Page 49 (1/2)

She lasses stay on”

He chuckled and pulled their lower bodies flush “I didn’t know you had a thing for h heels? That’s how I feel about you in glasses But first I have to call Fra Silvestro’s assistant to see if she can rent a pony”

Gabriel straightened

“A pony?”

“Is that a bad idea?”

“Can you rent ponies? In Florence?”

“I don’t know I’m sure none of the children have ever seen a pony, let alone had the chance to ride one I thought it would be fun”

Gabriel observed his wife’s excitement with no little amount of joy

“If you look after the gifts for the children, I’ll find a pony”

“Thank you” She gave him a saucy wink “Oh, and while you’re at it, see if you can rent a petting zoo”

Chapter Twenty-nine

Julia didn’t respond to Paul’s email He’d asked her not to contact him, and she decided to honor his request She knew that eventually their paths would cross at a conference or a colloquiuht that once he became used to the idea that she’d ain

Or so she hoped

But his request and the way he’d done it—via email—had hurt So she avoided her email for a couple of days When she finally checked her account, she found a e from her father

Jules,

Call e,

Dad

Toes were usually terse He was not a man of many words But the tone of this particular email was so ominous, Julia didn’t bother to alert Gabriel as to as happening She simply picked up the telephone in the kitchen and dialed her father’s cell phone

He picked it up on the first ring “Jules”

“Hi, Dad What’s going on?”

Her father paused as if he were struggling to find the words “We’re at the hospital”

“The hospital? Why? What’s wrong?”

At that moment, Gabriel walked into the kitchen Julia pointed to the telephone and mouthed the words My dad

“Yesterday ent to have an ultrasound We were supposed to find out the sex of the baby But so”

“What?”

“His heart”

“His?”

“My son” Tom’s voice broke on the last word

“Dad” Julia sniffled and her eyes filled with tears

Gabriel stood very close to his wife, so that he could hear both sides of the conversation

“Where are you now?” she asked

“At the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia They agreed to see us right away”

Julia heard a round, then heard her father whisper, “It’s going to be all right, honey It’s going to be all right Don’t cry”

“Is that Diane?”