really, but I love seeing you happy. We’re looking for baby furniture.”
Mia squealed. “Baby furniture?” She glanced out the window at the small, locally owned shops. “Do they have a furniture store here?”
“Even better. They have a store where you can custom-order your furniture and it’s all made and shipped to you.”
Was this a dream? And she’d thought in Cannes she’d outdone Cinderella. This was much, much bigger than anything she could’ve ever imagined.
“The owner has made some pieces for my mother and Victoria,” Bronson told her as he unbuckled his seat belt. “I’ve never been to his store, but I’ve spoken with him on the phone a few times with this day in mind.”
Unable to contain the excitement bubbling within her, Mia shoved open the car door. “Let’s go.”
Bronson came around, took her hand and led her to the store down the block. “I called Fabrizio yesterday and informed him we’d be in. He’s fluent in English and is known worldwide for his baby furniture collection.”
Anticipation spread through her as Mia entered the quaint store, a small bell chiming overhead. Sample pieces of intricate headboards made of solid oak sat along the wall. Tables of all shapes, sizes and various stains were all around them. Classy chairs and sofas upholstered in an array of fabrics anchored the room, drawing her eye to the middle-aged man coming toward them.
“Mr. Dane, welcome.” The man closed the gap, shaking Bronson’s hand. “And you’re the lovely Mia. I’m so thrilled you chose to come here. It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was building a crib for your parents.”
Mia’s breath caught as she risked a glance to Bronson, who merely smiled and nodded. He’d planned this. Love flooded her as she looked back to Fabrizio.
She slipped into Italian so easily. “Avete conosciuto I miei genitori?” You knew my parents?
The elderly man smiled. “Ero un amico d’infanzia con il tuo padre.” I was childhood friends with your father.
Mia couldn’t stop the tears from collecting. “I’m honored to meet you,” she told him, switching back to English. “I’m even more honored you’re going to make my baby’s furniture.”
“Oh, my pleasure. My Viviana and I had eight children of our own. There’s nothing as special as welcoming a child into this world.”
He motioned for them to follow as he made his way toward the back of the store. “Come into my office. I’ve pulled some books for you to look at. Some old designs, some new.”
Mia followed the Italian man with a heavy accent and graying temples. Of course with eight kids, it was a wonder the man wasn’t bald.
Mia rubbed the side of her belly as a little flutter tickled her. She couldn’t wait to see her baby, to savor the treasure of motherhood and communicate with her child face-to-face.
They went into a small office where many binders and loose pictures were displayed across the desk. Mia took a seat in a cozy, curved, velvety chair and picked up one of the pictures.
“These are amazing,” she murmured, truly taken aback by the beauty. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“After Mr. Dane called me, I wanted to give you a variety.”
He leaned a hip on the edge of his desk. “If there’s something you like in more than one picture, we can try to combine styles or colors. Whatever you like, I’ll try to make it happen.”
After several minutes of looking in silence, Mia choked up as she studied the perfectly round crib with a little pink canopy over the top. Easily she could see her baby snuggled in a deep slumber beneath the silky canopy.
As she looked through more pictures, Bronson remained standing, not saying a word. Did he want to distance himself from this? Was he just letting her choose because he still had doubts about whether this baby was his?
No. If he didn’t believe he was the father, he wouldn’t have done this for her and their baby. She had no doubt he was still frightened that something would happen to the child, but still, she wished he’d say something. Take some part in this decision.
Mia went back to the first picture that had captured her attention. The soft colors and delicate woodwork were appropriate for either gender.
“I want this one.”
Fabrizio nodded with a smile. “Any changes you’d like made?” he asked.
“None. But I don’t know if I’m having a boy or girl, so I’m unsure of the bedding.”
“You can call me and let me know, or we can choose a unisex color for the bedding. There are so many nice materials for a universal crib.”
Mia’s mind worked overtime, thinking of the layout of her cottage, the way the windows let the morning sun in and how that would affect the color scheme.
“Could I see the materials and pick one for a boy and one for a girl and let you know?”
The man smiled. “Of course. It will take a few weeks for me to complete this design. But I’ll try to have it ready in two weeks because you are a special client.”
“We have an appointment in two weeks to learn the sex of the baby,” Bronson told the man. “I’ll give you a call.”
“Fine.” Fabrizio motioned for them to follow him out of the office and onto the showroom floor. “Now let’s look at fabrics.”
After choosing all the necessary materials and designs for either sex of the baby, Mia couldn’t help but impose on Fabrizio another few moments to question him about her parents. This was the closest connection she’d had to them, other than the locket around her neck, and she wanted to hold tight to that thread of similarity.
Bronson stepped outside the office, giving them privacy, and Mia delighted in hearing childhood stories about her father, then about how he and her mother were so excited to be having a baby.
Mia choked up a few times, but Fabrizio was a gentleman and offered her a tissue as he continued reminiscing.
Before long, an hour had passed. Mia apologized and promised to keep in touch and send baby pictures once her little one was born.
Now more than ever Mia knew Bronson loved her. He’d purposely found this man who knew her father. He’d set up this meeting, this day, all so she could have that glimpse into her past as it collided with her future.
So many emotions whirled around inside her, and she just didn’t know how to react. One thing was certain, though, she needed Bronson to still feel he could trust her once they returned home and he discovered the truth she’d been hiding from him. She hadn’t come this far to lose him now.
After lunch at a small bistro and some more shopping in the cute little specialty stores, Mia was thankful to be back at the castle and put her feet up.
“I had no idea a baby could zap so much energy from your body,” she said, sinking into the leather sofa
