Blind Love (16 page)

Tony’s mother, Sophia, was a sweet dumpling who was constantly touching and hugging or praising and encouraging. She envied Tony and his siblings. Father seldom showed any physical affection, and he was the only real family she had after her mother left.

Gina took her little boy from Catherine’s lap. He’d been given his bath and wore jammies with feet in them, and he smelled like heaven. In that moment, she had an intense longing to hold her own children and to have them passed around a table like this, being kissed and loved by the whole family.

If Tony got her pregnant last night, would he marry her? Maybe, but she didn’t want to marry anyone who was with her only out of obligation. She wanted Tony to love her as much as she loved him.

Catherine said goodnight and walked upstairs. Tony was so devoted to his family, she knew he’d never be serious about any woman who didn’t fit in. She was not only an outsider, she felt awkward and out of place in the presence of this many exuberant personalities.

Tony’s mother wasn’t shy about showing her love for her family. Sophia’s influence on Tony, on all of them, was apparent. She’d struggled to take care of her family after her husband died, and Catherine had grown up with all the privilege that wealth brings. Father had taught her to hold herself above working class people, yet aside from Cara, the Donatelli family was comprised of working class people. They may not have had a lot of money when Tony was growing up, but they had something more important, something Catherine had grown up without.

They had a tight, loving family.

<>

Angelo and Teresa arrived after breakfast the next morning. Angelo wasn’t quite as tall as Tony, and he had his mother’s sweet smile. Catherine was surprised to see not only the family greeting them with hugs, but the staff as well. Still, Teresa used to work on the staff here.

The happy newlyweds held hands and shared adoring looks.

Al arrived around two. He was taller than Tony, and if anyone in the Donatelli family could be considered shy, it would be Al. He was the quiet one. Sophia said he’d made the Dean’s List again, and she was so proud of him. The whole family was proud of Al. He’d be the first of Tony’s siblings to get a college degree. They’d all had some college or trade school, but none had a four-year degree.

Tony had gone outside to help Nick roll the barbecue grills out on one of the patios when Cara came downstairs with the baby. She sat with Catherine in the sunroom, watching the activity outside.

“How many people do you invite to this thing?” Catherine asked.

“It’s more for the staff than for me. Nick’s family comes, of course, and a few friends, but it’s mostly the staff and their families. Everyone has a good time, and after working so hard to maintain this place all year, the staff deserves a party.”

Walt Timmons would be aghast. He’d never included the staff in anything.

Baby Max slapped his hands on the table and blew bubbles. Cara wiped his mouth several times. “I can’t believe he’s cutting teeth already. The first time he bites me, he goes on the bottle.” Max squealed and cooed happily. He was an adorable baby, with dark eyes that would undoubtedly be brown like Nick’s, and soft, curly dark hair.

They talked about the show for several minutes before Nick appeared with a fancy English pram and a clean diaper. Catherine ran her hand over the hood of the pram. “This is lovely.”

“It was mine,” said Cara. “And my mother’s before me. We plan to get a lot of use out of it. As soon as I stop nursing Max, we’re going to try for another one. I don’t want Max to grow up alone.”

“Hey, I’m up for the job,” Nick said with a wink, and Catherine burst out laughing. He looked happy, and so did Cara. Nick put the baby in the pram and changed his diaper, something else she couldn’t picture her father doing. But she could picture Tony changing his baby.

Nick disappeared with the baby and Cara asked Catherine about her and Tony. “There’s something going on between you two. I can see it in his eyes.”

“It won’t last.” Catherine tugged at her hair. “This is the wrong color and I’m too short.”

“Nick was determined not to fall in love with me because I had money and he didn’t. All those preconceived notions fly out the window when you fall in love. What does Tony think about going on this show to find another woman when he has you?”

“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but it’s too late to back out now. We have the women selected, the costumes on order, the program host hired, and the production and writing staff is putting it all together. Tony doesn’t have to stay with whatever woman he chooses on the show.”

“What if he does?”

Catherine couldn’t answer. She wasn’t ready to lose him.

She wandered around the grounds watching the preparations for the birthday barbecue. She helped Tony set up folding chairs, examined the gazebo he’d built, and visited with his mother.

In a quiet moment, Sophia asked, “Catherine, are you in love with my Tony?”

“We haven’t talked about—”

“It’s me asking, not Tony. Do you love him?”

Catherine couldn’t lie to Sophia any more than she could lie to her father. “Yes, I love him.”

“Then why are you putting him on this show to find another woman?”

“It’s only a television show, Sophia. He doesn’t have to fall in love with any of them, and he doesn’t have to stay with the woman he chooses. Besides, I’m not sure he feels the same way about me.”

“I know,” she said with a warm smile. “I know when my Tony is in love.”

Catherine gave her a big hug.

Did Tony love her? When they were together, it felt that way, but she wasn’t sure. Maybe he treated all his lovers with the same affection. Maybe he did love her, just a little, but the feeling would pass when he saw the tall, beautiful blondes on the show.

Catherine looked around for Tony, but he and his brothers had disappeared, so she filled her plate at the outdoor buffet and sat with Cara and Sophia.

Sophia kept pushing more food on her. “You’re too skinny,” she said. “You need to eat more.”

Cara laughed. “She does that to me, too.”

“Because nursing a baby takes so much out of you.”

Cara gave Sophia a hug, and Catherine was touched by the love in Tony’s family. No wonder he was such a great guy. No one in his family was embarrassed about showing their affection. When Cara married Nick, Sophia had accepted her as an important member of the Donatelli family. Cara’s little boy wouldn’t grow up alone and lonesome, isolated in this beautiful mansion. He’d be surrounded by aunts and uncles and cousins, and a grandmother anyone would be proud to have.

In some families, the in-laws—or out-laws—brought discord to family gatherings, but the Donatelli family was all about love. What she wouldn’t give to be a part of that, to not just have Tony’s love, but the love of the entire family.

The sun dipped below the horizon, someone rolled out a birthday cake, candles blazing, and the sound of many off-key voices singing
Happy Birthday
filled the air. Cara blew out the candles. After she cut the first piece, she handed the knife to Sophia and walked to the gazebo Tony had built, where the band sat.

Speaking into the microphone, Cara said, “Thank you everyone for making this another wonderful birthday celebration.”

After the cheering stopped, Cara asked, “Angelo and Cassie, would you sing for us?”

As they sang, the pure tones and harmony sent tingles through Catherine’s body. Tony was right, his brother could sing. Cassie, Cara’s favorite cook, sang several solos, and so did Angelo. And then the four Donatelli brothers stood on the steps of the gazebo and sang together, harmonizing like a barbershop quartet. They each had a solo part, including Tony, but Angelo sang most of the solos. They were all good, but Angelo had an outstanding tenor voice.

Sophia smiled at her boys. “They sound better when they practice.”

They couldn’t practice when Tony was in California, Vinnie was in Tacoma, Al was in college at Stanford, and Angelo was away on his honeymoon, yet they sang together as if they’d practiced every day for the past month.

“I want them all on the show.” The four brothers could serenade the girls before they met Tony. It would give him a chance to scope out the girls without them knowing who he was. The men could introduce themselves, using only first names, and then walk away. Tony would be left standing there by himself, flashing that killer smile.

And then he’d go inside, where the host would tell him the concept of the show.

He’d never forgive her, and she’d never forgive herself if she lost him over a stupid television show.

Chapter Ten

E
arly the next morning, Catherine kissed Tony goodbye and boarded Cara’s private jet for the flight back to Santa Barbara. She hated leaving Tony, but she’d made a commitment to Henry, and she had things to do if this television show would ever be aired.

After lunch with her parents, she returned to LA, where everyone on Henry’s staff was hard at work on the new show. The writers had worked on reality shows before. Most of what happened on those shows was spontaneous, but sometimes people had to be prompted. They had to be prepared if someone froze up under the pressure of the cameras, and they wanted ways to create conflict between the women. Without conflict, they wouldn’t have a show. They couldn’t tell Tony which girls to eliminate, of course. That would have to be his choice. But they could help him choose the words to tell the girls they had to leave.

Over the next two weeks, Catherine talked to Tony at least every other day. She missed him so much she could almost feel his big hands on her body and his lips on hers, but she had things to do, and so did he. He’d been out inspecting property for the development company.

“I’ll be back in Santa Barbara in a few days. Friday. I thought we could drive back together, maybe spend a little private time before the show begins.” His voice, deep and soft, told her what kind of
private time
he meant to spend with her.

She could use a little down time to unwind before the show, and since they’d already made love, what would it matter if they made love again before the show began?

After she ended the phone call with Tony, Catherine scanned the list of girls they’d signed for the show. Did they have enough diversity? Enough possibility for conflict? Would the audience pick favorites and tune in every week to see who Tony eliminated?

Would Tony pick a favorite and stick with her through the show?

Jenny - single mom

Chelsea - retired model

Rachel - former Miss Florida

Lily - grad student

JoJo - bookkeeper

Victoria - widow with 2 boys

DeeNae - paralegal

Carina - divorced blackjack dealer

Marilyn - secretary

Andrea - hairdresser

LeeAnn - dental hygienist

Jan - waitress

Gwen - teacher

Alternate - Charlotte (Cookie) - unemployed college dropout

Catherine was on the phone with the wardrobe people when Mitzi tapped on her office door and opened it. “Cat, one of the girls dropped out.”

“Which one?”

“Marilyn. She went back to her boyfriend.”

“Call the first alternate.”

“I already did. I’ll get her set up with whatever she needs.”

Catherine nodded. “Good. You did find other alternates, just in case, didn’t you?”

“Sure. We have two more, and they’ve already been screened.”

“Okay.” Catherine went back to her phone call, trusting that Mitzi had everything under control.

<>

Filming for the show was less than two weeks away, and Tony was starting to feel uneasy about it. What if he came across as an idiot? What if he hurt someone’s feelings? This thing had disaster written all over it, and he hadn’t even met the women yet.

Friday afternoon, as he drove toward Santa Barbara, he called Catherine on her cell phone. “Where are you?”

“Still in LA. Where are you?”

“Approaching Santa Barbara.”

She sighed. “It’ll take me at least three hours to get there, Tony, and I’m not ready to leave yet. Megan is expecting you. Tell her not to hold dinner for me.”

“Would you rather I come to LA?”

“God, no. I can’t wait to get out of this place.”

Catherine finished up and gathered her things to leave the office. Mitzi called her back. “Cat, one of the girls didn’t pass the security screening.”

Catherine dropped her purse and briefcase on the chair by the door. “Who?”