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Cassie had learnt that of course Giancarlo’s friends liked her. She just had to give them a chance to get to know her—and she needed to stop judging them. In fact, Serafina was Chiara’s godmother and she and Cassie had become good friends.
Even Gavin had grudgingly admitted that Giancarlo was ‘totally right’ for Cassie after all. He had left London after he’d inherited some money and gone back down to Cornwall, where he’d bought a surf-school. Last time they’d heard from him he’d been madly in love with a Californian blonde who he said made him think of milk and honey.
Cassie smiled. Life was pretty much perfect. In fact, she could think of only one thing which could possibly top her happiness…
She waited until after the nativity play, when the three of them had walked through the snowy, silent streets still humming ‘Silent Night’ beneath their breath. And Giancarlo went to put his daughter to bed and to read her a story while Cassie produced a pasta meal which she had learnt at her Italian cookery class. She was also learning the language—and she sighed. If only it were as easy to conjugate Italian verbs as it was to make a fresh pesto sauce!
She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and felt a pair of lips begin to nuzzle at her neck as she bent over the stove, and her heart speeded up as she turned round to wind her arms around her husband’s neck.
Their marriage had—thus far—been pretty much perfect, too. Once Giancarlo had dared to let himself love, there had been no holding him back. These days honest communication flowed between them as well as mutual respect. And the passion which had always been there showed no sign of diminishing.
The only slight setback was their desire to add to their family. When Chiara reached the age of two, they decided to try for another baby, but it just hadn’t happened. A visit to the doctor had assured Cassie that there was no reason why it shouldn’t and they should just carry on hoping. But as time had gone on and no new baby had made an appearance they had decided to count their blessings and be grateful for what they had. After all, they had one beautiful little girl and knew how lucky they were.
But Giancarlo’s expression was thoughtful as he lifted his lips from hers and moved her away from the stove.
‘Something you want to tell me, cara?’
Cassie eyed him suspiciously. ‘Like what?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Why your eyes are shining so much more than usual. Why you keep biting your lip as if you want to tell me something but don’t quite dare.’ His eyes glinted. ‘And why your breasts look so deliciously curvy these days.’
‘Giancarlo!’
‘Are you?’ he questioned softly. ‘Are you pregnant?’
‘Yes. Yes! I wanted to wait until it was all confirmed—I’ve seen the doctor and she’s as happy as a bee. Says that everything is just as it should be. But that’s not all.’ She drew a deep breath. ‘There’s something else. Something I can hardly believe. Darling, it’s…it’s…’
‘It’s what, Cassandra?’ he demanded urgently.
‘It runs in families—and it’s happening to us. It’s twins, Giancarlo—twins!’
‘Twins?’ His voice was dazed.
‘Uh-huh!’ She squealed as excitedly as her daughter but Giancarlo was silent for a moment.
He’d made a lot of mistakes in his own relationship with his brother, but at least now they had been properly reconciled. And he could teach his own children the importance of love and understanding. He could teach them well because he’d learnt from the finest teacher in the business. His beloved wife.
‘Oh, cara,’ he said softly as he stared down into her soft violet eyes. ‘Te amo.’
These days Cassie recognised the Italian words he’d whispered to her that night in Rome, when she’d felt so broken and confused—all warped by jealousy and insecurity. How liberating it was to be free of all those negative emotions—to be free to love Giancarlo as she had always longed to love him. ‘I love you, too,’ she whispered back. ‘So much.’
Her head resting on his shoulder, their fingers entwined, they began to move around the kitchen—almost as if they were dancing.
And maybe they were.
There was no music playing but they didn’t really need any—for they were guided by love and the slow, steady beat of their hearts.
