On cue, her stomach growled. Cesare gave a low laugh and released her. ‘You finish up here, I’ll go and wake up Annabelle.’
‘Okay...wait!’
He turned at the door.
‘You were going to give me the information on Tay-Sachs.’
A wary gleam entered his eyes but he nodded. ‘We’ll look at it together after dinner.’
Her heart hammered as she watched him walk away, his powerful shoulders and tall, streamlined body reminding her just what she stood to lose if she decided to walk away from him.
Confusion crowded her senses, along with the undeniable knowledge that the reason why she was in so much pain was because she’d never really stopped loving Cesare. If anything, the rare glimpses into the man underneath all that control—the man who, despite his brother’s rejection, had done everything he could for Roberto—made her love him even more.
Far from what he led her to believe, family meant a lot to Cesare. His brother had meant a lot to him despite their rocky relationship, and she’d seen him remain strong for his parents.
Which meant it was her he didn’t feel the ultimate connection to.
Would that ever be enough without his love? What of the alternative? The thought of never being with Cesare intensified her pain until she couldn’t sit still any longer.
Jumping up, she grabbed her oldest camera, a gift from her mother the year before she died. The camera Cesare had given her was worth thousands of euros, but this one was priceless. Every time she used it, she felt closer to the mother who’d believed and championed her desire to be a photographer when her father had scoffed at the idea.
Her mother had protected her against her father’s bullying right up until the moment she’d lost her battle against cancer. Ava’s devastation had been all the more acute, because with her mother gone, she’d lost not only a parent but an ally and protector. Her father had barely acknowledged her existence, and her brothers had soon followed suit.
For a long time, her camera had been her only companion...until Cesare.
Could she bring herself to let him go? Or would staying to fight, to push for what she wanted only drive him further away?
Shaking her head, she went out onto the terrace and walked down the jetty. The setting sun hung between the hills, its orange-gold rays a perfect backdrop for the yachts on the lake. The rich vibrancy of Lake Como in summer was a beauty to behold and, even though it didn’t soothe her troubled soul, she took several pictures, her fingers clicking automatically.
Hearing voices behind her, she turned. Cesare stood on the edge of the terrace, Annabelle in his arms. Something she said made him laugh and Ava’s heart caught at the love she glimpsed in his face. Acting quickly, she snapped a few shots of them. Cesare glanced up, straight into the camera, and the want, the need as his gaze connected with the lens stopped her breath.
She wanted to believe, yearned to trust what she saw in his face. But how could she, when her heart felt ripped to pieces?
* * *
‘Be warned—our daughter has tasked us to bring back the perfect princess gown. Apparently it has to be purple. With pictures of giraffes on it.’
Ava summoned a smile as she buckled her seat belt. ‘At least it’s not pink.’ She shuddered.
Cesare slammed the door and turned the ignition to the luxury SUV. ‘Sì, that is a small mercy. However, I’m at a loss as to where to acquire such a dress.’
‘Ah, welcome to the challenges of parenthood.’
He looked worried. ‘Seriously, you didn’t see the look on her face when she told me what she wanted. I don’t think I’ll survive if I don’t bring her exactly what she wants.’
Despite the despair ravaging her soul, she laughed. ‘We’ll find something that will please her, I promise. But you didn’t have to come shopping with me. I could’ve sorted this out on my own.’
So far the truce was going well. It had gone slightly wobbly when Cesare had presented her with the dossier containing information on the genetic condition two nights ago. Seeing the stark words in black and white had sent her into another crying jag, one which Cesare had withstood with silent, unwavering support.
Tay-Sachs was a horrible disease, and her heart bled for what Roberto had gone through; what Cesare could still go through. Annabelle was less likely to suffer the same fate as Ava wasn’t a carrier but she would need monitoring all of her life, a fact that had struck fear anew in Ava’s heart.
‘What makes you think only women have the right to the I don’t have a thing to wear line?’ His query brought her back to the present.