Roberto wasn’t going to do what his grandfather wanted just to fit in and not make waves. His parents had done that, and now they were unhappier than any two people he knew. As it was, his grandparents had raised him because his parents couldn’t stand being at home for any length of time.
His early childhood had been a series of nannies. His parents had worked in the family business and socialized regularly. They were either too busy or too exhausted to deal with him.
At one point, Roberto recalled overhearing his mother saying that she regretted having him. Those words had been seared upon his heart. He withdrew from people. Even at the age of seven, he knew not to trust people because in the end they’d hurt you.
And then a huge fight between his father and grandfather had his parents packing and leaving—without him. Much later, Roberto learned there had been accusations against his parents of mismanagement and harassment.
Roberto spent the remainder of his youth moving between his grandparents’ vast estate and boarding school. His grandmother tried her best to fill the void in his life, but being abandoned by his parents left a scar that couldn’t be erased, no matter how hard his grandmother tried.
Roberto had vowed long ago not to have a family. He didn’t want to find out after the fact that he wasn’t cut out to be a father—just like his parents. He refused to subject a child of his own to a life like that.
But what about Stasia? Did she want a family? Sure, she’d made moves to join Xander in the business world, but something told him her heart wasn’t in it. He’d noticed her sometimes at the meetings with Xander. She’d been attentive and interacted, but she hadn’t smiled. Her face hadn’t been animated like it was when she got truly excited about something.
However, she had seemed happy when she was married. Was that what she wanted again? If it was, he’d have to be careful. If things between them escalated, he didn’t want to get her hopes up that he could offer her a diamond ring. It would never happen.
His gaze met his grandfather’s. “You don’t have to wonder. Stasia and I are together. She’ll be attending the wedding with me.”
“We’ll see how long this lasts.” And then his grandfather strode away.
Roberto shrugged off his grandfather’s disappointment. It was something he’d grown accustomed to over the years. Some things didn’t change.
His thoughts turned to Stasia. He wondered what she was doing right now. He thought of seeking her out, but then changed his mind. It was best not to spend too much time together—even if a part of him wanted to spend all his time with her.
* * *
It was too beautiful to stay in the cabin.
Stasia lifted her face to the warm sunshine. Maybe she should have taken Roberto up on his offer to take her on today’s tour. Where had they stopped? It took her a second to figure out which port they were at that day. With them sailing at night and docking at a new port each morning, it was a lot to remember. But then she recalled that today they were in Montenegro. Though exploring the old Mediterranean town appealed to her, she was holding out for Venice. She couldn’t wait to explore as much of it as time allowed.
In the meantime, she’d spent the morning in her cabin poring over aptitude tests and college catalogs and then running internet searches. She stared at her computer until her head started to pound.
She wondered what Roberto was doing, but she didn’t want to disturb him, as she didn’t want to take up all his time. It wouldn’t be fair. He deserved to spend his vacation any way he pleased—even if it meant working.
She’d made her way to the pool. There were a lot of young families around. The echo of children’s voices surrounded her. As she found an available lounge chair, she couldn’t help thinking she’d been robbed of this experience with Lukos. They’d been planning on having a baby. In fact, they’d just started working on a family when he’d received the most devastating news that he had cancer. For a man who’d exercised regularly and led a healthy lifestyle, this diagnosis came as quite a shock to both of them.
A little boy moved past her chair, holding on to his father’s hand. The little boy must be around two...about the age her child would be if their attempt at starting a family had been successful. An arrow of pain shot through her heart.