A Corisi Christmas (Legacy Collection #7) (3 page)

Something was wrong. He could feel it. Was she sick and afraid to tell him? She was a part of him, and he would be by her side no matter what challenges came their way.

He told his secretary to clear his afternoon and reschedule his meetings. He called Nicole as he drove back to their house, but she didn’t answer, and a hundred possibilities flew through his head. None of them good.

He rushed into the house and came to a stop just before entering the family room. Nicole was sitting at her small desk in front of their large bay window. From where he stood he could see his wife’s profile and the worry she hid from him was clearly displayed in her expression. Her laptop was open, but the screen had gone dark, and she was staring out the window lost in her thoughts.

She looked up as he entered the room, stood, and smiled. “Stephan, you’re home early.”

He walked over to her and studied her face. Had he not seen her a moment before she’d heard him, he would have thought she was in a good mood. “I called, but you didn’t answer.”

“My phone must still be in my purse.” She scanned the room then gave him an apologetic look. “I bet I left it in the kitchen. Sorry.”

He pulled her gently into his arms. “I was worried.”

She looked up at him and gave him another sweet smile. “I’ll try to be more careful.”

He kissed her then with all his pent-up questions and love for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they were transported above everything else temporarily. When he broke off the kiss they were both breathing raggedly. He swung her up into his arms but carried her to the couch instead of their bedroom. His hunger for her came second to his need to know what was going on. He sat down with her across his lap and held her captive in his embrace. This time he couldn’t wait for her to come to him. He had to know. “Nicole, I know you’ve been lying to me about where you’ve been going.”

She stiffened and her eyes widened, but she didn’t deny it.

“I’m not angry, Nicole, but we will sit here until you tell me what’s going on. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. Just tell me.”

She inhaled sharply and blinked tears back. “I’m pregnant, Stephan. We’re going to have a baby.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in. “Are you sure?”
Oh, my God. I’m going to be a father.

She nodded. “The doctor confirmed it last week.”

A joy like none he’d felt before surged through him. “How far along are you?”

“Ten weeks.”

He kissed her forehead and hugged her to his chest. “You went to the doctor? Which doctor? How do we know he’s the best? Or is she a woman? Would a female doctor be better? We want someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“I went to the one my doctor suggested. Everything looks fine, but I made an appointment with Abby’s obstetrician for tomorrow. Just to meet him.”

“Tomorrow. What time? It doesn’t matter. I’ll clear my day. How do you feel? Does anything hurt?” He ran his hands down her arms.

Nicole took one of his hands in hers and laughed. “I’m pregnant, not dying.”

“I’ll call Dominic and see what he thought of their doctor. Have you told him yet?”

Nicole shook her head. “No, I thought we’d do it together.”

Stephan kissed her on the lips briefly. “Good thinking. What are we going to do about a room for the baby? We should make it in the one right off ours. Do you want a nanny? I know my family says they aren’t important, but in the beginning you might want some extra help.” He put his hand on her stomach. “Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Do you feel sick?”

Nicole took his face between her hands. “I’m fine, Stephan. Take a deep breath. I feel fine.”

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet?”

“It’s only about this big,” Nicole said and demonstrated an approximate size with her fingers.

“Right. How soon can we know and do you want to? Some people don’t. I’d want to, but I can wait if it’s important to you.” Nicole kissed him then with such love that all coherent thought left him. He kissed her back, losing himself in the passion he never took for granted. When she ended the kiss, he couldn’t stop smiling. “What was that for?”

“I love you.”

He hugged her to him. “I love you, too. A baby. We’re having a baby, Nicole.”

Nicole returned his smile.

“My parents will lose their minds when we tell them. They love children in general, but their first grandchild? You don’t even want to know what Christmas will be like this year. It doesn’t matter that our little one isn’t here yet; my parents will be flying relatives over from Italy just to congratulate us. Hold on to your socks, Nicole. If you thought last Christmas was wild, wait until you see one where my parents have a grandchild to celebrate.”

Nicole’s smile wavered, then returned. “Sounds wonderful. Hey, Abby asked us over for dinner tomorrow night. Will you be home in time to go? I’d like Dominic to hear the news from us.”

Stephan looked into his wife’s guarded eyes for a long moment. She was happy about the baby, he’d bet his life on it, but something was troubling her. “What’s wrong, Nicole?”

She shook her head, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Nothing. I’m just tired, I guess.”

That made sense. Coming from such a large family, Stephan had plenty of experience with pregnant women. A child in his family was a gift from above, and he’d been brought up to respect the experience of bringing one into the world. He picked Nicole up and carried her to their bedroom, placing her gently down across the bed. “I know what you want.”

The warmth in her eyes lit a fire in him, but it could wait. Nicole was precious to him, and he would take his time showing her that. He slid off her shoes, sat beside her, and took one of her feet into his hands. He worked the tension out of one before reaching for her other.

Nicole burst into tears and he froze. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re so good to me,” she said through her tears.

He crawled up onto the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t cry, Nicole. You deserve it. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.” She sobbed softly against him and the sound broke his heart.

Oh boy, this is going to be a long pregnancy.

A
bby checked the details of the dinner with their cook. She often made the meals for their family, but this was different. She had a feeling Nicole would need her at the table instead of running back and forth to the kitchen.

Due to the topic Nicole wanted to discuss, Abby had offered to send Judy off for a play date with her cousins, but Nicole had refused to hear it. When Judy had heard Nicole and Stephan were coming for dinner, she’d begun rushing around in excitement. If there was one thing Judy loved, it was playing hostess. She’d finished her homework early, changed into a pretty dress, and was currently helping set the table. The house staff had been with them long enough to know Abby tried to run their home as close to normal as possible, despite their level of wealth. Judy had been born into a very privileged lifestyle, but she still had chores. It was important to Abby that she appreciated what she had and how hard everyone worked to make it possible.

“Mom, Miss Jan said we’re not having dessert because it’s a school night.”

“That’s right, Judy.”

“But we’re having company, and they’ll want dessert. Isn’t it cruel if we deny them what would make them happy?”

Oh boy.
Such logic might work on her father, but Abby was a harder sell. “It’s Nicole and Stephan: family, not company. They’ll be fine.”

Judy put her hands on her hips. “They won’t be happy.”

Abby stopped and looked at her daughter. “Really? Why do you say that?”

Judy implored her with pleading eyes. “How could they be when I’ll be sad?”

Abby ruffled her daughter’s hair. “You won’t be sad. You’ll be on your best behavior. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Mom.” Judy went back to setting the table. “I bet Auntie Lil lets her kids have dessert every night.”

“I bet she doesn’t.”

“There is a boy at school who only eats dessert. That’s it. Just cake, ice cream, candy. Whatever he wants. His parents don’t care.”

“Really?”

Judy’s voice rose as she warmed to her tale. “Yes, in fact his doctor told him there are vitamins in ice cream so he has to eat as much of it as he can. Every day.”

Abby hid her smile. “Is that true?”

Judy glanced at her mother then away. “It could be true.”

Abby sighed. “How about this? What if we ask Miss Jan if she’ll whip up a healthy dessert? Some frozen yogurt with berries? How does that sound?”

Judy ran over and hugged Abby’s waist. “You are the best mom in the whole world.”

Abby hugged her daughter. She knew from raising her sister, Lil, not every battle was worth fighting. A person could win every argument and still lose in the end. “If we ask Miss Jan really nicely I bet she’ll let you help.”

Judy spun with joy at the idea. “I want to be a chef like Uncle Richard. He says bad words when he cooks, and no one tells him not to. When I’m a chef I’m going to say bad words all the time, and people won’t care because they’ll want my food.”

Not sure she wanted to hear the answer, Abby guided her daughter toward the kitchen and asked, “Do I want to know what words you’re learning from Uncle Richard?”

Judy covered her mouth and giggled. “He says stupid. He says it in French, but I can understand him. He says stuuuuuupeeeed. See? I speak French.”

Abby laughed out loud. “Some words are universal.”

“What does universal mean?” Judy asked, but didn’t wait for her mother’s answer because they had reached the kitchen. “Miss Jan, Mom says we can make dessert, and I can help if you’ll let me. Please. Please. Please let me.”

The cook smiled and gave the stool beside her a pat. Abby had been thrilled when the woman had applied for the job. She had owned her own restaurant but left it after her husband passed. She’d said she was looking for a quieter life and that’s the type of home Abby had cultivated. Miss Jan was the perfect addition. She could pull off a last-minute dinner party or serve up cereal with a smile. She also adored Judy. That alone cemented her place in the house. “My little chef, what do you want to make?”

Judy sat straight up on the stool. “She called me a chef! That means I can say—” She stopped abruptly and looked around. “Mom, do you think Santa Claus is watching right now, or do you think he’s busy wrapping presents?”

With a straight face, Abby answered, “Oh, he’s watching.”

Judy glanced around the room. “Does he speak French?”

Abby gave her daughter a kiss on the head. “Behave for Miss Jan. Nicole and Stephan will be here any minute. Do you mind if I run up to change?”

Miss Jan shook her head and waved her away. “We’re all set. You go, Mrs. Corisi.”

A few moments later Abby was reaching behind to zip the back of the simple dress she’d chosen when two strong hands finished the job. She smiled when that action was followed by a kiss to her neck.

“What time did you say Nicole and Stephan were coming over?”

Abby turned and wrapped her arms around Dominic’s neck. “They’ll be here any minute.”

He kissed her warmly and smiled against her lips. “Damn.”

Abby tipped her head back while moving her hips against his growing excitement. “You’ll live.”

He growled and kissed the side of her neck again up to her ear. “You never used to care if we were late to dinner.”

Abby laughed. “That was before we had a child who is not afraid to come looking for us.” She pushed his roving hands away. “Now stop before I forget why this is a bad idea.”

He raised his head and gave her a light tap on her tush. “Not a bad idea, just a poorly timed one. We’ll continue this later.”

Abby gave herself a final check in the mirror, stepped into her shoes, then took a moment to appreciate the handsome profile of her husband. “Did you have a good day?”

He smiled. “Every day that ends by coming home to you is a good one.”

Abby bit her bottom lip. Dominic wasn’t a man who said anything he didn’t mean so when he said things like that Abby’s heart still did somersault.
Tonight,
she told herself.
We can wait until tonight.

She gave herself an inner shake. She hadn’t said anything to Dominic about why Nicole was coming over because she hadn’t felt it was her place, but she was beginning to wonder if she should lay a foundation for the conversation that was about to happen.

They walked out of the bedroom and down the hallway. “Dom, I’ve been thinking . . .”

“Yes?”

“You know how we get together every year with Lil and Jake and have a small celebration?” Dominic stopped and looked down at his wife without saying anything, so she continued. “Have you ever thought of doing that with Nicole and Stephan?”

“No.”

The firmness of his answer took Abby by surprise. “It might be nice. I know we see your sister at the Andrades’ for the holidays, but we could exchange presents in a smaller setting, too.”

“No.”

Abby stepped in front of her husband and searched his face. His expression was carefully blank. “Why not?”

The cool look he gave her would have intimidated most people, but Abby was secure in his love. She knew her question had made him uncomfortable. His normal response to feelings he didn’t want to deal with was to slam a door between himself and them. The look he was giving her was nothing more than evidence that he was doing exactly that. “Drop it, Abby. I’m in a good mood. Let’s just enjoy dinner.”

Abby put a hand on his chest and felt his heart beating wildly there. “You’re shutting me out. You promised you wouldn’t do that. I love you, Dom. All of you. The best of you, and your dark secrets. You don’t have to hide anything from me. Why don’t you want to celebrate alone with your sister and Stephan? Talk to me, Dom.”

A muscle in his jaw pulsed. “Am I a good husband to you?”

His question floored her. “Of course.”

“And a good father to Judy?”

Abby searched his face for a hint that he was anything but serious. “Absolutely.”

“Then respect my wishes on this. There is a rage within me, Abby, that I keep contained so well I almost forget it’s there. When we’re alone, my sister digs at old wounds until I can feel the rage bubbling within me. Christmas alone with her would be hell for me. I don’t want that anger in our marriage. I don’t want it around Judy.”

Abby stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her husband’s tense body. “I understand, Dom, and it’s okay.”

He hugged her to him and expelled a long breath. “I love my sister.”

“I know you do.” Abby rested her cheek on his chest.

Suddenly dinner felt more like an ambush than the gentle prodding Abby had imagined it would be. The doorbell downstairs rang and Judy’s voice called out, “They’re here. Mom. Dad. Auntie Nicole and Uncle Stephan are here.”

Abby held her husband tight for a moment longer and sent out a request.
Okay, Santa Claus, forget about the calorie-free eggnog I asked you to invent. That was a joke. This is serious. This year, could you bring some healing to the man I love? There has to be something that could help him let go of the past. He’s a good man. His anger doesn’t rule him anymore. He just needs to see that.

Dominic met his sister’s eyes across the dinner table and felt a twinge of remorse about what he’d said to Abby earlier. Nicole had always been, and would likely always be, a fragile soul. She would never deliberately hurt anyone or knowingly cause trouble. Their problem lay in the difference in how they dealt with their demons.

As if she could read his mind, Abby took his hand in hers and gave him a supportive smile. Hers was a gentle strength that never ceased to amaze him. She stood her ground when it was important and fought for not only herself but also everyone she loved. He was a better man because she was at his side. He would do anything for her, anything within his power anyway.

Only someone who had been held down and beaten, lived in helpless fear watching others receive the same, and vowed to never feel that way again would understand why Dominic refused to revisit that time in his life. He’d protected Nicole when he could, but he hadn’t been able to protect their mother. And after their mother had left, he’d failed Nicole by leaving her with a man who had nothing but hate in his heart.

What was there to look back for? He couldn’t change any of it. Remembering any part of that time only served to remind him that he’d been no better than his father. In the end, he had failed his family just as miserably.

Abby gave his hand a squeeze. “Judy, why don’t you tell Auntie Nicole what you want for Christmas?”

Nicole smiled at her young niece in encouragement. “Can I guess?”

Judy clapped her hands together. “Yes. Guess. Guess.”

Nicole tapped one of her manicured nails on her chin. “Is it alive?”

Judy shook her head, a move that sent her curls swaying wildly back and forth. “No. Guess again.”

“Is it smaller than this table?”

Judy nodded. “Way smaller.”

“A doll?”

“Nope.”

“A teddy bear?”

“Not even close.”

Nicole looked to her husband for help. “What do you think, Stephan? What would Judy not have a million of already?”

Stephan sat back, folded his arms across his chest. “Her own airplane?”

Judy pushed out her bottom lip. “Dad said I’m too young for that. I have to wait until I’m
sixteen
.” She stressed the last word as if it were an eternity away.

Abby shook her head and laughed. “You’re not getting your own plane. Not now. Not when you’re sixteen.”

Judy looked to her father. “But Dad said . . .”

Dominic shrugged and conceded the point to his wife. “If your mother says no, it’s no.”

Judy made a face. “I guess I can share yours.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “The horror.”

Stephan laughed. “She’s going to be a handful as she gets older.”

Nicole leaned toward Judy and whispered, “Ask Stephan what his cousin Maddy got when she was sixteen.”

Judy bounced in her seat. “Was it a plane? Did Auntie Maddy get her own plane?”

Abby waved a hand in the air. “Don’t say it, Stephan, unless you want to wear the next course.”