When they reached the entrance, it was her turn to help Stefano. “I’ll undo your snowshoes so you can take it inside to the fireplace.” She got down and unfastened his straps so he was free to go in. It was a pleasure doing something for him when he was doing everything for her including taking care of the fox.
Another minute and she stepped out of her snowshoes. Then she carried all four of them inside and shut the door before going upstairs. Stefano had found a blanket where he laid the yapping fox and kept the parka over it to retain warmth. She turned on the switch that lit the fire, then knelt down beside him.
“The poor thing is frightened and needs food. I’ll warm some milk. I could dip a cloth in it and then let it drip into his mouth. What do you think?”
“I think you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
His compliment filled her with warmth. “Why do you say that?”
“Your kindness and lack of fear. Your concern for a wild animal. All of it.”
“I could say exactly the same thing about you.” Quickly, she hurried to the kitchen and warmed a pan of milk. After finding a clean washcloth, she carried the items over to the blanket.
“If you’ll force its mouth open, I’ll squeeze the liquid into it.”
For the next hour they worked together feeding the fox, who eventually stopped yapping.
Stefano’s eyes smiled into hers at last.
“He’s still alive thanks to your quick thinking, Lanza. I believe you got a cup of milk down him.”
“Him?”
A chuckle escaped his lips.
“It may not be enough. Don’t tell your sister what we did with her parka, Stefano.”
“When I brag about what you did, she’ll never mind. If you’ll stay right here, I’ll find a box and make a bed for him. He’ll feel safer and more comfortable if he’s enclosed.”
“Do you think he’s been injured?”
“That’s hard to tell, but I don’t think so.”
“Maybe he developed hypothermia.”
“That’s possible.” After he disappeared down the stairs, she checked beneath the parka. The fox was warming up and stirred at the touch of her hand. In a minute, Stefano returned with a two-by-three-foot carton. He gathered the blanket holding the fox and placed it inside.
She tucked the parka around it before glancing at Stefano. “His home has to be somewhere near the chalet. If we can get him strong enough, he can be released.”
Stefano studied her features. “I didn’t know you went to vet school,” he drawled.
Lanza smiled. “Nothing so admirable. When we were young my sisters and I often found injured creatures and birds around the estate and nursed them, but it had to remain a secret. Fausta was a natural tending them, but Mamà didn’t want us touching wild things that had diseases. Our parents were too protective of us.”
“Don’t they know you’re fearless?”
“You should see Donetta in action. She’s a real warrior. The way she rides a horse, you would think she was born on one and has won every international concorso she’s ever been in. Her trophies need their own room to be displayed. My sister would make a great king.”
“King?”
“Yes. The word queen loses too much in the translation for her.”
Deep, rich laughter burst out of Stefano, the kind she loved.
“From my earliest memories of her, she has always wanted to rule. But not with a husband! That’s probably the real reason she didn’t get picked to be Alberto’s intended in the first place. As for Fausta, she has always refused the idea of marrying a prince. She intends to find a man of the people in the city. That left moi.”
Stefano started to say something, then seemed to think the better of it.
“If my father would have that absurd ancient rule changed proclaiming only a man can rule, Donetta would make the perfect head of Domodossola. She’s brilliant and innovative. That would be really lucky for you since you’d be free to spend even more time away doing your thing.”
Lanza had only told him she would like to go to her aunt’s while he did what he wanted, because she was afraid to spend any more time with him. Now she was growing increasingly drawn to her husband, which was dangerous. She’d be a fool to enjoy any more of his company when she feared he could never fall madly in love with her. That was what she wanted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MY THING?
Here Stefano had been feeling comfortable with Lanza for the first time since their wedding and she suddenly interjected a discordant note. Did she mean his mining business or something else? If it was the latter, then she had every right to question his future associations with women. He’d insinuated the same thing about her relationships with other men during her betrothal to Alberto.
“It’s a good thing you stocked milk. Are you a big milk drinker, Stefano?”
“Yes. I like it with my muesli. Sometimes it’s all I eat when I’m busy. Since I didn’t know if you wanted some, I made sure we had it on hand.”
“That was lucky for Fausto.”
He angled his head at her. “Fausto?”
“Yes. I’ve named him that because it means lucky. Our little fox was lucky Enzo didn’t come for us and we were able to find him.” Lanza stood up. “I’m going to heat more milk.” She left his side and walked into the kitchen with the empty pan and rag.
Stefano stared into the flames. Something unprecedented was happening to him since his wedding day. He realized he was becoming enamored of his wife and wanted her in all the ways a man wanted a woman.
When he’d committed to marrying her, he’d promised himself to make it work, but his desire for her had already happened. She had a charm that took him by complete surprise.
Thank heaven something had prevented Enzo from making it up here. It gave him and Lanza more time together in his favorite place on earth. He could tell she loved it here, too, and he wanted their honeymoon to begin in earnest. Since it would be another day before Enzo arrived, Stefano was excited at the thought of spending more time alone with Lanza.
She returned and they again started the process of squeezing milk into the mouth he eased open. “Look—Fausto’s tongue is curling around the drops. He likes it!” she cried in real pleasure. The fox was coming back to life. “At this rate I think he’ll want some solid food before long.”
Her caring and tenderness reached a place in his soul he didn’t know was there.
She lifted jewel-blue eyes to him. “It’s almost time for dinner. I’ll fix some ham sandwiches and feed him part of mine. Do you think he should have ham?”
He grinned. “If not, we’ll find out.”
Again, she carried the pan and cloth to the kitchen. While she was gone, the fox stirred enough that Stefano removed the parka so it could have more breathing room. It lay on its side, but he could see it trying to right itself. More food would make a difference.
Before long she returned to kneel by him. “Your sandwiches are on the counter.”
“Thank you, but first I want to help you by opening its mouth so you can put some ham on its tongue.”
She teased the fox by dangling a small piece of meat in front of its nose. That brought out its tongue. Lanza pushed the ham inside and they kept up the process until all the ham in her sandwich was gone.
Stefano chuckled. “It’s working. He likes it.”
“Now I’m the one starving to death.”
“I’ll get up and make you another sandwich. Then we’ll eat here together to keep him company.”
Before long he was back with their food and a small, shallow bowl of water. Stefano put it in a corner of the box near its head. He sprinkled some on its snout and it produced a reaction. The fox moved its head and pretty soon they watched it start to lick the water.
“Oh—you’re thirsty, aren’t
you?” She looked at Stefano. “Do you think he would like some of your muesli?”
“Probably. I’ll put a little in another bowl and we’ll see what happens.”
Within an hour the fox had turned over on its own and was eating and drinking.
“By morning we might be able to put him outside the chalet with more food and water and see what he does. If he seems fit, I’ll carry him back to that tree where we found him so he can find his way home.”
“I’ll help you because I know it’s the right thing to do, but I’d love to keep him for a pet.” Her eyes focused on the fox. “He’s so sweet. I hope Enzo doesn’t come for a long time. That way I can keep an eye on Fausto and know he’s going to be all right until we have to go.”
It was getting late. Instinct told him Enzo wouldn’t be coming tonight. “If you want to go to bed, I’ll stay up with the fox for a while.”
She turned her head toward him. “I was going to say the same thing. I know you always have mining business to take care of and we’ve got internet now because of the generator. I’ll stay right here by the fire a few more minutes so he knows he’s not alone.”
Stefano had a feeling she knew how attracted he was to her and wanted to kiss her, but he decided not to press it yet. “Then I’ll say good-night and see you in the morning.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Buona notte, Lanza.”
He got up from the floor and headed for his bedroom. The first thing he did was shower and get ready for bed in his navy sweats. Anything to take his mind off his delectable wife sitting in the firelight.
Next, he went over to his desk and discovered that Enzo had just sent him an email.
Stefano, a major blizzard has hit the area and thousands are without power. Including me until I could start up our generator. Worse, there was an avalanche that has covered the road two miles south of you. It could be close to a week before it’s passable again because there are too many other areas in much more need of help. I’ll come as soon as I can. If you need help before then, I can notify your father to send a helicopter for you. Please advise.
He took a deep breath before responding. In his gut he knew Lanza didn’t want to be rescued and not just because of the fox.
Enzo. Thank you, but there’s no reason for urgency. Don’t tell anyone where we are. Let me know your schedule when you know more. S.
While he waited to hear back, he left his bedroom to tell Lanza the news.
The sight before his eyes caused him to stop in his tracks. Her lovely body lay on its side by the box sound asleep. She had an angelic look in profile. The lambent flames from the fire brought out the strands of reddish gold in her luxurious chestnut hair. Stefano had the desire to run his hands through it.
Much as he’d like to lie down next to her, he didn’t dare for too many reasons to consider. He could try to wake her up, but she probably wouldn’t appreciate being disturbed. The news from Enzo could wait till morning. On impulse, he left to get a blanket for her and turn down the fire.
The fox had been curled up, but immediately lifted its head when Stefano drew near to cover her. Who was guarding whom? A smile broke the corner of his mouth before he stole back to his room for the rest of the night.
In case she needed him, he left his door open and went to bed. But he didn’t sleep well because he kept listening for any sounds from her or the fox. When morning came he got dressed and shaved, eager to find out what was going on in the living room.
He found Lanza on her knees once more, hand-feeding some bits of apple to their patient with all the joy of a child at the zoo. She saw Stefano out of the corner of her eye.
“I thought you’d sleep longer.”
“I couldn’t until I knew how you got on. We have news, Lanza. Enzo sent me an email late last night. The storm knocked out the electricity and triggered an avalanche farther down the mountain. There are so many other regions needing emergency assistance, he’s heard it might be a week before the road is cleared. He’ll come to get us as soon as he can, but we might have a long wait.”
Her smile widened, telling him everything he wanted to know. “Thank you for the blanket you threw over me. Because of it I had a wonderful sleep.”
“That’s good. I’ll get Fausto some more food and water.” He reached for the empty bowls and went to the kitchen. After replenishing the dishes, he brought them back to the box.
“Look how hungry he is!” she cried.
He nodded. “The ham didn’t bother him. Now it’s time I fixed our own breakfast.”
Stefano went back to the kitchen to make scrambled eggs and bacon. She came in to fix the coffee and toast. In a few minutes they sat down to eat at the dining room table.
“I’ll admit I’m glad we’ve been given more time to stay here.”
“Me, too,” he murmured. She had no idea. “We have a lot to talk about. I’ve wanted to explain the reason I didn’t come to visit you this past year.”
She lifted searching eyes to him. “Why didn’t you?”
“I knew you were trying to get over Alberto’s death. So was I. Though we agreed to get married and please our parents, I felt like you and I needed the past year apart to sort out our feelings before meeting again. I was half-afraid that seeing me before the wedding would have made you run the other way.”
“By now you know that’s not true,” she laughed gently.
“But I was wrong to stay away.”
“No,” she countered. “Not wrong. It’s true I was in limbo, but the emails really helped me get a sense of your life.”
“The same for me, Lanza.”
“I’m glad things worked out this way.”
He covered her hand and squeezed it. “You really mean that?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go downstairs and get ready to enjoy this day.”
She followed him below. He opened the closet door for her. A few minutes later she appeared in his sister’s ski outfit. Her womanly figure drew his attention. No matter what she wore, he found himself unable to keep his eyes off his new wife.
He carried the box outside with some food. “If you want, we’ll put on our snowshoes and trek across the property to that pine tree. Maybe he’ll follow us. I’ll tuck a bag of food inside my parka in case he trails us.”
Together they strapped themselves into their snowshoes and started across the expanse, retracing their own former tracks that stood out in the snow. Every so often they looked back, but the fox had stayed in the box. Eventually, they reached the pine tree where they’d found Fausto.
Lanza shot him a guilty glance. “Maybe I did the wrong thing to feed him. Now he’s spoiled and doesn’t want to leave our protection.”
He put his hands on his hips. “You did the right thing. Not everyone would have done that.”
She bit her lip. “But it might have been a mistake.” In the next breath she turned and started walking farther into the trees. She handled the snowshoes like a pro.
“Stefano!”
Her cry drew his attention and he started after her. It was an older stand of forest. He noticed a lot of debris and some trees had been downed during the ferocity of the storm. “What is it?”
“I need your help.”
Alarmed, he hurried toward the sound of her voice. When he came upon her, she was standing at the end of a toppled tree that was dead in spots. “What’s wrong?”
“This top would make the perfect Christmas tree. If we could break it off, we could drag it back to the chalet and pretend it’s Christmas Eve. All the pine cones make perfect ornaments. Thanks to the wedding, I feel like Christmas passed me by this year.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You didn’t celebrate Christmas?”
“We had a tree at the palace, but getting ready for the wedding took precedence over everything. I feel like I missed it altogether. From
childhood I dreamed of finding my own little tree in the woods near the palace and putting it in my room. But that was never allowed.” She averted her eyes. “Please forget I said anything. It was a silly idea.”
With a flushed face, she worked her way past him to reach the clearing.
Stefano walked over to the tree and took a good look to see if separating it was possible. After bracing his boot against the dead part near the top, he grasped the trunk and pulled hard. To his surprise it gave. He kept tugging until he pulled it free.
The little tree couldn’t be more than five feet in length, light and easy enough to pull behind him. Over the years he’d often spent the holidays at the chalet, but he’d never put up a tree, let alone one from his own property. The novel idea seemed to be important to his wife and he wanted to please her. When he got it back to the chalet, he could fix a stand for it and set it up in the living room.
All these years he’d put off the idea of getting married because he loved being free. When he thought about it, he realized that the relationships he’d sought over the years had always fallen short of anything lasting.
Though his mother had hit a nerve, she hadn’t been off the mark when she’d reminded him he hadn’t brought a special woman home for them to meet. That was her argument to convince him he had no reason not to marry Lanza and fulfill his duty.
But now he was beginning to think that wasn’t the real reason that had stopped him from settling down. Maybe it was possible that the only reason he’d remained single this long was because he’d never met the right woman until Lanza...
CHAPTER EIGHT
LANZA KEPT WALKING toward the chalet, feeling like a fool. It had been the height of idiocy to talk to him about a Christmas tree. He must think she was stupid. But she knew she’d fallen in love with her husband and was living out her private fantasy of sharing Christmas with the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
As she trudged on, there was no sign of Fausto. Maybe he’d run away while they’d been gone. That would be a good thing. He belonged in the wild.
The Princess's New Year Wedding (The Princess Brides Book 1) Page 7