by Donna Alward
Massimo’s face changed. “Security?”
“Papa.” She reached across the table and took his hand. It was still so strong and warm, as it had always been. “I agreed to something I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry. Please listen before you get angry.”
“I don’t like the sound of this, Gabriella.”
She sighed. “I know.” Will’s hand rested on her shoulder, giving her courage. She sent him a look of gratitude and then faced her father again.
“You know as well as I do that Baresi has been struggling. Not desperately, but the market has been tough and we’ve felt the pinch. I’m an accountant, Papa. I know how to read the sheets. Then, with your diagnosis, and the long treatment ahead of you...all I could see was a ship without a captain, no one to take the wheel. I started to fear for our financial situation, so when Stephen and I became friends, I might have told him a little of what we were facing. He was the one who came up with the plan, Papa, but he’s not to blame. I considered it and agreed to it, which makes me just as guilty.”
“What plan?”
The question was delivered with a sharpness that stole her breath. Still, she deserved her father’s anger and disappointment and so told them everything.
Silence fell around the table when she was done. Lucia’s mouth had dropped open and Massimo’s brows were pulled together so tightly they nearly met above his nose.
She couldn’t stand the silence so she carried on. “Papa... Baresi is everything. I wanted to do this so the legacy wouldn’t be threatened. But it was the wrong thing, and I couldn’t do it.”
“Thank God for that,” Lucia murmured.
“Did you not trust me to make sure the company was in good hands?” Massimo asked, and it killed Gabi to hear the hurt in his voice.
“Of course I trust you! Papa, you have never let me down. I was just so scared. When the doctor said it was cancer, all I wanted to do was look after this for you. To make sure Baresi flourished so it would be waiting for you when you were better.” Her eyes burned. “I was so afraid of messing up and not being up to this challenge. You put your faith in me to step in but I’m not sure I can do this.”
Will’s hand still rested on her shoulder and she reached up and clasped it briefly. “I’m sorry, Papa. I lost my head for a while and made some stupid decisions. But I’ve got it back on right now. Tomorrow you’re going to have your operation and I’m going to make sure the company thrives, even without Aurora’s backing. It’s time for me to step up and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure I don’t let you down.”
“Gattina, why did you not talk to me? To your mother? We would have worked through this together.”
Lucia leaned forward. “You didn’t have to take this all on yourself. We’re a family.”
“I thought you had enough to worry about. I didn’t want to be a burden.” She sniffed now, as relief at unloading the secret started to creep in. “Papa, I wasn’t going to tell you the truth because I didn’t want to upset you before your operation. But today I realized...it isn’t right to have lies between us. I failed but I won’t again, I promise.”
Massimo’s eyes softened. He got up from his chair and came around the table, and Gabi rose and went into his arms. His safe, warm, strong arms that had always been there for her since the day she was born. A bit weaker now, certainly, and she tried not to let the fear take over.
“Gabriella Angelica Baresi, you have not failed anyone. I believe in you. I should have told you this before, but I didn’t want to add any pressure when you were planning a wedding.” He laughed a little, and stepped back so he could look into her eyes. “You know I made all the necessary arrangements at the office for the month I am recovering. I also had papers drawn up. If anything does happen to me, Gabi, the company is yours. You might be a numbers woman, but you’re smart and resourceful and you love what I’ve built. I trust you to look after your mother and sister. And I didn’t tell you because I felt it would be a huge burden on your shoulders while you were on your way to marry Stephen.”
“You said you were glad I’d be taken care of.”
“It put my mind at ease. I knew if anything happened and you took over Baresi, Stephen would be able to look after you. I was never expecting him to look after my company. You might not have faith in yourself, but I have faith in you. And you could not let me down. Ever.”
She put her shoulders back. “I can look after myself.”
“She sure can.” Will finally spoke.
Massimo looked over Gabi’s shoulder. “And what’s your part in all this? You’re Stephen’s brother. You said you were here to check on local business interests and to escort Gabi home until Stephen could join her. Clearly that’s not true, either.”
Will shook his head, but Gabi admired his calm. “No, it’s not. Well, some of it’s true. I did escort Gabi home, at my insistence, not hers. And I have been checking up on local interests. Baresi is one of them. Initially I took on the role of damage control after the wedding didn’t happen. Giulia helped me find Gabi, and then we went to the family château in France to wait out the media storm. Over that time I’ve come to see how stupid my brother has been, both in suggesting such an arrangement and—”
It was if he’d suddenly realized he’d said something wrong. Will pursed his lips and frowned.
“And?” Lucia prodded him.
“And I like your daughter,” he said, almost as if daring them to defy him. “She’s a good person who wanted nothing more than to take care of her family, and she was willing to do it at her own personal cost. While the idea was flawed, her loyalty and love were not. I presented my brother with a proposal to partner with Baresi, something that would benefit both you and Aurora. He turned it down, because of his pride. But if there is anything I can do to be of help, I will. I won’t go against my family, but as I told Gabi before this conversation, I’m definitely willing to help a friend.”
His gaze went to Gabi’s. “And despite the unorthodox circumstances, I do believe we’ve become friends.”
She nodded, overwhelmed by his speech. “Yes, we have. Thank you, Will.”
“You’re welcome.”
Will looked up at Massimo. “Signore, if there is anything at all you need, I hope you will ask. My brother is head of acquisitions, but I’m the head of my division, and I’ll do what I can to ensure Aurora’s relationship with Baresi remains intact.”
“I appreciate that.”
“And your daughter can come to me at any time for help if she needs it.” He glanced at Gabi and grinned, shooting a dart of sunlight into her soul. “Though she probably won’t. She’s smart and she’s stubborn. And hopefully she now knows that she’s worth more than anyone has ever given her credit for.”
Oh, dear heavens. It was like he’d been dropped, completely perfect, into her lap. Once again, she was reminded of the fact that she never seemed to meet the right guy at the right time. Either the timing was wrong or the man was. Having him on her side but not being with him was going to be torturous. And yet she wasn’t in any position to turn him away. He was too valuable an ally, in business but mostly in friendship.
Gabi hugged her father again. “Are you angry with me, Papa?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know what to say. It seems so unreal and... I don’t know. But I’m not angry. I’m sorry you ever felt you needed to go to such lengths.”
“I’d do anything for you, Papa. You know that.”
“And I’d do the same for you, and your sister, and your mama.” He squeezed her tight. “This isn’t going to beat me. I’m going to fight it. So please don’t worry.”
She nodded against his chest. Why had she worried so much? Her father had always been willing to forgive any transgression. She shouldn’t have taken this burden on alone.
“You should get some rest before you have to leave for the hospital. And I’m
going to pack a bag. I’ll be staying at my flat.”
“I’ll drive you,” Will said. “I need to return the rental, anyway, and I want to make sure everyone is all right before I fly back to Paris.”
Paris. Of course he would be leaving now. The tabloids had quieted, no one had come looking for her, and Will had to know by now that she had no intention of spilling the actual story to the press. Because he trusted her.
Oh, she was going to miss him.
“It looks as though everything is sorted,” Lucia said. “Massimo and I are leaving around three.”
“Mama, you can stay with me at my flat if you like.”
Lucia shook her head. “Grazie, but I am going to stay with Zia Isabella. She lives closer to the hospital, and I haven’t seen her in a while.”
Will rose from his chair. “If that’s the case, I should go upstairs and wrap up some business I was working on. Signor and Signora Baresi, thank you for your hospitality the past few days.” He held out his hand to Massimo. “And the best of luck to you tomorrow.”
“You are welcome here anytime,” Massimo replied, shaking Will’s hand.
He left and went toward the stairs, and Gabi waited until she heard his footsteps above her. Then she let out a huge breath.
Lucia looked at her with a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow. “Any hope there?” she asked. “Of the real kind?”
Gabi shook her head. “No. It’s too messy.” She met her mother’s gaze. “But I’m a bit sorry about that.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed her father’s cheek. “I’ll see you before you go,” she said softly. “And again tomorrow at the hospital.”
“Ti amo, gattina,” he said, kissing her cheek in return.
She escaped to the stairs before he could see the tears in her eyes. No one had ever loved her as unconditionally as her parents. They loved each other the same way.
Why had Gabi ever even considered that she could settle for anything less?
CHAPTER NINE
WILLIAM KNEW HE should hop on a plane and fly back to Paris. It would be the smart thing to do at this point, and it was what was expected. He’d had a sharply worded email from Stephen, and another from his mother that was less angry and more concerned. Why was he still in Italy? He should forget about Gabriella Baresi now that the media story seemed under control, and get back home and to work. The family, who’d congregated at the manor for the wedding, were now all back in either London or Paris for work, and he should be, too. According to Aurora Germain Pemberton, anyway.
But he couldn’t leave yet. Not while Gabi was sitting with her mother and sister, waiting while Massimo was having surgery to have a section of his colon removed. Marco was there, too, and right now had gone to get coffee for everyone. Will found he quite liked the younger man, who seemed bright and energetic but now, at a serious time, stepped up and provided support for Giulia. According to Gabi, they’d been seeing each other off and on for some time, though it had only recently become a steady thing.
He went to the chairs in the waiting area and sat down beside Gabi. “How’re you holding up?”
“Okay. It’s taking so long.”
He knew. The surgeon had estimated the surgery to take about ninety minutes, and then of course Massimo would be taken to recovery. But it was already five in the afternoon. It had been three hours already, and no doctor, no word.
Of course everyone was thinking the worst. Were there complications? More cancer than they realized? Had it spread?
Will’s father had died suddenly, from a heart attack. There’d been no waiting around for results, no hope. One minute Cedric had been alive, then next he was gone. It had been excruciating, but watching the Baresi women worry, he wasn’t sure this was a better alternative. He hoped that it all worked out right in the end, and Massimo would be going home again.
Marco returned with coffee and a bag of pastries for everyone to share. “You need to eat something, Mama Lucia,” he said, pressing a paper napkin and a sweet into her hand.
“Grazie, Marco,” she whispered, but Will saw that her face was pale and her eyes dull with worry.
Will leaned over and whispered in Gabi’s ear. “Eat one, and maybe your mother will, too.”
She nodded, then looked up at Marco. “I’ll have one, thank you.”
Giulia rose and put her arms around Marco’s waist. “Thank you for being here with us.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, cara.”
Gabi nibbled on her bun and Will sat back, sipping on strong coffee, wishing the doctors would hurry up.
Gabi had been a wreck. Not outwardly, of course, but he’d noticed how quiet she’d been. Last night, after Lucia and Massimo had left for the hospital, she’d barely eaten. Instead she’d gone into the library to work for a while, she’d said. Giulia had come home and they’d spoken for a bit, and Will had been the one to venture into the kitchen and throw something together for dinner and make sure she ate. It was the same this morning, before they’d left for Perugia. He’d made sure she’d eaten breakfast so she had something in her stomach to get her through the day.
He knew how he’d feel if this were his mother, or any of his siblings. He’d be sick with worry and waiting. So he sat beside her and when she tilted her neck to release tension, he put his hand on her back and gently rubbed, trying to help ease the muscles.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she murmured.
“Me, too. I could have flown back today but I would have worried the whole time.” He tried a smile. “Who would have thought that I’d stick around for moral support, huh?”
She smiled back. “When I opened that hotel room door in London and you were there, you looked ready to kill.”
“I was angry.”
“You had a right to be.”
“I wasn’t angry for long. I think I stopped about the time you fell asleep on the plane.”
“I wanted to be angry with you, too, but I knew you were trying to help. It was a lot of hating you for bossing me around and knowing I deserved it because it was my fault.”
He nodded, then started to chuckle a bit. “It was a pretty unorthodox way to get to know each other. But...” He looked up at her and the connection between them was strong and sure. “I don’t regret it. Not a moment.”
“Me, either. I appreciate you trying to help with Stephen, too. But don’t worry about Baresi. I’m going to figure everything out.”
“I know you will. Now eat. You need something since you refused lunch.”
The coffee was gone and the pastries half-eaten and discarded when finally, finally, the doctor came through the doors toward the family.
Everyone stood together.
“The surgery went well, though not without complication,” he said, not mincing any words. “The tumor was a bit bigger than we anticipated, and Signor Baresi had some bleeding that we needed to get under control, which extended the length of the surgery. We removed lymph nodes that we’ll send for testing to see if the cancer has spread.”
The family seemed to be collectively holding their breath.
“But overall it was a success. He’ll be in recovery for some time, and access is restricted.”
“The bleeding...was it serious?”
The surgeon looked at Giulia, who’d asked the question. “Serious enough, but he’s a strong man and healthy for his age. I don’t anticipate further postoperative problems, but we’ll wait and see.”
He looked at the rest of the group. “He’s going to be on some pretty strong pain medication. It’d be better for you to try to see him tomorrow. I understand you’ll want to wait to see him, though, Signora Baresi.”
He said his goodbyes and left. Will sensed the collective relief of the family as if they had all let out a giant breath. “Well, that’s good news,” he said, and he looked over at Gabi. She looked re
ady to drop, so he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. “First hurdle over, yes?”
She nodded, and he saw she was blinking quickly. His heart melted a little and he turned her into his arms. “It’s okay now,” he said gently, rubbing her back. “He made it through the surgery. You can breathe again.”
He looked over and saw Marco holding Giulia’s hand and Lucia watching William and Gabi with tenderness lining her face. His feelings were so transparent, weren’t they? He really did need to get back to Paris, before he did something foolish.
But not tonight. Right now Gabi was crying softly into his chest and he would make sure she was all right and that Massimo got through the night okay. As long as everything went well, William would be on a flight from Rome to Paris tomorrow afternoon, back in his flat tomorrow night and in the office on Thursday.
It sounded horrid and dull, and he rather suspected it was because she wouldn’t be there.
“Come, now,” he said softly, rubbing her shoulder. “It’s all right. Your mama is going to stay and be with him when he’s awake. You need some food and some rest.”
She nodded against him, and lifted her chin as she pulled away. “Sorry. I think the relief hit me.”
“It’s no problem.”
Gabi looked at her sister and said, “Do you and Marco want to stay at my flat tonight? I have room.”
Giulia looked at Marco, and then back at Gabi. “Marco and I are going to drive home. But we’ll be back tomorrow. The drive isn’t that long. Call if there’s anything...” Her lip quivered. “You know.”
Marco nodded. “I’ll have her back here in no time.”
“Whatever you want,” Gabi said. “Mama?”
“I’m staying with your father, but I’ll go to Isabella’s later.”
“Promise you’ll take care of yourself. I can stay with you...”
“No,” Lucia said firmly. “Will is right. I bet you hardly slept last night. Go home. You’re only minutes away and I will call if there’s a change. But I am fine, I promise. Now that he’s through the surgery, I’m fine.” She smiled tiredly. “Now we fight.”