come to the hotel by then, she’d leave the note with the concierge.
At quarter to nine she arrived at the front desk and looked around. No sign of him. She paid the bill and left the note before walking out to the parking lot with her suitcase.
To her shock she discovered black-haired Vincenzo lounging against the driver’s side of her car, causing a tumult of emotions inside her. How had he known which rental car was hers?
Tan cargo pants outlined powerful legs. In a claretcolored polo shirt with the kind of short sleeves that emphasized his hard-muscled arms, he could sell millions of magazines to any female who saw him on the cover.
He flashed her a stunning white smile. “Good morning, Irena.”
“G-good morning,” she stammered. “Where’s Dino?”
“Buongiorno!” his son cried. When she turned, she saw him hanging out the window of the Fiat parked in the next row. She’d been concentrating so hard on getting away, she hadn’t noticed his smiling face. He wore a cute white shirt with a big green dragon on the front. “How are you this morning, signorina?” He had that question down pat.
“I’m fine, Dino. How are you?”
“Wonderful!”
Vincenzo had probably taught him that word this morning. He said it with such an endearing accent. Her gaze swerved to blue eyes studying her beneath a sun growing hotter by the minute. He stood straight and moved toward her.
“Follow us to Genoa so you can return your car before we head for Milan.”
She took a quick breath. “Vincenzo—something’s come up and I can’t go with you after all. I left a note for you at the desk when I checked out…I have to leave, Vincenzo.”
His jaw hardened. “I have no intention of reading your note, and you can’t leave…not yet. You made Dino a promise to come with us. He wants to show you Rapallo’s castle in the sea, built to repel pirates. He hasn’t stopped speaking of it—you can’t disappoint him.”
One more look at Dino’s expectant expression and Irena agreed. The only thing to do was drive to Milan with them. After Dino had been dropped off, she would ask Vincenzo to drive her to the Milan airport. She could leave for Canada from there.
“All right. A few more hours won’t matter in the scheme of things.” She reached for the key with the built-in remote and unlocked the door. He opened it and helped her inside, submitting her to another intimate appraisal before closing it. With an increased pulse rate, she started the car and waited to follow him.
During the short trip to Rapallo on the Italian Riviera, Dino turned in his junior seat and waved to her from time to time, making her smile. She waved back. When they reached the town, they parked in the historic center and ate gelato while they walked around the harbor.
She told Vincenzo to tell Dino that the tiny, picturesque castle out in the water looked like a toy castle. His son laughed and pulled her hand as they walked across the short causeway to explore it. Soon after, he begged her to ride the cable car up to Montallegro. Who could say no to him?
Along with other passengers they were treated to a panoramic view of the Golfo del Tigullio. After a lovely lunch at the restaurant on top, they took the funicular back down to their cars and drove on to Genoa where she returned hers to the rental company.
Vincenzo put her suitcase in the trunk of the Fiat where he’d stowed Dino’s cases.
The sight of them and a bag of toys brought a pang to her heart. In a little while the two of them would have to part company.
Clearly Vincenzo adored his son. As for Dino, he was crazy about his papa. How hard for them to have to be separated, yet Dino had a mother who must be missing him horribly.
More than ever Irena realized that in a few short months she, too, could be faced with a similar situation. If Andreas was the baby’s father and he discovered the truth, then Irena would be forced to share visitation and the raising of her baby with him. But if Vincenzo turned out to be the father, then what would the future hold for them? Vincenzo already knew the pain of having to say goodbye to his child because of visitation; would he want to go through that again with this baby?
En route to Milan, Dino kept her entertained by teaching her a couple of simple children’s songs in Italian. Vincenzo translated. She knew her accent was terrible, but she tried hard to memorize them and sing along. He corrected her here and there. By the time they reached the outskirts of the city, she could sing them without help.
“Bravo, signorina.”
She shifted in her seat to smile at Dino. “Grazie. You’re an excellent teacher.”
He said something to his father in rapid Italian. Vincenzo answered back. Irena couldn’t resist looking at him. “What did your son say?”
“He wishes you were his English tutor. Mr. Fallow was born in England, and moved here ten years ago. According to my son, he’s strict and grumpy because of a sore hip. You’re a much better teacher and you’re very nice. He wants to know if you would you like him to teach you Italian.”
Laughter escaped her lips. “I can’t imagine loving anything more. How much does he charge?”
A smile lit up Vincenzo’s blue eyes before he translated for his son. His boy giggled, then whispered something to his father.
Filled with curiosity she looked at him. “What was that all about?”
“He wouldn’t say no to a chocolate bocci ball.”
“Ah. A chocolate lover. I’ll remember that, but what will his dentist say?”
This time Vincenzo chuckled hard. After he told Dino, all three of them were laughing, but it slowly faded as they were allowed through a security gate. Soon they pulled up in the courtyard of a luxury villa hidden from the road by foliage.
“I’ll be right back.” Vincenzo slid from the seat to get his son’s bags.
Irena stayed in the car while Dino scrambled out of the back to come around to her door. She opened the window and shook his hand. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Dino.”
“Thank you, too. You like Papa?” He looked worried. Of course he was wondering what was going on between her and his father. Did he want her to like his parent, or did he wish she’d go away and never come back? What would Dino make of a new baby brother or sister? A trickle of unease settled over Irena. Her baby could affect so many people’s lives. She shook the feeling off and turned to Dino again.
“Yes, and I like you.” She poked his stomach with her index finger.
He reacted with a grin. “Ciao, signorina.”
“Ciao, Dino.”
She watched the two of them carry all his stuff to the front door of the villa. A maid answered and let them inside. Assuming Vincenzo would be a while, she rested her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes.
Though she knew what she was going to say to him when he came back out, she was full of trepidation. They hadn’t been alone
