if he couldn’t find it in himself to treat his children with the warmth they had a right to expect? What if he was incapable of loving them as they deserved to be loved? He could remember only too well how much he had longed to hear his father speak to him with affection. It had never happened but it hadn’t stopped him hoping that it would. What if he was the same? What if he was emotionally bankrupt too?
Vincenzo felt panic assail him and it was such a rare feeling that it hit him harder than it would have hit most people. He was out of his depth and he had no idea what to do to save himself.
Only this wasn’t about him, was it? It was about a child. A little girl who could die if he refused to help her. His feelings didn’t matter. His fears couldn’t even compare to Lowri’s.
He glanced at Lowri, his heart aching when he saw the lines that strain had etched on her face. She had been living with this nightmare for over a year, living with it and coping too. She must have her own doubts about what she had suggested but she had set them aside. She was prepared to have another baby with him if it meant she could save her daughter and yet here he was worrying about how he might feel and whether or not he would come up to the mark.
Vincenzo was suddenly filled with disgust at his own selfishness. Had he sunk so low that he was prepared to withhold the most precious gift of all, that of saving a life, to avoid having his own life disrupted?
‘I’ll do it.’
His voice sounded harsh in the softness of the summer day. All around them there were insects droning, bees buzzing, nature carrying on in its own gentle way. He saw Lowri turn, saw the question in her eyes, and knew he couldn’t bear to hear her voice it out loud. If she asked him outright then he might just reconsider, allow cowardice to dictate his actions rather than compassion.
‘I agree to us having another baby if there’s a chance it will help Megan,’ he said shortly, wanting to make it perfectly clear with the minimum fuss.
‘I... Thank you.’ Tears glimmered on her lashes and hung there like precious jewels.
Vincenzo turned and stared at the lake, needing to focus on something other than her tears, tears that he longed to wipe away. He couldn’t afford to get emotionally involved. He had to remember that the only reason she was here was for the sake of their daughter. If it weren’t for Megan she would never have contacted him and the thought stung, for some reason.
‘I’m not sure exactly how we set about this. Obviously, there’s the time factor to consider. I did some research and apparently the fresher the sample, the better our chances of it working.’
‘Sample?’ Vincenzo repeated, pushing the thought aside. He saw her blush and frowned. ‘I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you mean.’
‘The sperm sample.’ She took a quick breath. ‘Naturally, you’ll want to wait for the results of the DNA tests before we go ahead—I’ve brought everything you need with me so that won’t be a problem. But we’ll need to make arrangements for the sperm sample to be delivered to me.’
Vincenzo felt as though he had been struck dumb. It had never even crossed his mind that she had come here to ask him for a sample of his sperm! He cleared his throat, afraid that he would say something far too revealing. To let her know just how disappointed he felt that they wouldn’t be sleeping together was out of the question!
‘Of course. There’s an excellent medical courier service we use at the hospital. I can make arrangements with them.’
‘Oh. Right. That sounds ideal.’ She took a package out of her bag and placed it on the table. ‘There are DNA samples in there from Megan and from me as well. You just need to add yours and send it off. It shouldn’t take long to get the results back.’
‘No. The tests are fairly quick nowadays,’ Vincenzo agreed flatly, still reeling from the thought of what was expected of him. He took a deep breath, realising that he was in danger of making too much of it. So Lowri didn’t intend to sleep with him—so what? He should be relieved that he would be able to sidestep any unnecessary complications.
He stood up when she rose, wondering why he found the idea less appealing than he should have done. Getting involved with her was something he intended to avoid at all costs. It was going to be difficult enough to deal with the thought of being a father without adding anything else to the equation.
The thought steadied him, helped him regain some much-needed equilibrium, and he smiled coolly at her. ‘I shall be in touch once the results are back. We can finalise the arrangements then.’
‘Of course.’ She held out her hand. ‘I really appreciate this, Vincenzo. I know it’s a lot to ask, especially in the circumstances, but it’s Megan’s best hope of making a full recovery and I’m truly grateful to you.’
Vincenzo took her hand, trying to ignore the rush of awareness that hit him as his fingers closed around hers. ‘You don’t need to thank me. It’s enough to know that I may be able to help her.’
He released her hand, relieved to break the contact. He led the way to the door, pausing briefly to glance at her. ‘How are you getting back to Garda? I assume you came here by taxi, so have you arranged to be collected?’
‘I...ehem...no,’ she admitted. ‘Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be able to flag down a cab on the way.’
‘I doubt it.’ He sighed, suddenly anxious to bring the meeting to an end. It was a lot to take in and he needed time to think about what had happened and what it meant. His whole life was about to change and it was worrying to know that the future he had mapped out so carefully now wouldn’t follow the route he had planned.
‘I’ll get my gardener to run you back,’ he said curtly. He shook his head when she started to protest. ‘No. I insist. If you’ll wait here, I’ll go and find him.’
Vincenzo didn’t give her time to say anything else as he strode out of the door. Alfredo was digging over a border but he stopped immediately when Vincenzo told him what he wanted him to do. Five minutes later the car was turning out of the drive but he knew it wasn’t the end of the matter. It couldn’t be when he had promised Lowri that he would help her.
A shiver ran down his spine and he turned away, wondering if he had made a mistake by giving her his word. There would be no going back on it now, no way that he could reconsider, and the thought filled him with such a mixture of emotions that his breath caught. If Lowri’s plan worked then he would be the father of not one but two children this time next year.
* * *
It was midnight by the time Lowri’s plane landed. The flight had been delayed and she was exhausted after the hours she had spent waiting around in Milan. Cerys was waiting when she came through customs, anxiously scanning the faces of all the passengers. She opened her arms and Lowri stepped into them, feeling relief pour through her as her sister enveloped her in a hug.
‘So, how did it go?’ Cerys demanded as she let her go.
‘He agreed.’ Lowri drummed up a smile, although her insides were churning as they had been doing ever since Vincenzo had told her his decision.
‘Really? Wow!’ Cerys sounded so shocked that Lowri laughed.
‘I know. I was stunned too. It was such a long shot, wasn’t it? I mean, he hardly knows me...’ She trailed off, unable to
