Spitting out the last of it, Claire shoveled a large bite of pancake into her mouth. There was something about admitting her pathetic story to Luca that made it worse than telling anyone else. She didn’t want him to see her for the lonely, pitiful woman she felt like when she told her sad, sordid tale.
“That means it’s just you and Eva now.”
It was a statement, not a question, but Claire nodded as she chewed nonetheless. It was true. Eva was everything she had, which was why she’d fought so fiercely not to lose her daughter to a mysterious father. “Someday, I hope to have another chance at marriage and maybe another child if it’s at all possible. But if that never happens, I’m thankful that I have Daisy, Eva’s nanny. She’s like family to me.”
Luca’s brow went up. “A nanny? After all the grief you gave me about handing Eva off to someone, you have a nanny?”
“It’s not the same,” Claire argued. “I didn’t want Eva handed off and ignored. Daisy just watches Eva while I’m at the museum. When I get home, Daisy leaves and it’s just the two of us. She gets one-on-one attention and care, and I thought that was better than putting her in day care while she’s still so small. I plan to send her to a good preschool when she’s older. I’ve already submitted a few applications.”
“Where did you find this Daisy?” he asked. “Did you do the proper checks into her background to ensure she’s trustworthy before you brought her into your home? Did you get several references from other clients?”
Claire sighed. “Yes. I did all that. She came highly recommended, and I haven’t had a bit of trouble with her. She’s been a godsend over the past few months.”
Luca chuckled low and popped a bit of bacon into his mouth. “I know you did all that and more, I’m sure. I was just giving you a hard time, tesorina. It is only fair, don’t you agree?”
She had given him a lot of grief, she knew that. Claire looked over at Eva as she studiously tried to capture a piece of cereal between her chubby fingers. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy and safe, Luca. Do you blame me?” she asked.
Luca’s gaze drifted from the baby back to Claire. There was a fierce fire of protectiveness there as he shook his head. “I do not.”
In that moment, it was easy for Claire to believe that Luca would do anything for his young daughter, even after just a few short hours together. He seemed so deeply affected by his child it made her wonder why he hadn’t married and started a family of his own by now. He was obviously comfortable with children and took to Eva immediately. Had running the family business really taken up that much of his time that he hadn’t found someone to settle down with?
Or was there something he wasn’t telling her?
* * *
“What’s this?”
Luca looked up from making dinner in time to see Claire standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She was holding up the draft custody agreement his lawyer had given him. He’d left it on the coffee table so they could discuss it. “That’s a love note from Edmund. It’s the custody proposal we sent to Stuart a few weeks ago. I wasn’t entirely sure if you’d read it, so he wanted to make sure we had something to redline while we’re here.”
A guilty expression wrinkled Claire’s nose as she winced. “I didn’t read it,” she admitted.
Luca wasn’t surprised. The woman who sat across from him at his lawyer’s office hadn’t been interested in his offer. Judging by the expression on her face, not much had changed. He poured dressing onto the bowl of salad for dinner and started gently tossing it. “Would you like to discuss it now?”
Claire eyed the folder and then set it on the kitchen island. “No, not really.”
“May I ask why?”
With a sigh, she leaned against the counter. “Because I’m in a good mood. I’m enjoying this trip and I’m not ready to ruin it with our heated arguments. Besides, at this point, my position hasn’t changed. You’re still a stranger. A stranger who’s good with kids, but not one I’m ready to hand over my daughter to.”
“Our daughter,” Luca corrected. She always said “my daughter.” Claire seemed to have some kind of mental block where their daughter’s paternity was concerned.
Claire ignored him. “My point is that I’m not ready yet, so there’s no point in talking about it. I will read it,” she added. “So when the time comes, I’ll be well informed on your demands.”