What’s the rush?’
He slowed. ‘Sorry. I need some air.’ Had everything caught up with him?
Outside the restaurant Mattia turned right, paused to take her elbow before continuing with long strides that had her almost jogging.
Elene recognised the streets from her meanderings during the day. ‘We’re going to the beach?’
He glanced down at her shoes and shook his head. ‘We’ll stick to the paths running along the top of the escarpment. I can’t see you managing the hundreds of steps down to the sand in those.’
‘Then slow down.’ She was wobbling like a bird trying to balance on an overhead wire in a full gale.
He did. Abruptly. Causing Elene to topple towards him. Instantly he caught her, held her by the waist until she’d righted herself.
‘Thanks,’ she muttered, failing to ignore the heat those hands created through the fabric of her dress. If only this was a normal date where they would kiss and cuddle and follow up with more back at the house. If only Mattia would see her as a woman he might like, might want to get close to, and not just Danielle’s friend and Aimee’s surrogate mother. But there was that fiancée in his past. Not to mention how Craig had changed her thoughts on relationships. Strange how she kept forgetting that around Mattia. Digging deep, she found the strength to pull away from those all-too-exciting hands.
Dropping his arms to his sides, Mattia asked, ‘Are you warm enough?’
‘Yes.’ Her body was heavy with heat from his touch. Stepping sideways put a little distance between them but didn’t cool her body any degrees.
Mattia shoved his hands in his pockets and his chin dropped to his chest as he began strolling along the pathway. After some minutes he stopped and turned to eyeball her. ‘The papers from your lawyer prove you’re Aimee’s legal guardian. And state that I am her father. That’s pretty much it.’
Now her temperature dropped to cool. The battle, if there was going to be one—and she’d be naïve to think differently until otherwise shown—had begun. ‘As I told you.’
‘So we’re in a similar position to a divorced couple deciding where the kids live and who with.’
‘Putting it bluntly, yes.’
Mattia stared at her for a long moment, then began to walk again. ‘Tell me why Danielle did that.’ She must’ve made a sound because he added, ‘I am not saying you aren’t suitable.’
Okay. Not what she’d expected. Maybe she should stop trying to second-guess Mattia and just hear him out.
‘She wanted me to be her mother. Also it was to prevent Aimee ever ending up in the welfare system if things went belly-up.’
‘Why would they do that?’ He sounded genuinely puzzled.
‘Think about it, Mattia. How well did you two know each other? What if you weren’t prepared to acknowledge you were Aimee’s father?’
‘I would never do that.’
‘I know that,’ Elene admitted. ‘I overheard you talking to one of the doctors about a young patient—his father had left him in the care of friends while he went traipsing off on an extended holiday and he refused to come back when he heard of the accident that put the boy in hospital. You were angry, and said you’d always put your child before your own needs. I told Danielle but her past made her wary, hence my name on those papers as Aimee’s mother.’
‘That makes sense.’ He nodded slowly. ‘I remember that kid. He was heartbroken his dad wasn’t there for him. I wanted to wrap him up and take him home, which wouldn’t have helped at all.’
‘You’ve got a big heart, Mattia.’ Something she hadn’t quite accepted before. Did it mean she could expect him to do whatever was possible to keep both Aimee and her happy as they resolved this? Because, as much as she feared losing Aimee, she also knew she’d never get in the way of the little girl’s relationship with her father. Her own past proved the worth of a good dad.
‘Did Danielle ever mention marriage? Before she became ill?’
‘Only in the negative. I raised the idea and she said the fling with you was great but getting together permanently wouldn’t happen because she never wanted to be beholden to a man.’ Elene thought back to the day she’d found out about the pregnancy and how excited her friend was. ‘She wanted the baby, very much. And then—’
Mattia’s hand touched her lower back, his fingers spread wide.
‘Then she learned she had cancer.’
Elene nodded, struggling to hold back the tears. A couple escaped and she let them flow so as not to draw attention to them. ‘It was horrible. I was with Danielle when the doctors told her. We were in shock. It seemed impossible, even though we knew that these horrors happen. Just not to us.’
Mattia was making circular motions on her back as they walked slowly along the path. ‘I presume surgery would’ve been risky for the baby.’
‘It wasn’t happening. Danielle was adamant, even when told of the likely outcome. Her baby came first. She would not risk its life.’ Now she had to wipe away the tears; there were too many to ignore.
Mattia handed her a handkerchief.
‘Thanks.’ She sniffed. ‘I didn’t think anyone used these any more.’
‘I find tissues aren’t quite the thing when helping a crying woman.’
She gave a droopy smile. ‘Someone brought you up to be a gentleman.’
‘That family we were talking about earlier.’
They’d reached a park bench. Elene said, ‘Mind if we sit down? I’d like to take in the view while we talk.’ The distant lights of Naples were a balm to the anxiety building inside her as she reached the sensitive part of her story. Without waiting for a reply, she sank onto the wooden slats and crossed her arms under her breasts.
Mattia sat beside her, his legs stretched out interminably. Long, muscular, slim. An athlete’s build.
Elene tried to drag up images of the man she’d kept at arm’s length for her friend’s sake in Wellington, and all that landed in her head was a picture of Mattia about to kiss her. They’d been wrong to get that far, but in the heat of the moment she hadn’t known anything other than Mattia.
‘Go on,’ he urged.
‘After the diagnosis everything changed.’ Elene’s arms tightened further. ‘Danielle wanted the time she had left to be about her baby. She quit her job to focus on being as fit and healthy as possible. I moved into her apartment to help whenever needed. The being healthy bit didn’t work out. The pregnancy mixed with cancer rapidly drained her. They found lesions on her lungs when she was at thirty-three weeks’ gestation. Doctors suggested inducing the birth. Danielle refused, wanting the best start for her baby, and afterwards she focused entirely on Aimee for the time she had.’
Mattia waited quietly, making it easier to continue.
‘We spent a lot of hours talking about the future.’ Swallow. ‘I believed she should’ve told you before Aimee was born. To me it wasn’t just about Danielle’s needs. Whereas she fully intended having that time with Aimee to herself, saying you’d have years with her if you wanted her, and making me promise not to get in touch with you until after.’ After. That word still wrung her heart.
Not so Mattia. ‘If I wanted my child? What did she think I was?’ He was up on his feet, hands on hips, staring at her as though she was the cu
lprit here.
‘Sit down, Mattia.’ She refused to go on while he was hovering over her. ‘You’re making me uncomfortable.’
He made to comment, then must have thought the better of it. ‘Fine.’ The bench shook as he dropped down beside her.
‘I’d never have prevented even a minute of that time for Danielle with Aimee.’
She gave him a smile. ‘You’d have had to get past me.’
‘There is that.’ He returned the smile, followed by a sigh. ‘You’d have been a hellcat.’
‘Agreed. So, where do we go from here? We’ve dealt with the past, now there’s the future to sort out. One thing you need to understand—I will never walk away from Aimee.’
‘I already figured that out.’ Mattia stared out across the bay for a long time. ‘I suggest we take time getting to know each other.’
Not what she’d expected. Relief soared, then plummeted. Did Mattia have his lawyers determining what was required for him to gain full custody of his daughter? Her hands clenched against her ribs. Thinking like that might not be fair but she had to face facts. If Mattia wanted his daughter entirely for himself she would fight back hard, but her resources were minuscule compared to the Ricco fortune. ‘You aren’t saying how you want this to work.’
Mattia pulled her hand free, covered it with his warmth. ‘Relax. I’m not going to do anything underhand. You will know every step I take, what I’d like to do, and I expect the same from you. I also will never walk away from my daughter. She’s in my life for ever.’ Dropping her hand, he continued. ‘I think we’ve covered enough ground tonight. We’re still talking, not arguing, which is a good way to finish. All I ask is that you trust me.’
Big ask when there was so much at stake. Yet she couldn’t find it in her to disagree. So far he hadn’t left her in the lurch over anything. Being naïve again? Or learning to trust her instincts with this man? ‘I’m not looking for trouble. We’ve got enough already.’
They’d nearly reached his car when Mattia asked quietly, ‘One thing. So far I’ve only heard about Danielle and what she wanted for our daughter. What do you want from me? For yourself,’ he added. ‘Money? A home here? What?’
‘Nothing,’ she gasped, her blood running cold, her face feeling as though he’d physically slapped her. ‘Absolutely nothing,’ she cried through clenched teeth. He wanted her to trust him? How about returning the favour?
* * *
She was good, Mattia conceded. But good actor or genuinely honest person, he had yet to determine. ‘Fine.’ Just checking, Elene. Because I won’t be played for a fool again. He didn’t like what he’d done, but the need to know was a juggernaut that wouldn’t be stopped. Not after Sandy stealing from his charity and then trying to get him arrested for misuse of donations. Being used came with the territory for his family. There were often people on the make, or trying to ingratiate themselves into the Ricco business in order to cruise through life. But Sandy? When she’d wanted for nothing? Even years down the track he didn’t understand her motives. The only good thing to come out of it seemed to be that he’d become a father. And meeting the woman now storming ahead along the roadside, putting distance between them, going right past his car.
Acting as though he’d hurt her by his question? He shook his head. No acting about it. Her fury was all-consuming. Perhaps he’d got her wrong. If Elene wasn’t interested in gaining anything from him out of this then he owed her an apology—once she calmed down. Try now and he’d get his head knocked off with one of those shoes swinging furiously from her hand. But how was he to be sure? ‘Elene, stop. Get in the car.’
A finger was waved at him over her shoulder, leaving no doubt about what she thought of that suggestion.
‘It’s not safe to walk alone this late at night.’
Another wave, no friendlier than the first.
Fine. He’d follow her, all the way home if he had to. Slamming the door, he started the car to roll along behind her. Of course Elene wasn’t going to give in and get in the vehicle after what he’d asked. Did that mean he could safely say she wasn’t after anything more than to be Aimee’s madre? Another can of worms. Her terms or his? Would they ever be able to agree on something so tricky? She had dropped into his life without warning. To catch him on the hop?
Pulling up alongside Elene, he lowered the window and asked, ‘What did you hope to gain by turning up here unannounced?’
She didn’t stop, didn’t even falter in those long, angry strides, the soles of her feet slapping on the pavement with each step. ‘Only to keep my promise to Danielle,’ she shot over her shoulder.
What game had Danielle been playing? Surely she didn’t think he and Elene could get together as a couple? As far as he knew, she’d never learned about that moment in the tea room—how it had rocked him deeply, and how hard he’d worked at forgetting it.
Now Elene stopped, whipping around to glare at him. ‘What do you think? That I wanted to do it this way?’ Her hand slapped the roof of his car. ‘No, Mattia. Danielle was so ill I’d have promised her the moon if she’d asked for it.’ With that she was off again, charging up the hill like a rocket.
He sighed. What a woman to have onside. The mother of his child had been very lucky to have such a friend. One in a million. One he’d like walking with him through life. If he ever got stupid enough to fall in love again, that was. And one thing was certain: he wasn’t stupid. Not often.
He waited until she was nearly out of sight before engaging gear and cruising along behind her, pausing to let her get ahead, catching up, not once considering leaving her alone. It must’ve rankled when she had to wait at the gate to get inside the property and again for the garage door to lift so she could enter the house and make her way to her room. Not once did she acknowledge him. Not a nod, a word or a glance. Her back was straighter than the flagpole on the end of the deck, her chin sharper than a knife.
He was in too deep. And hating it. Elene had fought back hard, which he admired. She wasn’t whimpering like a puppy, waiting to be forgiven, but telling him he’d have to do better if he was to gain her respect. Considering how her ex had treated her, it only showed how strong she’d become. He only had himself to blame. They’d been getting on so well before he’d gone and wrecked it. But learning the truth was imperative. Protecting his family came first. Elene had the perfect excuse for getting close, and that was his daughter. Her guardianship could be a ruse to obtain financial gain from his family, but unless that was the case he was loath to contest her legal role. Danielle had chosen Elene as Aimee’s mother, and he’d respect that to the best of his ability—as long as he retained his rightful place in his daughter’s life, which meant having her living with him full-time.
He was going to have to convince Elene to stay in Italy. Permanently. That was all there was to it.
That’s all? He groaned. It’d be easier to run the Sahara Marathon, and he didn’t even run to the hospital. This was Elene Lowe he was talking about, remembered from working together in Wellington: stubborn, determined when she put her mind to it. He had to find a way through those barricades that she’d flung up when he’d accused her of wanting something from him. He had to do it for everyone’s sake. Starting ASAP. He only hoped he had enough time to accomplish the right outcome before she left for home—taking Aimee with her.
He’d start by going to bed and not antagonising her any more tonight.
And tomorrow? He groaned. A full surgical schedule to deal with. A child to consider. An angry woman to placate. Bring it on. Really?
Sì. Mattia stopped pacing the kitchen. Placating Elene might be difficult, yet he wanted to, wanted to win her confidence and her trust—something she’d only half-heartedly given earlier. She had to be the most infuriating woman on the planet and yet he wanted to get on with her. Naturally he’d do all he could for his child. But... This wasn’t only about Aimee. This was about gettin
g to know, understand, care about Elene Lowe.
Oh, come on. This is about acknowledging the heat that tightens your groin whenever she’s close, about that challenge in her eyes that has you wondering if you had a fling with the wrong woman back in Wellington.
Now he was really going to sleep well. Because he already knew the answer to that one.
‘Damn it.’ Striding down the hall, he rapped on Elene’s door. ‘Can I have a word?’
The door opened a crack. ‘You had too many already.’ The door closed.
Mattia gave another, sharper rap. ‘Elene, I am sorry for what I implied. Truly sorry.’ He couldn’t countenance her thinking he might be a bully like that Craig character.
The door opened. Elene slipped through and closed it before leaning back against the wall, her arms folded beneath her breasts, those intense eyes locked on him. ‘Did you mean what you asked?’
He had to be honest. It was the only way to go. But neither would he grovel. ‘Yes.’
‘Thank you. I understand why you had to ask.’ He was being impaled with that look. ‘Just not how you went about it.’ Then her stance softened. Only a little, but it was enough. ‘See you in the morning.’ She left him standing in the hall feeling like a kid on detention outside the headmaster’s office.
‘Goodnight, Elene,’ he whispered, more to himself than her. ‘See you tomorrow.’
CHAPTER FIVE
ELENE WOKE TO a very quiet room. Jerking upward, she stared over at the cot. Empty. How had she slept through Aimee stirring and doing her morning routine of ‘Ma-ma-ma-ma’? That she’d lain awake till after four might have something to do with it. Unless someone had taken Aimee away before she started? Mattia? Or Anna? She knew who she hoped it’d been, and it wasn’t that tall, arrogant man who’d pushed every button she owned and then some last night. The thought of Mattia coming in here while she was comatose stirred her blood to simmering, just because he could and would.
