Page 24 of A Son Hidden from the Sicilian

“He’ll be spoiled in that case.”

“I do not see anything wrong with that. I have worked hard. Why not allow my son everything that I did not have?”

Her eyes were so very blue and warm when she turned them on him. “What did you not have?”

He shrugged and looked back at Gio, who would no doubt have the tub well rid of water by the time he was done. “If you searched my name when you found out you were pregnant, you know I built myself and my empire from nothing. That is no exaggeration. We were very poor.”

“With so many children,” Brianna said, that same, soft empathy in her voice so that it didn’t rankle as it did when other people spoke of it. “I can’t say I grew up like this, but I never worried about money. I suppose as the only child I was spoiled after a fashion.” She looked at Gio, and he could not begin to guess what she was thinking, as she said nothing else.

She informed Gio it was time to get out—which the boyloudlyargued against—but they worked together to dry him off and get him dressed, both a little soaked themselves.

Brianna carried him back to the bedroom and Lorenzo followed. Since Brianna offered no objection, he walked through her room to the adjoining children’s room. Watched as she laid Gio down, handed him a frayed-looking bear. She sang him a very short little song and his eyes drooped immediately.

She motioned Lorenzo to follow her, carefully and quietly back to the open doorway to the adjoining room.

“He’s getting brave enough to try to climb out, so I’ll leave the main door closed and the one between us open. No one will leave the gate open, will they?” she said in a low voice that wouldn’t wake the child.

“Of course not. I’ll have the toddler bed moved into this room tomorrow if that would make you more comfortable.”

“A toddler bed. For your niece?”

“Yes.”

“With so many brothers and sisters, are you overrun with nieces and nephews?”

“Not just yet. Many of my siblings are much younger. Saverina is only now twenty, but Stefano is only two years younger than I. He works for me at my offices in Rome, so sometimes business dictates he visit Palermo, and he likes to bring his family. As well he should.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, standing there and watching the easy rise and fall of their son’s chest in the dim light.

“I feel like I should apologize for my parents,” she said quietly. “You don’t have to go to the art show with me. I’m quite certain I can handle it.”

“I would feel better having my eye on you, but it’s best if we’re not photographed together again until I can fully curate the story I wish to reveal. Perhaps this could work if I brought a date.”

“A date?”

When he looked down at her, confused by the sharp note in her voice, he saw eyebrows furrowed and mouth curved in a frown.

“Yes. So there’s no speculation aboutus. We’ll make it clear we aren’t together.”

“Wejusthad...” She dropped her already quiet voice to a complete whisper. “Practically had sex. Like a few hours ago. And you’re going to go...date someone tomorrow night?”

“Practically doesn’t count, Brianna. But yes. You made it quite clear you did not want to engage in any kind of relationship.”

“No, Lorenzo,youmade that clear.”

It was his turn to frown at her. “This has nothing to do with...feelings.”

“Maybe for you, but I stillhavefeelings, Lorenzo. I don’t have to like them for them to exist.”

“What exactly are they?”

She seemed arrested by the question, and he should be arrested by it as well. He never should have asked it. He shouldn’t behere. Gio was asleep. Nothing more was needed of him until morning.

“What do you remember about our time together?” she asked him. He didn’t have the first clue why she’d ask him that in this conversation, but the answer was in his head even though he didn’t want it.

Everything.

Walks under the stars where she’d told him about her art, what inspired her, what she hoped to do. What the summer in Florence meant to her.

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