Special Deliveries: Wanted: A Mother For His Baby: The Nanny Trap / The Baby Deal / Her Real Family Christmas. Kate Hardy

ago Bella had promised herself if she ever married it would be to someone who didn’t want to be tied down with kids. She wanted the freedom to travel, to be spontaneous, to not constantly worry about money. To put herself first.

      The way Blake’s ex-wife had.

      There were many things to criticize about Victoria’s behavior, but sometimes Bella envied the ex-model’s capacity for guilt-free self-indulgence. It would be nice to keep the money Blake was paying her instead of doling it out to her siblings. At the rate things were going back home, would her nest egg still be intact when it came time for the winter trip to the Caribbean?

      “I need to warn you,” Blake said as he stopped the car in front of a house straight out of the Tuscan countryside. “If Sam starts talking about making wine, he will not stop unless you tell him to. I think I mentioned that he’s been obsessed with wine as long as I’ve known him. The same thing goes for growing grapes.”

      “But we’re here to visit his winery.” Bella stepped out of the car and stretched. The drive had taken a little less than an hour, but their conversation hadn’t been an easy one and all her tension had sunk deep in her muscles. “Won’t he expect us to be interested in it?”

      Before Blake could answer, the front door opened and a woman appeared. While Bella unfastened Drew’s car seat, the leggy redhead threw her arms around Blake.

      “How wonderful to see you,” she cried. “And you brought Drew.”

      “Julie, this is Bella.”

      “What a pleasure to meet you,” Julie said.

      Bella couldn’t help but like the woman’s energy. “Likewise.”

      “Where’s Sam?” Blake asked as Julie coaxed a smile from a suddenly shy Drew.

      “Do you really need to ask?” Julie hitched her head toward a group of buildings. “Why don’t you go say hello and tell him lunch will be served in fifteen minutes. Bella, Drew and I will go get acquainted.”

      Julie led Bella around the house to a shady patio where several wicker chairs had been placed to take advantage of the views of the surrounding gardens and the acres of neatly planted grapes.

      “I can’t get over how beautiful it is,” Bella exclaimed. “It looks just like the pictures I’ve seen of Italy. How big is your property?”

      “About a hundred acres. Fifty-five of it is planted with grapes. The rest is pasture and my training facilities.”

      “Blake mentioned you train horses. How long have you been doing that?”

      “Professionally for about five years, but I grew up competing in dressage and eventing. It was Sam’s idea. I don’t know if Blake mentioned to you how obsessed my husband is about his wine.”

      “He said Sam would talk my ear off if I let him.”

      Julie laughed. “That he will. Before he and I got married, I was worried how I was going to keep myself occupied. I don’t share my husband’s passion for grapes and fermenting. Sam suggested I open a training facility and then found us a vineyard with a large stable, riding ring and extensive paddocks. Our activities couldn’t be more different, and yet somehow it feels as if we’re working together.”

      “It sounds like a perfect arrangement.”

      Julie’s blissful expression gave Bella a momentary pang. This was the sort of harmony her parents shared. Dad was in charge of the fields and the livestock. Mom looked after the heart and soul of the farm: her husband and her children. Together they kept the farm running and the family solid. Resentment over her parents’ decision to have so many children had kept Bella from recognizing how well they worked together. Sure, her brothers and sisters had complained about wearing hand-me-downs and having to share toys and electronic devices, but there was no question they’d all grown up in a loving household.