“I knew it! I knew he was Italian. That dark hair and those dreamy green eyes. They were a dead giveaway.”
“You were right. Anyway, his father was a senator.”
Wendy gasped. “Oh my God. Senator Maggio? He died not that long ago.”
“A year ago. Harrison was close to both of his parents. He said he used to help his mother plan events and even helped her in her garden, so he knows what flowers to use during the winter.”
“Wow. Okay, so you know he’ll be helpful in the planning part. Where is Noel’s mother?”
I felt the pit in my stomach once again at the thought of the whole story. “You have to promise me you won’t say a word to anyone. Promise me.”
Wendy crossed her heart with her finger then held up two fingers. “I promise I won’t say a word.”
Drawing a quick breath, I exhaled. “When Harrison found out his father had cancer, he decided not to enlist again in the Navy. The night before he was set to head back to Boston an old flame showed up. He said they’d gone out a few times. It wasn’t anything but a hook-up kind of an arrangement, or at least I took it that way. Anyway, she handed him a one-month-old baby girl.”
Wendy had the same reaction I had had. She gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
“Told Harrison she didn’t want the baby and she was his responsibility.”
“Holy crap. I mean, I’m glad she brought him the baby, but why didn’t she tell him about her?”
“Harrison said he had been overseas when Noel was born. Her mother apparently had left him a few messages that they needed to talk, but never told him about what.”
“Is he sure Noel is his?”
I nodded and placed my hand over my chest. “He said he had a DNA test done, but had already decided even if she wasn’t his, he was keeping her because he fell in love with her the moment she looked up at him and smiled.”
“It was probably gas at that young of an age.”
I smiled. “Yeah. Probably.”
“He seems to really love that little girl.”
Setting the tea in front of Wendy, I nodded. “Harrison said Noel was exactly what they all needed. She brought a light into their dark world with his father’s cancer.”
“I’m glad his dad got to know her.”
“Yeah, I think that was special. I asked Harrison about following his father’s footsteps into politics, since he followed them into the Navy.”
Wendy leaned in closer. “And?”
With a shake of my head, I replied, “He has no desire. Doug, the guy who comes in with him to story time, is his oldest and dearest friend. When he found out Harrison was coming back, he told him to think about working as a firefighter. Harrison said he talked it over with his mother and father and it was something he really wanted to try. They both supported him.”
“Who watches Noel during his shifts?”
“A nanny.”
That caused Wendy to raise her brows. “Man, it sounds like something straight out of a romance novel.”
I laughed but it had crossed my mind as well. I’d wanted to ask him more about the nanny but let it go.
“That’s all I know. We talked about the dinner after that and made plans to meet up again on Saturday.”
“Where?”
“His house.”
Wendy choked on her tea. “Wait. You’re going to his house?”
