Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

“Papa.”

She turned to face Luca when she heard his voice.

She had expected to see Luca with his father, sort of bracing herself to meet the man who hadn’t wanted her in his son’s life. What she hadn’t expected was that he’d be alone and staring directly at the man beside her.

The man with the cane.

The man she’d just spent the last few minutes chatting with.

Her breath caught as realization finally settled in.

“Oh, you’re Luca’s father.”

Nick arched one amused brow at her. “You didn’t know? Does my son not take after his old man?”

Sutton’s face flushed.

“No. I didn’t know.”

She turned fully toward him now, awkwardly rising from the bench. “I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

Nick waved a hand easily, still seated. “Don’t be silly. You were kind, and you should never be embarrassed about being kind.”

He reached for his cane and used it to leverage himself upright. Luca stepped forward quickly, automatically steadying him with a light touch, one hand on his father’s elbow.

Nick shook his head but allowed it.

“I told her I’d had surgery. Didn’t say who I was,” Nick said, glancing toward his son. “Your woman is bossy, Luca. I would watch that.”

“She scolded you,” Luca said, shooting Sutton a teasing glance.

Nick chuckled. “She did. Little fire in her, this one.”

Sutton tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You were reaching for your cane. I wasn’t going to just stand around and let you fall on your face.” She hadn’t even known Luca’s father was in the hospital. When the hell had that happened? Wait until she got Luca alone.

back a smile. “That

to her again, his tone more serious now. “You care about people, and it didn’t matter to you that you didn’t know me. That

Then Nick reached for her hand and

are very good to people,” he said softly.

spread across Sutton’s chest at

sigh, “And I’m sorry I judged you without knowing. Or rather, I judged what I thought you were. And caused both you and Luca a great deal of

at the words. She hadn’t expected this first meeting to go

heartbeat,

1/3

Chapter 144

She could see he was happy

kindness without pedigree or

was more than Luca

for short walks, and if I

back,” Luca offered

an eyebrow. “Now you’re acting

must be in shock,” Luca muttered with a

down the hall. She walked with them slowly, lingering as

minute later, an older nurse at the nurse’s station spotted them and came around the corner with a wheelchair, giving Luca a relieved

let us know, Mr. De Santis,”

party.”

Italian under his

your own. I was just about

as he crouched slightly to adjust the footrest beneath the older man’s

alongside them for a step. “I was not alone… My future daughter–in–law had me under control,” Nick

Sutton chuckled. “Behave yourself.”

want to meet my grandson

watchful eye, Luca returned to Sutton, falling into step beside her

helped her lower onto the bed. He set her water bottle out,

chair close, turned

whispered into the

low. “He’s lucky. Very. But yeah. He’s

her again. She wouldn’t say it out loud,

realized.