Demands? Luca wondered whether Claire knew just how her words sounded to him. They were both used to getting their way, but Luca was wise enough to realize they both couldn't win this battle without compromising. "We'll table the discussion, then. Dinner is about done. How about you choose a red wine for tonight?"
Claire went to the wine rack and looked over the selection. "The chianti or the merlot?" she asked.
Luca pulled the tray of lasagna from the oven and rested it on the stovetop to cool. "The chianti," he said. No question. "We haven't tried that one yet."
Their first week at the beach had gone by in a blur, as vacations often did. Although they'd come here to work out a custody arrangement, they'd both carefully avoided that subject so far. Today, he'd finally gotten out the paperwork to broach the topic, but Claire obviously needed more time. That was fine. Instead of pushing, he took his cues from her, and it had worked. Day by day, Claire had loosened her reins on Eva. He had no doubt that by the end of the trip she would have no problem with him spending time with their daughter alone.
They'd spent a lot of time lounging by the beach and taking walks along the shore. Claire read a couple books and Luca checked in on his work email, although he knew he shouldn't. They cooked amazing meals together, spoiled Eva together and learned more about each other. It was exactly what Luca had hoped for when they made these arrangements.
Claire had turned out to be a delightful companion. After their first meeting with the lawyers, he had been dreading this trip, but he had been very wrong about her. She was fiercely protective of Eva, but once he got beyond her mother bear instincts, he was pleased to see the more easygoing side of Claire. Once she let her hair down and let the sea air into her lungs, she was just the kind of woman he'd want in his life...if he was ever going to have a woman in his life.
"I can't believe you got Eva to sleep so quickly," Claire said as she carried the bottle of red wine over to the dining-room table.
Luca had been surprised, too, but Eva had had a full day to wear her out. They'd gone down to the beach for a long walk along the bay as they'd done each day. They ate at a seafood shack by the shore where Luca got an amazing fried clam po'boy and Claire got a crab roll. Eva, sadly, got a squeeze pouch of blended chicken, peas and carrots. She took a short nap, then played on the floor for a good while with Claire while Luca assembled their dinner. By the time she had her bath and got put in her pajamas, Eva had heavy eyelids.
"Thanks for letting me put her down tonight," Luca said. It had been the first time he'd gotten to do that since they arrived. He'd stood by her crib, transfixed by his tiny child. He'd even tried out a verse of the lullaby his mother used to sing. Eva was asleep in minutes.
"You're welcome," Claire replied. "I think she likes your singing better than mine, anyway."
"I doubt that. Vacations can be tiring," he said. "She could've slept through anything at that point. To be honest, I'm not sure how much longer I'll last myself. A plate of lasagna and a glass of wine might put me right out."
Claire poured the wine into two glasses at the table beside the place settings she'd already arranged. She grabbed the bowl of salad and walked with Luca to the table to start their feast. "This all smells amazing," she said.
It was Sunday. There was no way that Luca could let the day pass without making an Italian feast that would make his mother proud. "It smells like my mama's kitchen. Garlic, spices, tomato sauce, cheese... Sunday dinner is served."
He cut a large square of lasagna and placed it on Claire's plate, then cut another for himself.
"I am going to gain so much weight," she said as she eyed her meal. "You cook too well and too much, and I can't resist it. It's only been a week, and today my shorts felt a little snug."
"Enjoy yourself," he insisted. "You are so tiny you can afford to put on a few more pounds without worry."
Claire laughed and sipped her wine. "I'm still battling my last few pregnancy pounds, so I assure you that's not the case."
Luca wasn't sure where these mysterious pounds were hidden, but he didn't see them. He actually thought Claire seemed a little thin. He assumed it was the stress of the past year taking its toll on her. "I don't know what you're talking about. You look amazing to me. My mother would insist you're too skinny and force food on you if I were to bring you home to her."
He flinched inwardly as the words slipped from his mouth. Claire seemed to stiffen in her chair beside him, and he knew it felt strange for her to think of him that way, as well. He'd never considered what it would be like for Claire to meet the rest of his family. And really, bringing Claire to the house wasn't the same as bringing home a girlfriend. It was far more complicated.
Claire finally relaxed when he didn't push the subject and just shook her head. "I can't even imagine," she said. "How did your family take the news about Eva?"
"I haven't told them yet," Luca admitted.
"Why is that?"
Luca sighed, exhausted by the mere idea of telling his family, much less doing it. "Well, as I told you before, I have a big family. I also have a loud, pushy, smothering family. I think my mother has very nearly given up on me ever having children. Finding out about Eva would be earth-shattering. They would swarm on us like bees on a honeycomb. I wanted us to have a little space first. Getting away from Manhattan was a part of that. They'll find out soon enough."
As far as Luca was concerned, they were already on borrowed time. He'd been very careful, but he awaited a leak any day now. Every time his phone buzzed at his hip, he expected to see his mother's number on the screen.
"Where do they think you are now? I mean, you had to get someone to run the company while you're gone all these weeks, right?"
"I told my brothers that I was taking a beautiful woman away on a vacation. They agreed to handle things and not tell anyone. Probably because they're as desperate as Mama to see me find a woman."
"Do you feel bad about lying to them?"
Luca's brows drew together in confusion. "No. I'm not lying."
"But you said-"
"I said I was taking a beautiful woman on a vacation." Luca looked at her across the table. "That's absolutely true."
That rose blush spread across Claire's cheeks again, distracting him from his plate. "Quit it. You don't have to butter me up."
Luca set his fork down. Claire might be a fierce competitor in their lawyers' offices, but when it came to romance, she seemed almost broken by the idea of it. "I'm not flattering you, tesorina. I'm serious. Are you not aware of how attractive you are?"
Her mouth fell open, a flustered conglomeration of nonsense words coming out of her as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I mean, I think I'm pretty enough. I'm no supermodel or polished Upper East Side housewife."
"Fake," he said. "All of that is fake, crafted by makeup artists, plastic surgeons and photo-altering software. I will take a real, soft, naturally beautiful woman over one of those fantasies any day."
"I think you're in the minority, Luca."
Luca couldn't stand the uncomfortable expression on Claire's face. Was this just Jeff's doing, or had every man in her life treated her poorly? "Did your husband never tell you how beautiful you were?"
Claire looked down and anxiously moved her food around on her plate for a moment. "Not really. I mean, he chose me, so he must've thought I was pretty, but he wasn't the type to lay on praise. Especially near the end."
Luca sat back in his chair for a minute and tried to absorb everything she'd just told him. He would never have a wife of his own, but he knew if he did he would cherish her. "I'm sorry," he said at last.
Claire's eyes widened with surprise. "You're sorry for what?" she asked.
"I'm sorry that your husband didn't treat you the way he should have." Just hearing her talk about Jeff had made his blood boil. Not only had he been reckless with his marriage, he'd been reckless with his life when he had a child on the way. Then to find out that he'd never given his wife the love and praise she deserved even in the early years of their relationship... It was inexcusable in his eyes.
"We were having trouble," Claire argued. "I was so wrapped up in the idea of having a baby that I forgot about having a marriage. I think he was lonely."