Reunited by a Baby Secret (The Vineyards of Calanetti, Book 3)

by Michelle Douglas

  The brothers laughed—harsh, scornful laughter as if he had no idea what he was talking about.

  Ryan’s every muscle tensed and he could feel his eyes narrow to slits as a dangerous and alien recklessness seized him. ‘Have the two of you been bullying her or pressuring her in any way?’

  Had they been pressuring her to keep the baby due to some outdated form of conservatism? Or... Had they been pressuring her to give the baby up because of scandal and—?

  ‘And what if we have, Paulo?’ brother number two mocked. ‘What then?’

  ‘Then I will beat the crap out of you!’

  It was stupid, reckless, juvenile, but he couldn’t help it. Marianna was pregnant! She needed calm and peace. She needed to take care of her health. She didn’t need to be worried into an early grave by two overprotective brothers.

  The brothers stared at him. Neither smiled but their chins lowered. Nico pursed his lips. The other rolled his shoulders. Ryan stabbed a finger first at brother number one and then at brother number two. ‘Let me make one thing crystal clear. I am not abandoning my child. Marianna and I have a lot we need to sort out and we’re going to do it without interference from either one of you.’

  * * *

  Raised voices drifted out across the terrace as Marianna marched towards the villa. She rolled her eyes. What on earth were Angelo and Nico bickering about now? She stepped into the room...

  And froze.

  Ryan!

  A shock of sweet delight pierced through the numbness she’d been carrying around with her all day, making her tingle all over.

  No! She shook it off. She would not be delighted to see him. Of all the low-down—

  His gaze speared to her and the insults lining up in her mind dissolved.

  ‘Hello, Marianna.’ His voice washed over her like warm, spiced mead and she couldn’t utter a single sound. She dragged her gaze away to glance at her brothers. Angelo raised a derisive eyebrow. ‘Look what the cat dragged in, Marianna.’ He folded his arms. ‘Paulo.’

  Ryan ignored his mockery to stride across to her. He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. Her heart fluttered like a wild crazy thing. ‘Are you okay?’ He uttered the words gently, his eyes as warm as the morning sun on a Thai beach.

  While it wasn’t a hug and an ‘it’ll all be okay’ there was no mistaking the sincerity of his effort. She hadn’t expected to see him again. Ever. She’d thought he’d have run for the hills.

  ‘Marianna?’

  She loved the way he said her name. It made things inside her tight and warm and loose and aching all at once. His grip on her hand tightened and she shook herself. ‘Yes, thank you.’ But the sudden sexual need that gripped had her reefing her hand from his. They were no longer Ryan and Mari, free and easy holidaymakers. They were Ryan and Marianna, prospective parents. That put a very different spin on matters and the sooner she got her head around that, the better.

  This wasn’t about him and her. It was about him and the baby. Did he want to be involved with the baby? If he did, and if he was sincere, then they would have to sort something out...come to some kind of arrangement.

  Shadows gathered in Ryan’s eyes. She swallowed, recalling the way she’d thrown the vase at him. ‘And you? Are you okay?’

  She watched him as he let out a slow breath. ‘As you haven’t thrown anything at me yet, then yes—so far, so good.’

  Behind him, Nico groaned. ‘You threw something at him?’ he said in Italian.

  ‘He made me angry,’ she returned in her native tongue, trying not to wince at how rash and impetuous it must make her sound.

  With a sigh she glanced back at Ryan. ‘Have you been formally introduced to my brothers?’

  ‘I’ve not had that pleasure, no.’

  His tone told her they’d been giving him a hard time, but he didn’t seem too fazed by it. A man who could hold his own against her two overprotective brothers? Maybe there were hidden depths to Ryan she had yet to plumb. Let’s hope so, mia topolino. She wanted her baby to have a father who would love it.

  She couldn’t get her hopes up on that head, though. She recalled all the things he’d said yesterday and her stomach started to churn. He might just be here to offer her some kind of financial arrangement—to buy her off.

  Keep your cool until you know for sure.

  She tossed her head. She meant to keep her cool regardless.

  She pulled herself back to the here and now and gestured. ‘This is my oldest brother, Angelo, and this is Nico. He manages our vineyard.’ She couldn’t keep a thread of pride from her voice. She adored both of her brothers. ‘And this—’ she went to touch Ryan’s arm and then thought the better of it ‘—is Ryan White.’

  The men didn’t shake hands.

  Angelo gave a mock salute. ‘Paulo.’

  Ryan glanced down at her with a frown in his eyes. She waved a dismissive hand through the air. ‘It is a stupid joke of theirs. Don’t pay them any mind.’

  ‘Marianna’s boyfriends don’t last too long,’ Nico said. A deliberate jab, no doubt, at what he saw as her flightiness. ‘Angelo and I decided long ago it was pointless remembering names.’

  Angelo folded his arms. ‘How long do you think this one will last, Nico?’

  ‘Six weeks.’

  ‘I’ll give him four. He doesn’t look as if he has what it takes to keep Mari’s interest.’

  ‘True. I can’t see that he has anything more to offer her than any of the others.’

  A clash of gazes ensued between the men and in some dark, dishonourable place in her heart the silent interchange fascinated her.

  She tried to shake herself from under its spell. What is wrong with you?

  With a snort, Ryan turned back to her. ‘May I take you out to lunch?’

  She glanced at Nico, who told her in Italian to take the afternoon off. ‘Give him a chance.’

  ‘You owe it to him, bella,’ Angelo added.

  What on earth...? She pulled in a breath, grateful her brothers spoke in their native tongue. She recalled the raised voices she’d heard when she’d approached the villa. ‘How good is your Italian?’ she asked Ryan.

  ‘Very poor.’ He glanced at Angelo and Nico. ‘Which is probably a blessing.’

  She folded her arms and glared at her brothers, reverting back to Italian. ‘Did you put him up to this?’

  Nico shook his head. ‘But if this man is the father of your baby, you need to speak with him.’

  ‘I did that yesterday!’

  His gaze skewered her. ‘Did you? Or did you merely drop your bombshell, throw a temper tantrum and run?’

  Her face started to burn. It took an effort of will not to press her hands to her cheeks to cool them. Nico had a point.

  Another thought slid into her then and she stared at each man in turn. If Angelo and Nico saw her dealing with the father of her prospective child maturely and responsibly, then that would help them see her as a responsible adult who could be trusted to make sensible decisions about her life, right? Not to mention the life of her unborn child. Maybe this was one way she could prove to them that she wasn’t a failure or a flake.

  She glanced down at her hands. Ryan was the father of her child. If he wanted to be a part of their baby’s life...

  Lifting her chin, she turned back to Ryan and reverted to English. ‘I need to talk to Nico about the vines for a few minutes and then we can go for lunch.’

  He nodded and glanced around. ‘What if I wait over there?’ He pointed to a sofa on the other side of the room.

  She pressed her hands together. ‘Perfect.’ She wasn’t so sure how perfect it was when Angelo followed him and took the seat opposite.

  ‘Is there anything wrong with the vines?’ Nico said, his face suddenly alive and intent.

  ‘The soil is perfect! You have done an admirable job, Nico.’

  ‘You set the groundwork before you left.’

  Did he really believe that? Did he really think her an asset to
the vineyard? She shook the thought off. She would prove herself to him. And Angelo. She was good at her job. ‘The grapes are maturing as they should, but if the long-range weather forecast is to be believed, then we need to consider irrigating the northern slopes sooner than usual.’

  ‘You mentioned last week something about new irrigation methods you’d picked up in Australia?’

  She and Nico moved to the dining table to go over her report, but all the time her mind was occupied with Ryan. She heard him try to make small talk about the vineyard, but Nico asked her a question and she didn’t hear Angelo’s reply.

  The next time she had a chance to glance up it was to see Ryan flicking a business card across to Angelo with the kind of mocking arrogance that would’ve done both of her brothers proud.

  She dragged her attention back to Nico. ‘From what I’ve seen so far, Nico, the vines are in great shape. I’ll continue with my soil samples over the next week and checking the vines for any signs of pests or moulds, but...’ she shrugged ‘...so far, so good. Seems to me we’re on track for the fattest, juiciest grapes in the history of winemaking.’

  It might’ve been an exaggeration, but it made her brother smile as it was supposed to. ‘I’m glad you’re home, Mari.’

  Guilt slid in between her ribs at that. She’d been Irresponsible Marianna too long. She’d left Nico to run the vineyard on his own and now... She rubbed a hand across her chest. And now both of her brothers thought her an incompetent—a screw-up—that they needed to look after. They hadn’t said as much, of course, but she knew.

  ‘I’m not sure I like him.’

  She glanced up to find Nico staring at Ryan.

  She’d liked the man she’d met in Thailand. She’d liked him a lot. She hadn’t liked the man she’d met at the Grande Plaza Hotel yesterday, though. Not one little bit. The man sitting on the sofa...she wasn’t sure she knew him at all.

  She touched Nico’s arm. ‘What matters is if I like him or not, I think, Nico.’

  The faintest of smiles touched his lips. ‘You always like them, Marianna...for a week or two.’

  ‘This one is different.’

  ‘Is he?’

  Yes. He was the father of her unborn child.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘THE FOOD HERE is superb,’ Marianna told Ryan, staring at the arancini balls the waitress set in front of her. Very carefully she drew the scent into her lungs and then gave up a silent thanks when her stomach didn’t rebel.

  It didn’t mean she had an appetite, though. When Ryan didn’t pick up his cutlery to sample his fettuccine, she figured he wasn’t all that hungry either. She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. ‘So...it wasn’t food you wanted after all.’

  ‘I wanted to talk to you...privately.’

  Daniella, the maître d’, had taken one look at Marianna’s face and seated them in the most secluded corner of the restaurant. Marianna was glad now that she had. ‘Well...talk.’

  He picked up his fork and tested each tine with his index finger. He made as if to stab at a mushroom, but he set the fork down again and shuffled back in his seat. Marianna had no interest in making the way easy for him, but his continuing silence started to stretch her nerves thin.

  ‘I did an Internet search on you last night.’

  His gaze speared to hers.

  ‘I know you’re some hotshot consultant who comes in and saves companies who are on the brink of bankruptcy. I know you’re worth a lot of money.’ She shook her head. Her idea of him being some free and easy gypsy type must’ve had him laughing up his sleeve. She suspected her hope that he would love their child would prove just as ridiculous. ‘So let’s clear this up right now. I do not want your money. I have no intention whatsoever of making any claim on it. No doubt you’ve come prepared with papers you’ve had your lawyers draw up.’

  The darkness in his eyes throbbed between them. Marianna swallowed. ‘C’mon, then.’ She beckoned with both hands. ‘Pull them out and let me sign them. Then, perhaps, we can enjoy our meal before going our separate ways.’

  ‘You think that’s why I’m here?’

  She arranged her serviette in her lap and then folded her hands on the table. ‘Isn’t it?’

  He reached out as if to take her hand, but pulled back to rub his nape instead. Marianna pulled her hands into her lap and glanced away. Looking at him... It was too hard. It hurt all of the sore places inside her.

  ‘I’m sorry I didn’t react well yesterday. Your news blind-sided me. I was...stunned. In shock.’

  That was one way of putting it.

  ‘At the time I didn’t consider how hard it must’ve been for you to deal with the news all on your own. I’m sorry.’

  His apology surprised her.

  She grimaced. She hadn’t exactly broached the subject of her pregnancy gently, had she? She’d shot the news at him like a torpedo...and she’d expected him to deal with that with grace? Her brothers would blame it on her flair for the dramatic. The truth of the matter was she’d taken one look at the stranger who’d confronted her yesterday and had panicked.

  He had another think coming, though, if he expected her to apologise for that! She seized her cutlery and sliced off a sliver of food, lifting it towards her mouth.

  ‘What I’m trying to say, Marianna, is that I have no intention of abandoning my child.’

  She dropped her knife and fork back to her plate, the morsel untouched. Her heart pounded. ‘And what if you have no say in that?’ He’d said he didn’t want a baby. Ever. She wasn’t letting a man like that anywhere near her child.

  He turned grey. ‘Please don’t prevent me from being a part of my child’s life. I know I behaved badly yesterday and I know I’m not what you thought I was, but then you’re not what I thought you were either.’

  That arrow found its mark.

  He leaned towards her, his eyes ablaze. ‘I know what it’s like to feel unwanted by one’s parents.’

  Something inside her stilled, and then started to ache at the pain he tried to mask in the depths of his eyes.

  ‘I have no intention of letting a child of mine feel rejected like that.’

  Yesterday, before their unfortunate meeting, she’d expected him to be a part of their child’s life...regardless of anything else that might or might not happen between them. She passed a hand across her eyes and tried to still the sudden pounding of her heart. ‘How do you think this can work?’

  He captured her hand and forced her to look at him. The sincerity in his face caught at her. ‘Marianna, I will do anything you ask of me. Anything except...’ He swallowed.

  ‘Except?’

  ‘Walk away from our child. Or...’

  ‘Or?’

  ‘Marry you.’

  She reclaimed her hand and glared. ‘Who mentioned anything about marriage?’

  ‘I didn’t say I thought that’s what you wanted. I—’

  ‘Good! Because I don’t! We don’t even know each other!’ A fact that was becoming increasingly clear. ‘What kind of antiquated notions do you think I harbour?’

  ‘Don’t fly off the handle.’ He glared right back at her. ‘I thought it wise to make myself and my intentions clear. Your brothers seem very traditional and—’

  ‘They’re protective, not stupid! They wouldn’t want me marrying some man just because I’m pregnant. For heaven’s sake, women get pregnant all the time—single women. No one expects them to get married any more. No one thinks it’s shameful or a scandal.’

  He leaned towards her, his eyes intent. ‘So your brothers haven’t been pressuring you about the baby?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  He eyed her warily. ‘Don’t fly off the handle again.’

  Her hands clenched. ‘Do not tell me what to do.’

  His eyes narrowed, turning cold and hard, and Marianna had to suppress a shiver, but she held her ground. He folded his arms and eased back. ‘I was concerned your brothers might’ve been pressuring
you to keep the baby when you didn’t want to. Or, alternatively, pressuring you to give it away when you wanted to keep it.’

  ‘They’ve been nothing but supportive.’ She’d screwed up, again, but she had their support. They might think her a total write-off, but she would always have their support.

  But if they were pressuring her, had Ryan meant to intervene on her behalf? The idea intrigued her.

  She moistened her lips. ‘What do you mean to pressure me to do?’

  ‘It seems to me I have very little say in the matter.’ He picked up his fork again, put it down. ‘It’s your body and your life that will be most immediately impacted. I’ll support you in whatever decisions you make. If there’s anything practical I can do, I hope you’ll let me know.’

  He made her feel like a spoilt child.

  ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but yesterday I was under the impression that you meant to keep the baby.’ He frowned, looking not altogether pleased. ‘Have you changed your mind?’

  She shook her head. An unplanned pregnancy hadn’t been part of her life plan, but... She’d always intended to become a mother one day. She’d just thought she’d be married to the man of her dreams first. Still, the moment the pregnancy test had confirmed that she was, indeed, pregnant, she’d been gripped by such a fierce sense of protectiveness for the new life growing inside her that, while she’d considered all of the options available to her, the only one that had made any sense to her emotionally was to keep her baby. To love it. To give it a wonderful life. ‘I’m going to have this baby and I’m going to raise it and love it.’

  He nodded. ‘I know I’ve made it clear that I’m a lone wolf—I never intend to marry—but I do mean to be a father to this child.’

  She rubbed her temples, unable to look at him. She finally picked up her cutlery and ate a bite of food.

  He honed in on her unease immediately. ‘What’s wrong with that? Why do you have a problem with that?’

  ‘Lone wolves don’t hang around to help raise the young, Ryan. They hotfoot it to pastures greener.’ Nothing he said made sense. ‘If you intend to never marry, that’s your business. But I don’t see how you can be both a lone wolf and any kind of decent father.’