I glanced down at the cup beside him, still full. That was unusual. Our nonna’s espresso was the stuff of legends, strong and dark and rich, and like crack to me and Nick.
Before I could ask, I heard my grandfather muttering curses in Italian from behind the coffee counter. Nick’s warning now made sense. Nonno’s skills weren’t quite up to our grandmother’s level.
“Where’s Nonna Maria?”
“With Great-aunt Florence. Flo fell and broke her hip, so Nonna’s staying with her, helping with the cleaning and cooking and such.”
Another curse sounded from the left, this one particularly explicit, if you knew Italian. Nick and I chuckled.
“He’s having a hard time of it, huh?”
“Yeah. I tried to help, but apparently, I’m no more of a barista than he is.”
I thought of how many customers my grandmother’s coffee and homemade baked goods drew in. “How long is she going to be gone?”
“A couple weeks at least.”
“Well, that’s not good.”
“Know anyone who can make a decent cup of coffee?”
My mind immediately went to Haven. She would be perfect.
I wondered what Nonno would think of Haven. He was a notorious matchmaker and loved to play Cupido. He was the one who had told Nick straight-up that Kat was the one for him the first time he had seen her.
Unfortunately, Haven already had a job, but maybe she would be willing to pick up a couple hours here each morning after her shift at Lindelman’s. I had to admit that I liked the idea.
“I might.”
Nick stared at me, then the corner of his mouth began to curl in a knowing smirk. “You might, huh? That look on your face says a whole lot more than that, Vinnie. You’ve been holding out on me.”
I shifted my weight. “It’s not like that.”
He tilted his head and considered me thoughtfully. “But you want it to be, don’t you?”
“Is that my brother Nicholas talking, or Nick Penn?” Nick Penn was my brother’s nom de plume, the one under which he wrote his steamy romance novels.
His smile widened. “Both. You have to bring her in, Vin. Introduce her to Nonno.” A crash sounded from the left, followed by more cursing. Nick reached for his cup, then grimaced. “Not only will you find out if she’s the one for you, you’ll be saving us all.”
Chapter Seven: Haven
“What are you doing here?” Joel blinked at me as I shuffled into the kitchen after a few hours of sleep.
I looked as if I had just rolled out of bed, because I had. In all the excitement yesterday, I hadn’t had a chance to tell him I had lost my job at the café.
I fixed myself a cup of coffee. “I live here.”
“I know that.” He scowled. “I mean, why aren’t you getting ready for work at the café? Did they change your hours or something?”
“Or something.”
Joel narrowed his eyes. “You quit? I thought you said those suits were good tippers.”
I shrugged. I had said that, and they were. The hourly wage hadn’t been much, so I had depended on those tips for extras, like school supplies and covering the massive grocery bill we had each week. Teenage boys ate a lot.
His scowl deepened. “Were you fired, Haven? Because of me?”
“No, I was fired because Francis Franklin is an ass. He was just looking for an excuse to get rid of me so he could hire his niece.”
He paused, putting the pieces together. “And you having to come to the police station yesterday gave him that excuse.”
I said nothing. I didn’t have to.
“Fuck, Haven!” he cursed. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here. I should have let them put me in foster care. I’ll be eighteen soon, and then I won’t be a burden on anyone.”
“First of all, watch your language, or I’ll be putting dish soap in your next cup of coffee. And secondly, I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. You’re my brother.”
“Half-brother.”
“Brother. We’re family, and family needs to stick together when things get rough.”
He laughed, but it was a sharp, cold laugh, far too jaded for a seventeen-year-old with his whole life ahead of him and so much potential. “Do you believe in Santa Claus, too?”
“Stop it.”
“Or what? You’ll kick me out?”
We both knew I wouldn’t do that. I had fought too hard to get him with me. I had known going in that there would be rough patches. I had also known he deserved a chance. What he made out of it was ultimately up to him, but I was going to make sure he got one.
“I’m not giving up that easily.”
“You wouldn’t be the first. Maybe you should. If I wasn’t around, you could go back to school, get a decent job, and make time for your cop boyfriend.”
“Joel!” I called after him as he stormed back into his bedroom and slammed the door.
I sank down at the table and put my head in my hands. Joel tended to put the blame for anything that went wrong on his own shoulders. No matter how many times we talked about it, we always came back to the same thing. Joel felt like everything was somehow his fault.
I blamed his mother. Once our father had left her, there was no one to keep Jolene in line, and she had blamed Joel for everything. He had grown up hearing how he was the reason Jolene couldn’t get a decent job and the reason she lost the jobs she did manage to get. That because of him, they couldn’t afford to live in a decent place or have nice things.
None of that, of course, was because she was a lying, stealing crack addict.
I wished I’d known what was going on earlier, but as it was, I hadn’t, not until the social worker called me at the beginning of summer. If I had known, I would have gotten him out of there a whole lot sooner.
Our father had left my mother, too, but our situations were totally different. My mother had moved us back in with my grandmother so she could go back to work and I had someone around to take care of me. Things hadn’t always been easy, but there had never been a moment in my life when I hadn’t felt wanted or loved. I learned from them. They wouldn’t have thought twice about picking up a second job or postponing night school to help me out, and neither had I. When you cared about someone, that was just what you did.
It was a shame I couldn’t make Joel see that.
He stayed in his room most of the afternoon. Not even freshly baked chocolate chip cookies drew him out for more than a few minutes. I took advantage of the unexpected day off by tidying up the place, catching up on the laundry, picking up some groceries, and making a few meals that would freeze well, not that they would last long with a teenaged human Hoover around.
Dinner was a subdued affair. We talked about his schoolwork and a history project he was working on, as well as a book he needed to read for English class. Neither one of us brought up the suspension. We had heard nothing from the school or the police.
Joel insisted he didn’t steal those things, and I believed him. He also told me that he didn’t know how they got into his locker, and that I didn’t believe, because he hadn’t been able to look me in the eye when he had said so. There was more to that story, I was sure of it, but for some reason, he wouldn’t tell me.
After dinner, he helped me with the dishes, then disappeared back into his room. I caught another couple hours of shut-eye.
When I knocked on his door at ten-thirty to let him know I was going to work, he surprised me by coming out fully dressed and informing me that he was going to start walking me to Lindelman’s at night.
I didn’t know what to think of this new development. Was he being considerate and protective? Was he just bored and needed an excuse to get out of the apartment? Or was there an ulterior motive?
Even more surprising than his impromptu escort, he took a seat at the counter once we got there, pulled out his school books, and started working on his math homework. He was just finishing up a piece of apple pie when Officer Vinnie walked in.
&nb
sp; As relieved and happy as I was to see Vinnie looking safe and as handsome as ever, I held my breath when he sat next to Joel at the counter. Joel gave him a sideways glance, then began gathering up his things and stuffing them into his backpack.
“I’m heading back,” Joel told me. “Don’t want to be busted for breaking curfew.”
Rather than be offended, I could have sworn I saw Vinnie’s lips twitch.
“Sorry I didn’t make it in last night,” Vinnie said, turning those glistening dark eyes my way. “Something came up.”
“You don’t owe me an apology or an explanation,” I told him. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
His eyes widened slightly. “You were worried about me?”
I shrugged, sliding a fresh cup of coffee in front of him. I didn’t want to admit that I had been. Of course, Wanda took matters into her own hands.
“Oh, she was worried all right. Beside herself, in fact. Next time, do us all a favor and text if you’re not going to show.”
My lips parted in horror even as I felt heat rush into my cheeks. I was not generally a violent person, but at that moment, I really wanted to give Wanda a solid kick in the backside.
“I will, if Haven gives me her number.”
What!
Wanda wasted no time. While I was frozen in shock, she scribbled something on her order pad, ripped it off, and handed it to Vinnie. “Here. Honestly, are we all still in junior high or something? I’m going to have grandkids by the time you two stop pussyfooting around and just admit you like-like each other.”
I felt my face grow even hotter as Wanda flounced off, flinging a “you’re welcome” over her shoulder.
“She’s insane,” I murmured, shaking my head. “Certifiably, batshit insane. A danger to herself and others.” I turned to Vinnie. “I am so sorry about that.”
Vinnie laughed. “Don’t be. She’s right.”
“She is?” My heart was pounding in my chest. “About what?”
“Haven, would you like to go out with me sometime?”
Chapter Eight: Vinnie
Asking a beautiful woman out never got easier. Despite the fact that I was thirty years old, I still felt as anxious as I had when I asked Maria Constantini to the senior prom.
“What?” Haven blinked those pretty eyes at me, and I chuckled nervously.
The only thing harder than asking a girl out was having to do it twice.
“Would you like to go out with me sometime? Have dinner, maybe catch a movie?”
“I’d love to, but ...”
I was wrong about asking twice being the hardest thing. Watching a beautiful woman trying to let you down easy was harder.
“Hey, no problem. Can’t blame a guy for trying, right?”
She touched my hand lightly, her eyes soft and scolding. “You didn’t let me finish. I was going to say that with you working second shift and me working third, we might have to get more creative than dinner or a movie.”
It took a moment or two for her words to process. “Is that a yes?”
The smile she gave me set fireworks off in my chest. “Yes, Vinnie, that’s a yes.”
I wanted to do a fist pump and let out a great big “Yes!” but I managed to maintain some dignity. “Great! How about tomorrow? Around lunch time?”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
“Great.”
The grill cook, Cal, rang the bell to signal an order was up. When Haven turned to get it, I felt Wanda patting me on the shoulder.
“About time, Mr. October,” she said on her way past.
I felt heat rush to my face. I wasn’t the blushing type, but thinking about that calendar shoot did it. The project had been for charity, and my cousin Lucia was the one who had done the shoot, which were the only reasons I did it.
I had been uncomfortable about the whole thing, but Lucia had smirked and told me she’d taken it easy on me because we were family. She had let me wear my uniform, complete with my hat, which I had pulled down low, and mirrored shades. However, she had insisted my shirt be left unbuttoned and open to showcase my “ripped gym body,” as she had put it. I’d had to dangle a set of handcuffs suggestively, too, which I thought was ridiculous, but which she said women would think was “hot.” Yeah, right.
Lucia had talked my younger brother, Dom, into doing the calendar, too, so at least I hadn’t done it alone. He’d had it even worse. He was a fireman, and she had posed him shirtless with just his hat and his fire pants partially undone, held up only by suspenders. He had taken it all in stride, though. Dom was a ladies’ man through and through. Months later, he was still reaping the benefits.
I paused, coffee midway to my mouth. If Wanda had seen the calendar, did that mean Haven had, too?
I turned on my stool and met Wanda’s eyes as she walked past again. When she smirked and winked, I had my answer.
Well, hell. I wondered what Haven had thought when she’d seen it. Then I wondered if she had found the handcuff thing “hot”...
I shook my head, dispelling the images that tried to take hold. I already felt like an awkward teenager around her as it was. If I started adding fantasies to the list, I might as well resign myself to sitting behind the counter for the next hour or so.
Lindelman’s was busier than usual, so Haven and I didn’t get to talk much. I didn’t mind. She still gifted me with plenty of smiles, and that was good enough for me.
I had been pleased to find her brother Joel sitting at the counter when I’d walked in. It suggested that some of what I’d said to him had gotten through.
At one point last night, I had turned the conversation to the recent increase in criminal activity around town. I hadn’t mentioned Slash specifically, but I had shared that we believed the burglaries and attacks were the work of a local gang. I had described, in detail, what had been done to Kat when she had been walking home alone one night, as well as how places like Lindelman’s were being targeted. When his eyes had hardened and his nostrils had flared, I knew he’d received the message loud and clear. Whether or not it made a difference remained to be seen.
Reluctant to leave, I lingered over a couple of coffee refills, but eventually, I made myself go home. It was easier than it usually was, knowing that I would be seeing her again in a few hours.
“Here.” Haven slipped me a piece of paper when she came to collect my empty mug. “It’s my address. I’d give you my phone number, too, in case something comes up, but Wanda already took care of that.”
I grinned, happy that she had been thinking about our first real date, too. Then I glanced down, as if I didn’t already know exactly where she lived. “Got it. See you around noon?”
“Perfect.” She beamed.
I left Lindelman’s feeling lighter than I had in a very long time. I wished that feeling could have lasted longer than it did.
***
I got the call just before dawn. My phone went off, pulling me out of a deep sleep. When I looked at the display and saw my brother Dom’s number come up, I knew it couldn’t be good.
Instantly awake, I sat up. “What’s up?”
“Fire at Lindelman’s Diner. Got a friend of yours here who asked me to call you.”
My heart stopped. Haven. “Is she all right?”
“I think so. The EMTs are having a look at her now.”
“I’m on my way.”
I hauled ass, opting to take the car to get me there faster. The fire was out by the time I arrived, but the firefighters were still spraying water around to put out any remaining hotspots. Lindelman’s was still standing, yet the interior was a blackened mess. I spotted Hannibal and Lecter taking statements, presumably from potential witnesses. The only thing I cared about was finding Haven.
“Vinnie!” I heard my name and turned to find my brother Dom waving me over to the fire truck. Haven was sitting there with a blanket around her shoulders. Dark soot smudged her pretty face, making her light blue eyes stand out even more than usual.
I sa
t down beside her and put my arm around her shoulders. She was shaking. “Hey, are you okay?”
She nodded then looked at my brother. “Thanks to him. Wanda and I got trapped in the kitchen when the fire started.”
“Where is Wanda?”
Her eyes filled up with tears. “She went in the ambulance with Cal. He tried to stop them, and they hit him with something.”
“Who hit him?”
“The two guys who came in. They said if we gave them the money from the register, no one would get hurt. Cal came out with his billy club and told me and Wanda to get in the kitchen. He tried to chase them off, but there were two of them ...” Her lip trembled, but her eyes were filled with anger.
“Okay, it’s okay. How did the fire start?”
“I don’t know. When they started trashing the place, Wanda and I pulled Cal back into the kitchen and tried to bar the door. Next thing we knew, we smelled smoke. We were trying to pull Cal toward the kitchen exit when the fire department arrived.”
“Did you recognize them?”
She shook her head. “No. They were wearing ski masks, and their voices didn’t sound familiar, but ...” She lifted her eyes and met mine. “One of them was really angry. He said something like, ‘he never mentioned the security cameras’.”
Dom and I shared a look. He was familiar with the string of hits on local businesses, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was—someone had gone into Lindelman’s to check the place out before the hit.
“Ms. McAlister.”
Hannibal and Lecter had worked their way over. Their eyes narrowed on the way I held Haven next to me. I didn’t care.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
She nodded. “Sure. Go ahead.”
Dom took off to tend to something or another. I sat there with Haven while they asked their questions. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them—both guys were pros. I stayed there for her.
She leaned some of her weight on me, which I took to mean she liked having me there. That worked for both of us.
They asked her the standard questions, and she told them basically the same thing she had told me with a few additional details. Two unidentified males entered the diner during a lull around three-thirty a.m. and demanded cash from the register. Cal Lindelman attempted to get them to leave the premises, and a physical altercation ensued. After disarming and disabling the owner, the suspects then proceeded to empty the register and cause as much damage as possible in a short amount of time.
Just For Him (The Cerasino Family, #2) Page 4