Claire watched him speak with a mix of disbelief and wonder in her gray eyes. She leaned into him, her lips parting. They were soft, plump lips that had gone too long without kisses. That was a tragedy in Luca’s eyes. A few kind words and she was melting like butter. She deserved better. Unfortunately, Luca was not the man to give it to her. He sat back and pulled his hand away.
She snapped out of her trance and moved her hand down into her lap. “Do you really believe all that?” she asked.
“I do. My parents have been married for over thirty years keeping that philosophy in mind.”
“May I ask why you haven’t married, then? I’m sure there are plenty of women out there who would love you to treat them like a precious gift.”
Luca tried not to stiffen at her question. He had done his fair share of prying into her personal life; it shouldn’t be out of bounds for her to do the same. But there were land mines in this field he didn’t want to hit. Not tonight and not ever. Instead, he shrugged and relied on the story he had told again and again over the years.
“Since the day I was born, I was groomed to take over the family business. Moretti’s has always had the oldest son running the company. I went from high school to college to grad school to the boardroom. Once my father retired, I had this huge weight on my shoulders to keep the company running and profitable, or I would be letting everyone down. That hasn’t really left me much time for anything else. Not just relationships, either. I never travel. I have almost no hobbies or interests outside of work. I have my business. That’s it.”
What Luca left out was that it was all by design. His father had managed to run the company while having time for his wife and children, so he knew it could be done, but keeping busy was the only way Luca could get through the lonely times. Claire wouldn’t understand that, though, because she didn’t realize he was damaged. She only saw the successful, confident businessman he portrayed to the world.
“You’ve never been in love before?”
Luca considered his answer before speaking. “No,” he lied. “I got close, but I was wrong.”
“That’s kind of sad,” Claire said. “For all your money and success, all you have to show for it is money and success. You don’t even get to enjoy it with someone. When was the last time you took a vacation?”
“I’m on a vacation right now,” Luca argued.
“No. Before this one.”
Luca thought back, but he knew there wasn’t really an answer. “I’ve never taken a vacation as an adult. Not a real one, at least. Occasionally my family gathers for a long weekend in the Hamptons during the summer.”
“It sounds like you’re going to be an old, lonely bachelor before too long. What will your family do if you don’t have an oldest son to take over after you?”
That was a question that had plagued Luca since the day of his diagnosis. In reality, there were plenty of people in the family who could take the reins. His younger brother Marcello had a son who could easily be the next CEO. But now he had a new possibility. “Well, this isn’t the fifties anymore. It isn’t written anywhere that it has to be a son. I may not marry or have any more children, but through a twist of fate, I do have Eva in my life. It’s always a possibility that she could take over for me.”
“If she wants to,” Claire countered. “It’s nice to have a family legacy, but I don’t want her pressured into a life and a career she doesn’t want.”
“Of course.” Luca didn’t want that for his daughter, either. He hadn’t been pressured into taking the company over, thankfully. It was something he’d always dreamed of doing. His family was important to him and carrying that legacy on was an honor. He’d once hoped that he could pass it along to his child, too, but that was a fantasy he’d given up years ago. “We have the next three weeks to worry about before we need be concerned with Eva’s career path.”
Claire nodded and turned back to her food. Luca watched her eat for a moment, sipping his wine thoughtfully. At this angle, he could see the faint gray circles under her eyes and the defeated slope of her shoulders. The stress wasn’t just wearing her thin. It was eating away at her.
He recognized the look from the days his mother sat at his bedside at the hospital, worrying over him. He hadn’t been in any condition to help his mother, but he could help Claire, if she’d let him. Being a single mother had to be incredibly difficult, even with resources at her disposal. She needed this vacation more than even he knew.