Page 93 of Irreplaceable

I stood to greet her, taking her bag and setting it aside before kissing her temple and wrapping my arm around her shoulder. “Harper, this is my mom.” I nudged her farther into the room. “Mamma, this is Harper.”

“This is her?” my mother asked Val in Italian, her displeasure clear. “She’s so skinny.”

I cringed, watching Harper as she struggled to remain expressionless.

“What do you expect?” Val asked, crossing her legs as she continued the conversation in Italian. “She’s American.”

I glared at them, annoyed by their rude behavior. I opened my mouth to say something, but Harper beat me to it. Instead of responding to their jabs, Harper said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” in crisp, clear Italian.

Mamma raised one eyebrow, clearly having underestimated “the woman.” Harper might not be Italian, but she spoke it like a native. I grinned, pride surging through me. Despite the way Mammaand Val had treated her, Harper had been nothing but polite. And she’d quickly put them in their place, speaking their language.

“And this is Val,” I said in English.

“Ah.” Harper tilted her head back in understanding. “Your manager.” She turned to Val and then spoke in perfect Italian. “You were supposed to come to Bali, weren’t you?”

“Sì.” Val’s nostrils flared, and her displeasure was clear. “If only I had. Then we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in.”

“Careful, Val,” I growled.

“No, Lorenzo.” Val stood. “I’ve held my tongue long enough. No more.”

Mamma glanced between us, and I knew she felt as if she were watching her children fight. Val might not be my sister, but she’d always been part of the family.

“Um—” Harper glanced between us. “Maybe I should leave. Give you all some time to catch up.”

“Not necessary.” I slid my arm around her waist. “If Val and Mammahave something to say, they can say it to both of us.”

“Fine,” Mamma sighed. “I’m concerned that you’re moving too fast. There.” She threw her hands in the air. “I said it.”

I turned my attention to Val, my tone accusatory. “Did you tell her?”

Val shook her head, and I could feel Harper tense beside me. “Tell me what?” Mammaasked.

“Part of the reason I moved to California was because I wanted to be involved in my child’s life.” Mamma’seyes darted between Harper and me. “Mamma, I’m going to be a father. We—” I held Harper even closer “—are having a baby.”

Mamma held her hands to her lips. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her speechless, but she quickly crossed herself, and I mentally prepared myself for a lecture. Instead, she stepped forward with tears in her eyes and said, “Dio ci ha benedetti.”God has blessed us. And hugged Harper and me. “Papà would’ve been so happy.”

Val huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Mammastepped back to look at Harper, holding her hands as she apologized for her earlier rudeness. Harper took it all in stride, but I hated that my own family had ever treated her that way.

Even so, I couldn’t deny my relief. Mamma was excited about the baby, and I knew she’d be supportive.

“Can’t you see that she’s using him?” Val asked Mamma. “We don’t even know that it’s his child. And we shouldn’t assume anything until a paternity test is done.”

Harper straightened. “I have offered to do a paternity test. I also made it clear that Enzo’s involvement was neither expected nor required.”

“Enzo?” Mammaglanced between us. “Who is Enzo?”

“It’s the name she calls me,” I said. “The name I asked her to call me,” I added quickly. “And I don’t need a paternity test to tell me what I already know.” I glared at Val.

I appreciated Val’s desire to protect me, but she could’ve handled this better. She should’ve handled this better.

“I am the father,” I said, and damn if that didn’t feel good. I smiled at the idea, and Mammasmiled too.

She placed her hand on my cheek. “Oh, figlio mio, I am so proud of you. And you—” She turned to Harper. “How are you feeling?” She grinned. “This is so exciting. I have always wanted to be a nonna.”

I left Mammaand Harper to talk about the baby, while I went over to where Val was standing beside the window. For the first time, I questioned whether Val had my best interest at heart.

“Can we talk?” I asked, gesturing to the bedroom. “Alone.”