Always Be True

by Alexis Morgan

  “Like that would’ve kept you from keeping an eye on her.” Jack shook his head and reached for another doughnut. “And I’m guessing she’s smart enough to suspect you were still pulling guard duty.”

  “Probably, although she never complained about it. Maybe that’s a sign she was getting over being pissed at me.”

  A man could hope, anyway. But back to the story. “The kids on our team had something going on at school tonight, so practice got canceled. I was on my way to keep watch anyway when I got caught in a traffic jam. Knowing I wouldn’t get there in time, I called Clarence, the janitor at the center, and asked him to walk out with her. I arrived just in time to see three teenagers attack the pair of them.”

  The images of what came next played out in horrifying slow motion inside his head. “The ringleader went after Clarence with a piece of pipe. Stupid kid got more than he asked for, because Clarence did himself proud fighting back. The second punk waded in, making it two against one while the third guy went after Natalie. She whacked him on the side of his head with her briefcase, but I doubt she did much damage. She’s such a little bit of a thing and no match for someone nearly twice her size.”

  He squeezed his cup hard enough that the lid popped off. Too bad it wasn’t that kid’s neck he had in a death grip. “That asshole smacked her hard and took off with her purse and briefcase. That was right about the time I got there. I disarmed the one with the pipe while Clarence flattened the other one. The police hauled those two off to jail. At least they gave up their buddy, probably hoping to save their worthless asses from doing hard time.”

  He sneered. “Lot of good that’ll do them. The cops have them dead to rights on assault with a deadly weapon, not to mention they admitted in front of multiple witnesses that they were there to rob the computer lab. Not sure how many other charges the cops will come up with, but I hope they throw the book at them.”

  By that point, Jack was looking pretty damn fierce. “Little bastards deserve a good ass-kicking. Better yet, sign them up for boot camp and then see what the army can do to straighten them out.”

  Tino reached for a second doughnut. “The same thought crossed my mind, although maybe it’s too late for those three. There’s more hope for some of the other kids I’ve met at the center. You know, like the ones who helped us restore the basketball court. They have attitude, but they’re basically good kids.”

  Jack paused to take a bite out of his third doughnut. “They reminded me a lot of Ricky back when he was living on the streets and skirting the edge of serious trouble. God knows where he’d be now if he hadn’t wised up and came to live with us. Look at him now—an honor student and making plans for college.”

  Jack’s pride in his adopted son was well deserved. The boy had grabbed hold of the chance he’d been given and worked hard to turn his life around, something he had in common with Jack, Tino, and Mikhail. None of them had had much of a future ahead of them before Joe and Marlene Lukash had taken them in.

  Jack glanced up at the ceiling. “So back to the woman upstairs. What are you going to do about her?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. I have her grandfather’s blessing to try to patch things up with her, but I’m not so sure about how her parents feel about me and their daughter.”

  His brother shrugged. “I’m guessing an ex-soldier with a small construction company wasn’t exactly the kind of guy Caitlyn’s parents envisioned as the ideal husband for their daughter. But as it turns out, all they care about is that I make her happy.”

  So now they’d finally come to the crux of the matter. “Your situation was completely different. You both have jobs you love and a son you love even more.”

  Tino paused to look around the annex. “I’m an ex-soldier living in his mother’s garage. I have no job and no prospects of one. What have I got to offer a woman like Natalie? You’ll see where she lives in the morning when we go change all the locks on her house. Did I mention the kid who stole her stuff has her wallet and keys?”

  His brother waved that aside. “Fine, we’ll take care of the locks. Right now, I’m more interested in why you think you’ve got nothing to offer her. You might not have told her everything about your past, but she knows enough. Are you saying that it bothers Natalie that you’re still figuring out what you want to do next or that it bothers you? That somehow you don’t feel worthy of a woman like her?”

  Jack leaned forward, elbows on the table, his hands clenched in fists. “Because if it’s that last bit, you and I are going to have one of those discussions that leaves both of us bruised and bloody. No one gets to say you aren’t good enough for her.”

  His fists slammed down on the table. “Especially not you, because you should fucking well know better. Didn’t Dad teach you a damn thing? How many times did he say a man’s worth is defined by his character and by his actions, not his bloodline? By what he stands for and against?”

  Yeah, Joe had said those things. Both Jack and Mikhail had good reasons to worry about the gene pools that had spawned them. But in Tino’s case, both of his parents had been good people. He shoved his chair back and stood up. “I’m going upstairs. You can let yourself out.”

  For a big man, Jack was quick on his feet. He planted his stubborn ass between Tino and the steps. “I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’ve got your head on straight. That’s why you called me over here in the first place.”

  Tino glared right back at him. “I needed to talk to someone. Mission accomplished, so leave.”

  “Not happening, little brother. Besides, by the time I get home, I’d just have to turn around and come back here so we can go get the locks and stuff we need to make your woman’s home safe again.”

  Tino wasn’t sure about Natalie being his woman, but he wasn’t going to argue the point right now. Besides, it was a relief to know Jack was going to hang around, not that he’d admit it to the big jerk. “Fine, but I’m sleeping in your room. You can have Mikhail’s or flake out on the couch.”

  “I will.”

  Jack started to move out of the way, but then in a surprise move, he wrapped his huge arms around Tino in one of those awkward man hugs. “I know what you’re feeling for Natalie has sent your world into a tailspin. Been there, done that. But believe me, it’s so worth it.”

  Tino fought his way free from his brother’s grip. “It’s not the same.”

  “Yeah, it is. You just need to figure out what you want to do next before you screw up the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

  At least this time Jack didn’t try to stop him from heading up the steps. When he reached the second floor, he meant to go straight to bed even if it was unlikely he’d actually sleep. Instead, he found himself standing outside of the door to his own room. Moving with great care, he let himself in, planning to stay only long enough to make sure Natalie was sleeping peacefully.

  As he watched over her, Jack’s reminder about Joe’s words of wisdom echoed through his mind. “Dad, I sure wish you were here right now.”

  As soon as he whispered the words, another memory came crashing back. A few days after their father’s passing, the family attorney had informed the three brothers that Joe had entrusted him with three letters, one for each of his sons, to be delivered upon Joe’s death. The lawyer had suggested they hold onto the letters until some point in time when they most needed their father’s advice.

  Evidently that time had come, because right now Tino was stuck at a crossroads with no idea which way to turn. Maybe he should see what Joe had to say.

  He tiptoed across the room to where he’d taped the envelope on the back of a family picture he’d hung on the wall over his desk. On the way back out of the room, he paused by the bed.

  “I love you, Natalie Kennigan.”

  There, he’d said the words and felt better for admitting the truth, even if only to himself. Now, he needed to find a way to quit spinning his wheels and move forward. Because once he figured out who he wanted to be for the res
t of his life, he might just find the courage to see if Natalie might want to share that life with him.

  In the quiet of the room next door, he turned on the small lamp on the bedside table and studied his name on the envelope. “Okay, Dad, here goes.”

  He pulled out his pocketknife and carefully slit open the envelope. He tried telling himself that he was moving slowly to make sure that he didn’t damage the letter, but that was a lie. When Jack had read his own letter last year, he’d said it felt a bit like losing Joe all over again. Tino hadn’t understood the sentiment at the time; now he did. This was the last conversation he and Joe would ever have.

  That didn’t stop him from unfolding the piece of plain white paper covered with Joe’s familiar handwriting. He swiped at his eyes with the hem of his T-shirt because the blur of tears made it nearly impossible to decipher his father’s message. By his third reading, every word in the letter was permanently etched in his memory.

  Dear Tino,

  I’m sorry, but if you’re reading this, it looks like I won’t be there to remind you regularly of how much I love you, son. Always have, always will.

  Having said that, you came to us thinking you had to be perfect to earn your place in our hearts. That somehow you had to fit our image of who you should be. Don’t tell my wife I said this, but my response to that whole idea is to simply say, “That’s bullshit!”

  The truth is that real love and acceptance are freely given and should not have to be earned. You walked in our door and filled our hearts with joy. We might not have given birth to you, son, but you and your brothers gave purpose and real meaning to our lives. It was that simple.

  I get that your experiences before coming to live with us have left you cautious about letting people get too close.

  It’s not your fault that the idiot relatives who took you in after your folks died made you feel as if you weren’t worthy to be part of their family. You should never have had to try to change who you are just to fit in. They were fools with small hearts with no room for anything but their own selfishness. The fault was always theirs, Tino, never yours.

  When you finally meet the right woman, let her see the real you, the man you are meant to be and not some fictionalized, perfect you. If the lady is worthy of your heart, she’ll love you, warts and all. You know, like Marlene loved me.

  You have so much to offer others. Whatever you choose to do with your life, I know you’ll make me proud.

  Love,

  Joe

  The paper was a bit wrinkled by the time Tino finished poring over the letter one last time. He smoothed it out before sliding it back into the envelope. Like Jack, Tino knew he’d just been given his marching orders by their father. Tino needed to get off dead center and figure out what he wanted out of life and how to get it.

  After all, a soldier needed a plan in order to achieve his objective. With that in mind, Tino stretched out on the bed and made a mental inventory of everything that made him happy and gave him a sense of purpose. Natalie was at the top of that list. Once he accepted that much, everything else fell into place.

  Now it was time to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

  Chapter 23

  Natalie came awake slowly as the scent of freshly brewed coffee lured her from the hot dream she’d been enjoying. The details were a bit hazy, but it definitely involved her, Tino Gianelli, and that rug in her living room. As much as she hated leaving her dream world behind, it was time to get moving.

  She opened her eyes to instant confusion. This wasn’t her room and definitely not her bed. A second later, everything came into focus. This was Tino’s bed, and she was wearing Tino’s clothes. Other details from the previous evening flooded back—the fear, the theft, and the police. She bolted upright and waited for her pulse to return to normal. The incident was over and done with. Time to move on.

  It was early, but that was okay. She had a lot to do if she wanted to get to work on time. For starters, she needed to stop by her house to change outfits—no way she was going to show up wearing the same clothes she’d had on the day before, even if Tino had washed them for her. Of course, unless the police had already retrieved her purse, she couldn’t get inside her own house until a locksmith could come out and open the door for her.

  Then there was the dreaded call to her parents to tell them what had happened. They weren’t exactly in the loop when it came to what went on at the foundation or the community center, but she couldn’t risk them finding out on their own. She’d also have to stop by her grandfather’s house. He’d handle the news better once he saw that she was truly all right. Getting there might be a problem. Her car was still at the center, and she didn’t have the keys or money for a cab. She’d already imposed on Tino enough without asking him to chauffeur her all over town.

  It spoke to how frazzled she was that she couldn’t figure out how to fix any of it. Maybe a cup of coffee would help jump-start her brain. She cautiously stepped out into the hall and paused to listen at the door to the next room. The soft rumble of snoring made it clear that her host was still asleep. Tino must have set the timer on his coffeemaker before he went to bed last night.

  After a quick stop in the bathroom, she crept down the stairs, trying not to make any noise. The man had definitely earned his rest. Her to-do list would have to wait until he woke up. For now, she’d help herself to a cup of coffee and then put her clothes in the dryer.

  As it turned out, she wasn’t alone. A complete stranger was making himself at home in the kitchen. She let out a loud squeal before she could help herself. The man spun around to face her, sloshing hot coffee on his hand in the process.

  “Son of a—” He cut the curse off midway through. “Sorry. You startled me.”

  Then he grinned. “So, I’m guessing from the look on your face, Tino didn’t let you know that he asked me to come over last night.”

  He wiped his hand on his jeans before holding it out to her. “I’m Jack McShane, Tino’s smarter and better-looking big brother.”

  She grinned as her hand was swallowed up in his huge one. “Natalie Kennigan.”

  “I figured as much from the way Tino described you, but it pays to be careful.”

  Before she could decide what to make of that, another voice joined the party. “God, Jack, make it sound like I have women over all the time, why don’t you?”

  Neither of them had heard Tino follow her down the steps, or at least she hadn’t. Jack’s smirk said he’d been fully aware of his brother’s approach. “My bad. Sorry, Natalie, but I couldn’t resist jerking his chain a little.”

  While Tino glared at Jack, she studied the two men. Tino had dark, wavy hair and brown eyes, while Jack had bright green eyes and reddish-brown hair. They were close in height, but built along vastly different lines. Then there were the different last names, neither of which were the same as their mother’s.

  Obviously, there was an interesting story behind all of the confusion, one that Tino had yet to share with her. She wouldn’t press for details now, but it was another reminder that they needed to talk about a lot of things, and soon.

  “Look, I’m going to go dry my clothes.”

  Because standing there in Tino’s shirt and shorts felt awkward, especially in front of his brother. Tino finally turned his attention to her. “I dried them last night. They’re folded on top of the dryer.”

  “Great. Well, then, I’ll go get dressed so I can get out of your way.”

  She didn’t make it two steps before she was surrounded by two walls that hadn’t been there two seconds before. With both brothers topping out at over a foot taller than she was, Natalie had to tip her head back at an uncomfortable angle to see their faces.

  “What?”

  Tino answered first. “We need to do something about breakfast for all three of us, so don’t be in too much of a hurry. I can get by skipping a meal, but Jack is a real bear if he doesn’t get fed regularly.”

  She expected Jack to deny
the allegation, but instead he said, “It’s a shortcoming on my part, but he’s right. You can ask my wife when you meet her or even our mom. She’s right next door.”

  Like she was going to go knocking on their mother’s door wearing Tino’s shirt and shorts. She put her hands on her hips and gave each man a hard look. “Okay, guys, what’s really going on? Why the delay tactics?”

  Jack looked over her head at his brother. “It’s only six o’clock. The building supply store doesn’t open until seven.”

  What did that have to do with anything? Oh, wait. Maybe Tino was supposed to help Jack on a project today. “Look, if I’m keeping you from your job, I can call my folks and have one of them pick me up.”

  Tino’s hands came down to rest on her shoulders. “That’s not it at all. We’ll need you with us at the store to pick out the replacement locks for your house and to tell how us many we need. Afterward, we’ll head over to your place and get started on replacing the ones you have.”

  “But I was going to call a locksmith this morning. Besides, haven’t I already taken up enough of your time?”

  She almost got lost in the warmth of Tino’s dark eyes as she waited for him to answer. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. “My time is all yours today, starting with getting the locks taken care of. While we get started on that job, you can check in with the police about your purse and briefcase. Once we know what’s going on, we’ll either go retrieve your stuff or take your spare car keys back to the center to pick up your car. From there, I’ll follow you over to your grandfather’s. He and I have our regular chess game this afternoon, anyway.”

  They have scheduled games? Since when? “You do?”