Chapter Twenty-Three

Damon

“Doll, it’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Famous last words of a fool.

Our honeymoon was two weeks of pure bliss on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The crystal-clear water, the beautiful flowers, the lush vegetation, the perfect weather—we couldn’t have custom-ordered a better vacation than the time we spent in Hawaii, lounging in the sand, soaking up the sun, and playing in the surf. But then we had to return to reality. And…

“You’re not the one being put on modified bed rest with almost three months left before your due date.” The forlorn expression on her face wasn’t an exaggeration. My high-energy wife was suddenly told to sit down and stay put.

“I tried to tell you—”

“If you dare to say I told you so right now, so help me God, you’ll see me become deranged right before your eyes.” She cut her tense gaze up at me and waited for me to amend my original statement.

“I strongly suggested we wait until after the babies were born to make the trip to Maui. I’m afraid the extensive flight time may have been a contributing factor. You know, it’s still possible the doctor could lift the restrictions after a couple of weeks—if you can behave until your next appointment.”

“Well, I really don’t have a choice except to behave, do I? All my furniture shopping will have to be finished online, or with your mom walking around the store while talking to me on FaceTime. I’ll have to bring someone in to decorate the nursery because I can’t do it myself now. All my plans just went down the drain.

“And he won’t change his mind after a couple of weeks, but I don’t think this has anything to do with our trip. Dr. Bowers had already warned me that this would probably happen around the seventh month.”

She’d hit an energy spurt when we got back from our vacation. She suddenly wanted to clean, organize, and finish every room in the house. Immediately. The extended shopping sprees came to a screeching halt after our prenatal appointment one morning a week after we arrived back home. The doctor said she was only allowed on her feet no longer than the time it took to shower because of the weight of the babies and the increased chances of pre-term labor. Thankfully, our bedroom and the nursery were on the main level of our new home, because she also wasn’t allowed to climb stairs.

“Now I’m regretting quitting my job just after we moved Geno’s money to Maria. I could have at least worked at home, kicked back on the couch, and kept myself busy. I’m afraid my brain will turn to mush watching TV all day.” She clicked the remote, changing the channel for the hundredth time in the last five minutes.

“Maybe Carrie could use some help with her business activities.”

“Damon, that’s a great idea. At least that would be interesting work. I can’t infiltrate system security programs like she can, but I can handle the accounting from right here. I’ll give her a call, and see what she has in the works.”

“Tell her to get her ass over here. She’s probably going a little stir-crazy from all the hours she’s been working in her basement. Do you need anything before I head upstairs and handle some work, doll?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks for checking though, babe. Try not to worry about me while you’re all the way upstairs today.”

“You’ll be down here with my sister all day. How can I not worry?”

“Good point. Love you.”

Yeah, that made me feel so much better. I jogged to my office upstairs, grabbed my laptop, and returned to the great room. Jillian’s eyes were glued to her watch when I walked back into the room.

“Forty-three, forty-four—you’re late. You should’ve been able to make that trip in thirty seconds or less. You’re already slipping and you’ve only been the Boss for a couple of days. What would Dad and Mama Lina say if they saw you now?”

“Wiseass. I’m not slipping—I didn’t even know I was being timed. And Mama and Dad are already in Italy, enjoying their retirement. When will Carrie be here to entertain you?”

“She replied to my text and said she’ll be here in about thirty minutes.”

“Good. While I have your undivided attention, let’s talk about the what we want to name our babies. We should pick out two of each so we’re prepared, especially if they unexpectedly arrive early.”

“I’ve been tossing a couple of names around in my mind, seeing how they fit. You know I adore you, so don’t be upset over this, but I think every child should have his or her own name. No junior or Damon the second. Same goes for me.”

“Fine with me. By the same token, there’s be no naming them after our parents either. Deal?”

“Deal. Do you want to use my baby names book to help pick out names you like?”

I shook my head. “No, doll. I have a couple of ideas of my own, too. How do you suggest we proceed with finalizing the names?”

“I suggest…we write down our top picks, swap papers, and we’ll use the ones I like best.” She grinned from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying her idea.

“How about…we wrestle for it, and whoever wins gets to pick the names?”

“Fine. We’ll compromise, since you agreed to wait until they’re born to find out if we’re having girls or boys. When you have your list ready, we’ll go through them together, cross out the ones we don’t like, and then we’ll figure out what to do with the names left.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’ll be running an extortion game on me?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure why you think that.” She picked up a magazine and began thumbing through it, pretending not to notice my unconvinced expression.

“You’re not fooling anyone, little missy. You’re becoming more and more corrupt every day.” I shook my head and folded my arms across my chest in a mock threat. But she knew I wouldn’t lay a hand on her in anger, as proved by the giggle she unsuccessfully tried to suppress behind her magazine.

The alarm at the gate sounded, letting us know someone had keyed in the code and entered the property. Jillian perked up, dropped her magazine on the coffee table, and rushed to the front door as fast a woman pregnant with twins could move. Within a few minutes, my sister walked through the front door after giving Jillian a hello hug.

She had Lorenzo Sanfratello with her.

Even though I’d invited him to my wedding, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to seeing him with my sister. A lifetime of disliking someone was hard to overcome within a matter of weeks. Forgiveness never did come easy to me. Then I watched Jillian welcome him into our home without even a hint of a grudge on her part. Maybe I could give him a chance, after all.

“Come on in. Can I get either of you something to drink or anything?” Jillian used any reason she could find to get up and move around.

“No, you can’t. I’ll make myself at home and get our drinks. You three go sit outside by the pool, and I’ll join you in a few minutes. Kick back in the sun and get off your feet before my brother has a stroke. That vein in his forehead is already popping out.”

Jillian looked up at me then ran her finger over said vein. “Huh. Look at that. Imagine how protective he’ll be of our kids.”

“I’m glad you’re amused. I’ve just added finding a housekeeper to my to-do list for today. She’ll double as your babysitter when I’m away.” I scooped Jillian up in my arms and started walking toward the patio with her. “Follow us, Lorenzo.”

He chuckled under his breath from behind me. “Looks like married life suits you, Damon.”

To the outside world, I was the same man I’d always been—fearless, in charge, and focused on the business side of the family. While he was inside my home, Lorenzo saw a side of me very few had experienced—and none of those people was outside of my immediate family. Watching me in the role of doting husband and concerned father must have been a culture shock for Lorenzo to witness.

“There’s no doubt about that. You know, had I not met the most perfect woman in the world, I never would’ve known the first thing about marriage. Never wanted it, never even considered it until Jillian came along. She just had to run into one of my trucks on the expressway.”

“Hey! Your truck sideswiped me—not the other way around. I’m an excellent driver. It’s a good thing your guys were terrible drivers, though. Otherwise, we never would’ve met.”

I sat her down on the lounge chair beside the pool before taking the one next to her, the large umbrella providing enough shade to keep us cool and comfortable in the late morning sun. Lorenzo sat at the table beside us and stared at the ground, his mind clearly preoccupied with something important.

“Let’s hear it, Lorenzo. What is it you don’t want to tell me?”

“What do you mean?” A classic deer-in-the-headlights expression covered his face, his eyes wide and unblinking and his jaw slack.

“Come on. Being able to read people when they’re hiding something is why I’m so good at what I do. But you’re not even trying to hide that you have something weighing on your shoulders. It’s written all over you—from your face to your body language. Spit it out.”

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his thighs and looking me directly in the eyes. I had to give him credit for that, at least. “I want to talk to you about Carrie getting out of the family business. She and I have talked about it extensively, and we’re both ready for a major change in our lives. If you can manage your business without her, we’d like to start our own legal business.”

My genuine reaction was surprise—Carrie hadn’t mentioned a word of this new plan to me. Jillian stared at Lorenzo for a moment as he waited for a reply before turning her gaze to me. She searched my eyes, looking for a clue of which direction I’d take, while not interfering with the family business decisions.

“She’s my little sister, Lorenzo.” I paused, noting the determination in his eyes didn’t waver. “If that’s what makes her happy, I’ll fully support her. What business are you two going into?”

“Real estate—mostly commercial and high-end residential. I already have my broker license and Carrie wants to get her agent license, so we’re starting our own agency. Of course, she’ll also design and update our website. It’s not like I need the money, but it’s something I enjoy doing.”

“Are you two getting married, Lorenzo?” Jillian asked, not bothering to hide the hope in her voice.

“No, nothing like that. We haven’t moved past the friend zone yet. Vincenzo hasn’t given us his blessing, so she won’t risk more than just friendship right now.”

“Why does everyone look so serious? What are you talking about?” Carrie joined us on the patio, carrying a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and four glasses of ice. She already looked like Suzy Homemaker, concealing any trace of the badass lurking just beneath the surface.

“We were talking about your new business venture. That sounds so exciting, Carrie! If there’s anything I can do from here to help you get established, I’ll be happy to do it. I’ll be bored out of my mind being on bed rest for almost three months before the babies get here.” Jillian stood long enough to pour our drinks while offering to lend her expertise, not missing a single opportunity to defy her doctor’s orders.

Made me realize how she felt when I did the same to Matteo.

But I’d never admit that.

Carrie shot Lorenzo an irritated glance. “Damon, I wanted to talk to you about this myself, to explain why. I’m sorry you found out this way.”

“It’s fine, Carrie. As usual, I pushed the issue, not really giving him an option but to answer me. I’ll tell you just like I told him—if that makes you happy, I’ll support you. I’m not mad about it at all.”

“Then you won’t mind if I take your wife up on her offer to help me fill out all the legal paperwork, accounting, and human resources protocols?” Carrie purposely smiled, knowing Jillian wouldn’t even give me a chance to reply before she jumped in.

“He won’t mind if you use his wife in that capacity at all. Will you, babe?” Jillian turned to look at me with that daring gleam in her eye.

“No, I don’t mind at all, as long as it keeps her off her feet so my babies can continue cooking in her little oven.”

“Okay, I have to agree with my brother on this one. When you draw up your employment contract, please be sure to include a section on your punishments for putting my nieces or nephews in danger.” Carrie sat beside Jillian on the lounge chair. “Tell me honestly, sis. Will helping us put too much pressure on you? I can hire someone else.”

“Don’t you dare. I need this distraction over the next couple of months, especially when Damon isn’t here with me all day. I promise, I can do it all from my computer without a problem. Damon can move my office and everything I’ll need to the main floor. I’ll prop my feet up two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I won’t take any unnecessary chances with my babies.”

Carrie leaned in and hugged Jillian, the first fully contented smile that I’d seen in way too long covering her face. “I’m so excited for this, Jillian. I’ll come over here and work with you when Damon’s gone so you won’t be bored alone. We’ll keep each other company while you’re on bed rest.”

“Maybe I should reconsider this arrangement,” I deadpanned.

“Not a chance, babe. We’re already thick as thieves.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about, doll.”

After having a good laugh, we settled into friendly conversation about anything and everything. The camaraderie between Lorenzo and me grew naturally over the course of the day, and I realized Carrie’s feelings ran deeper than she showed. The way she looked at him, the occasional brushes of her fingers on his arm, the frequent references to things they’d done together.

I had a feeling we’d have a family meeting as soon as Mama and Dad returned from Italy. My little sister would be seeking Dad’s approval sooner rather than later.