The Baby Bombshell: The Billionaire's Baby Swap / Dating for Two / The Valtieri Baby

Despite the fact that both babies were crying at the top of their lungs, for a moment his gaze took in the angelic-looking woman. At first she seemed so familiar to Giovanni he couldn’t understand. Then it struck him that it was because the son he’d taken home from the hospital and adored was a tiny replica of her, down to her blond hair. Good heavens, what a gorgeous woman!

But he couldn’t go on staring at her when something needed to be done quickly to quiet the babies. “Let me take Vito.”

“Yes. He doesn’t want me,” her voice trembled.

Giovanni felt her pain and grasped him in his other arm while handing a tearful Riccardo back to her. Without hesitation the exchange took place in the hallway. He didn’t care if they weren’t supposed to meet. Apparently she didn’t care, either. It told him this terrible situation had nearly destroyed her, too. Already he felt a bond with her as she crushed Ric to her, yet never took her eyes off Vito.

After a few seconds their children quieted down and eventually blessed peace reigned. She looked up at him. Suddenly they both laughed in relief. In that instant he felt a tug on his emotions to discover this woman could find humor at such a precarious moment. She appealed to him in ways he couldn’t begin to explain.

“Thank you for coming to our rescue.” She sounded a little breathless as their eyes clung.

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

“I hear you. Where’s your wife?”

“I’m divorced. She gave up her mother’s rights.”

Her incredible sapphire-blue eyes clouded. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s past history. Is your husband here?”

She kissed his son—her son. “We never married. Our relationship ended a long time ago.”

At this historic moment he had too many questions, but the hall wasn’t the place for the kind of conversation they needed. “Why don’t I grab the diaper bag out of the room I was in and join you in here so we can talk.”

“Please hurry—”

That pleading in her eyes got to him. He understood the urgency and was gone and back in a flash. After closing the door, he dug inside the bag and handed her Vito’s bottle.

She did the same with her bag. “Here’s one for Ric.”

He liked the shortened version. In a minute both babies had settled down and were drinking, totally happy to be in familiar arms.

Signor Conti poked his head in the room, shocked to see the four of them together. “So this is where you went, signor. It seems your babies found you.”

“Our children don’t understand hospital rules,” Giovanni muttered. “But it wouldn’t have mattered how this was handled, the babies need time to adjust.”

He cleared his throat. “Under the circumstances, let me introduce you. Signorina Valentina Montanari, please meet Signor Giovanni Laurito.”

Giovanni’s body quickened. Such a prominent name in Italy’s business world made him wonder if she was any relation to Rinieri Montanari, the new head at Montanari’s. He was a hard man to do business with, forcing him to hold talks with Ernesto Bruno when he needed to meet with the CEO himself.

“I can see you two have a lot to talk about. This is a situation no one is prepared for. Since you’ve met, stay here as long as you need to. Remember we provide counseling if you feel that you need it.”

They thanked him. Giovanni closed the door behind the administrator and sat down with Vito slumped against his shoulder.

She sat in the other chair and kissed Ric with all the love of a doting mother. He admired her for going through this whole experience without a husband to help her.

“Ric’s hungry. I tried to nurse him, but I didn’t have enough milk so he’s been getting used to the formula.”

“It looks like both babies have been on the same brand sent home by the hospital.” He had dozens of questions but asked the first one on his mind. “How soon did you decide Ric wasn’t your son?”

She darted him a glance. “From the first moment I saw him, I was surprised he didn’t look at all like me. In the beginning I didn’t say anything to my family, but after two weeks everyone agreed he didn’t look like anyone on our side of the family. In the case of the baby’s father, I saw no resemblance to him, either.

“My oldest brother knew I was worried and suggested I get a DNA test done so I could be absolutely certain one way or the other. My fear turned into a nightmare when the results came back, letting me know he wasn’t my baby.”

Giovanni nodded. “Nightmare is the right word, but I was the last person to be contacted by the hospital, so I haven’t had as much time as you to be torn apart.”

She smiled sadly. “No matter the length of wait, it has been a hideous experience loving our children, yet knowing we would have to give them up.” Her gaze centered on him. “Now that I’ve met you, there’s no question Ric is your son. His hairline and coloring match yours.”

Giovanni was still trying to grasp the fact that their babies had been switched. “How much did he weigh?”

“The chart said eight pounds, four ounces. He was twenty-two inches long. He’ll be tall like you. My baby’s father was five foot ten. It explains why he’s a little lighter and smaller.”

His eyes lingered on her features. “Vito has so much of you in him, it’s uncanny. I thought it odd that he was born with blond hair, but I never considered that he wasn’t mine.”

“My brother told me it was my mother’s intuition.”

Giovanni nodded. “If my wife hadn’t refused to see him, she would probably have felt something wasn’t right.”

She expelled a deep sigh. “The mystery has now been solved.”

“But not the agony,” he finished the thought she hadn’t spoken. “Our situation is so unique, there’s no precedent to follow. I’ve read that out of four million babies born every year, twenty-eight thousand are switched temporarily, or permanently.”

“I read the same article and was surprised it was that high,” she murmured. “The doctor told me the car accident caused both myself and your ex-wife to deliver while we were in the ambulances taking us to the hospital. The mistake must have happened after we arrived at the ER.”

His eyes found hers. “Were you injured?”

“No. I was already in labor. Everything happened so fast, I guess the impact sped up the process.”

“The same thing happened to Tatania. She’d started bleeding, so her family called an ambulance for her. But she got the help she needed in time to recover with no aftermath of problems.”

“Thank heaven.”

“It’s a miracle the accident didn’t do more damage. I’m afraid my ex-wife’s family will probably sue the hospital. Signor Conti hasn’t said as much, but you know it’s what he’s fearing.”

Valentina lifted the baby to her shoulder to burp him. “I can tell he’s really sorry. He even offered counseling to help us. But as far as a lawsuit goes, I don’t want to sue anyone. A ghastly mistake was made, but today it’s been rectified. Surely whoever put the wrong bracelet on the boys had no idea what he or she had done. It happened.” She kissed his little head. “No one’s perfect.”

“You’re right.” In a sue-happy world, Giovanni found her attitude not only amazing, but refreshing. In fact she appealed to him so much, he wanted to spend the rest of the day with her so they could really get to know each other.

“I’d better get going.”

“Please don’t leave yet.” His mind raced ahead to prevent her from leaving. “I can understand why there’s a rule that parents don’t meet under a situation like this. The sooner we get our birth babies home, the sooner we can bond with them. But you and I have met. I’m not sorry.”

After a slight pause she admitted, “Neither am I.”

“Thank heaven you said that because I have to tell you I love Vito from the bottom of my soul. To forget him would be impossible. I want, need, to stay in touch with you.”

Tears glistened in those fabulous blue eyes. “You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth. Ric is the most precious thing in my life. I held him all night, not wanting to let him go. Seeing the two of them together like this is tearing me apart. I know I have to give Ric up, but I can’t bear it. If only there were a way to share them, but of course that’s impossible.”