Page 34 of Hello Goodbye Amore

CHASE WAS nervous as hell when he got back to the office. He dealt with a project team meeting, thankful that Dave ran it and once he had provided updates on his pieces he could remain quiet and half listen. As soon as it was over, he called Bianca to make sure everything was okay.

“Ricky is playing with his Legos, and we’re about to have lunch,” she told him.

“Thanks,” Chase said, still not trusting that something wasn’t waiting in the wings to add even more drama to the day.

Antonello’s door remained closed, and that only made Chase wonder even more.

By the time his day was over, he was a nervous wreck.

He left the office without speaking to Tio and quickly walked home.

Ricky ran over to see him, holding Sheepy under his arm. “Can I go outside?” he asked, practically bouncing off the walls.

“Yes. We’ll go for a walk.” He placed his bag on one of the kitchen chairs and thanked Bianca for her patience. “I’m sure he’s been wound up.”

“He’s a good boy,” she said, her expression not hiding her worry.

“Is he going to be all right? Is there trouble?” She swallowed hard and looked at Ricky before lowering her voice.

“The Gloriosos are very powerful, and they have a lot of sway here.” This was her warning.

“Mr. Antonello is a good man, but his mother… not so nice. If you know what I mean. She likes to get her own way.”

“I understand, and thank you,” Chase said, more nervous now than he had been before.

“It will be all right.” One way or another.

Chase already had open return tickets for himself and Ricky.

He had insisted on that when he took the assignment, so all he would need to do was get them on an open flight and they could be out of the country. “Thank you for everything.”

She nodded. “I will see you and Ricky in the morning.” Bianca left, and Chase sat down, trying to figure out what the hell he should do.

“YOU NEED to get on a plane and come home now,” his mother told him when he called her after Ricky was in bed.

“You are talented, and you can find a new job. This isn’t worth putting Ricky in danger.

” Concern filled her voice. “I always knew this assignment was a bad idea.” She clicked her tongue softly.

“And what if Antonello is his father? Do you think these people will ever let Ricky go? They will get their hooks into him somehow and we will never see him again.”

“I’m just figuring things out,” he told her.

“You can do that back here where it’s safe,” she countered. “He left your sister, and if he is Ricky’s biological father, then he abandoned both of them when he left.” She sniffed, and Chase knew it was mostly fear, something he shared.

“I don’t know, Mom, but I knew I needed to call and let you know what was happening here. I saw the resemblance the first time Ricky and Tio were together, but no one else seemed to until Tio’s mother….”

He didn’t know what to expect, but a soft laugh was not on his list. “Mothers know. She saw her child’s eyes looking back at her.

It was the same as soon as I saw Ricky. I saw parts of Elaine and you looking back at me.

” She shook her head, the Facetime camera wavering with the movement.

“Whatever you do, you be careful. More than anything, I want you and Ricky home. That’s all that matters. ”

“I know, Mom. But this is a mess that has to be sorted through. Just coming back isn’t going to make it go away. I miss Elaine, but she had to know the lay of the land and who Ricky’s father was.”

“You can’t blame her for this.”

“Of course I can. She didn’t tell any of us, and she had to know.

She was still so angry with Tio after Ricky was born.

I knew she was still hurt, but she should have told us…

. I should have been able to put the pieces together.

” He wondered if he had just been stupid. “All of this could have been avoided.”

His mother looked at him through the connection, saying nothing for a long time.

“I know you were in love with him too.” Chase nearly dropped the phone.

“I’m your mother, remember. I know how you felt.

But then he and Elaine started dating…. You were so good about it, wanting what you thought was best for her…

for both of them.” She sighed. “I don’t have any answers, and I’m scared to death for both of you.

But find out what’s truly going on and get the answers you need.

Don’t listen to me or anyone else.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

“But you promise me that when this is over, you and Ricky will come home. I miss both of you.”

“I know, and Ricky misses you too. This weekend, I’ll put him on Facetime and the two of you can talk. I promise. And be on the lookout for an envelope. Ricky sent you some pictures that he made.” They shared a smile. “I love you, Mom, and thank you for listening.”

“I have your back, you know that. All you have to do is call me and I’ll come over there and battle it out, mother to mother. That woman won’t stand a chance.”

Chase laughed. That was his mom—a real tiger. “I don’t think it will devolve into a mom-on-mom cage match, but if it does, you’re who I want on my team.” He flashed her a quick smile.

“You better believe it,” his mom said as Chase yawned.

The day had been one of the most exhausting and nerve-jangling of his life.

He wasn’t sure he would be able to sleep, even if he did feel like he was going to fall over at any moment.

“I’ll let you go, but you call me if anything happens, and I will get there come hell or high water. ”

“Thanks, Mom,” he said gently before ending the call. There had to be a way through this mess, and maybe once he wasn’t completely worn out, he would be able to see it.

HE WOKE to knocking and groaned as he checked the clock by the side of the bed. It was still early. He passed by Ricky’s room to check that he hadn’t woken up before going to the door. He wasn’t sure what to expect and half thought he’d find the police outside his door once more.

“It’s awfully early,” Chase told Antonello as he let him in.

“Sorry, but last night was pretty tense at home. Needless to say that my mother was not happy at all, especially when the police reported that there was nothing they could do. And you have to understand that they did not like telling her that one bit. My parents….”

“They have sway… I know. Bianca has already warned me.” He looked down and realized he was in a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. “I should go get dressed.”

“Not on my account,” Tio said softly, his voice deep. “I like this particular view.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “This isn’t exactly the time for sexy talk. Your mother tried to take Ricky away, and I didn’t sleep worth a damn all night. I’m worn out and beating myself up for not just getting on a damned plane and going home.” He was still so wound up over it he didn’t know what to do.

“I understand. I didn’t sleep well either.

But I did speak to my father, and he and I are on the same page.

We also agreed that it’s his job to keep my mother under control.

Though I have no idea what that means exactly.

” Tio swallowed hard. “But he suggested that maybe we should have you and Ricky to dinner. We need to talk this out. My father suggested Friday evening, and I agree with him.” Tio drew closer.

“And that will give us a chance to come up with a plan.”

“What kind of plan?” he asked as Tio wound his arms around his waist, pulling him tight against the heat of his body. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Lots of things,” Tio growled before kissing him hard enough to roll Chase’s eyes to the back of his head.

“Daddy,” Ricky said from behind him, and Chase cleared his throat and backed away, feeling like a naughty teenager. “Is it time to get up?” He held Sheepy McSheeperson in one hand, rubbing his eyes with the other.

“No.” He backed away from Tio. “Come on. It’s still really early.” He took Ricky by the hand and led him back to bed, then tucked him under the covers. “Just go back to sleep.”

Ricky rolled over, hugging his stuffed sheep to him. “It’s okay if you kiss Mr. Nello. I don’t mind. Boys can kiss boys if they want to. Grammy says so.”

“Okay. You go to sleep.” He rubbed Ricky’s back for a few minutes, and he settled down. Chase then left the room and quietly closed the door.

“See?” Tio was right there to pull him into a tight embrace. “Boys can kiss boys if they want to.” He kissed him again. “Come on. We have a few hours before we have to be at the office, and we can make the most of it.”

“We’d have to be quiet,” Chase said, his willpower fading fast. Hell, Tio was right there and sexy as all hell. The truth was he didn’t want to back away. What he really wanted was for these doubts and worries to go away.

“What is it?” Tio asked as Chase stood unmoving.

“I keep wondering what Elaine would think about this and if I’m doing the right thing.”

Tio stroked his cheek. “Only you can answer that. Not your sister or anyone else. You’re the one who is always telling me that I should follow my heart to what would make me happy. And here you are, worried about everyone else.”

“Yeah…,” Chase said as he tugged Tio down to his room and closed the door.

“But you still have to be quiet.” He chuckled as they tumbled down onto the bed, Tio slipping off Chase’s shirt before sliding down his boxers, and Chase had to bite his lower lip to stay quiet as Tio did magical things to him with his lips and tongue.

“YOU LOOK tired,” a deep voice said from Tio’s office. Chase probably shouldn’t, but he let his curiosity get the better of him.

Chase cleared his throat when he saw Paolo perched on the edge of Tio’s desk. “I thought I heard you.”

“I was going to see if Antonello wanted to go out, but it seems he’s been keeping himself busy. Do I know her?” Paolo asked.