“Well, you can run away and feel sorry for yourself, but that seems like a pretty piss-poor way to thank your sister for all she’s done for you.”
He scowled. “It’s not like I have a choice, do I?”
“You always have a choice. Just like she had a choice. And she chose you ... every time. You want to do something good for your sister? Choose her.”
Joel opened his mouth, then closed it. Then he suddenly got up, grabbed his backpack, and started to walk away.
I sighed. I had failed. Now I was going to have to go after him and haul his ass in—
“Hey,” he called, peering back around the corner. “Try and keep up, will you? We’ve got shit to do, and I’ve got an exam tomorrow.”
Chapter Eleven: Haven
I was a wreck. Joel was gone, and I didn’t even know where to start looking. As far as I knew, he didn’t have any close friends he could crash with. There was that gang those detectives had been talking about, but I didn’t want to believe Joel was really mixed up with them. Joel had his issues, but he wasn’t a bad kid.
For the second time in twelve hours, I had called Vinnie. I had probably crossed a few lines in doing so, but once again, I didn’t know where else to turn. As a policeman, Vinnie had means at his disposal that I didn’t, which meant he also had a much better chance of finding Joel. That was what I told myself, anyway. If I was completely honest, something I tried to be whenever possible, I would have called him regardless. Because, the truth was, I really liked Vinnie. When he was around, I felt better.
That was something new for me. I wasn’t used to leaning on anyone for support—financial, emotional, moral, or otherwise—and hadn’t for a while. After my grandmother had passed away, my mom and I sold the house to pay off the second mortgage she’d taken out when we’d moved in and had used the rest for her funeral expenses. That was when my mom decided to take her gentleman friend up on his offer to move to Arizona. She had worried about leaving me, but I’d encouraged her to go. He seemed like a nice enough guy and, from what I could tell, made her happy.
I had been nineteen at the time, working full-time and picking up night classes when I could. I’d been on my own ever since. And not once in all that time had I ever met someone I felt like I could call for help, let alone want to.
But Officer Vinnie had changed all that. He changed a lot of things, including my plan to keep my heart to myself. Despite my efforts, it had slipped away a little more every time he came to the diner and smiled at me, talked to me, or said something kind or funny or insightful. The funny thing was, I didn’t think he was even trying. He had won me over just by being himself.
I didn’t want to lose that. I could only hope that, once things were sorted out, Vinnie and I could take a few more steps forward and see where things led.
I was still pacing back and forth, trying to work things out in my head, when the knock on the door startled me. I opened it, expecting to see Vinnie, and was overjoyed when I saw Vinnie and Joel standing there.
I wasted no time in wrapping my arms around my brother and giving him a fierce hug. “Oh, my God! I am so glad you’re back!” Then I backed up a step, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him inside. “But what the hell were you thinking?”
“We’ll talk later, okay, Haven?” Joel said, his smile turning serious. “Vinnie’s taking me down to the station. I just wanted you to see for yourself that I’m okay.”
“What?” I looked at Vinnie, stunned. “You’re arresting him?”
His eyes widened, and I saw a flash of hurt there. “No. Joel has agreed to tell us what he knows so we can finally get Slash and his boys off the streets.”
“Oh.” Shame washed over me. I felt horrible for jumping to the wrong conclusion and thinking the worst. “Let me just grab my jacket, and I’ll go with you.”
“No, Haven,” Joel said firmly. “I appreciate it, but I got myself into this. I need to fix it.”
“Oh.” I looked to Vinnie. “Don’t I have to go because he’s a minor?”
“No. We urge those not of legal age to have a parent or guardian present during questioning, but it’s not required by law. Joel is doing this voluntarily, Haven. No one is forcing him.”
“Okay.” I lowered my gaze.
I felt my brother’s arms go around me in a quick hug. The gesture caught me by surprise. While I had hugged him plenty of times, him initiating the contact was a first.
“But, if you want to make your special stroganoff for dinner, I wouldn’t say no.”
I laughed and sniffled at the same time. “It’s a deal.” I looked to Vinnie. “Will you join us?”
His expression was unreadable. “I’d like that, but maybe tonight isn’t the best time.”
My heart fell. I had offended him. That was something else I was going to have to fix later. I added it to the high priority items on my growing mental list, which already included “have a serious talk with Joel” and “find a job.”
I summoned a weak smile. “Oh, okay. Well, if you change your mind, the offer stands.”
He nodded, then he and Joel left.
Not a minute had passed when another knock sounded at the door. I opened it and saw Vinnie.
He cleared his throat. “Just to be clear, I would very much like to come for dinner,” he said, “but I don’t want to intrude on family time. You and Joel have some talking to do.”
What was left of my heart melted at that point. Not only had Vinnie somehow known that I was worried, he was also proving he was every bit as kind and thoughtful and intuitive as I thought.
“Thanks for that,” I told him, impulsively going up on my toes and planting a kiss on his cheek. Before I could step back, though, he grasped my hips and kept me right where I was. Then he leaned down and gave me a proper kiss, right on the lips, and stole my breath away completely. When he released me, I was dazed and dizzy, and the only word buzzing around in my head was more.
“Seriously? Can’t you guys do that some other time?” Joel’s voice called from down the hall.
I felt heat rush to my cheeks.
Vinnie looked at me with another kind of heat and promise. “Oh, we will definitely be picking up where we left off,” he murmured. He then kissed my forehead and left a second time.
Feeling slightly giddy and definitely in better spirits, I grabbed my purse and locked the door behind me. If I was going to be making a stroganoff for dinner, I needed to pick up some things from the grocery store. While I was at it, maybe I would pick up stuff for a cake, too. For some reason, I felt like celebrating.
When Vinnie brought Joel home later that night, I reissued my invitation to stay for dinner, and this time, Vinnie didn’t defer.
Over homemade noodles, beef stroganoff, and a pitcher of sweet tea, he and Joel filled me in on what had happened. Joel had been able to point the finger on the ones who had attacked Cal and busted up the diner. Apparently, Cal had yanked off one’s ski mask during the fracas and the camera had gotten a clear picture. That had been enough for the police to pick up the guy for questioning, and he, in turn, had sung like a canary. Evidently, the guy was on parole for something else and desperate to make a deal.
I didn’t care about any of that. What I did care about was that it took some of the heat off Joel, and people would be less likely to point fingers at him as the stool pigeon. Not that anyone would be coming after Joel.
Between the information Joel had been able to provide and that of the guy on parole, Slash wouldn’t be seeing the light of day anytime soon. He was twiddling his thumbs in a holding cell while the DA drafted a laundry list of crimes against him. And the hot water Slash found himself in was just getting deeper and deeper as many of his so-called “loyal followers” were only too happy to rat him out to save their own heinies.
By the time they finished, we were all stuffed and tired. It had been a very long and eventful day all around. I wasn’t complaining, though. Joel was back on a good path, and I felt as if Vinnie and I had tu
rned a few corners, too.
I gave Joel a pass on helping with the dishes, and unsurprisingly, he didn’t argue. I gave Vinnie a pass, too, but he picked up a dishtowel and helped anyway. In addition to being sexy, brave, and an incredibly good man, he was a boss at doing dishes. He laughed when I told him so, crediting growing up in a restaurant for honing his skills.
I jokingly asked if he could enroll Joel in a similar training program, but Vinnie was completely serious when he readily agreed.
“A job will be good for him,” Vinnie said. “It will teach him responsibility, time management, discipline. Plus, what kid doesn’t like having a couple extra bucks in his pocket?”
I couldn’t argue with him there. Working my way through school had given me an appreciation for the value of a dollar and a sense of accomplishment I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Besides, as much as I hated to admit it, having Joel earn some money on his own would help us both out. Things were going to be pretty tight financially until I found more work. Once I got back to school and earned my degree, things would be better, but until then, I was only qualified for lower-paying positions.
“Think there’s a waitressing job there, too?” I joked ruefully. “I know a girl.”
Chapter Twelve: Vinnie
I had to admit I liked the idea of Haven working at Mama C’s. She would be well taken care of and, at that point, I was pretty sure she would eventually be part of the family. It was still the early days, but some things a guy just knew. I didn’t need my Cupido-playing grandfather or my matchmaking madre to tell me I had found the right one. Which reminded me ...
“I know there is,” I told her. “But right now, I know someone who needs you more.”
I told her about my grandfather’s bookstore and how desperate the situation had become with my grandmother staying with Great-aunt Flo. The more I talked, the more the interest in her eyes grew.
“It sounds perfect,” she said. “Too good to be true, in fact. Just like you.”
I didn’t think she meant to say that last part out loud, not if the way her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed were any indication. I probably should have just let it go, but I couldn’t.
“Too good to be true, huh?” I said, stepping up close and pulling her into my arms. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
“Yeah, right,” she scoffed.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Let’s just say, not too many men would look at me and think ‘great catch’.”
“Then they are idiots,” I told her. “Because that’s exactly what you are. You’re beautiful and smart and funny and kind. Giving and genuine and compassionate and—”
“Okay, okay.” She laughed softly. “I get the point.” Then she looked up at me with those pretty eyes. “How do you always know just the right thing to say to make me melt inside?”
I didn’t have an answer to that; my brother was the one with the gift for words, not me. Therefore, I simply lowered my head and kissed her instead.
She tasted of chocolate cake, arguably my most favorite kind of cake ever, and soft, sexy woman.
I didn’t want to stop. I was sure she didn’t either, but I also didn’t want to screw up a good thing by moving too fast. Things were still pretty new between us, and I wanted to do things right.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, nipping her lip as the clock struck midnight.
“Tomorrow,” she agreed. Her voice was bedroom-husky, and I knew it would be playing on repeat in my head for hours to come. I looked forward to hearing it again and again. “Goodnight, Vinnie.”
“Goodnight, Haven. Pleasant dreams.”
“You can count on it, Officer.”
***
The next day, I took Haven to the bookstore. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair pulled up into some kind of complicated female knot and a soft gray sweater that really brought out her lovely eyes. It was an effort not to stare.
Things were even worse than they had been the last time I’d been there. In fact, as we were walking in, two older women were hurriedly leaving, shooting worried looks over their shoulders. We found out why when we went inside and heard the sound of glass breaking.
“Gesù Cristo!”
“Thank God you’re here,” my brother Nick said. “Nonno’s going to break everything if someone doesn’t figure out how to work the espresso machine, and the Silver Sirens Book Club is due in less than an hour.”
“Silver Sirens?”
“Don’t ask.”
“What kind of machine is it?” Haven questioned.
“A La Pavoni, I think,” Nick answered.
“I’m on it.”
Haven pushed up her sleeves and headed toward the back. In less than a minute, my grandfather’s slew of Italian curses stopped.
“How you-a do that?” we heard him ask. “Never mind, you hired. You start-a right now.”
Nick exhaled, then slapped me on the back. “Sounds like we’ve got a winner. Thank God. Maybe now I can actually write some words.”
“Vincenzo!” My grandfather emerged from behind the counter. His apron was covered in dark, wet stains and there were coffee grounds in his thinning white hair, but he was smiling. “You bring me a bellisimo angelo. You my favorite grandson.”
“Hey!” Nick said, pretending to be offended. “What about me?”
“Bah! You no help.”
I could see Haven smiling, enjoying the prickly but affectionate exchange. She was going to fit right in.
I hung around for a while, catching up with Nick and doing some heavy lifting for my grandfather. I would admit it; I was hovering. I wanted to make sure Haven was comfortable. I needn’t have worried, though. My grandfather had fallen in love with her instantly. A not-so-subtle wink and a few words in Italian confirmed what I had already figured out: Haven was the one for me.
“So, you and Haven, huh?” Nick said.
I nodded. My eyes sought her out, just as they had been doing all afternoon.
She looked up from the tray of coffees and assorted pastries she was just about to take into the back room for the book club. She smiled, her lips forming the words “thank you,” and I knew she was going to be okay.
“Man, you have it bad.” Nick laughed.
“As bad as you?” I shot back.
“At least.” He grinned. “Are you bringing her to Sunday dinner?”
“Maybe,” I hedged. I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if Haven was up to meeting the whole famiglia at once. They could be overwhelming, and I didn’t want to scare her off.
“I get it,” Nick said, and I knew he did. It had taken him a couple weeks to introduce his girlfriend Kat to everyone. It was something better done in small doses. “This is a good place to start. She’s already got Nonno wrapped around her little finger.”
“The timing couldn’t be better. She lost her jobs this week.”
“Jobs, plural? That’s rough, man. What happened?”
I gave him a brief rundown.
Nick whistled. “Man, she has had it rough. You know, if Ma meets her, it’s a done deal, right?”
Yeah, I knew. Mia madre was tough, but she also had a big heart. Plus, she would take one look at the two of us and know.
I was totally okay with that.
Chapter Thirteen: Haven
“So, how’s it going?” Kat O’Shea pushed up her glasses and offered a shy yet friendly smile as she approached the small bar.
I liked Kat. She had come in several times over the course of the past couple weeks. Usually, we would chat for a bit, then she would curl up on one of the comfy chairs with a big book and a cup of coffee while Nick did his thing.
Nick, apparently, was an author. According to Kat, he wrote both military suspense and steamy romance. The military suspense, I understood. But the romance? I never would have guessed just from talking to him. He seemed like a quiet, stoic kind of guy. Kind of like Vinnie.
Did Vinnie harbor a secret side, too, I wonde
red. I knew the kind of passion he inspired in me with those kisses he liked to lay on me. And when he pulled me into his lap and I felt those powerful legs beneath mine, when I ran my hands over those muscled, broad shoulders, well, it gave a girl thoughts.
Except, I wasn’t sure Vinnie was having those same kinds of thoughts. Well, no, that wasn’t exactly true. I had felt the hard proof of those similar thoughts on more than one occasion, but Vinnie always stopped things before they went too far, which was starting to make me wonder why he was applying the brakes.
“Haven?”
Hearing my name snapped me out of my Vinnie-centric thoughts. What had Kat asked me? Oh, right. She had asked how things were going.
“It’s going great,” I answered honestly. “I love it here. It’s such a different atmosphere than what I’m used to. Everyone has been so nice.” Readers and book lovers were passionate about their coffees, teas, and cocoas. I had quickly learned the personal preferences of the regulars, which they seemed to appreciate. Kat, for example, liked a mild blend with sweet cream and sugar, while Nick preferred a strong, dark roast with a hint of cinnamon. Mr. C was pure high-octane espresso with a shot of anise, all the way.
I enjoyed the job while I could, forcing myself to remember that it was only a temporary position until Mrs. C’s sister recovered. I tried not to think about that too much. I would miss the place and the people here when I was no longer needed.
At least I wouldn’t be strapped financially. The manager at the grocery store where I worked mornings now said I could extend my hours, and the manager of the corporate café, Francis’s boss, had called and wanted to talk about me going back to work there. Apparently, they had received a lot of complaints since I’d left. If I was careful with my pennies, I might even have enough to pick up a night class or two. I needed only nine more credits to complete my Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a specialization in Small Business Marketing.
Just For Him (The Cerasino Family, #2) Page 6