Название: Baby for the Greek Billionaire: The Baby Project / Second Chance Baby / Baby on the Ranch
Автор: SUSAN MEIER
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474003827
isbn:
Because the following day was Monday, the end of the weekend, there was no time left for delay. He had to persuade her to stay an entire week or maybe two and he had to do it now.
He casually picked up his napkin. “I’m glad we decided to spend the weekend here, getting to know the baby.”
She met his gaze, her pretty blue eyes cautious.
“It was good for him to be in a settled environment—especially since this is his home, or had been when his parents came to New York.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely.”
“So you wouldn’t mind saying a little longer?”
“How much longer?”
With her being so agreeable, it seemed a shame to ask for a week or two, when a month would be better for Gino. “How about a month?”
“A month!”
“Or six weeks.” Going with his usual tactic of surprising his opponent by asking for more rather than backpedaling, he forged on. “This is Gino’s home. He needs to be somewhere he feels safe. Since he spends half his day sleeping, I also think it’s important he be in his own crib. We’re adults. I think we can make an adjustment or two for him.”
“Okay.”
She surprised him so much he forgot they were negotiating. “Okay? ”
“Yes. We have to hire a nanny, and I need time to turn my spare bedroom into a nursery. So, yes. It makes sense to keep Gino here where he’s happy until I can get some of that done.”
Dumbstruck, he said nothing.
She ate a spoonful of soup. “Layla liked being in her own crib. Especially when she was sick.”
Layla. Her casual use of the name shook him. But the very fact that she’d said it so nonchalantly told him he had to be every bit as casual. Not make a big deal out of it. Not ask questions that didn’t fit into their conversation about Gino. Even though he was burning up with them.
How could a man not remember he had his child with him?
How did a woman deal with the grief, the guilt, of not noticing her husband was slipping over the edge?
Though he tried to hold them back, they tore at him until he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “How did you deal with it?”
“What?”
Recrimination roared through him, telling him he shouldn’t push her again, but he was unable to stop himself. “Your loss. How did you deal with such a monumental loss?”
She glanced up at him. “Therapy.”
He shook his head. “Dear God. It must have been awful. I am so sorry.”
She set down her spoon. “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I held back from telling you. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I want you to know. You have to know. You have to understand. But if I really want to get on with the rest of my life, you can’t feel sorry for me. You can’t treat me differently than you would have when you thought I was just a thorn-in-your-side lawyer.”
He laughed. “I never thought you were a thorn in my side.”
She smiled at him. “Of course you did. You probably always will. We’re not going to agree on how to raise Gino. We might as well admit up front that there will be disagreements and maybe set some ground rules for how to handle them.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Well, for instance, there could be some deal breaker things. Like I don’t think he should get a new car at sixteen.”
He laughed, not just at the absurdity of talking about something that wouldn’t happen for fifteen-and-a-half years, but also at the absurdity of depriving Gino of something he’d need.
“Really? No car at sixteen? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m rich. I can afford to get him any kind of car he wants. And he’ll want one. It’s the only thing he’ll talk about the entire time he’s fifteen.”
“Doesn’t matter. Kids that age aren’t good drivers. We should have as much control as possible about when and where he drives. The best way to do that is for him to have to ask permission to take a car.”
He gaped at her. “I have ten cars. He could easily take one without my permission.”
“Then you’re going to be busy keeping track of them. Because, to me, the car is a safety issue. And a deal breaker.”
He scowled, remembering his own driving at sixteen, and realized she was right. “Okay, but then one of my deal breakers is pink.”
“Pink?”
“No matter that you call it rose or mauve or some other flaky name, I don’t ever want him dressed in pink.”
She blinked, then frowned, then burst out laughing. “That’s your idea of a deal breaker?”
He turned his attention to his soup. “Give me time. I’m sure I’ll think of more.”
“So will I. But that’s kind of the point. We should balance. You know I’m right about the car, so you didn’t argue once you understood. I get it about pink.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s a pet peeve and I respect that. But most things won’t be so black and white. We’re going to have to learn to discuss issues as they come up and respect each other’s viewpoints.”
He put down his spoon and motioned with his hand between them. “So this kind of works?”
“The fact that we’re both objective parties?”
He nodded.
She smiled. “Give us a few years. We won’t be quite so objective. The first time he looks at us with real love, we’ll both melt.” She caught his gaze. “That’ll probably happen within the next day or so, so get ready. You and I are about to become mom and dad to that little boy.”
The truth of that swooped down on him, reminding him of the things he’d thought the day before. He sniffed a laugh. “I already figured that out.”
“Well, good. That makes you ahead of the game.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve been through this before. I know exactly what I’m in for in the next year and a half. I’ve even thought ahead to the next twenty-five years. Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school…, university … marriage.”
Of course she’d thought ahead to the next twenty-some years. She was a planner. She’d probably thought of every special event in her daughter’s life, previewed it, then suffered through the memories of her plans when her СКАЧАТЬ