“Oh, cara.”
Brooke shook her head.
“My dad came back into the picture hot and heavy. Kind of like Antonia. Only in the form of a weeklong vacation, then he returned to Upland with the wife that didn’t like me, and I was up in Seattle. And he ignored me. I begged that man to pay attention to me, to help me get away from my dysfunctional mother. He didn’t step up.”
Luca pictured the care Brooke gave to her father. “How did you get to where you are now?”
“I was desperate for a father, Luca. I didn’t have your strong family surrounding me like Franny has. I didn’t have the stable and supportive father that you are to your daughter. My father might not have been the lifeboat floating away from the Titanic, but he was at least a piece of wood I could float on. And when the next wife moved on, I was there. We picked up an adult father-daughter relationship, and that’s what I got. I always said it was better than nothing. We have our bumps, but I do love him. And he loves me. But if there is one thing Antonia and my father have in common, it’s that they love themselves more than they could ever love anyone else. It’s proven by their actions. And in my experience with my dad, those actions go on repeat.”
“That’s why you’re adamant about giving Antonia rope to hang herself.”
“I am.”
“And if that rope hurts my daughter?”
Brooke paused. “Do you think Antonia means to harm Franny?”
“No.” He didn’t see that. “Not on purpose. What do you think?”
Brooke looked away, as if lost in thought. “Antonia is going to hurt Franny no matter if she stays, goes . . . does something in between. I’m just trying to figure out a way to minimize the damage. I don’t think your ex-wife is going to surprise us by doing the right thing. I know her kind.”
Luca sighed, curled closer. “I let Franny spend the night.”
“Yup. And be ready to go get her when she calls.”
He leaned forward. “Let’s go to bed.”
“You go. I’m going to sleep upstairs tonight.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“I’m on edge. Moody.”
“Is it me?”
“No. Not at all. I just want to sleep in my own space.”
Something behind her smile looked sad. Luca wondered if it was the memories of her childhood, or the reality of her relationship with her father.
He kissed her.
“Go. I’m going to stay out here a little longer.”
“Are you okay?”
Her hand touched the side of his face. “I’m fine.”
Luca hated that word with a fiery passion.
He didn’t know what was harder. The fact that Franny was away, or the fact that she didn’t call.
Luca was buying her a cell phone. That’s all there was to it. Maybe Antonia was keeping her from a phone.
As the hours ticked by, and the dinner rush passed, no call came.
Chloe and Brooke were both watching him, looking for clues that Franny needed something.
He kept shaking his head from the kitchen.
And nothing.
Gio was out, on a date, and even he called in to see if there was any news.
It was his mother that had been the only fly on the wall later that night when they were gathered in the office.
“Rosa said they came home from dinner, watched a Disney film, and now Franny is asleep on the couch.”
“This is . . .”
“Unexpected,” Brooke finished for him.
“Stressful,” Chloe said.
They all agreed.
“I’m going to bed,” Brooke announced.
“I’ll be up in a bit,” Luca told her.
She shook her head, looked around the room. “This might be TMI, but I started my cycle and all I want is a hot water bottle and a Motrin.”
Luca found himself smiling, despite the misery on her face. He’d always considered a woman sharing her most intimate moments the point that defined their relationship. “I can drizzle some chocolate over a cannoli and bring it to you.”
Brooke’s eyes lit up.
He smiled.
She smiled.
His mother patted her chest and sighed.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, you two are making me sick.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“What can I do for you today?” Dr. Archer was in her midforties from the looks of her. Kind eyes and easy smile.
“I made the appointment looking for a routine checkup. I’m new to San Diego and need new doctors. But . . .”
Dr. Archer leaned against the counter and waited patiently.
“I had an unusual period, and it was in the middle of my pill cycle.”
“Unusual how?” Dr. Archer looked at Brooke’s paperwork as she spoke.
“Well, that I had one while I was taking the hormones, but it was heavy. Super uncomfortable.”
“Do you think you were pregnant?”
She swallowed. “No. I don’t . . . I don’t really know. My last cycle was light.”
Dr. Archer tapped the paperwork. “You’ve had a previous miscarriage? When was that?”
“Two and a half years now.”
“And did you conceive while on the pill?”
Brooke nodded.
“Did your doctor change your prescription?”
“Yes. But my partner and I use condoms, too.”
“Same partner?” she asked.
“No.”
“Do you ever forget the condoms?”
Brooke thought about the fogged-up windows of Luca’s SUV. “A couple of times.”
Dr. Archer put the paperwork aside. “Let’s rule out if you’ve had another miscarriage and go from there.”
Just hearing that made Brooke wish she’d brought Luca with her. “Okay.”
Brooke lay back, and Dr. Archer performed a physical exam. “When did you stop bleeding?”
“Three days ago.”
“I don’t see any evidence that suggests a missed pregnancy.” She continued with a normal exam and had Brooke sit up. “I’m going to run some blood work and we’ll get a urinalysis. Did you do an at-home pregnancy test?”
“No.”
“Like I said, I don’t see anything, but the blood work will tell us if you were pregnant. I’ll have those results tomorrow. If that comes back negative, I want you to return for an ultrasound. Make sure we’re not missing anything.”
“Okay.”
“Now, about your contraceptives. When was the last time you took a break from birth control pills?”
Brooke looked at the ceiling. “Not since I went on them in college.”
“Not even after your miscarriage?”
She shook her head. “My boyfriend was not ready to be a father.”
“If you’re bleeding midcycle, something isn’t working. Let’s assume everything with you checks out. You’re young, no other risk factors. My gut tells me you’re probably fine. I’m not sure the pill is the right choice for you. I suggest you take a break from the hormones, three months. Give your system a chance to cycle. I’ll run some more tests and then we discuss an alternative birth control.”
Brooke swallowed hard. “That’s risky.”
Dr. Archer smiled. “Discuss it with your partner. He’s going to need to understand the risk and be condom-ready in the meantime. I can put you on a different pill, but I don’t think they’re working. We will find something that does. But let’s not make every month a stressful worry of ‘what if,’ okay?”