The Magnate's Holiday Proposal. Rebecca Winters

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СКАЧАТЬ recovering from a heart attack. The position was one he’d never wanted or sought. But both the board and his mother had pressured him to do it. She’d done everything in the world for him all her life, and he couldn’t turn her down.

      Since the avalanche that had robbed Luca of his wife and Dino’s mother, Luca had run a business of his own on the side, all to do with the manufacture of Italian skis and boots. His venture had proved lucrative. If the gods were kind, the day might come when Luca could say goodbye to the job of CEO and be fully involved with his interest in the ski industry.

      The horrendous avalanche that had changed his world and had kept him away from the ski slopes hadn’t altered his love for the sport. What a joy it would be to walk away and have the freedom to do what he really wanted, but he couldn’t do that until he knew the outcome of his father’s health.

      As for Dino, until Luca knew what kind of life was in store for his son after the impending operation to remove a benign brain tumor, it was difficult to think about anything else. The boy meant more to him than life itself.

      Luca parked his car and nodded to several of the employees before taking the private elevator to his suite on the third floor. As he entered, his secretary, Sofia, got up from her desk and hurried over to him. Something was going on. In a hushed voice she said, “Before you go in, I wanted to warn you that your father is here. He’s been waiting several hours for you.”

      Anger swamped Luca. The doctor had ordered his father to stay home and continue to work with his various therapists until he was given permission to put in part-time work again. But that hadn’t stopped him from crossing the threshold today. It was so like him to intrude on Luca’s private life without warning. In the past he’d tried to sabotage several of Luca’s relationships with women by making demands and criticisms.

      Today was all Luca needed after having to console Dino following one of his nightmares this morning, but he knew exactly why his father had shown up and shouldn’t have been surprised. When he hadn’t gotten satisfaction after a fiery exchange on the phone with Luca last night, he’d decided to barge in on him.

      Being armed with that information, Luca thanked Sofia for the heads-up and walked in his inner sanctum. His silver-haired sixty-eight-year-old father sat at the large oak desk while he read some sensitive documents Luca had been working on.

      He looked at Luca without getting up. “I asked Sofia to hold your calls so I could talk to you.”

      How like his father to come to the office without advance warning when the doctor hadn’t given him permission to be at work yet. Throughout Luca’s life his father had interfered, never approving of his sporting interests, always trying to stifle his career ambitions that had nothing to do with the family plastics business. No girl, no woman was good enough for Luca except the one they were fighting about right now.

      “We said all there was to say last night on the phone.”

      His father slammed one hand on the desk. “I don’t know why you continue to thwart me about Giselle.”

      “Frankly, I’ll never understand why you hoped she and I would ever get together. I was never interested in her, which is why I married Catarina.”

      “But your wife has been dead for two years. Giselle is still very much alive and beautiful. Her father tells me it was you she always wanted. We’re determined to get the two of you together. I told him I’d arrange it.”

      Luca shook his head. “Don’t you understand I have more important things to think about at the moment? I’m dealing with my son’s fears over his operation,” he exploded. “Henri Fournier may be your best friend and the two of you are desperate to keep the fortunes of both our families sealed with a marriage, but I made it clear last night. I don’t want to see his daughter and have no interest in any woman! Since you look settled in that chair where you once sat for years ruling the company, I’ll leave it to you.”

      The older man’s cheeks grew ruddy. He would never change. His father had been the same intransigent dictator for as long as Luca could remember. Nothing Luca had ever wanted or done had met with his father’s approval, and Luca had given up hope for a transformation.

      “Where are you going?”

      “Home.”

      “Wait, Luca—”

      But he walked back out and told Sofia to ring him if anything vital came up. Now would be a good time to do an on-site visit to the ski manufacturing plant he owned in nearby Tauriano before returning to Maniago. It might cool down his anger.

      At three thirty that afternoon Luca returned home and found his son still in his pajamas watching TV in the family room.

      “Hey—piccolo.” He hugged him. “What’s going on?”

      “My favorite show.”

      Ines, the nanny, got up from the sofa and walked over to him. “It’s the Start with a Wish program that’s on every weekday afternoon.” Luca had heard of it. “He’s obsessed with it because they make a child’s wish come true.”

      If only that were really possible.

      “I take it his headache finally passed.”

      “Yes.”

      Every headache his son suffered caused Luca pain that crossed over the older lines of grief etched on his hard-boned features. “After we have dinner, I’ll take him to watch a hockey game. Hopefully it will get his mind off the operation.”

      He left the kitchen and raced up the stairs, as ever feeling devastated by Dino’s condition. Earlier that morning his son had cried to him. “I dreamed I was in the avalanche and couldn’t find Mamma. I wish she didn’t have to die.”

      How many times had Luca heard that? He’d kissed the top of his head. “We all wish she were here, but at least we have each other, don’t we?”

      “Yes,” his boy whispered.

      “Pretty soon you’re not going to have headaches anymore.”

      “But I’m scared.”

      “I know, but the operation is going to take them away. Doesn’t that make you happy?”

      “Yes, but what if I never wake up?”

      Luca clutched him harder. “Where did you get an idea like that?”

      “On TV.”

      “What show?”

      “That cartoon, Angel’s Friends. Raf’s mother never woke up.”

      Diavolo. A simple cartoon had played on his fears, doing more damage. “Listen to me, Dino. I’ve had four operations in my life, and I’m just fine.”

      “Was Nonna with you?”

      He’d closed his eyes, praying for inspiration. “Yes.” Luca’s mother had always been there for him. “And I’ll be with you. Don’t you know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you?”

      “Yes.” But Dino’s voice was muffled against Luca’s shoulder and he’d finally fallen asleep.

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