The Man, The Ring, The Wedding

by Patricia Thayer

“Salute!” they answered together.

  Angelina took a long drink. She had to be crazy for agreeing to this. She’d already gotten too close to the man—a man her family planned to do business with. For the next month, they would practically be working side by side. And she had to think about the future, a future she hoped would be with Rossi International.

  John took a drink, then asked for everyone’s attention. “If I may, I’d like to make another toast.”

  Rick and Rafe gathered with their wives as Maria and Vittoria came into the room. “First of all I’d like to thank you, Maria and Vittoria, for having me to dinner.” He raised his glass. “Here’s to the successful renovation of the Grand Haven. And it gives me pleasure to announce that Rossi International has decided to award the job to Covelli and Sons.”

  Angelina stood back and watched her brothers whoop and holler. They shook John’s hand, then began tossing questions at him. She almost felt sorry for the man, but he was saved when Nonna Vittoria announced that dinner was ready and no business was to be discussed during the meal.

  It was the usual Covelli get-together, plenty of food and loud conversation. Angelina noticed how lost John seemed in all the commotion. By the time dessert came, he looked ready to bolt from the room. Finally, Angelina stood and asked him if he’d like to step outside for a breath of fresh air. Rafe glared at her, but she didn’t care. She escorted John from the table.

  “I believe it’s the guys’ turn to do the dishes,” Angelina tossed over her shoulder as they left the room and went out the front door. Once on the porch, they strolled silently toward the side porch.

  She took one of the chairs and sighed. “My family is a little talkative. I’ll just sit here and not say a word.”

  He rested a hip against the railing and stretched out his feet in front of him. “That’s quite a group in there.”

  “We take a little getting used to.”

  “I guess I’m not used to being in the middle of so much family. I was an only child.”

  Seeing his loneliness, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him. “You must have been lonely.”

  He looked up at the moon. “I was when I was little. My parents died when I was ten.”

  Angelina gasped. “Oh, John, I’m so sorry.”

  He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I came to New York to live with my father’s parents. Grandfather Rossi began grooming me for the corporate life.”

  “Did you have any cousins to play with?”

  He shook his head. “No, both my parents were only children. But I got to spend the summers with my other grandparents in Italy. There were a lot of kids around then, children of men and women who worked at the vineyard.”

  Angelina sighed, knowing too well what it was like to lose someone. “It’s rough to lose your parents so young. I remember how difficult it was when I lost my dad, but at least I had my family there for me.”

  He looked at her. “You can’t miss what you’ve never had.”

  There was such sadness in his voice. “Did you ever wish you had brothers or sisters?”

  “Maybe a long time ago. But I learned we don’t always get what we want.”

  Angelina’s thoughts turned to Justin, remembering fondly what a perfect life they had planned together. She shook away the memories and turned her attention back to John.

  “So I guess it’s up to you to carry on the Rossi bloodline.”

  His surprised look made her realize how personal she’d been with her statement. “I mean, with no other siblings or cousins. I guess if you want a large family, then you’ll have to do it all...” She groaned, feeling her face burning. “I mean...”

  He grinned, then finally laughed. “I know what you mean, Angelina. But maybe you should stop before you dig yourself a deeper hole.”

  Smiling, she stood and walked to the railing. “Maybe it’s safer if we change the subject.” She found she was easily tongue-tied around this man. She needed to get on a safer subject. “I want to thank you for giving us the job. I don’t want what happened between us today...”

  “If you’re talking about the kiss again, I told you it had nothing to do with my decision.” More and more he wished Angelina had nothing to do with his ulterior motive for being in Haven Springs. What would she think of him when she discovered who he was?

  She grew serious. “It’s important that we keep this business.”

  “It’s already forgotten,” he lied as his gaze went to her mouth. A mouth he’d tasted once and quickly discovered that once wasn’t enough. “We only shared a pleasant kiss.” He stood in front of her.

  “That’s all,” she agreed.

  “Then don’t act like I’m committing a crime whenever I get near you.”

  John turned and stepped off the porch. “Good night,” he called.

  Once Angelina discovered he was the grandson of Giovanni Valente, the man who had caused the curse to be laid on her family, then she’d have reason to see more than just his kisses as a threat.

  Chapter Four

  Angelina groaned as she did her stretching exercises. She hated getting up; the only thing worse was a morning without coffee, and she knew she couldn’t have any until after her run. She pulled on a pair of black stretch pants and a baggy sweatshirt over a long-sleeved shirt. It was too cold to run, she argued, but she found herself coming down the steps and into the kitchen. After grabbing a bottle of water, she walked by a smiling Tony waiting for her just inside the back door.

  “What are you so happy about this morning?”

  “I was wondering if I should take a picture of this moment. You’re actually on time.”

  She gave him a friendly punch in the stomach, then they hurried out the door into the dim morning light. They took off at a slow pace and headed down the street toward town. All the while, Angelina wondered why she was doing this. She could see her breath. Besides, she needed to show John Rossi her business skills, not her running ability. But somehow the man seemed to bring out her competitive side. She had always tried to keep up with her brothers in every way, and even lately, things hadn’t changed. This wasn’t just a friendly run. She wanted to show John she could keep up and do the job—any job.

  They reached the alley, and found John Rossi bracing his leg against a step and doing stretching exercises. He wasn’t immune to the cold morning; he had on a sweatshirt and sweatpants, too. With a nod, he joined them. Tony led the way through town to the park, then started across the street. As the high school appeared, so did Angelina’s nervousness.

  Tony suddenly stopped and grabbed his leg with a loud groan.

  “What’s the matter?” She ran back to him.

  “It’s my damn hamstring again.” He winced as he tried to walk it off. “Sorry, John. Looks like I’m out of commission for a few days.”

  “No problem.” John said. “Need some help to get back home?”

  He shook his head. “I can handle it if I take it slow back to the house. No sense in spoiling your run.”

  “No, we should all go back together,” Angelina argued. After what had happened at the fountain, she didn’t want to be alone with John.

  “What’s the matter, Lina,” her cousin said, “Afraid you can’t handle some competition?”

  Angelina wanted to wipe the grin off Tony’s face. “Fine, hobble home if you want,” she murmured as she walked by him. “Then after your leg heals, I’ll make you pay for getting me up this early.”

  Tony patted John’s back. “Be careful. She’s fiercely competitive. Don’t let her fool you with her compact size. Angelina holds school records.” He turned and started his walk back to the house.

  John looked at Angelina. She was wearing a Haven Springs Track Team sweatshirt. “This is just an easy ran, right?”

  She smiled. “Sure, but we don’t have to run. This was all Tony’s idea.”

  “Since we’re here.” He kept walking toward the track. “I could use the exercise.”

  “So could I. May
be just once or twice around.”

  She began some stretching exercises and John was drawn to her nicely shaped legs. This girl worked out, he thought, appreciating the smooth, toned muscles of her calves and thighs. “You ready?” she asked.

  John forced his attention to her face. “Sure.”

  They stepped onto the track and began to jog to the starting line. There were faint lines where lanes had once been marked. “You should take the inside lane.”

  She tossed him a smile. “Since your legs are twice as long as mine, I’ll take it.” This was foolish, but John was competitive enough not to back down “Twice around the track. That should even out the advantage a little.”

  John figured he could handle that. Of course he hadn’t been challenged on a run since college.

  They both stopped and got into the starting position, then John called out, “Go.”

  Angelina took off, but John started out faster. She kept up around the first turn, then realized that he was baiting her. She needed to stay close, but not to burn out. Dropping back to her normal pace, she watched her rival, yet didn’t lose any more ground. In her position right behind him, she had a great view of his smooth easy style, his long legs, his nicely toned rear end.

  They finally made it once around the oval track and Angelina knew it was time to start making her move. Lengthening her stride, she picked up her pace and began to catch up with him. Not daring to look to her side, she concentrated on keeping focused on the race, but she could hear his breathing and feel his presence. John was a tall man, muscular but graceful, and he ran effortlessly beside her.

  Two hundred meters to go; she could feel the pain in her legs and her lungs burned. She remembered what her coach had told her, The wall is there, but work through it. Just focus on the finish line. She did.

  John watched as a graceful Angelina began to move past him, giving him a great view of her cute little bottom. They were coming out of the last turn, heading for the stretch and he was laboring badly. Hell, she was good, and obviously driven to win. Then Angelina suddenly stumbled and went down on the hard track. She let out a cry.

  Panic surged through him as he stopped and went to her.

  She grimaced with pain as he knelt down beside her. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just great.” Tears filled her eyes.

  He carefully checked the torn pants that revealed her skinned knees. His hands moved down to her leg and she jumped.

  “Relax, Angelina,” he said soothingly. “Did you hurt anything else?”

  “No, I just got a little skinned up.” She bit down on her lip.

  John checked out her arms and found her sweatshirt torn at the elbow. “Looks like you left a few layers of skin on the track. Maybe I should take you to the doctor.”

  “No, I’ll never live it down if Tony finds out Besides, I did worse damage when I fell out of my brothers’ treehouse when I was ten,” she said. “I’ll just go home and clean my wounds.” She tried to get up.

  John stopped her. “I’m not going to let you walk all the way home. You cracked your knee hard enough to tear your clothes.” He swiped his hand over his face. “Damn. This is all my fault.”

  “Why? We were both running all out,” she said.

  John could see the sweat on her upper lip. Strands of damp hair plastered against the sides of her face. She still looked beautiful. “The apartment is only a few blocks. At least you can get cleaned up before Tony sees you. Then I can drive you home.” Ignoring her stubbornness, John helped her stand. He placed his arm around her shoulders and they started the slow walk toward town.

  It took a while, but they managed to make it to the storefront alley before seven when the streets became crowded with people leaving for work.

  John unlocked the back door and allowed Angelina inside. At the stairs she grimaced but started the climb. Before she could protest, John scooped her up in his arms and carried her the short flight. Her arms came around his neck and all she could do was hold on.

  Upstairs he set her down and unlocked the door. “I never should have agreed to a race.” He tried to hide a smile. “If I had known how good you were, I would have changed my mind. As you saw I had trouble keeping up.”

  “I also lied,” she admitted. “I’ve been running the past two weeks. It’s a good thing too—your legs are miles longer than mine.” She grinned, “But I was going to beat you.”

  “You’re brutal on the male ego.”

  “Like your ego needs stroking, Mr. Successful Corporate Executive.” Her blue eyes widened. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, John. I didn’t mean to say that. I mean... since I work for you.”

  Smiling, he directed her to a chair at the kitchen table and made her sit down. “Don’t worry about it.” He went to the refrigerator, then pulled out some ice. “I like a person who speaks their mind. Besides, right now we aren’t working. And the accident was still my fault.” He came back to the table and gently placed the bag of ice on her knee. “This should help the swelling.”

  Angelina’s hand covered his. “And I told you that you didn’t cause my fall. To my grandmother’s dismay, I’ve competed with my brothers since I was a child. She’s been hoping I’d outgrown my tomboy tendencies by now.”

  “And she wants you to cook?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you run in college?”

  There was the sad look again. “I did the first two years.” Her eyes had a faraway look, as if she were remembering a difficult time in her life. “I kind of lost my desire. I decided to concentrate on my degree and a career.”

  “And you seem to be doing a good job. Your family business is thriving.”

  “Thanks to you giving us the hotel job. But it’s time I moved on. Away from my brothers. I need my own space...my own life.”

  John knew that Angelina had been relentless about going after the hotel bid. She’d convinced Mark to read their company resume. His assistant had been impressed and had brought it to John. That’s when he had first seen the Covelli name and wondered if they were the same family that had come from Tuscany, Italy.

  John began his quest. It was an obsession—to find and meet the family who had caused his grandfather so much pain. Now, with one look at Angelina, he realized that he was getting too close. She had had him distracted since the first time they’d met.

  He removed the ice, then lifted the stretch fabric away from her scratches to examine the bloody wounds that marred her legs.

  “I hope you don’t keep having these accidents every time we get together.”

  “I promise I won’t do any running in the hotel.”

  John caught the twinkle in her mesmerizing eyes. Eyes that had haunted him since the second he’d met her. He ached to touch her soft skin, to taste that sweet mouth of hers again. All at once, his common sense returned and he stood. “Your brother has some bandages in the bathroom medicine cabinet. I’ll be right back.” He went into the bedroom.

  Angelina let out a long breath and sank back into the chair. The burning in her legs was forgotten as she concentrated on slowing her pounding heart. What was she doing with this man? She wanted an opportunity for a job with Rossi International, and their relationship was definitely not headed in that direction.

  Justin had been the only man she had ever seriously cared for. But the thought of John’s gentle touch, the kiss they’d shared in the park clouded her reason. Soon feelings of betrayal engulfed her. No. This couldn’t happen. Panic rushed through her and she realized she had to get away from John—from temptation. She stood and, ignoring the pain in her legs, hurried out the door.

  John returned from the bathroom to find Angelina gone. Damn, what was she doing? He dumped the medical supplies on the table and had started after her when his phone rang.

  “The hell with her stubbornness,” he said. “Let her get home on her own.”

  He grabbed the phone. “Rossi here.”

  “Well, you’re in a cheerful mood this morning.”

&nb
sp; John couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his secretary’s voice.

  “You know, Donna, unless I see your face first thing every day, life’s just not the same.”

  There was a snorting sound over the phone. “No wonder you haven’t had a date in months,” she said. “You really should work on your lines, John. Maybe take a few lessons from Nonno Giovanni.”

  “If you’re wise you won’t believe a word he says.”

  “I don’t, only half of it.” She sighed. “The man is so charming.”

  John knew that over the years, his grandfather and Donna had developed a long-term relationship over the phone. In a few weeks, he hoped, they would finally get to meet. “Did you just call to tell me my shortcomings, or can’t the office survive without me?”

  “I’ve got Mark handling things just fine.”

  He grinned. “I bet you do. So what else is going on I should know about?”

  “Just that the stockholders’ meeting has been pushed up to late tomorrow afternoon.”

  John frowned. “Damn. I thought we had till Friday to prepare. I just awarded the contract to Covelli and Sons. I wanted a few days to get things moving. Why the change?”

  “Mrs. Rossi couldn’t make it Friday. She wants to fly down to Palm Beach earlier than planned.”

  “Let me guess, she contacted all the other stockholders and demanded the meeting be pushed forward. So she wants a little power struggle,” he murmured. His grandmother was the largest stockholder in the company since Grandfather Rossi had died five years ago and left John as CEO. They’d never gotten along, even when he’d been a small boy. Maybe she could never love another child after her only son had been killed in the automobile accident. Now, she had to let him know that she still controlled things.

  “Should I send the plane?” Donna asked.

  John sighed, but his mind wasn’t on business. Had Angelina made it home yet? “Yes, have Gene waiting at the airport by eleven. Tell Mark to have the legal department draw up the renovation contract for Covelli and Sons, then overnight courier it to me. I want everything signed before I leave for New York tomorrow morning.”