Saving His Little Miracle (Mills & Boon Medical) (11 page)

‘That is totally unfair!’

‘Is it?’ He shrugged. ‘I disagree. It sounds to me as though your job is more important to you than she is.’

‘Nothing is more important to me than Megan!’ she said, deeply hurt by the accusation. ‘However, we don’t all have the luxury of family money to fall back on. If I don’t work, we shall probably lose our home. Is that what you want, Vincenzo, that our daughter should be left homeless?’

‘Of course not!’ He sounded rattled by the suggestion and Lowri couldn’t stop the small thrill of pleasure that ran through her for having pierced his armour.

‘Then you must understand why I can’t accept your offer?’

‘No, I don’t understand. I don’t understand why you are willing to put Megan’s health at risk when there is no need.’ His tone was icy and yet beneath its chill she sensed a passion that filled her with heat. All of a sudden she knew that this was important to him even though she wasn’t sure why.

‘You and Megan can stay at the villa for as long as you like. I shall pay all your bills here and meet all your expenses while you are there.’ He looked her squarely in the eyes and she shivered when she saw the determination on his face. Vincenzo intended to get his own way about this no matter what she said or did and it was more than a little scary to realise it.

‘It will solve two major problems. Not only will Megan be able to recuperate and regain her strength but it will give us the opportunity we need to put our plan into action. If that doesn’t make sense to you, Lowri, then I don’t know what does!’

CHAPTER EIGHT

V
INCENZO
STOOD
ON
the terrace and watched as the sun set over Lake Garda. It was a sight that never failed to captivate him yet he found his attention wandering that night. Had he done the right thing by virtually
forcing
Lowri to bring Megan here or had he merely made a difficult situation more complicated?

He had never stopped to consider what he might be getting into when he had made the suggestion; he had seen it simply as the solution to their problems. However, now he found himself wondering about how it was going to affect him. How could he maintain his distance, as he needed to do, when Lowri was living under his roof?

‘She’s asleep at last. She was so excited when she saw her bedroom and all the toys you’ve bought for her that I didn’t think I’d ever persuade her to settle down. You really shouldn’t spoil her like that, Vincenzo.’

Vincenzo glanced round when Lowri came to join him. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn to travel in, lightweight cotton jeans and a pale blue shirt, and he found himself thinking how pretty she looked. Most of the women he knew dressed far more formally, choosing clothes that made a statement about their position in life. However, Lowri didn’t appear to be concerned about how other people viewed her and he found her attitude refreshing.

‘She’s had a tough time in the past two weeks. Having to go back into hospital was a real blow for her and she deserves a treat,’ he said, reining in his thoughts. That he was attracted to Lowri wasn’t in question but he must never forget that it was Megan who mattered. Maybe they had grown closer as they had sat at Megan’s bedside while she had fought off the infection, but the truth was that Lowri would never have contacted him in the first place if it weren’t for their daughter.

The thought was strangely depressing. Vincenzo swung round, refusing to dwell on it. ‘How about a drink? You’ve had a busy day and a glass of wine might help you unwind.’

‘I really should unpack,’ she began, and then shrugged. ‘Why not? I can unpack later, can’t I?’

‘Of course.’

Vincenzo went inside and took a bottle of Pinot Grigio out of the wine cooler. Maria, his housekeeper, had prepared a tray of nibbles before she had left and he took that outside as well. Lowri was still standing where he had left her and he paused, studying the line of her back, the tilt of her head, simply soaking up the sheer familiarity of her. She had been back in his life for a matter of weeks and yet it felt as though she had been an important part of his world for ever.

The thought alarmed him. Vincenzo could feel his heart pounding as he set the tray on the table. He uncorked the wine, aware that his hands weren’t as steady as they should have been. He was getting in way too deep and he needed to take several steps back. Although it was understandable if the past two weeks had brought him and Lowri closer, he couldn’t afford to let that influence him. So maybe he
did
want to help Megan, and maybe he
was
willing to have another child with Lowri if it meant they could achieve that objective, but was he really prepared to make a lifetime’s commitment to her?

He had sworn he would never marry again after his divorce. Even though he and Carla had entered into the marriage with their eyes open, it hadn’t worked. He had wanted a wife who would support his career and not make too many demands on him, and Carla had wanted the security that a wedding ring would afford her.

As a top-flight commercial lawyer, she had grown tired of being hit on by her clients and had found it useful to have a wealthy husband in the background.

It had worked very well too until Carla had decided that she had wanted more from life. She had wanted a family and that had been something he had always ruled out. Their divorce had been inevitable after that, but had he really changed so much that he was ready to consider the idea? Could he see himself not only in the role of father to Megan and to this new baby they might have but as Lowri’s husband?

Vincenzo’s hands shook even more as he poured the wine. Whilst he was still determined to do whatever was necessary to help Megan, he knew that he needed to reassess the situation. He came to a swift decision, aware that he would be unable to think things through with the necessary clarity if he was around Lowri. Lowri made him
feel
all sorts of things; however, she didn’t make it easy for him to think!

‘I shall be returning to Milan in the morning.’ He handed her a glass and sat down. He took a sip of the wine, hoping it would steady him. He needed to be strong, needed to deal with this situation on his own and in his own way too.

‘Oh. I didn’t realise you were going back to Milan so soon,’ she began, then shrugged. ‘Of course. You must have things to attend to.’

‘I need to settle on a date for when I return to work,’ Vincenzo said as smoothly as he could. He took another swallow of the wine, calling himself all sorts of unflattering names when he realised that he was disappointed that she hadn’t tried to persuade him to stay. If truth be told, she must be as eager for some time on her own as he was.

‘Ah. Well, that’s good, isn’t it? You must feel that your arm has healed if you’re planning to return to Theatre.’ She smiled brightly as she raised her glass. ‘Here’s to a successful return, Vincenzo. I’m sure your colleagues will be delighted to have you back.’

‘Grazie.’
He responded to her toast, wondering wryly if his return would be greeted with very much enthusiasm. From what he had heard that day, his team seemed to have been coping extremely well without him.

He pushed the thought aside, not wanting anything to deter him. Returning to work would give him the breathing space he needed to decide how to handle this situation. He had a choice: he could maintain his distance and simply make financial provision for Megan and the new baby, or he could become a proper father to them with
all
that it entailed—assuming that Lowri would agree, of course.

He sighed. It appeared that the decision wasn’t wholly his after all. It very much depended on what Lowri wanted.

* * *

It was shortly after ten when Lowri excused herself and went up to her room. It had been a pleasant evening and Vincenzo had gone out of his way put her at ease. She had grown increasingly nervous as the time had approached for her and Megan to travel to the villa, but if Vincenzo continued to behave as he had done today then it appeared that she had nothing to fear.

She certainly couldn’t fault the arrangements he had made to get them there. He had taken heed of Dr Simpson’s advice to keep Megan away from anyone who might be harbouring an infection by hiring a private plane to fly them to Milan, where they’d been met by a chauffeur-driven limousine.

In a remarkably short space of time they had arrived at the villa, where his housekeeper, Maria, had been waiting to greet them. It had been a world away from the journey she had made a few weeks earlier and she couldn’t help comparing the two. It was obvious that Vincenzo had both the money and the means to make things happen. She wasn’t sure why it made her feel slightly uneasy to know that.

She pushed the thought aside as she opened her suitcase and took out a pair of pyjamas. Opening the connecting door to Megan’s room, she checked that the little girl was fast asleep before going to take a shower, frowning as she looked around. The white-painted bed with its golden coronet above supporting a drift of pale pink net was every little girl’s dream. The rest of the furniture was white too, the wardrobes and chests exquisitely painted with fairies and tiny woodland creatures. There was even a toy chest under the window stuffed full of dolls and soft toys, plus a shelf of brand-new books.

Whether Vincenzo had chosen everything himself or had asked his housekeeper to do it, she wasn’t sure. However, the fact that he had gone to so much trouble and expense to prepare the room surprised her. Surely, it was a waste of time and money if he didn’t intend to play a permanent role in Megan’s life?

The thought stayed with her while she showered and got ready for bed. Switching off the bedside lamp, she lay in the darkness and tried to work it all out but she was too tired to make sense of it. She had no real idea what Vincenzo was planning and would have to wait and see what happened. Maybe he would stay in contact with her and Megan and maybe he wouldn’t, and it was unsettling not to know what the future held in store. After all, his decision would affect them all—her, Megan and this new baby they were planning to have.

She rolled over, burying her hot face in the pillow. By tacit consent they hadn’t discussed their plans for the baby in the last few weeks. Megan had been so ill and they had concentrated on helping her to get better. However, they would need to finalise the arrangements soon and the thought made her feel all jittery inside.

Although she was aware that she and Vincenzo had grown closer during the long hours they had sat at Megan’s bedside, she still didn’t feel that she knew him all that well. He was such a contradiction, one minute cool and distant and the next warm and sympathetic. It was little wonder that it was so hard to get the measure of him. However, before they embarked on making this baby, she needed to be sure about what they were doing. Although she desperately wanted to help Megan, having another child wasn’t something to be undertaken lightly. For
any
reason.

Lowri took a deep breath as she finally acknowledged the truth. She wanted this baby for its own sake and not just because it could save its sister’s life. She knew that she would love it with all her heart, no matter what happened. However, before she went ahead, she needed to be sure that Vincenzo wanted it too. For the child’s sake, it was important that she was sure he wouldn’t regret it.

* * *

The sun was streaming through the windows when Lowri awoke the following morning. Reaching for the clock, she was shocked to discover that it was gone nine a.m. Scrambling out of bed, she ran to the adjoining room but there was no sign of Megan. She hurried downstairs, her heart pounding as she wondered where Megan had gone. The little girl didn’t know her way around the villa yet and the thought that she might have wandered outside filled Lowri with dread. Anything could have happened to her!

‘
Buon giorno
, Lowri. Come and join us. We were just about to have breakfast, weren’t we,
tesoro
?’

Lowri spun round, feeling relief overwhelm her when she saw Megan standing on the terrace, holding Vincenzo’s hand. Hurrying over to them, she swept her daughter up into her arms and kissed her. ‘You gave me such a fright! I didn’t know where you’d gone when I found your room was empty.’

‘Megan was thirsty so she came downstairs to get a drink,’ Vincenzo explained. He ran his hand over the child’s head, his fingers gently brushing her skull. ‘She helped me prepare breakfast, didn’t you,
amore
? She cut up all the fruit, in fact.’

‘I don’t let her use a knife,’ Lowri said quickly, then flushed. It sounded so petty to remonstrate with him when he had taken care of Megan while she’d been asleep.

‘No?’ He shrugged. ‘Well, she made a very good job of it. The fruit looks delicious, doesn’t it?’

He swept a hand towards the table and Lowri had to hide her smile when she saw the heap of fruit piled into the dish. Some of the peaches looked decidedly battered and the strawberries had a distinctly squashed air about them. Looking up, she laughed when she met Vincenzo’s eyes and saw the amusement they held.

‘It does indeed. Very tempting.’

‘Bene.’
He led Megan to the table and sat her down then pulled out a chair for Lowri. His fingers brushed the back of her neck as he got her settled. ‘I’ll leave you to make a start while I fetch the coffee. Maria doesn’t arrive until later so I’m afraid we have to fend for ourselves at breakfast.’

‘That’s fine,’ Lowri said swiftly, trying to contain the shiver that passed through her when she felt the warmth of his fingers seeping through the thin cotton of her pyjama top. She took a deep breath as she helped Megan spoon some fruit into her bowl. She had to stop this, had to stop being so
aware
of him all the time. At the end of the day she must never forget that Vincenzo wasn’t interested in her. He was only interested in helping Megan.

* * *

Vincenzo picked up the coffee pot then took a deep breath. He had to stop this, had to stop reacting every time he was near Lowri. He had touched her purely by accident yet he could feel tingles of awareness spreading through his entire body and silently cursed himself.