His sisters went homeat about midnight. His mother and Nana Taylor were given the room next door. Dante promised them he’d wake them if there were any change. His mother urged him to rest, but he didn’t budge from the chair by Abby’s side. He refused to let go of her hand, as if doing so would see her slip away from him.
He’d been up for almost forty-five hours. Whenever he felt himself falling asleep, he started talking to her, telling her how much he loved her, how much she meant to him, and how he’d been such an idiot.
At around four o’clock, just after the nurse had rechecked Abby’s vitals for the hundredth time, he broke down and cried. He cried over the unfairness of life. He cried for the vibrant woman lying so still in the bed, but most of all he cried in fear. He didn’t know what he’d do without Abby by his side. To think he thought it would be easy to marry another.
He didn’t want any other woman.
Only Abby. His Abby.
“You’re making me all wet,” a small voice whispered. “And I can’t feel my hand.”
Dante raised his head and, through eyes full of moisture, he saw a smile so radiant his heart wanted to soar.
“Abby. Thank God.” He rose and rained wet, sloppy kisses all over her face. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
The person cryingover her and kissing her was Dante. She must be dreaming. He’d walked out on her. He’d left her…
“I’m thirsty.”
Dante helped her take a sip of water.
“What happened?” All she remembered was that she’d collapsed at the villa.
Dante reached for her hand and twined his fingers through her own. His head lowered.
The monitor beside her bed beeped rapidly as her heart began to pick up speed. He lifted their interlocked hands to his lips so that he could kiss her palm. Her heart was thudding heavily, slamming against her chest wall.
“Tell me,” she said.
“You’ve had an ectopic pregnancy.”
“I was pregnant? But how? I can’t conceive.”
He cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should call Dr. Molinari.”
“No. Please, I want you to tell me.”
“They had to remove your fallopian tubes,” he said quietly. “One ruptured and nearly killed you. The other was so badly damaged from the endometriosis that he thought it advisable to remove it, too.”
She could never have children. She closed her eyes, unable to look at Dante. He’d never want her now because she couldn’t have children. A sob escaped from her mouth, the sound echoing around the room. Dante climbed on the bed and two strong arms encircled her, pulling her tight against him. “Please don’t cry.” He was crying too and gently rocking her.
They stayed together like that until she could cry no more.
“I’m so sorry, Dante. I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want most in this world.” She took several deep breaths. Just saying the words made it all seem far tooreal. “But please believe me. I didn’t know about my condition until after I agreed to your deal. I’ll pay back every cent of Nana’s care, I promise.”
“Mio fiore, I don’t want your money.”
“Do you want me to go home to England then?”
She felt him shudder.
“Abby, I know this is my fault. If I hadn’t left you and gone to Paris… Do you want to go home? To leave me?”
“No. It’s nobody’s fault but nature. Besides, I told you I’d never willingly leave you again, but—” she sniffed “—I love you and I want you to be happy. I know you are desperate to have a child?—”
“Not as desperately as I want you by my side. Not when I know that I love you. I’ve always loved you.” He kissed her cheek. “You make me happy. I’ve never been so happy. Nothing else matters.”
“But you were so angry with me in the Maldives.”
