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Of course.
“I told Paula at the hairdresser, ‘No, no, don’t listen to Gossipmonger. I know the truth.’” Pause. “Right?”
Rick raked a hand through his hair. “I just found out myself, Mom.”
His mother muttered something in Italian. “So it is true? Congratulazioni. I can’t believe it. First Cole has a surprise wedding. Now you have a surprise baby.”
“You still have Jordan and Mia to count on.” His remaining siblings might go a more traditional route.
“No, no. I’m happy...happy about the baby.” His mother sounded emotional. “But no more surprises. Basta—enough, okay?”
“I’d like nothing better,” he muttered, because he’d gotten the shock of his life today.
When he got off the phone, he texted his siblings.
The gossip is true, hang tight.
He knew he had to deal with stamping out questions—or at least holding them off—until he figured things out. Before he could put away his cell, though, his phone rang again.
“Rick.”
“What can I do for you?” Rick recognized the voice, and under the circumstances, Chiara’s father was the last person he wanted to have a conversation with. Michael Feran had his number from when he’d helped broker the meeting with Chiara, but he’d never expected the older man to use it.
“This is an odd request.”
“Spit it out.” The words came out more harshly than Rick intended, but it had already been a hell of a day.
Michael Feran cleared his throat. “I can’t get in touch with Chiara.”
Great. “What did you do, Michael?”
“Nothing. I called her at eleven, when we’d agreed to talk.”
Rick knew Chiara had opted to periodically touch base with her father now that she was paying his bills.
“No one a
nswered.”
“I was heading out, and I’m not far from her house. I’ll swing by.” He didn’t examine his motives. Michael Feran had given him another excuse to see Chiara, and maybe this time they could have a more satisfactory meeting—one that didn’t end with her turning away and him walking out.
Besides, she was pregnant. His gut tightened. She could really be in trouble.
“Good.” An edge of relief sounded in the older man’s voice. “And I understand congratulations are in order.”
“To you, too.”
“Thank you. I just got an invite to be a father again. I didn’t expect being a grandfather to be part of the bargain. At least not so soon.”
“I’m sure,” Rick replied curtly. “But one thing at a time. I’ll go check on the mother-to-be now.”
After ending the call, Rick made for the front door. For the second time that day, he found himself racing to Chiara’s house, adrenaline thrumming through his veins.
She was fine. She had to be fine. She was probably dealing with pregnancy symptoms and in no mood to talk to her father. In the meantime, he might have another opportunity to set things to rights between them.
Marry me. The words popped into his head without thought, but of course they were the right ones. Right, natural...logical.
Exiting his house, he got behind the wheel of his Range Rover for the drive to Brentwood. Fortunately, traffic was light, and he reached Chiara’s house faster than he expected.
