“Thank you for being honest with me. In this particular case, I’m afraid I don’t care about boundaries, either, not when it comes to our babies. Don’t worry. I’m not making any decisions yet, but I wanted you to know everything.” She hugged her brother. “Thank you for taking care of Vito while I slept.”

“We managed to get acquainted,” he said without referring to the other matter. “Right now he hasn’t got any use for his uncle, but that will change. Bianca has your dinner ready whenever you want to eat.”

“Thanks, but I’ll wait until I can get Vito to quiet down. You go. You’ve lost a whole day to help me. I’m fine now.”

“The family has called. I told them about the switch and said you’d get back to everyone in the morning.”

“That’s good. I’m not up to dealing with anything except my baby. Please plan to go to work tomorrow.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I knew this would be hard, but I’ll get through it. Bianca will help me.”

“Okay.” He kissed her cheek and left the nursery. She knew the revelation about Ric’s father and his idea for getting the babies together had shocked Rini. But it was better he knew everything so Valentina wouldn’t have to take on more guilt for remaining quiet.

She walked a whimpering Vito through the villa and out to the back terrace and the swimming pool beyond. “This is your home now, sweetheart.” But only for the time being.

Then she would have to make arrangements to live on her own.

Valentina had intruded on her brother’s life long enough. Though her father would do anything for her, she didn’t want to put that burden on him. She needed to be on her own and take care of her baby and herself. Behaving like a grown-up was a start in the right direction.

“I’m a mother now, the head of my own family. We’ll make it work somehow, Vito.”

She kissed his wet cheeks. But no matter how much she tried to comfort him, he was unhappy. Maybe a bath would help. Unfortunately he didn’t like it and cried throughout the whole ordeal. When he finally went to sleep with a bottle, it was two in the morning.

Valentina stole to the kitchen and warmed up the dinner Bianca had made for her. She needed food. If Vito woke up again and cried uncontrollably, she would need the energy to deal with him.

For the rest of the night she sat in the rocker. The baby woke up and cried several times. He drank his bottle but fussed through most of it. Around eight in the morning her cell rang just as she was holding Vito, who fought the bottle because he was crying too hard. Please be Ric’s father.

CHAPTER THREE

VALENTINA CLICKED ON. “PRONTO?”

“Signorina Montanari?”

That deep male voice wound deep inside her body. Her heart thumped in reaction because she’d wanted to hear it again. In the background she could hear Ric crying.

“Yes.” She was too breathless to say anything else.

“It sounds like you didn’t get any more sleep than I did. Ric has been crying so hard, he’s running a slight temperature.”

“Oh, no—as you can tell, Vito’s every bit as bad.”

“We need to meet, if only to quiet the children for a few hours.”

“I thought Vito would start to accept me, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“I’m not Ric’s mamma. What would you say if I came by for you in a few minutes and drove us to that park near the hospital? I’ve installed another car seat in the back. We can spread some blankets on the grass while we talk.” Her pulse raced. “But if you don’t want to do that, I’m going to the hospital and have Dr. Ferrante examine Ric in case something else is wrong.”

“I’d rather meet you first to talk before we both lose our minds.” She gave him directions to the villa and they hung up.

Valentina knew her brother would never condone it, but Vito’s continual crying had made her frantic. As for Ric, she’d heard him wailing in the background. With Ravello more than an hour away, it meant Signor Laurito had been desperate for help. Something had to be done. So far nothing was working for either of them.

She put Vito in the crib and left him crying while she took a quick shower and opted to wear a skirt and blouse. After putting on lipstick and brushing her hair, she was ready. Before she left the room, she phoned her brother and left him a message that she was meeting with Signor Laurito today. Rini wouldn’t like it, but at least she was being honest with him.

Once she’d packed the diaper bag, she lifted Vito out of the crib and carried him into the kitchen in his carry-cot. “Bianca? Ric’s birth father is coming for me. We’re going to the park by the hospital in order to discuss our situation. I don’t know when I’ll be home. You can always phone if you need to.”

“Does Rini know where you’ll be in case he phones?”

“Yes. I told him Vito is so unhappy I’ve got to do something.”

“That’s true. The poor bambino.”

“All he’s done is cry. I’ve learned that Ric is just as miserable, so we’re going to try and work something out. The exchange was too abrupt.”

The older woman nodded. “The switch should have been caught before you ever left the hospital. Now that they’ve been home with you, they’re used to you.”

“I know. That’s why we’ve got to come up with a plan.”

“Vito’s mamma is having the same problem?”

“Not Vito’s mamma.”

“What do you mean?”

“His mamma gave him up. His papà is raising him.”

Bianca’s hands clapped to her own cheeks. “The mother doesn’t want him?”

“No. Poor Signor Laurito is frantic. During the call I could hear the baby crying in the background. He said Ric is running a temperature and needs to be checked by the doctor.”

“Then you go on. When Riccardo sees you, he will calm down.”

“Vito is suffering just as terribly.” She went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of formula. After putting them in the diaper bag, she said goodbye and hurried through the house to the front door.

When she emerged into the courtyard, she saw Signor Laurito waiting for her outside his dark gray Maserati sedan, wearing a black polo and stone-gray pants. This was the first time she’d looked at him in broad daylight and realized she hadn’t been wrong about Ric’s father. He was without question the most attractive man she’d ever seen in her life. He’d haunted her dreams last night. No wonder Ric was so handsome.

He reached for Vito and kissed him, then he put him in the back next to Ric and fastened him in.

“Where did you get another car seat?”

“When I brought Vito home from the hospital, I’d already bought a car seat for this car and one for Paolo and Stanzi’s car—they’re a couple who help me out around the house. This morning I installed it in mine, just in case you were amenable to going to the park with me.”

After stowing the carry-cot in the trunk, he helped Valentina into the front seat. In less than a minute they were off to the park, with two infants crying at the top of their lungs.

Valentina happened to glance at him just as he looked at her. The situation was so crazy they both started laughing like they’d done at the hospital. He shared her sense of humor, something she loved. Between the noise all four of them were making, she couldn’t seem to stop. The much-needed release from tension had affected him, too.

There wasn’t much traffic. Before she knew it, they came to the park. He pulled the car to a stop near a copse of trees that provided shade. Valentina jumped out and plucked Ric from his car seat. “It’s okay, darling.” She pressed her cheek to his and could tell he was too warm. He snuggled against her.

Giovanni spread some blankets on the grass before claiming Vito from the backseat. “Hey, Tiger. What are all the tears for?”

Slowly but surely quiet reigned. They laid the babies on the blanket and sat next to them. Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one black, stared at both of them.

Ric’s father said, “Do you get the feeling they’re sizing us up?”

Valentina wiped the tears from her eyes. “I can hear them saying, ‘Why are you torturing us like this?’”

Their gazes met. “Before this goes any further, may I call you Valentina, or should I continue to call you Signorina Montanari?”

This tall, hard muscled male had a charisma she couldn’t ignore. How was it that his marriage hadn’t worked? His wife didn’t want her own child? She couldn’t comprehend it. Except that she couldn’t comprehend Matteo not caring that she was going to have his baby.

“Please call me Valentina. And you?”

“I prefer Giovanni.” He studied her features. “Does Vito’s father know he’s a father?”

“Yes.” She played with Ric’s fingers before scooping him up to hug him. “I was always a serious student and didn’t date often. Much more important to me was to be like my brilliant engineering brothers and father. Because I’m a woman, I wanted to prove myself in a household of male geniuses.”

His head lifted. “So you are from the famous Montanari engineering family.”

Something in his demeanor let her know the revelation had shocked him in the same way it had shocked Rini. “Yes. I’m close to getting my graduate degree in chemical engineering. Matteo, Vito’s father, was one of my engineering professors.”

“Ah. Tell me about him.”

“I took two classes from Matteo before he asked me to come into his office to discuss the direction I wanted to go with my studies. I believed him to be gender blind and was flattered that my revered professor was showing so much interest in my future career. I accepted a lunch date so we could talk more without interruption.

“That led to other lunch dates. I admired his intellect and looked up to him so much, naive me couldn’t see that all he wanted was to take me to bed, nothing more.”

She saw Giovanni grimace.

“Reflecting back on last year, I’m positive he slept with other students from time to time. No wonder he has remained single. My attraction to him hadn’t been physical. Since I’ve come from a family of engineers, I was determined to get my graduate degree. Matteo was the one who’d seemed to take me seriously and listened to my ideas. He fed my ego by saying all the right things to make me feel important.

“When he told me how much he needed me and started kissing me, I succumbed even though it went against the morals of my upbringing. But after being with him one time, I couldn’t do it again and told him I hadn’t felt right about it. Not without marriage.

“He told me he never planned to marry. With that remark I knew I’d made a huge mistake. We parted company and I never planned to see him again. So no one could have been more shocked than I to learn I was pregnant even though he’d used protection. I notified him immediately. Not because I was hoping for a proposal, but to let him know he was going to be a father.

“Matteo told me a baby was the last thing he wanted and hoped I didn’t expect anything from him. He thought I’d understood that from the beginning.” She took a deep breath. “So unless he suddenly discovers he has a paternal instinct, I’ll never hear from him again.”

His jet-black eyes looked at her between black lashes. “What if he changes his mind and comes back wanting to start over and help you raise your son?”

“It’s way too late for that. His utter selfishness killed any ounce of feeling I once had for him. If he were to show up demanding to see our son, I couldn’t stop him from having visitation, but I can tell you right now he’ll never come back. He’s too in love with himself. It’s an ugly story that happens far too often in society.

“One day I’ll have to tell Vito the truth about his birth father. He’ll think less of me of course, but hopefully the knowledge won’t ruin his life.”

This man was so easy to talk to it shocked her that she’d confided in him to this degree. It was time to change the subject. “What if your ex-wife decides she wants to be a part of Ric’s life?”

By this time he’d picked up Vito and held him to his chest. “She won’t. I’m the reason our marriage didn’t work. I didn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved, and I take full responsibility. When our divorce became final, she signed away all rights to the baby.”

Her eyes widened. “Even though she was pregnant?”

“Yes. She conceived during a brief period of reconciliation, but we both knew our marriage wasn’t going to make it. She moved back to her parents’.”

“Where do they live?”

“Here in Positano. Two months after the divorce she called to tell me she was going to have a baby. Though she’d been on birth control, we discovered there’d been an antibiotic interference. The news couldn’t have come at a worse moment, but I was overjoyed to think I was going to be a father.”

She moaned. “How hard for both of you. So for seven months you haven’t been together?”

He shook his head. “We’ve only been in touch through our attorneys. I was at my office in Naples when her mother called to tell me she’d gone to the hospital. Tatania doesn’t want to hear my voice.”

“How could that be?”

“She’s angry with me for not being the man she thought she was marrying.”

“I suppose it’s human nature to want to change the things you don’t like. I’ve never married, so I can’t speak from experience. Did that make you angry?”

“Not angry, only frustrated with myself for getting married when I knew my deepest feelings weren’t involved.”

She shook her head. “Then why did you propose to her?”

He sucked in his breath. “That’s a long story for another day. Right now I want to concentrate on our babies.”

Valentina didn’t dare press for more answers. “To think your ex-wife and I were both involved in that accident and gave birth on the spot is absolutely uncanny. Carlo told me the police gave the ambulance driver the citation for not taking more precautions no matter the emergency. But my brother is still upset and wishes he’d flown me to the hospital in the helicopter.”

“It’s water under the bridge now,” he murmured. “We can thank providence there were no injuries.”

Valentina nodded and reached in the diaper bag for a bottle to feed Ric. He made a lot of noise when he drank and wouldn’t stop unless she pulled the bottle away to burp him. The second she put him to her shoulder, Vito let out the loudest burp she’d heard him make. His father burst in deep rich male laughter she felt coil inside her.

When she kissed his cheek before feeding him the rest of his formula, he felt cooler. There was nothing wrong with him that being with her again couldn’t fix. He was so precious she didn’t know how she could ever say goodbye to him. In her heart she knew Giovanni Laurito had those same feelings.

“Perhaps in time your ex-wife will come to you, desperate to see her son. If she did, I don’t see you as the kind of man who would turn a deaf ear.”

His brows met in a frown. “You don’t even know me.” He’d reached in his bag for a bottle and started to feed Vito.

“That’s true, but I’ve seen you with your son. The way you love him tells me what kind of a person you are. You love him so much, you came to find him when you heard him crying. The hospital rules meant nothing to you. I’m sure you’d fight to the death for him. It’s just something I know inside of me.”

“Then we’ve met our match,” he said in a low husky tone, “because you were willing to forget protocol, too. Otherwise you wouldn’t have agreed to come to the park with me today when I know your brother would have forbidden it.”

She blinked. “What does my brother have to do with my decision?”

“Possibly more than you think.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been putting two and two together. Your brother’s name is Rinieri. Correct?”

“Yes.” She averted her eyes. “But—”

“He and I have been undeclared business enemies for over a year. There was a time when I had a certain advertising agency in my sights that was in financial difficulty. I made an offer to buy out the owner because I like their work. But I found out he did work for your brother’s company. I decided to make the man an offer to come to work for our company exclusively, and he said he was considering it.

“But your brother dangled a counteroffer in front of him, and now negotiations are at a standstill. Because of this, I do know your brother will never agree to the suggestion I proposed to you at the hospital about our spending time together with the boys.”

Valentina felt a chill run down her spine. “When Signor Conti introduced us, I realized who you were. The Laurito logo is everywhere.” She’d just put Ric down because he’d fallen asleep. “The one with the laurel wreath like the emperors wore.”

His half smile quickened her pulse.

“I thought, ‘You’re that Laurito!’”

“I’m one of them. Our earliest ancestors came from Laurito near Salerno. In the early eighteen hundreds, one of my ancestors who was head of obstetrics in Naples came up with a stethoscope to hear the fetal heartbeat. Thus began the manufacture of medical instruments. It developed into major hospital equipment.

“Today that includes all types of machines to carry out research in medical and scientific laboratories. I’ve worked for some time on creating new advertising strategies for our company.”

“How incredible.”

“The advertising part is where your brother comes in to the conversation.”

“I love and respect my brother, but he doesn’t interfere with my making my own decisions.”

“So if I asked you to come home with me today and stay as my guest for a few days while the four of us get acquainted, you wouldn’t be worried how your brother will react? I wouldn’t want to be the person to create friction between the two of you.”

There was nothing she’d love more than to go with him. But at this moment she didn’t know what to do, let alone what to say. While she sat there in a daze, he got to his feet. Vito had finished his bottle and slept against Giovanni’s shoulder.

“At least this meeting has quieted the babies for now,” he murmured. “I’ve found out there’s nothing wrong with Ric except that he misses you. While they’re both asleep, I’ll run you back to your brother’s villa. If Vito is inconsolable later and you decide you want to try the experiment we’ve talked about, then give me a call. If I don’t hear from you, then I’ll know you’ve decided that getting together isn’t a good idea, after all. I’ll respect whatever you decide.”

He was such a good man, Valentina marveled. The thought of not seeing him again was unthinkable.

She eventually stood up and carried Ric to the car. Giovanni brought Vito along with the diaper bags and blankets. In a minute both babies were strapped in so they could leave the park.

He drove her home in silence and retrieved the carry-cot from the trunk.

She put Vito in it. Luckily he was still in a sound sleep. The knowledge that Ric was in the car was killing her, but what could she do?

“Our meeting did settle them down. Maybe it was all they needed and they won’t be as upset from now on. Thank you for making it possible,” she whispered and started toward the house. “I’ve enjoyed this morning.”

“So have I. More than you know.” His voice sounded husky.

The last thing she’d wanted to do was leave. Her attraction to Ric’s father was so strong, it frightened her how much she could care for him after just two meetings with him. What was wrong with her?

* * *

Giovanni watched the lovely woman with the creamy blond hair and beautiful figure disappear behind the door. The double irony here was that he feared Ric wasn’t the only male in the Laurito household who was going to miss her.

What were the odds of a baby switch that had thrown a Montanari and a Laurito together? She would have to be strong in her own right to go up against her brother, especially when he’d learned the name of Ric’s birth father.

Giovanni could imagine their conversation. He’d tell her to forget another meeting. The baby would soon adapt. In truth, if Giovanni had a sister who’d been put in the same circumstance, he would tell her the same thing.

But Giovanni was the one embroiled in this cruel twist of fate. He loved both children and could hardly tear himself away from the villa when he knew Vito was inside. Since he’d told Valentina she would have to be the one to contact him, he had no choice but to drive back to Ravello without her.

He had hopes that if Ric woke up on the way home, he’d like the ride enough not to cry. The more he thought about it, the more he worried that he might have seen the last of his other son and the mother who’d given birth to him. He felt a sense of loss that was acute.

To his surprise Ric was awake by the time he reached his villa. When Giovanni removed him from the car, he didn’t cry. Grazie a Dio.

“Oh—” When Stanzie saw them in the foyer she rushed over to kiss the baby’s cheek. “His temperature is gone.”

“We spent a few hours at the park. I think he liked it.”

“Of course he did. He’s much happier now.”

“I’m going to change his diaper and put him in his baby swing on the terrace.”

“Shall I prepare another bottle?”

“Thank you, but he probably won’t want it for a while.” Giovanni needed to call his assistant and tell him he wouldn’t be in the office for a few days. Ric needed him even if his little son didn’t want him yet. He wanted the mother who’d taken him home from the hospital. So did Giovanni.

Their lives had been turned upside down. He couldn’t help but wonder what Valentina Montanari was going through right now. If Vito was being as difficult as Ric had been to this point, she was in for another sleepless night, too.

* * *

At 11 o’clock Rini entered the nursery while Valentina was giving Vito his last bottle. He’d been inconsolable all day. But for the moment he was so worn out from crying, he’d stopped fighting her and began drinking.

“How’s he doing?” he whispered. “I had business in Genoa that made me late.”

Vito heard his voice and his eyes opened before he stopped drinking. Then he started crying again. She put the bottle down and hugged him to her shoulder to quiet him.

“Sorry,” Rini mouthed the word. “Why don’t I hold him for a while so you can go to bed?”

“It won’t work, Rini. He thought you were his daddy, whom he adores. He’s still looking for him. If you’d seen them together today, you’d realize how difficult this is.”

“Which is why you shouldn’t have gotten together with him.” Lines darkened her brother’s face. “How can you expect Vito to forget?”

“I can’t.” She shifted Vito to her other shoulder in an effort to calm him down. “I need to talk to you about this, but it will take a while.”

Rini pulled up a chair and sat down. “I’m listening.”

“As you know, he’s raising the baby himself because his ex-wife gave up her parental rights. She’s never seen her birth son and doesn’t want to.”

Rini rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s tragic.”

“I agree. He called me this morning because Ric had been crying so much he was running a temperature. His plan was to take him back to the hospital to see if something else was wrong. We talked briefly and decided to meet because I haven’t been able to comfort Vito, either. He came by the villa and drove us to the park near the hospital.”

Her brother got up from the chair and stood there with his hands on his hips. All the while Vito kept whimpering. “He should never have called you.”

“We exchanged phone numbers at the hospital in case of an emergency. It was a horrible moment. Vito was in one room, Ric in another. Both children cried hysterically after the exchange. I was frantic and opened the door to discover an equally frantic father standing there holding a red-faced Ric. We reached for our children and held them until they settled down.”

Rini shook his head. “Whatever happened to rules?”

“I knew that was what you would say. As Signor Laurito stated, the children didn’t recognize rules. Nothing about this situation has been normal. His ex-wife and I both gave birth before our ambulances reached the hospital where the switch took place. He loves Vito as much as I love Ric, and we find the situation impossible. I think his plan for us to spend a few days together will work.”

“You think?” he blurted with uncustomary harshness. “You do realize who he is—”

“Yes. He’s a brilliant CEO of his own company, just like you.” In fact they were a lot alike. That was probably what was wrong. Within a few minutes she’d told him details about how Giovanni’s company had gotten started. “I explained that I couldn’t do this here at the villa, so he has invited me to stay at his villa with Vito for a few days, no more.”

Her brother paced the floor for a moment, then stopped. “Despite the fact that I think the idea is a mistake, why did you rule out my villa?”

“Because this isn’t my home. You’ve been wonderful to me, but I would never ask that of you. Especially when he told me the two of you are on opposite sides of a business transaction.”

Rini looked surprised. “He told you that?”

“Yes. He’s forthright and honest, exactly like you. I trust him. If Vito hasn’t settled down by tomorrow, I’m considering doing it. I know I don’t need your approval, but I want it more than anything.”

A bleak expression crossed over his face.

“I want my baby to be happy. Vito didn’t ask for this. Neither did Ric. His father is in agony just like I am. If we can give our children a better start by getting them to trust both of us, then we can separate them and it won’t be such a horrible shock. What would be the harm in doing this?”

His head went back and he closed his eyes. “I don’t have an answer for that. It sounds like your mind is made up. I love you, Valentina, and I’ll support your decision, but I can’t answer for the rest of the family.”

“The rest of the family hasn’t been here for me every day and night since you moved me here. I’m blessed to have a brother like you.”

Vito was crying hard again. She got up from the rocking chair and walked around the room with him. Rini’s gaze met hers.

“I’ll leave so you can get him to sleep. I’ve an early-morning meeting at the office. Phone me when you know your plans.”

Her eyes smarted. “I promise.” She watched her brother’s retreating back. There was so much he could have said, but he’d kept silent. Because he was wise and had so much integrity, that’s why he was the head of Montanari.

A half hour passed and Vito finally fell asleep. Valentina went to her room and slept until she heard him crying around four. After that there was no comforting him. At eight in the morning she reached for her phone and called the one person who could end this nightmare.

“Valentina?” Giovanni answered on the second ring. “I trust your night was as bad as mine.” His voice sounded an octave lower than usual, telling its own tale of another sleepless night.

“Vito’s been awake since four.”

“Ric finished off his three o’clock bottle and fussed off and on until ten minutes ago. He’s sleeping, but before long he’ll wake up looking for you. I don’t want to live through another day like yesterday.”

“I—I talked to Rini,” she stammered. “He thinks getting the babies together is a mistake, but he said he’d support me in whatever decision I make. If you meant it, I’ll take you up on your invitation to stay with you for a few days.”

“You just said the words that saved my life. Ric and I will come for you. I should be there by 10 a.m.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“A presto, Valentina.”

After rushing to shower and wash her hair, she dressed in another blouse and skirt. Next she got busy packing for herself and some of the outfits she’d bought for Ric. Bianca was in the kitchen when Valentina went downstairs and poured herself a cup of coffee.

The first thing she needed to do was phone Rini. His voice mail was on. She left the message that she would be in Ravello and be staying for several nights. “Call me anytime, Rini. Love you,” she said before hanging up, then drank most of the hot liquid.

“How can I help you?”

“I’ve got everything packed, Bianca. Thank you so much for all you do. You’ve been wonderful. All I can hope is that this experiment will help the four of us get acquainted. Hopefully the next time Signor Laurito brings me and Vito home, my baby won’t be so unhappy.”

She kissed Bianca’s cheek and carried a suitcase and the diaper bag to the front door.

When she went back up to the nursery, Vito was crying again. She dressed him in another outfit and put him in the carry-cot with the blue-and-white quilt Giovanni had bought him with one of Mondrian’s composition-type designs. He had wonderful taste.

“In just a minute you’re going to be with your papà, Vito.” She kissed his hot cheeks and carried him downstairs to the foyer.

Bianca had already opened the door. “The signor has arrived.”

Yes. He certainly had. Today he’d come dressed in a white polo crewneck and jeans that molded to his powerful thighs. To her chagrin she realized she felt an excitement that didn’t have anything to do with getting the children together. The man himself stood a class apart from other men. She’d scoffed all her life about the idea of love at first sight, but she hadn’t met Giovanni...

For the first time in her life she’d been struck by a physical and emotional attraction so strong, she astounded herself. The fact that he was Ric’s father only added to the attraction.

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The Baby Bombshell

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