The Man, The Ring, The Wedding

by Patricia Thayer

  He took it “That was a fast response.”

  “Rafe was working on this long before you came to town. I think you’ll like the ideas he’s come up with.”

  John opened the file and studied the first page.

  Angelina stood next to him and caught the subtle fragrance of his musk cologne. She was reminded of the last time they were this close. She felt her heart accelerate and quickly gathered her strength and concentrated on business.

  “As you can see, I created a chart to reflect the cost for materials and labor, floor by floor. So it will be easier to make any changes or additions you would like.” She stepped back as he continued to read it.

  “This is good. Very thorough, Angelina.” He closed the file. “Have you had a chance to work up a report on your ideas?”

  “Why, yes. I just wasn’t sure if you were serious.”

  He looked stern. “When you get to know me better, you’ll realize I never kid about business.”

  She wondered if John Rossi let anyone get close on a personal level—or was he all business. She opened her briefcase again and took out another file. “Neither do I.” She handed him her four-page report. “I discussed some of my ideas with my brothers—only to see if they were structurally possible.”

  He gave her a hint of a smile. “You’ve been busy.”

  “I take my career very seriously.”

  He glanced over her file. “I’m impressed.”

  She should have been pleased, but she’d been hoping they could look over some of the proposals now. “The computer makes things easier. If you have any questions...”

  The sound of footsteps coming down the staircase caused Angelina to pause. She looked up to find Gus Norton from Norton Construction Company. Oh no. She fought back a groan as he walked toward her and John.

  The moment Gus saw her he grinned. “Well, well, if it isn’t Signorina Angelina.”

  “Hello, Mr. Norton.” Angelina forced herself to be civil and not announce that Gus Norton was a terrible builder, not to mention a jerk. He had continued to spread rumors about her father, even after his name had been cleared.

  “Now, come on, little Lina, we’ve known each other long enough to be on a first-name basis.”

  She turned to John. “I better go, Mr. Rossi. Just let us know your decision.”

  “So your brothers are turning in a bid, too.” Gus’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure glad you got that mess with your daddy all cleared up. ’Course, he did look mighty guilty for a long time.”

  Angelina glared at Gus. “Don’t you dare say a word about my father....”

  John cut her off. He stepped between her and the contractor, his eyes fixed, his voice steady, but Angelina could see his hands clenched into fists. “I want to thank you for stopping by, Mr. Norton, but I won’t be needing your services after all.”

  Gus looked confused. “But I haven’t given you my bid.”

  “I repeat, there will be no need,” John said, remaining steady and cool.

  Gus’s gaze went from John to Angelina. “Oh, I get it.” He grinned nastily. “Well, I guess I can’t compete with what she’s offering you.”

  It happened in a split second. John grabbed Gus by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall before Norton realized what had happened.

  “Look, you piece of scum,” John hissed in a low voice. “I wouldn’t hire anyone who insults a lady in my presence. And if you think you’re not getting the job because Angelina has something special, well she does—her ideas and her brothers’ talent. They have some very good ideas on how to restore this hotel. So far, from you, I’ve heard nothing. I think it would be wise for you to leave.” John released him. “Harry, show him the door.”

  “My pleasure, Mr. Rossi,” the security guard said, taking Gus by the arm and escorting him out the door.

  John turned to Angelina. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Seeing her fighting tears, he said, “Ah, cara. Don’t waste your time over someone like him.”

  Angelina shook her head. “I’m not. It’s what he said about my father. He wasn’t guilty,” she insisted. “His name was cleared. But it still won’t go away.”

  John reached out and caressed her face. “Shh, Angelina. It doesn’t matter what that creep said. I know Rafaele Covelli was innocent of all charges,” he whispered.

  She looked up at him, her eyes watery. “You do?”

  “Yes, I do,” he murmured.

  Then John lowered his head to hers, and Angelina realized he was dangerously close. So close he could kiss her, and she wasn’t going to stop him.

  But Harry returned. “Mr. Rossi, Mr. Norton is gone, and I told him not to return or I’d call the police.”

  With his gaze never leaving Angelina, John said, “Thank you, Harry.”

  “Let’s go somewhere to get some fresh air,” John suggested. He noticed Angelina’s panic and smiled. “You can stop worrying, Ms. Covelli. I just want to talk.”

  There was nothing wrong with just talking, Angelina decided. She nodded. “I know a place.”

  Angelina directed John four blocks to the city park. In silence, they walked through a grove of large maple trees whose leaves were all but gone from the branches. Although the sun was out, autumn was quickly turning into winter.

  They continued their leisurely stroll until they reached the fountain. A cherubic angel looked heavenward from the top and water should have trickled down into a round pool below, but the fountain had been shut off for the winter.

  Pulling up the collar on her wool jacket to ward off the chill, Angelina sat on the concrete edge. “My dad used to bring me here when I was a little girl. He said he named me Angelina because when I was born, I looked like an angel.” She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “Silly, isn’t it? But it’s something I keep in my heart.” She sighed. “Dad’s been gone two and a half years.”

  John nodded and put his hands into his jacket pockets. “I know. As policy, Rossi International checks out all companies submitting a bid on every project. I learned all about the trouble you had getting his name cleared after the construction accident.” He sat down beside her. “It must have been hard on your family.”

  She looked at him. “There was never a question about my dad’s innocence. Not with us. We knew he’d never use substandard materials on a job. But to exonerate him we had to find the person who did. And thanks to a private investigator everything got solved.”

  “Who did do it?”

  “The son of a lumberyard owner. He was a drug addict and needed money to support his habit so he sold low-grade materials at top dollar, passing them off as premium goods. He’s in jail now, serving a ten-year sentence for manslaughter. He’ll probably get out on parole in a few years.”

  For some reason, John wished he could ease her pain. Strange, he hadn’t even known Rafaele Covelli. But he was getting to know his daughter... too well. “Can you handle that?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing can bring Dad back. And Dad wouldn’t want us to make our lives miserable.”

  “That’s a good attitude, but it may not always be easy to stick to,” John said.

  “Well, we’ve had years of practice with the curse.”

  “Curse?”

  She nodded. “For over fifty years there’s been a curse on our family. It started in the Second World War when Nonna was promised to one man, but was in love with another...my grandfather, Enrico Covelli.” Angelina shrugged. “The family of the man who was left at the altar put a curse on my grandparents. Ever since, Nonna has prayed that it would somehow end. Whenever something bad happens she feels she’s to blame for it.”

  John tensed. “Do you believe in this curse?”

  Angelina stared down into the fountain as the wind lifted her hair. “On bad days, it’s easy to use it as an excuse. But I don’t think that my father died because of a curse. Or Justin...” Her voice trailed off, just as John wanted her to tell him who this Justin was.

  Suddenly she was smiling again.
“There’s also been so many wonderful things that have happened to our family. Like Rick striking it rich in the Texas oil fields and returning home after so many years. Both Rick and Rafe finding love. The success of Mom’s restaurant. The carpentry business coming back around.”

  He loved the way her eyes sparkled. How her mouth lifted at the corners. How she chewed on her bottom lip when she was nervous. “Sounds like the Covelli family is doing well. So you have everything you want?”

  “Oh, there’s always more to want.”

  He knew all about wanting, he thought as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a coin and handed it to her. “Then wish for it.”

  She looked at him, then down at the quarter. “Boy, wishes cost a lot these days.”

  “Inflation. Come on, make your wish.”

  “I’m not a child, John. I don’t believe things happen that easily. Besides, there isn’t any water in the fountain.”

  “Details.” He waved a hand. “Maybe it is that easy, and we only make it hard. What’s the harm in asking?”

  She hesitated, then finally smiled. “Okay, I’ll make a wish, but you have to make one, too.”

  At this moment he’d do about anything she asked. “Sure.” He slid his hand into his pocket for another coin. “On the count of three. One, two, three.” Both coins arched into the empty concrete pond with a clanging sound.

  “What was your wish?”

  “Oh, I can’t tell you.”

  “Sure you can,” he pressed.

  “It won’t come true,” she argued.

  “That’s only when you blow out candles on a birthday cake,” he prodded. “Okay, then I’ll go first.”

  He gripped her shoulders and turned her toward him. “It’s this.”

  John bent and pressed his mouth to hers. Heat pulsed through his veins as he finally tasted the lips that had haunted him the last three nights, making sleep a fading memory.

  When she yielded as if she’d been wanting the same thing, his hand gently cupped the back of her neck. She made a whimpering sound and parted her lips so he could deepen the kiss. Another jolt raced through him. Nothing had ever felt so right ... and so wrong. But he refused to think of the consequences. He had Angelina in his arms.

  Slowly, he released her. They were both breathing hard, unable to ignore the reaction the kiss had sparked. “That’s what I wished for,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why? We both wanted it.”

  She stood. “That doesn’t make it right. My family wants to do business with Rossi International.”

  “Then there isn’t a problem, because I decided to award the Grand Haven renovation to Covelli and Sons.”

  Angelina’s excitement was overshadowed by what had just happened between them. How could she have let John Rossi kiss her? She hadn’t kissed any man since Justin. Suddenly her anger took over “If you think I let you kiss me because I was trying to get the contract....”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted the contract.”

  “I do—we do. It’s just that the kiss was inappropriate. It shouldn’t have happened.”

  “As I recall you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

  Darn him. “But you caught me off guard.” The excuse sounded lame, but it was all she could come up with.

  “Whatever you say. I’m still awarding the contract to your brothers.”

  “But I don’t want you to think...that what happened between us was meant to influence you.”

  “You mean that you were trying to seduce me to get the job?”

  “No! You kissed me, remember.”

  “Exactly. It was just a kiss, Angelina. And believe me, I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I let a pretty woman sway my business decisions. Of course, if you think your brothers should turn down the offer, I know that Gus Norton would be more than willing to take the job.”

  “You wouldn’t,” she gasped. “He’ll do a cut-rate job.”

  John stood up. “That’s just the reason I’m giving the job to your brothers. Because I know they’re the best. Remember, I’ve spent several hours talking with them and I’ve seen their work. I always keep my professional and personal lives separate.”

  “I thought you didn’t have time for a personal life,” she challenged, knowing a man as good-looking as John Rossi had to have women after him.

  He smiled. “Did anyone ever tell you you have a smart mouth?”

  “No,” she lied.

  He turned serious. “Okay, here’s the facts. I’m not giving this job away to just anyone. There’s a lot of money involved and I trust that Rick and Rafe will restore the Grand Haven back to what it looked like at the turn of the century.”

  Angelina suddenly was excited. Covelli and Sons had gotten the job. Now she could move on, too. “I think it would be nice if you would tell them.”

  “Sure.”

  “Good, then come to the house for dinner tonight.”

  “Fine, I have no problem with that. I’ll also look over your proposal.”

  Here came the touchy part. But she had to set ground rules. “I have another request.”

  “You can’t kiss me ever again.”

  That evening John walked up the steps to the Covelli home just as the sun was setting. The old Victorian structure had been immaculately restored in a quiet neighborhood on Sycamore Street not far from downtown.

  He almost hadn’t come. This whole thing with Angelina had gotten out of hand. All he wanted to do was restore a hotel, but he found himself lusting after a woman he never should have gotten anywhere near. Worse, she wasn’t even his type. Angelina Covelli had marriage and family written all over her.

  That kiss had been the biggest mistake. Now he knew what she tasted like, how soft her lips were. He liked the fiery sensations she caused in him ... a lot. Too much. He had to find a way to stay away from her during the next four weeks.

  This was an expensive undertaking and he planned to make money once they finished the hotel. Right now he needed to get the renovation started before he was due back in New York to meet his grandfather. He needed to clear his head of all distractions—the main one being Angelina Covelli.

  He had to stay on track, he thought as he pressed the bell.

  Soon the big carved oak door opened and Maria Covelli appeared.

  “Buona sera, John.” She grasped his hand.

  “Buona sera, Signora Covelli.”

  “Please, call me Maria.” She escorted him inside. Maria was only in her fifties, a petite, attractive woman whose beauty was in her smile and big brown eyes.

  He was ushered into the living room where the Covelli men had assembled.

  “John, good to see you again,” Rick said as he came across the room carrying a small blond boy who looked to be about two. John thought he looked about the same age as Luigi, his grandfather’s vineyard foreman’s child.

  “Thanks for having me. Who’s this little guy?” Rick glanced at the boy in his arms. “This is my son, Lucas.”

  “Hi, Lucas,” John said.

  “Hi,” Lucas said shyly, then buried his head in his dad’s chest. Rafe came up beside them. “Lucas takes a little while to warm up to strangers. But by dinner you’ll be like a member of the family.”

  Cousin Tony walked into the group. “There are several of us who have been adopted unofficially over the years. Hi, John, how are you doing?”

  John shook Tony’s outstretched hand. “Great, but I’m going to put on some serious pounds if I keeping eating your aunt’s and grandmother’s cooking. I need to start running again.”

  “Hey, I go out most every morning. Pass right by the apartment to the park and back. If I can nudge Lina out of bed, she goes, too. If you like we could meet.”

  An image of a blue-eyed woman tousled with sleep, her long black hair mussed, appeared in his head. John swallowed back a groan, feeling his body come alive. “Sure, how about tomorrow morning?”

&nb
sp; “Fine. I’ll leave here about six, be outside your apartment ten after.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  “If I’m a little late, it’ll probably be because Lina decided to come.”

  “Come where?”

  Both men turned to see Angelina enter the room. Her hair was pulled back from her face with gold clips and rested in soft curls against her shoulders. She was wearing a bright blue sweater and a pair of dark slacks.

  Tony spoke. “John and I are going running in the morning. Want to come?”

  She gave it a moment’s thought. “What time?”

  “Six.”

  “Forget it.”

  “What’s the matter,” John asked, “can’t keep up with the guys?”

  Angelina shot a glare at John Rossi. Why was he suddenly goading her? Well, two could play. She gave his perfectly pressed new jeans and green polo shirt the once-over. She wouldn’t mind seeing him sweat a little. “Oh, I can keep up.” She turned to Tony. “I’ll be ready.”

  Looking surprised, her cousin nodded. “I’ll meet you at the back door.” He turned to John. “Angelina ran track in high school, even broke a few school records.”

  John looked impressed. “What were your events?”

  “The eight- and sixteen-hundred meters.”

  His brown eyes held hers. “I was a sprinter in college. It’ll be interesting to see how well we’ve stayed in shape.”

  Tony walked away, mumbling something about being left in the dust.

  “We could jog over to the high school and run on the track there,” Angelina suggested, wondering where her sanity had gone. She knew she’d been able to keep up with her brothers and cousin. But something told her she would never be able to keep up with John Rossi, and she wasn’t thinking about a trip around a track.

  “Sounds good,” John said, “but I have to warn you, I haven’t run in a while.”

  Angelina didn’t believe a word of it. He was in great shape, and he was going to waste her. Bad. “I haven’t, either.”

  Tony returned clutching three glasses of wine. “Let’s drink to a little friendly competition,” he said as he passed out the drinks, then raised his glass. “Salute!”