Harlequin Romance September 2021 Box Set

by Andrea Bolter

  Gianna slipped the phone back in her purse. “Okay. What’s going on?”

  “This whole thing is my fault. I know I blamed Franco, but I shouldn’t have. This whole marriage and business venture was my idea. I knew about the bad blood between my father and Franco’s grandfather, but did that stop me? No. I’m the one who should be blamed. If anything happens to my father, it’s all on me.”

  “Whoa. Slow down. Start at the beginning.”

  And so Carla did exactly that. Her father’s matchmaking, her plan to take care of him and then the marriage contract—it all came tumbling out. She even briefly mentioned their wedding night and now its complications.

  “You’re pregnant?” Gianna’s excited voice came out loudly.

  “Shh...” Carla glanced around to make sure there was no one around to overhear. “Yes, but it’s the very last thing Franco wants.”

  “You told him?”

  Carla nodded. “Right before my father collapsed.”

  “And he said that he didn’t want the baby?”

  “No. But he’d previously told me about his childhood and how he never planned to marry or have a family. He doesn’t want to repeat his parents’ mistakes.”

  “When did he tell you this?”

  “A while ago.”

  “Maybe things have changed since then. He said he didn’t want to marry, but he sure looks happy these days. Even Dario mentioned that he’d never seen his brother happier.”

  This was all news to Carla. “I don’t know. He’s probably just happy about our business venture coming together.”

  “No. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It isn’t the way a platonic business associate looks at the other. He looks at you like you’re a double chocolate cupcake that he can’t wait to devour.”

  Heat filled Carla’s cheeks. “He does not.”

  “Oh, but he does. And I’ve seen the way you look at him when you think no one notices. You are crazy for him. It’s the reason I never questioned your quickie wedding. I figured it was love at first sight. Or maybe second sight.”

  Was that true? Did he love her? And if he did, did it change things between them? Would he still love her even if she was carrying the baby he never wanted?

  * * *

  That evening couldn’t have gone any worse.

  Franco took one look at his grandfather’s pale, drawn face and knew he was in no condition to drive. Franco and his brother had helped their grandparents into their car. His grandmother never did like to drive, so he drove them home. Dario followed them in his car.

  As he drove out of the city, he just couldn’t help but think about how things had looked so promising one moment and then in the next his world had come crashing in around him.

  A baby.

  He was going to be a father.

  In that moment, he promised himself that he wouldn’t be like his father, who was constantly avoiding his responsibilities. If it wasn’t for his grandfather, he might not know what it was to have a father—how to be a father. Franco was going to be there for his child in every way possible. No one would drive him away.

  When holidays and birthdays rolled around, he’d be there with an armful of gifts and a big smile. He would let his child know how much they meant to him.

  He would do for his child everything that he’d wanted his parents to do for him, but instead they’d been too wrapped up in their own world—in their own problems—to see that their two little boys had been utterly and totally forgotten.

  “Franco.” His grandmother’s concerned voice interrupted his thoughts. “Franco, you missed the turn.”

  He blinked. His gaze took in his surroundings, and he realized his grandmother was right. “I’ll just circle back around. No big deal.”

  “Something is on your mind. It’s your grandfather, isn’t it?”

  His grandfather was sitting quietly in the back seat for the first time since Franco had known him. A glance in the rearview mirror showed his grandfather with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the window. Franco thought for sure he’d have a few disparaging words to say about Franco missing the turn, but he continued to be mute.

  Returning his gaze to the road, Franco thought about his grandmother’s question. “Actually, I was thinking about my father.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t like to talk about her son. The pain was always evident in her eyes when his name was brought up, and so Franco had learned to avoid the subject all together.

  But today was different. All the skeletons in the closet and the ghosts that had been swept under the rug were going to be aired out—the light shined on them. Maybe that was the problem with their family. Maybe they avoided the tough subjects too often. Instead of the silence helping, it was hurting them.

  Now that both he and Dario were about to be fathers, they didn’t have the luxury of ignoring the past. They had to learn from it if they hoped to do better by their children.

  He eased the car into the drive and parked in front of the massive villa. This subject could wait until they were inside.

  He jumped out and opened both car doors for his grandparents. As they got to their feet, he noticed that they both looked as though they’d aged considerably since the confrontation at the party.

  Once inside, Dario joined them. “Well, that’s certainly going to be in the news tomorrow. I’m guessing that’s not the headline you were hoping for.”

  Franco paced back and forth, raking his fingers through his hair. Then he stopped and faced his grandfather. “Why did you have to pick today of all days to change your mind and show up?”

  “It’s my company.” His voice boomed in the large foyer.

  “It was your company,” Franco corrected him. “Remember, you’re retiring.”

  “He’s right,” Nonna agreed. “You can’t keep running the company forever. It’s time you let Franco take over.”

  His grandfather’s lips pressed into a firm line as a muscle in his cheek spasmed.

  “I know that you never thought I lived up to this image you had of me.” Franco’s voice shook with frustration. “I’ve tried and tried to make you proud of me, but I’m done. I just can’t do it anymore. You can keep the company. I quit.”

  “What...what?” For the first time ever, his grandfather looked to be at a loss for words. “But you can’t.”

  “Oh, I can and I am.” As he swung around to walk out the door, he caught the grin on his brother’s face.

  It seemed like not so long ago that Dario had had a similar conversation with their grandfather—then, Franco hadn’t been able to understand how he could just walk away from his legacy. It’d taken a bit, but now he finally understood.

  “Wait,” Nonna called out. When he turned to his grandmother, she said, “Don’t go.” Then she turned to his grandfather. “I’ve been quiet for too long. I thought you knew what you were doing where the boys were concerned, but you’ve gone too far now. Don’t let him walk away. Not like this.”

  Nonno shook his head. “Let him go.”

  “No.” His grandmother’s voice brooked no argument. “Fix this. I won’t lose yet another member of this family. I let you drive away our son.”

  “He wasn’t strong,” Nonno said. “He wouldn’t stand up for himself. He always wanted to take the easy way out of everything.”

  “Maybe if you hadn’t pushed him so hard, he’d have figured it all out.”

  “You blame me for him leaving?”

  “I do. And I won’t stand for it. Not again. Franco belongs at the helm of the company. He has earned the right to continue running it the way he sees fit.” Nonna glared at his grandfather. “And if you don’t step aside, don’t bother coming to bed tonight or any other night.” She turned and stormed away.

  His grandmother had stolen all of Franco’s thunder. She’d left him utterly s
peechless. He’d never seen her so angry. When he gathered himself to lift his sagging jaw, he glanced over at his grandfather, who appeared to have lost his ability to speak as well.

  Franco had always taken his grandmother’s silence to mean that she agreed with everything his grandfather said and did. It appeared that wasn’t the case. He was relieved that she’d finally spoken up, but he couldn’t help but wish that she’d done it much sooner.

  Franco hesitated, waiting to see if his grandfather would say anything. The silence stretched on. It went on too long. Franco continued toward the door.

  “Wait,” Dario said.

  Franco didn’t want to wait. Turning his back on his grandfather wasn’t easy. Even if the man wasn’t the easiest person to care about, he still loved him. But he couldn’t just walk out on his brother, who’d always had his back. Through everything, they’d been there for each other.

  Franco smothered a frustrated sigh and turned back. “It’s not going to work,” he said to his brother. “He’s too stubborn to listen to anyone—”

  “That’s not true.” Nonno’s voice wavered, as though he wasn’t quite certain.

  Both brothers turned to their grandfather. His shoulders were slightly slumped as worry lines bracketed his face. It was though he’d aged right before him. Franco had never seen his grandfather anything but strong and assured. He didn’t look like either of those things right now.

  “You don’t understand,” their grandfather began. “You didn’t know your father—”

  “Let’s sit down and talk.” Dario moved toward the living room and glanced over his shoulder to make sure both men were following him.

  Their grandfather fell in step behind Dario. Franco still hadn’t moved from his spot near the door. He wasn’t so sure there was anything his grandfather could say at this stage to change his mind about remaining a part of this family.

  But then his gaze connected with his brother’s. Dario nodded toward the living room. He could see in his younger brother’s eyes that he was pleading with him not to walk away. It was so funny how things had flip-flopped between them.

  Not so long ago, it was he who had coerced his brother into attending the family’s Sunday dinner after he’d broken up with his now wife. And Franco couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t somehow been instrumental in getting those two back together—but as soon as the thought came to him, he dismissed it. Because it was perfectly obvious to anyone who saw Dario and Gianna that they belonged together. Even without him, they would have found their way back to each other.

  But this talk didn’t have anything to do with romance. It was about something much deeper—the fracture of his family. He’d always told himself that it was all in the past and to keep looking forward. But if it was all in the past, why was he so hesitant to make a commitment to the most amazing woman in the world? Maybe it wasn’t all in the past like he’d thought.

  With great reluctance, he followed the two men to the living room to hear whatever it was his grandfather had to say to them.

  His brother sat on one couch. His grandfather sat on the other couch. Franco crossed his arms and propped himself up against the doorjamb. When Dario nodded for him to join them, Franco shook his head. There was only so far he was willing to go.

  Nonno leaned back on the couch. He rubbed a hand over his clean-shaven chin. “I tried to do my best. I tried to raise your father to shoulder his responsibilities, but he resisted me every step of the way. He thought because we had money that he shouldn’t have to work for things. I wanted to show him what it took to accumulate that money. Perhaps I pushed too hard.” He hesitated as though his thoughts had drifted back in time. “No, that isn’t right. I did push him too hard. I’d only meant to help him, but I went too far.”

  Franco stood perfectly still, afraid that if he moved his grandfather would be jarred out of the moment. And it was only then that he realized just how desperately he wanted to understand his father so he could better understand himself.

  He had never heard his grandfather talk this way—never heard him admit to his own weaknesses. And yet he was acknowledging how he’d made mistakes raising their father.

  “I didn’t want your father to rely on others to take care of him. I wanted him to stand on his own two feet. I gave him every opportunity to find his way in the family business.”

  “Maybe he didn’t have a mind for business,” Dario offered. “I know that’s not where my interest lies.”

  Nonno’s gazed downward as he nodded in agreement. “I’d have to agree with you, but I couldn’t see it at the time.”

  “But you just let him walk away.” Franco’s voice boomed with an anger he’d kept hidden for a lifetime—even from himself. He wasn’t willing to let this subject go so easily. He needed to understand how he and his brother had been forgotten by the one person who was supposed to love them most of all. “You didn’t try to stop him when he dumped his wife and two small children.”

  His grandfather’s eyes reflected his deep regret. “I tried to reason with him. I ordered him not to go. When that didn’t work, I begged him. And when he wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say, I tried to bribe him. He...he took the money and left...left you, your mother, the business, his mother...and me.” He lowered his face to his hands.

  “But I don’t understand,” Dario said. “Every now and then, without warning, he shows up in our lives. He never stays long. He’s like a distant uncle who just passes by and says hi.”

  Nonno lifted his head and met Dario’s gaze. “That is something I never wanted you to know about.”

  “You’ve told us a lot already,” Franco said, “so you might as well tell us the rest. It’s not like we’re kids anymore.”

  Nonno drew in an uneven breath and then blew it out. “Your father comes around when he needs money.”

  “And you give it to him?” Dario’s voice thundered with anger.

  Nonno’s gaze once more lowered as he nodded. “I knew that way he’d keep coming back. I thought... I’d hoped he’d see what he was missing by not being in your life.”

  “So he never once came around just because he wanted to see us?” Dario wasn’t going to let this go. Because they’d both hoped all these years that somewhere deep down their father loved them in his own way.

  Nonno kept his head down as he shook his head. “I... I thought I could shield you from him—from his lack of caring.”

  His father didn’t love him.

  His father had never loved him. No wonder he’d walked away.

  Franco was glad he had the wall to hold himself up. He’d had absolutely no idea that all this time he’d been blaming his grandfather for driving away his father, when in fact his grandfather had done everything he could think of to make his father stay.

  Whatever his father’s problems were, they appeared to be all his. Though his grandfather put on a tough exterior, he really did have a heart beneath it all. Maybe now they’d see a bit more of it.

  But one thing was clear. Even if his grandfather hadn’t loved them quite the way they’d wanted, he did truly love them. And that meant the world to Franco.

  This revelation also told Franco that his assumption that his father had loved them and still let them down had been false. He hadn’t loved them, and he didn’t care about letting them down.

  But the fact was that Franco cared a great deal about Carla—dare he say it, he loved her. It was the first time he’d had the courage to admit it to himself. And now that he had said it to himself, it wasn’t so scary after all. In fact, admitting that he loved his wife was freeing. He felt as though he no longer had to deny all the joy and happiness that she brought into his life.

  And he found himself admitting to loving their little baby. He couldn’t imagine abandoning them. Even if Carla still wanted to dissolve their marriage, he wouldn’t be far away. He’d be a part of her li
fe as much as she’d allow him. And his son or daughter would become the center of his world.

  Because his father had given him something else besides life. He’d shown him what not to do to those people you loved. Franco could do better. He would do better.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  AT LAST SHE could see her father.

  A nurse showed Carla to the hospital room where they’d moved her father. The room was darkened except for a light above his bed. His eyes were closed as though he were sleeping. Her gaze moved to take in all the wires attached to him. Next to the bed was a monitor with his blood pressure and heart rate. She blinked away the unwanted tears. She would keep it all together for his sake.

  Still, she couldn’t ignore the significance of the situation. This was a scene she’d experienced more than once in the past several months. Each time it scared her.

  Her fingers tightened around her purse strap. She just couldn’t lose her father. She wasn’t ready, especially now that she understood him so much better. This was a time for a new beginning for them.

  She perched on the edge of a chair placed next to the bed. When she glanced over at her father, his eyes were now open.

  “There you are.” He smiled at her. “I’m sorry for the scare.”

  “So you’re all right?” She wanted to ask if he’d had another heart attack, but she just couldn’t form the words.

  “I’m fine. My heart is fine. They said I got a little too worked up.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think Franco’s grandparents were going to show up or I would have warned you to stay away.”

  “It’s my fault. I went to apologize to Giuseppe, but he thought I was there to argue about the past and things quickly escalated.” His eyes reflected his remorse. “I apologize for ruining your big evening.”

  “It’s okay. And you won’t have to deal with the Marchellos any longer.”

  Her father pressed the button on his bed so he could sit up straighter. “What happened? Don’t tell me that Franco walked out on you. Because if he did, I’ll be having a word with him.”