Page 11 of Secret Match
They engaged in polite small talk and he learned nothing about Kiwi, except that maybe she was shy. Soon they were at his American brother’s estate and Kiwi stayed beside him when he rang the doorbell.
She held her clutch pocketbook in front of her until the door opened and her expressive face brightened as she hugged the blonde, blue-eyed woman who hugged her back. Kiwi said, “Serenity.”
Serenity patted her on the back and then once the hug ended, she took her hand and said, “Kiwi, I’m so glad you’re here.”
They stepped inside the door and the blonde asked Kiwi, “Who’s this?”
Kiwi blinked like she’d forgotten her Sunday manners. He held out his hand to introduce himself as Kiwi said, “Gio, this is Serenity Morgan. She’s married to Damien Morgan.”
They each murmured a greeting and shook hands. Serenity waved them farther into the estate where a painting hung that had once been in his mother’s house when they were little, from Raphael. No one else glanced at it. “Si, the French relatives, no?”
“Yes,” Serenity answered. “Damien grew up in Paris. Let’s get you inside.”
He wouldn’t ask for more details even though he wanted to know if parts of the French family’s art hung in the hallowed halls that his father once considered his primary home—seemed Mitch hadn’t cared if his possessions intermixed even if his various families never did.
Kiwi gently patted his arm, reminding him with her presence that the past didn’t matter. What mattered was their future, most especially their relationship and their unborn child.
Paintings were of long ago.
They headed outside to the courtyard and he saw dozens of “relatives” he’d never met, but pieces of his father were in many of the faces.
Kiwi made him feel more comfortable just by being near him.
Soon he’d get her out of here and they’d have time to talk. She squeezed his arm and he followed her line of sight. The sister he’d met just this afternoon walked over to them. He politely took her hand and shook as he said, “Victoria.”
Victoria had a pink drink in her free hand and sipped it, smiling at both of them. “Kiwi, Gio, I had no idea you two knew each other.”
Kiwi tensed beside him as she quickly said, “Oh, we met in Paris during fashion week, at your after-party.”
Victoria’s face went white as a ghost and then she beamed and reached out to hug Kiwi as she said, “Wait. You’re having my niece or nephew!”
“It seems so.” Kiwi met his gaze and her cheeks held a blush as she said, “I told Victoria last week I was pregnant as I needed to take time for doctor’s appointments.”
She didn’t want to admit that, he could tell. He smiled and said, “I should have found you again, much sooner, Kiwi.”
Kiwi blinked. He’d just taken full blame for the situation. They needed to talk about his son or daughter and their future right away.
Victoria stepped back and then patted his other arm as she said, “Gio, now I understand why we lingered in my shoe design department.”
Caught. His face felt hot. And clearly he needed a smart plan of action, though he told his sister politely, “I was hoping to see Kiwi again.”
Kiwi was having his child. They didn’t know each other well, but he’d make her see that family was a serious matter.
Kiwi glanced toward the ocean, avoiding their perusal. “I took the afternoon off so I could get my hair done.”
If he had a chance, he’d get her to open up to him. Gio kissed her cheek and said, “You look beautiful, no matter what you do.”
She turned and gazed up at him, making his insides feel brighter, like he shone for her. “Thanks, Gio.”
Victoria stepped back and pointed toward a dark-haired man with his father’s face that strolled toward them. “Here comes Peter. Gio, no matter what you and my brother discuss, his words are not mine, okay?”
“I understand,” he said. His brother Anthony certainly didn’t speak for him.
Gio straightened as the man held out his hand to shake while he said, “Gio, Peter Morgan. Glad we finally get to meet in person.”
Peter Morgan. Gio's mind returned to when he was still a boy and his father always said that Peter was his heir and chosen son. As a kid, the red hot anger had been jealousy, but Gio was now a man who knew his father’s many faults and he hoped to never meet another person like Mitch Morgan. He accepted Peter’s firm grip. “Si.It’s nice to meet our father’s chosen one in the flesh.”
Peter ended the hand shake and widened his stance like he braced for an argument. “I’m not my father.”
