The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo

by Michelle Douglas

He followed her into the kitchen and glanced around. ‘Where’s Travis?’

  ‘I sent him into town to watch a movie with some friends.’

  Joey showed her the teapot. ‘I put three teaspoons in.’

  ‘That’s perfect, Joey.’

  He beamed at her, cast a glance at Rico and sidled off to wrestle with Monty in the living room. He and Monty had become firm friends.

  Only after the tea had brewed and she’d poured out two mugs and set out some choc-chip cookies did Neen finally look Rico full in the face and hold out her hand. ‘You had something for me?’

  He reached into his pocket again and handed her the envelope he’d proffered earlier. Her stomach clenched. Would it be some kind of summons demanding that Joey leave for a foster home or—?

  She swallowed and broke open the seal, read the enclosed document.

  She reread it.

  Three times.

  She glanced at the man opposite, a lump in her throat the size of a cricket ball. She tried to swallow it. ‘This...this is a form assigning me as Joey’s foster parent.’

  He didn’t say anything.

  ‘And it has his mother’s blessing.’

  He drank tea and ate a cookie.

  ‘Rico!’ She shook his arm, unable to hide the grin that built through her. ‘How did you do this?’

  ‘I had a quiet word with the boys’ mother and she came to see that this was the best solution for the moment.’

  Her mouth opened and closed. ‘I...I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing—’

  ‘It’s not that I don’t approve. I just don’t want you in a position that could compromise you or where you could be sued.’

  He was doing what he always did. ‘Thank you.’ She held the document to her chest. ‘I mean that from the bottom of my heart, Rico. Thank you.’

  ‘It’s only a temporary measure,’ he warned. ‘Mrs Cooper has agreed to go into an alcohol rehabilitation programme. So...’ He shrugged.

  ‘Fingers crossed,’ she murmured, and then she swallowed. ‘I really didn’t mean for my actions to reflect badly on your project.’

  His head shot up. ‘Do you think that’s what this is about?’

  She stared at him for a long moment. She reached out and seized her mug. ‘You’d better be careful, Rico, because if the answer to that is no then you might find yourself breaking your rules and getting personally involved.’ But she smiled as she said it.

  He scowled, and she had to bite back a laugh. Before either one of them could respond, a tennis ball clattered across the table, upsetting Rico’s cup and sending the cookies flying.

  ‘Joey!’ she hollered.

  He appeared in the doorway, biting his lip. ‘Sorry, Neen.’

  With a sigh, she set about mopping up the mess.

  ‘Neen tells me you like cricket,’ said Rico.

  From the corner of her eye she watched as Joey took a step into the room. ‘Uh-huh.’ He nodded, his expression wary, but she could see he was aching to be won over.

  ‘Do you play in your team at school?’

  Rico wasn’t a natural, but he was trying. She had to give him that.

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Joey repeated.

  Rico patted the chair beside him. ‘What position do you play? I used to be an opening batsman for my school team.’

  Joey was up on the chair in a flash. ‘I’m wicketkeeper, because Mr Reynolds says I have a good eye. But what I really want to do is hit sixes.’

  ‘There’s no reason why you can’t be a wicketkeeper who hits sixes,’ Rico said, and the young boy’s eyes went wide at a possibility he evidently hadn’t considered.

  Monty chose that moment to drop a ball into Rico’s lap.

  ‘It’s time for his walk,’ Joey said. ‘You wanna come too?’

  Neen found herself holding her breath as she waited for his reply.

  Joey stared up at Rico hopefully. ‘We can take my cricket bat.’

  Rico suddenly smiled, and Neen’s heart did a dance. ‘How can I turn down an offer like that?’

  She promptly collected Monty’s lead and hustled them all outside and in the direction of the beach. Joey and Monty raced ahead. Rico carried the cricket bat. And Neen carried a heart lighter than it had any right to be.

  ‘Is he running you ragged?’

  ‘Completely.’

  He gave a soft laugh. ‘And you’re loving every moment of it.’

  She loved him for not telling her there were other options, that she could hand this problem over to someone else, someone more qualified.

  She cleared her throat. No, not loved. She liked—appreciated—that he didn’t try to change her mind on the matter. She liked it a lot.

  She shook her head, feeling freer than she had since before her grandad had died. ‘Who’d have thought it, huh? Who’d have thought I’d enjoy that rotten dog, or your rotten café, or a seven-year-old boy? A miracle—that’s what this is.’

  ‘One of your own making.’

  They reached the strip of beach. She thought back to the document sitting on her kitchen table and shook her head. Rico was the miracle worker.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THEY PLAYED A vigorous game of beach cricket—she, Joey, Monty and Rico.

  Even in his suit trousers and business shirt Rico breathed athleticism, and it shouldn’t have surprised her but it did. She couldn’t drag her gaze from him. When he was charging through life, his mind focused on his next meeting, his next funding application, preoccupied with the outcome of the previous one, it was easy to ignore him.

  She scratched her nose. Well, it was easier. Rico was impossible to ignore in any of his guises. But he was irresistible when he played beach cricket.

  He was irresistible when he cooked too, but his body wasn’t on such blatant display then. The breadth of his shoulders and the powerful musculature of his thighs made an ache start up deep inside.

  It didn’t help that he smiled a lot either.

  Some of the smiles weren’t wholly genuine. I don’t mean to be intimidating. But some of them were, and the more he did it the easier it seemed to become for him. Each and every one of them made her heart catch. Not to mention her breath.

  He wasn’t wholly at ease one hundred per cent of the time with Joey either. But he was making an effort and, like a lot of seven-year-olds, Joey forgave him the gaps and the occasional awkwardness. But when Rico and Joey talked cricket and Rico showed Joey different ways to grip the cricket bat, they were so focused they could have been the only two people on the beach.

  Rico, to her utter delight, wore out both Joey and Monty completely. ‘Dinnertime,’ she finally announced, pointing at her watch.

  Rico glanced at his own watch and his eyes widened. He jogged over to where she sat and offered her his hand. With a little thrill she took it and he hauled her to her feet. She slid in the sand. It shifted her closer to him and she had to reach out and steady herself against his arm.

  Beneath her fingers, his biceps were warm and firm. He smelled of salt and sweat and aftershave. Her fingers curled into his shirt. He held her hand a beat too long and her heart surged against her ribs. She glanced up at him. Hunger flared in his eyes...but then the shutters slammed down over his face.

  She pulled away at the same time that he released her. She smoothed a hand down over her shirt and did what she could to get her wayward pulse under control. ‘I think you should play hooky more often.’ She cleared her throat and pasted on a smile. ‘It’s good for you.’

  That darkness at the back of his eyes stirred.

  She pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. ‘It’s certainly good for me.’ She nodded towards Joey and Monty. ‘The rest of my evening is now going to be much more peaceful.’

  Finally
his lips hooked up. ‘I had fun.’ He reached out and ruffled Joey’s hair. ‘And when Joey here makes the Australian team I can say I knew him way back when.’

  She mentally reached for a hammer and chisel. ‘Well, the least we can do is make you dinner.’ She was careful to keep her voice on the neutral side of friendly.

  He didn’t answer, but she sensed his withdrawal. She chafed her arms.

  ‘What are we having, Neen? I’m starved.’

  ‘Fish done in a yummy sauce, salad...and a potato salad if we can talk Rico into making it for us.’

  Happy with that, Joey clipped on Monty’s lead and ran off ahead with him while she and Rico followed at a more leisurely pace.

  ‘I know it’s short notice, and I understand if you have other plans, but you’re more than welcome to join us.’ She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and held her breath. ‘I wouldn’t mind having a bit of a chat about the café too. We never quite got to it during our meeting on Friday.’ She lifted one shoulder. ‘Of course if you’d rather slot that in for another time during the week, we can do that.’

  ‘It’s your day off, Neen.’

  He spoke quietly. She swung to him, hands on hips. ‘When on earth has that ever mattered to you, Mr Workaholic? I’d thought you’d be happy with this proof of my commitment.’

  ‘Your commitment isn’t in doubt.’

  She raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Anymore,’ he amended.

  For reasons she couldn’t begin to explain, that made her smile. She dragged in a breath of salt air and shivered a little. It might be spring, but with the sun almost sunk beneath the horizon the night air was chilly.

  He frowned. ‘Cold?’

  He’d left his jacket hanging over one of her kitchen chairs, and she could see him mentally berate himself for that. The thought of him settling his jacket over her shoulders made her shiver again, but this time not with the cold.

  ‘My fault. I should’ve thought to bring a sweater. But it’s no problem because we’re home now.’

  Rico followed her into the house without hesitation. When he didn’t shrug immediately into his jacket she decided to interpret that as one more for dinner.

  Joey and Monty planted themselves in front of the television. ‘Rico!’ Joey called out. ‘Next time you come to play I think you should wear a tracksuit. You’ll be able to play cricket better then.’

  Neen choked back a laugh. ‘Excellent suggestion, Joey,’ she agreed, tossing Rico an apron.

  ‘Out of the mouths of babes...’ Rico muttered.

  ‘Do you even own a tracksuit?’

  He glared. ‘Of course I do.’

  She retrieved potatoes from the pantry. ‘I was starting to think you even slept in your suits.’

  ‘I sleep naked, Neen.’

  She promptly dropped a potato. Rico caught it before it hit the floor. She sent the rest tumbling across the bench. Rico naked? Her mouth dried. Rico naked...

  Oh, bad thought. Bad thought! Stop it!

  He grinned and winked, as if he sensed the heat that had careened through her. It was only the tiniest glimpse of the fun, sexy Rico, but it sent her pulse twitching and dancing. It suddenly occurred to her that chipping away at Rico might prove a little dangerous.

  It wasn’t a thought designed to settle her pulse.

  ‘Nice catch,’ she managed, her voice husky.

  His gaze settled on her lips and his eyes turned dark and smoky. Time stilled and any hope of catching her breath fled.

  Neen shook herself and stepped back, her pulse thundering in her ears. She wasn’t getting cosy with Rico. Besides the fact he was her boss, and getting involved with one’s boss was never a clever move, he was too driven. She’d forever come a poor second to his work.

  She lifted her chin. She deserved better than that.

  When she was ready to dip her toes in romantic waters again, that was.

  And that time wasn’t yet.

  But it hit her that when they’d walked down to the beach earlier she hadn’t once scanned the neighbourhood—the sidewalks, roads and the park—for signs of anything amiss...for signs of Chris. She swallowed. In fact she hadn’t thought about Chris once. Rico made her feel safe.

  What? So you’re just going to latch onto him?

  She stiffened. No way! Friends. That was all.

  She seized a potato and held it up. ‘Listen carefully and learn the art of making the perfect potato salad.’

  She had to close her eyes when he gave her his full attention.

  Dinner should have been pleasant. Normally she enjoyed Joey’s chatter. This afternoon she’d enjoyed watching Rico and Joey interact. But behind all the pleasant banter and good food was a dark thrumming in her blood that gave her no peace.

  ‘I’ll do the dishes while you get Joey ready for bed,’ Rico offered when the meal was finished.

  ‘Deal.’

  Before she could usher Joey towards the bathroom to brush his teeth, he swung to Rico. ‘Thank you for teaching me more about cricket. I really liked it a lot.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  They both stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then Joey surged forward and flung his arms around Rico’s middle.

  Rico blinked, but his arms went around the boy. He kind of clumsily but kind of nicely patted the young boy’s back. ‘Sleep well, Joey.’

  Neen left him blinking and dazed, her own chest tight and constricted.

  The dishes were practically done when she returned. He glanced at her, and then back at the dish he was wiping. ‘I forget to say earlier, but thank you for dinner. I enjoyed it.’

  ‘So did Joey.’ She set about putting the clean crockery away. ‘Besides, you helped.’

  He huffed out a sigh. ‘I enjoyed that too.’

  She turned from the cupboard. ‘There’s no shame in that, Rico. Louis is dead and you can’t bring him back. You are working at making a difference in the world. And you are making a difference. You’re allowed to let your hair down and enjoy yourself occasionally. In fact, I think you should be proud of the way you’ve turned your life around and of all you’ve accomplished.’

  His head reared back.

  She refused to give the darkness time to claim him. ‘Joey’s a good kid, isn’t he?’

  He seemed to fight with himself for a moment, but then he nodded. ‘Yeah, he really is.’

  ‘You did good work today, playing with him like you did and talking about cricket. He has a lot of energy.’ Energy that could get him into trouble later on. ‘You’ve helped give him a place to channel that energy.’ She filled the jug and set it to boil. ‘You’ve made me realise where I can help him channel that energy too.’

  He turned to her, suddenly serious. ‘You know this situation is only temporary? Travis and Joey will only be here for another couple of weeks.’

  She stilled, and then she grinned and clapped her hands. ‘You have housing already lined up for Travis, don’t you?’

  ‘I’m working on it.’

  She should have known.

  ‘Look, I know it’s only temporary, but if you think I’m giving up my honorary aunt status, you have another think coming. Travis will need support, not to mention the occasional babysitter.’

  His eyes widened. He leaned towards her. ‘But...’

  She waited, but he didn’t continue. She busied herself making coffee. She turned back and handed him a mug.

  ‘We’ve become friends, Rico. It happens in lots of workplaces.’ She motioned to the freshly cleaned and cleared kitchen table. She sensed his mind racing behind the dark sparkle of his eyes.

  ‘You’ve had more of a positive impact on Travis and Joey’s lives than I ever have,’ he said.

  She couldn’t tell if that bothered him
or not. She sat down. ‘On a personal level, perhaps. But if it hadn’t been for you we’d have never met.’

  He fell into a chair. ‘And now you’ll probably be lifelong friends.’

  ‘Probably.’ She set her mug down. ‘You’re free to join the party anytime you want, you know.’

  His silence burned.

  ‘And Travis and Joey aren’t the only ones getting something out of this arrangement. I’ve enjoyed the company. It’s been comforting to have a strapping lad like Travis stay. He’s not the kind of guy Chris would mess with.’

  She glanced up to find him staring at her, his eyes dark.

  ‘You’ve had a positive impact on me too, Rico. You’ve made me feel safer—not just with the security system, but insisting I take self-defence classes. So thank you.’

  ‘No problem.’

  She clapped her hand. ‘Now, about the café...’

  He straightened, instantly alert. ‘Problems?’

  ‘Far from it! We’re operating at a tidy profit. More than we’d originally projected.’

  ‘That’s good news.’

  She’d known he’d be pleased. He planned to plug every penny back into the programme. ‘I think it’s time to start training up a new set of boys.’

  ‘It’s too soon.’

  ‘No, it’s not. If all of our current boys are offered jobs after our gala event—’

  ‘Then we’ll just start from scratch.’

  ‘So we’ll close the café for a week while I give the new boys some basic training?’

  He frowned. ‘Will that be necessary?’

  ‘Yes. Our clientele have come to expect a certain level of service and I want to keep delivering on that promise. I wouldn’t start the new boys all at once. I’d stagger their training. They wouldn’t have too many shifts to start with, but enough for them to learn the basics.’

  He nodded. ‘That makes sense.’

  ‘Also...’ She gripped her hands in her lap. ‘Travis wants to stay.’

  ‘That’s not the point of this programme. It’s out of the question.’

  ‘I need someone who is experienced in the kitchen, Rico.’

  ‘Then train up one of—’