“Nana?”
“Not on my side of the family, but I don’t know about your mother.”
“Hmm. I’ll get you something for the pain and a hot compress.” She stood and left the room.
“Right, that’s it, my girl. You’re seeing a doctor.”
Abby laughed through the pain. “You’re the one about to have an operation, so why are we worrying about me?”
“I’ll always worry about you. I love you.”
Abby smiled and blew her a kiss. “I love you too.”
The nurses arrived to prepare Nana while she and Abby talked about where they would go and what they would visit while Nana was recuperating in Florence. By the time Dante discreetly slipped back into the room, the painkillers the nurse had given Abby had dulled the pain to a constant ache. Abby stood and took her grandmother’s hand. “I’ll be waiting for you when you come out of surgery.”
Nana Taylor looked at Dante. “You look after her, my boy. She’s one in a million.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
As they wheeled her grandmother away, Dante hugged her close. “She’ll be fine, mio fiore.”
She hugged him hard, not wanting to let him go. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. “I promise, Abby. Your grandmother will be all right.”
For the first time in many months, it wasn’t her grandmother she was scared for. Why was Dante having tests performed? He suddenly was welcoming her back into his life when he hadn’t bothered to contact her in three years. Now he was desperate for children right away. Why? She stood holding him so tight she could feel her arms tremble with effort. She’d lost him once before due to her own stupidity. She swore under her breath she wouldn’t lose him again.
“There is no need to be afraid, Abby. I’ll not leave you. You’re a Lombardi. Whatever happens, you’ll never be alone.”
She finally let him go. “I know. Blame it on that time of the month. I’m overemotional.”
Dante accepted her answer and went to get her some tea. She watched him walk away. His presence always filled a room. He walked in anywhere and immediately owned it. Everyone looked to him, the natural-born leader. He was the head of a huge family empire, employees and shareholders his responsibility. He was the head of his family, and their welfare was his concern.
She felt her heart expand in her chest. Who was there for Dante? He might have shoulders that could hold up the world, but who did he turn to when he needed help? Everyone needed help. Everyone needed someone. There was something Dante was not telling her. Not telling anyone. She knew his wanting her back in his bed was not something he’d decided on a whim two nights ago. He always did things for a reason.
Now that she knew about Dr. Cavelli, she was going to find out what that reason was. If it was anything like the suspicions flooding her brain, making her sick to her stomach, then she would be Dante’s rock. His support. She would hold up the world for him. She owed him that.
No. She wasn’t doing it because she owed him. She would do it because she loved him. At some point during the twelve months of her marriage when she lived in house and shared his bed, her girlish infatuation had grown into love. That’s why she’d run away. She’d been terrified he’d never love her back. But she had enough love for the both of them. He loved her in his own way, and maybe that could be good enough. Besides, she had given her word. He’d more than helped her grandmother. She would fulfill her side of their deal.
Chapter Ten
Dante inwardly cursed. He should have stayed at work this afternoon, but all week, since Mrs. Taylor had been released from the hospital and Abby had come home, he’d been on edge. His body was a mass of raw, pounding testosterone.
The deal with Zanetti was progressing well, but Dante’s takeover target had asked to meet Abby, his long-absent wife. No doubt Zanetti would be suspicious of Abby’s sudden return just
“Not on my side of the family, but I don’t know about your mother.”
“Hmm. I’ll get you something for the pain and a hot compress.” She stood and left the room.
“Right, that’s it, my girl. You’re seeing a doctor.”
Abby laughed through the pain. “You’re the one about to have an operation, so why are we worrying about me?”
“I’ll always worry about you. I love you.”
Abby smiled and blew her a kiss. “I love you too.”
The nurses arrived to prepare Nana while she and Abby talked about where they would go and what they would visit while Nana was recuperating in Florence. By the time Dante discreetly slipped back into the room, the painkillers the nurse had given Abby had dulled the pain to a constant ache. Abby stood and took her grandmother’s hand. “I’ll be waiting for you when you come out of surgery.”
Nana Taylor looked at Dante. “You look after her, my boy. She’s one in a million.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
As they wheeled her grandmother away, Dante hugged her close. “She’ll be fine, mio fiore.”
She hugged him hard, not wanting to let him go. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. “I promise, Abby. Your grandmother will be all right.”
For the first time in many months, it wasn’t her grandmother she was scared for. Why was Dante having tests performed? He suddenly was welcoming her back into his life when he hadn’t bothered to contact her in three years. Now he was desperate for children right away. Why? She stood holding him so tight she could feel her arms tremble with effort. She’d lost him once before due to her own stupidity. She swore under her breath she wouldn’t lose him again.
“There is no need to be afraid, Abby. I’ll not leave you. You’re a Lombardi. Whatever happens, you’ll never be alone.”
She finally let him go. “I know. Blame it on that time of the month. I’m overemotional.”
Dante accepted her answer and went to get her some tea. She watched him walk away. His presence always filled a room. He walked in anywhere and immediately owned it. Everyone looked to him, the natural-born leader. He was the head of a huge family empire, employees and shareholders his responsibility. He was the head of his family, and their welfare was his concern.
She felt her heart expand in her chest. Who was there for Dante? He might have shoulders that could hold up the world, but who did he turn to when he needed help? Everyone needed help. Everyone needed someone. There was something Dante was not telling her. Not telling anyone. She knew his wanting her back in his bed was not something he’d decided on a whim two nights ago. He always did things for a reason.
Now that she knew about Dr. Cavelli, she was going to find out what that reason was. If it was anything like the suspicions flooding her brain, making her sick to her stomach, then she would be Dante’s rock. His support. She would hold up the world for him. She owed him that.
No. She wasn’t doing it because she owed him. She would do it because she loved him. At some point during the twelve months of her marriage when she lived in house and shared his bed, her girlish infatuation had grown into love. That’s why she’d run away. She’d been terrified he’d never love her back. But she had enough love for the both of them. He loved her in his own way, and maybe that could be good enough. Besides, she had given her word. He’d more than helped her grandmother. She would fulfill her side of their deal.
Chapter Ten
Dante inwardly cursed. He should have stayed at work this afternoon, but all week, since Mrs. Taylor had been released from the hospital and Abby had come home, he’d been on edge. His body was a mass of raw, pounding testosterone.
The deal with Zanetti was progressing well, but Dante’s takeover target had asked to meet Abby, his long-absent wife. No doubt Zanetti would be suspicious of Abby’s sudden return just
Similar Books
