Chapter 11
VALENTINO
As much as I hated doing paperwork, I was thankful for the distraction. I was struggling to wrap my mind around everything that was happening.
Namely, the fact that I no longer had any doubt that Maddie was mine. How could she not be? Her age matched, and every time she looked at me with those big, brown eyes of hers it was like staring into a mirror.
What the hell was I supposed to do about it? I couldn’t just march over there and tell Piper that I knew she was mine. To be honest, the idea was a little tempting. But there had to be a reason Piper hadn’t come out and told me yet. I wasn’t angry about it. How could I be? She hadn’t known my last name or where I lived to look me up. She hadn’t been looking for anything serious that night, and neither had I. It was a complete coincidence that she ended up living next door. Maybe she just needed time to figure out how she was going to tell me.
I had to wait, and Ihatedwaiting. I’d gone into business for myself due to how frustrated I’d gotten dealing with the slow gears of medical bureaucracy. I’d always been the sort of person who wanted to have all the information as soon as I could get it, so I could make an informed decision on how to act.
But waiting was what I would have to do in this case.
I went back to work, keying in the last bit of information needed to finish the paperwork. My body ached, and the longer I worked, the better a dip in the pool sounded. A glance over my shoulder revealed that Mick was in the office with me, sleeping soundly on the rug. Just like I’d hoped, the playdate with Maddie had gotten him good and worn out.
My stomach rumbled and I realized I was hungry as hell. I mentally played backward through my day, remembering that I hadn’t put anything in my stomach other than my morning coffee and the tea I’d drank with Piper. I mustered one last burst of energy to finish up the paperwork.
Once that was done, I stepped quietly past Mick and headed downstairs. It was getting dark—the halls illuminated by the automatic lights programmed to come on around seven. I made my way to the kitchen, pulled open the fridge door and scanned the contents. Lucky for me, my box of steaks that I ordered monthly from a local ranch had come the day before and I hadn’t stored them away in the basement freezer just yet.
Practically salivating, I grabbed a shrink wrapped porterhouse and tossed it onto the countertop. Before I could think about any sides, however, my phone rang in my pocket. I slipped it out to see that, to my surprise, it was a call from Dad. The old man never rang, preferring to do most of his communication through email. We talked on the phone plenty, but Mom was always the one to call.
I answered, putting it on the whole-house stereo system so I could go hands-free.
“Pops! What’s up, road warrior?”
“What’s going on, Valentino?” Mom’s voice came out of the speakers.
“Dad, you’re sounding a little different these days.”
“Oh, stop.” Mom chuckled. “What are you doing right now?”
That was Mom—always wanting to know what I was up to.
“Just about to make some dinner.”
“And what are you having? Please don’t tell me you’re spending your Saturday night alone eating takeout.”
“I’m spending my Saturday night alone about to eat a delicious steak, thank you very much.”
I gave my vegetable rack a once over, deciding on a potato. It’d be quick and simple to wrap one in foil and cook it on the grill with my steak.
“I’d rather you be eating takeout with a woman than a steak alone,” she said. “At least one of those two options would maybe result in me having a grandchild.”
I laughed. Mom busting my chops about having kids was a normal part of our conversations.
“You’ve already got two,” I said. “Veronica gave you guys two beautiful grandkids. You ask me, wanting more than that is being greedy.”
A smile on my face, I seasoned the steak, and rubbed olive oil and sea salt all over the potato, then placed each on a plate grabbing the foil on my way outside. As I made my way onto the back patio, however, I remembered something that wiped the smirk right off my face.
Maddie.
What if Momdidhave another grandkid?
“…not enough. I wantat leastthree.” There was a pause. “Valentino, are you still there?”
I shook my head, coming back into the moment.
“Yeah, I’m here. Just…got a little distracted with some work stuff coming up.” I hated lying to my mom, and normally never did. This was a special case, however. What the hell was I supposed to say, ”hey mom, Imighthave already given you a third grandkid. Oh, and by the way, she lives next door and is almost five.”
