Crew didn’t say anything, he just waited for her to go on.

  “I looked at the cop and there was accusation in his eyes. We both knew this was wrong. We knew it. But I also knew if I walked away, someone else would come in. Our hands were tied. As a social worker, I have no right to defy the system. It was so wrong on so many levels. Baily was reaching for her brother, begging for me to let her down. She wanted to protect him. Even this sweet little three-year-old girl was glaring at me, accusing me.”

  “Oh, hell, Darla,” Crew said. “I don’t have words.”

  “I told him I was sorry, that I was so very sorry. And then I buckled Baily into the car seat in my vehicle. He rose from the ground, his shoulders firm. If he needed to hit me, I was going to let him. I deserved it. I was a monster.”

  “No, you weren’t,” Crew told her.

  “Yes, yes I was. I know my hands were tied, but it still wasn’t enough. He finally wiped his tears away, his shoulders back, so tall and proud. You bring her back, Ms. Winters. You bring her back, he told me. He didn’t move, just stood there as I nodded at him, my throat too closed to say anything more. I drove around the block, then pulled over and sobbed.”

  “Where’s Baily now?” Crew asked.

  “It’s been three days. She’s with those people who gave birth to her. There’s already been one call from the neighbors about loud fighting from their home. They’ll kill her, Crew. I know they’ll kill her, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.”

  She shook with sobs now. She felt so utterly helpless. She’d betrayed this family, betrayed this little girl, and there were people higher up than her who were tying her hands. She’d never felt so helpless in her life.

  “No, they won’t. Let’s get her back to her family,” Crew said.

  “How?” she asked, anger filling her.

  Crew smile. She finally looked into his eyes. He seemed so confident it gave her a bit of hope.

  “My hands aren’t tied,” he told her. Then he paused. “I think you need to put in for two weeks of time off, and then you really need to reconsider your job. There’s so much more you can do. You have a passion for fighting for those without a voice. If you stay in this job it’ll kill you.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, then shut it again. “You’re right,” she said. “I’m not this weak, pathetic person. I can’t let the system bring me down.”

  “No, you can’t. Let’s get Baily home. And then let’s figure out how to help others.”

  Darla realized right then and there she was in love with this man. And for the first time in her life, she was truly scared of having her heart broken.

  Crew did help her. She wasn’t exactly sure how, but he helped her, and Baily was safely returned to her rightful parents. She’d been working within the system, and he’d worked outside of it. He’d gotten more done in twenty-four hours than she’d managed to do in years.

  What did that mean? What was she going to do about it? Was a new chapter in her life about to be opened? Something big was happening, and she didn’t want to run away from it.

  Chapter Twenty

  Darla stood at the steps of the most luxurious jet she’d ever seen. She gazed from it to Crew and back again at the jet. “What in the world are you doing, Crew?” she asked with suspicion.

  “We’re taking a trip and I’m not allowing you to say no,” Crew told her.

  “Where?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he insisted. “Just get on the jet or I’ll carry you on. With the narrow opening, it might get tricky, so it’s probably best you willingly go aboard,” he said with a grin.

  “Crew, my life’s a mess right now. I quit my job, and I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I can’t just fly off somewhere,” she insisted.

  “Your life’s a mess right now which means you absolutely need to go on vacation and figure it all out. There will be beaches. And there’s no better way to find your path in life than on a beach,” he insisted.

  “But . . . what about Daisy? What about finding a new job?” she said. She wanted to get on the jet, wanted to fly off into the sunset, but it seemed wrong somehow, as if she were slacking.

  “Darla, you can argue on the jet. We have a long flight, and I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said, his arms crossed.

  “Fine!” she snapped. “But what about clothes? I can’t go somewhere and stay naked for days.”

  Crew’s eyes flashed at those words. “I wouldn’t mind you staying naked for the entire trip,” he told her with a wink. She rolled her eyes. “However, don’t worry. Daisy packed for you.”

  Darla’s eyes widened. “That traitor. She didn’t say a word to me. I’m going to have some words for her.”

  Crew laughed. “Her exact words were: Great job, Crew. You’re a genius. Don’t let her talk you out of this. She needs it.”

  “She knows where I’m going?” Darla asked, not used to people taking control of her life. She didn’t like that much. But she completely trusted Crew.

  “Yep, she knows, and she approves. I wouldn’t be surprised if she finds her way there. Now, the pilots are waiting so let’s board and then you can continue yelling at me,” he said as he pushed on her back. She found herself moving up the stairs.

  “I am not yelling,” she said with her voice raised, making him laugh and the flight attendant at the top of the stairs look down as her lips twitched. “I’m not,” Darla emphasized, her voice slightly quieter.

  “Good morning. I’m Lily. Look around then come sit down and I’ll have drinks and snacks for you before takeoff. What would you like?” the sweet redhead asked. She didn’t look older than twenty. Not a bad job for such a young lady. Maybe Darla could become a flight attendant and fly around the world for free.

  “I’ll have coffee with cream please,” Crew said.

  “Coffee for me too,” Darla told her. “What creamers do you have?” The attendant listed them. “I’ll take caramel and a splash of white mocha.”

  “Perfect.” Lily disappeared.

  Darla was stunned into a rare silence as Crew showed her the luxurious jet owned by Joseph Anderson, who, of course, was a part of this collaboration to get Darla to take a vacation. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had one. By the time they sat back down, their coffee cups waiting, she didn’t know what to say.

  “I was a bit shocked the first time I climbed onboard this thing,” Crew said. “But damn, I like using it now. Joseph has three jets, three of them. I’ve built a good world for myself, but the kind of money the Anderson family has is staggering.”

  “You’d think they’d be a lot flashier with that kind of wealth,” Darla said. “I know they have jets and houses that make me want to weep, but they also wear Levi’s and build houses for Habitat for Humanity. They do good things.”

  “I think that’s why they have the wealth they have. It’s good karma and they give back a lot. They give it the way they want to give it, to local and international programs. They know how to improve their local communities a lot better than the damn government does.”

  “I agree with you,” Darla said. “If everyone helped locally the world would be a better place. How in the heck does some autocrat in DC know what a family in Seattle, Washington needs?”

  “They believe they can fly in once or twice a year and know exactly what people need. It drives me crazy. But Joseph does his part and the rest of us do too,” Crew said.

  “The cost of this jet could help a lot of people,” Darla pointed out.

  “Trust me, I’ve heard that before, but this jet does help a lot of people,” Crew told her. “The many hours of labor it took to build it provided jobs. The constant upkeep of it still provides jobs. And this jet is used to bring supplies to families who need them. The Andersons give a lot, and they enjoy the fruits of their labor as well. I think that’s a good thing,” Crew said.

  “You do realize you talk about them as if you aren’t one of them,” she said.

  He laughed. “Yeah, I know. It’s still hard for me to realize I’m a part of the Anderson empire.”

  “Does Joseph treat you differently than the others since you came so much later?” she asked.

  “No, not at all. He treats us as if he’s known us our entire lives. That’s who Joseph is. Whether you’re family or married to family, you’re in his circle and he’s going to be good to you,” Crew said.

  “I liked Joseph from the moment I met him,” Darla said.

  “Good morning, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Winters. Go ahead and buckle up. The skies look friendly this morning so we should have a smooth ride. We have about an eleven-hour flight with one quick refuel in New York. You have Lily with you today to bring you whatever you need. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the friendly skies,” the pilot said with a chuckle.

  “He must’ve worked for an airline before,” Crew said with his own laugh.

  “Eleven hours?” Darla gasped as the jet began to taxi. “Where in the heck are we going?”

  Crew grinned big. “Now that I have you trapped, I can tell you,” he said. “We’re off to Italy.”

  Darla gaped at him as the jet stopped for a moment and then began again, quickly picking up speed. She was unable to talk, opening her mouth and closing it again. They lifted into the air as she stared at Crew, who looked quite pleased with himself.

  “I told you that you weren’t allowed to jet me off to a foreign land,” she finally said.

  “And you’re discovering that I’m not easily ordered about,” he said back.

  “Italy,” she sighed in wonder. She should be furious with the man, but after the last few weeks she’d had with Baily being taken away and rescued, and a father attacking her, and then that stupid man stalking her, she didn’t mind being nearly five thousand miles from home. “I should be mad, but I really want to go,” she finally admitted.

  The grin Crew gave her was enough to melt her inside and out. “I did a lot of research after we talked about your great-great-grandmother. Portofino has everything you could wish for in a small coastal town. We’re going to visit a few other places in Italy too, but unlike Genova or even Milano, Portofino has incredible charm. It’s nestled in the very core of Liguria, one of Italy’s smallest regions.”

  “I think you might’ve researched it more than I have,” Darla told him. “I’m afraid I won’t like it, though, since it won’t be the same place my grams grew up in.”

  “No, everything changes,” Crew told her. “The town went from a quaint fishing village to a playground for the rich and famous, but you have family there and I contacted them with a little help from Brackish. They’re going to show us why it’s such a fantastic place.”

  Darla felt tears sting her eyes. She reached out and cupped Crew’s face. “Do you realize I might never let you go?” she whispered.

  “I’m counting on it,” he told her. He leaned over and kissed her, a sweet, satisfying kiss that made her head a little bit light.

  “Aren’t we supposed to be anguished and afraid we’re making a mistake?” she asked him. He looked confused.

  “I don’t understand,” he finally said after a long silence.

  “Well, I read a lot, and the hero and heroine are always anguished. It’s what makes a good story,” she said.

  Crew blinked at her in confusion for several more moments, and then he leaned back and laughed. When his eyes met hers again, they were full of mirth. “We can write our own romance story,” he said. “And I say that ours is full of light, laughter, and adventure.”

  She grinned right back at him. “I fully agree with you.”

  Lily came out and took their breakfast order.

  “Portofino is on the Mediterranean coastline known as the Italian Riviera. Over the years it transformed from a fishing village to an exclusive holiday destination for those who like both luxury and simplicity,” Darla said.

  “I don’t see how you have luxury and a simple life,” Crew pointed out.

  “Look at the Andersons. They have both. They do crazy, amazing things like jet off to a private island with all of their family and take over. But they also come together and build homes for the poor. They are happy in jeans or Armani suits. I think we can have a balance of luxury and simple,” Darla said.

  “I know. I was just seeing how you felt about it,” Crew told her.

  “You’re such a brat,” she said.

  He kissed her again. “Let’s finish our breakfast and explore the bedroom some more,” he suggested with a waggle of his brows.

  “That sounds just about perfect to me,” she said with a giggle, feeling freer than she had in too long to remember.

  Yep, she was definitely falling in love with Crew Anderson, and she just might know what she was going to do about it.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Darla and Crew landed in Genova about two in the morning and were immediately whisked to a beautiful hotel overlooking the Genova Beach. The harbor city of Genova had been a very important city for thousands of years.

  “It’s so hard for me to imagine these cities have literally been around for thousands of years,” Darla told him as they settled into their room and she immediately went out to the balcony to see and hear the soothing motion and lights on the water.

  “I know what you mean,” Crew told her as he stood behind her, his arms easily wrapping her in a warm embrace. His fingers rested just beneath her breasts and she relished the tingle his touch always evoked. “America is simply a baby. It feels as if it’s been there forever, but we didn’t become a country until 1776.”

  “Even if you consider the early settlements, it’s still only hundreds of years old. I know there were many cities before the Revolutionary War, but most of America was unsettled and pure. There were no huge cites, no skyscrapers, just vast amounts of unsettled land. It was almost tragic to destroy it,” she told him.

  “Progress always causes changes, and some of those changes are really bad in my opinion. I’d be a happy man to never see a skyscraper again,” he told her.

  “I’m surprised to hear you say that,” she said. She was so tired. She’d been too excited about their trip to sleep on the luxurious bed in the beautiful jet. But now that she was in Italy she didn’t want to sleep a single minute. She wanted to experience it all.

  “We can discuss America another time. We’re here now and I think rich Italian history is much more interesting,” he told her. “I was reading that Genova was used by both the Romans and the Etruscans as a harbor, and the city retains architectural elements from both cultures.”

  “I’ve never taken time to develop a fascination for architecture even though my best friend is all about preserving the past,” she admitted. After coming to Italy, she might have to change her mind and study how people designed buildings that would literally stand for thousands of years. It was awe-inspiring.

  “I know more than I should with Noah being an architect, and a brilliant one at that,” Crew told her. “From the time he was little he wanted to create great works of art that would stand the test of time. He has traveled to Italy and Rome a lot. He probably spent half a year here. I’m thinking we need to spend a few months every year for at least the next ten years.”

  His words sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Would they stand the test of time? Would they still be together to come back to the land her family was from? She believed they would.

  “Which part of Genova are we in?” she asked. It had been dark out as their car took them to their hotel.

  “We’re in Nervi, which is about seven kilometers west of Genova’s center. This was once a fishing village on its own, but long ago became a part of Genova. It isn’t the most central area, but I chose it because of the quiet beauty even though we’ll only be here for a day.”

  “I might never leave this country now that you’ve gotten me here,” she warned him as she turned in his arms and looked up at his beautiful face showcased by the full moon. She could see the stars reflecting in his eyes and it made her feel as if they were all alone on the planet, just the two of them in this little slice of paradise.

  “I think I’d be quite happy to leave the hustle and bustle of city life and settle into paradise,” Crew told her as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to their bed. With the gentle breeze blowing in from the open French doors, he made love to her so sweetly she had tears streaming down her face then held her as she fell asleep.

  Darla woke a few hours later to the sun rising in the sky. She didn’t need sleep, she needed to explore this incredible country Crew had whisked her off to. The two of them showered and dressed, then walked hand in hand to the patio of their hotel. They sipped coffee and ate pastries before exploring Genova.

  They took a walk along the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi which meandered along the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. It was spectacular. They had lunch at a small café and laughed as they watched children splashing in the water. Crew carried her bags as she moved in and out of shops, both old and new, searching for perfect gifts to take back to her loved ones. She even found blown glass treasures for the four children who’d changed her life, setting her on a new path.

  She wasn’t sure what that path would yet be, but because of them she knew she could no longer do social work within the confines and rules of the state of Washington. She’d still help children, but she’d do it in a way that impacted their lives in a more positive manner.

  The next day their car transported them to the train station. “I love being a tourist. It’s wonderful,” Darla told him as he hauled two heavy bags behind him. She had two smaller ones. He’d taken hers, and she’d taken his. She’d gotten the better end of that deal, but Crew didn’t seem to mind one little bit.