by Kathryn Shay
Two hours later, he walked Brie home. “You were a good sport,” she said. “Lilly isn’t usually that outgoing.”
“The pizza was surprisingly good.” He touched his middle. “I hope my stomach thinks so later.”
Dusk had fallen, and Brie punched in her garage door opener numbers in the fading light. They went inside her house. “So, what do we do now?” she asked innocently.
He banded his arms around her. “I know what I want to do.”
“What’s that?”
He kissed her nose, then whispered in her ear, “Get inside you as soon as I can.”
She felt her body respond to his graphic phrasing. “I’d like that, too.”
* * *
A few nights later, Dante held Brie’s hand as they entered his mother’s house. An old three-story home, she and his dad had bought it when they were married. Over the years, they added rooms and updated, and though it was worth more money now, she refused to move even after all her kids left. He closed the door and grasped Brie’s arm. “It’s gonna be a real mishmash of people here.” They could hear voices from the back of the house.
“You mean me, your sister’s new beau and your mother’s boyfriend?”
He’d had to explain the situation to her. “Yeah. I think we should’ve met each other one at a time.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll have to be nice to two guys who want to bang my mother and sister.”
“You’re incorrigible. I wonder if they’re thinking I’m banging their brother and son.”
“I bet. Tris, at least.”
They walked down a corridor and found his mother in the kitchen, stirring something at the stove. Standing way too close to her was a man, about her age, tall and slender, a full head of gray hair and light-complexioned. Before they went inside, Dante whispered to Brie, “He couldn’t look less like my dad.”
“I think that’s a good thing.” She cocked her head. “He’s attractive,” she whispered back.
His mother glanced over her shoulder. “Hello, dear.” She crossed to them, kissed her son’s cheek and took Brie’s hand. “You must be Gabriella.”
“Brie. I’m pleased to meet you, Dr. Federico.” It was odd hearing his mother called by her professional name.
“Call me Georgia.”
The guy came up beside her. “Hi, there. You must be Dante. I’m Ned.” He held out his hand and Dante shook it.
“Ned, this is my friend Brie.”
“Hello.”
The front door opened and Dante heard, “We’re here.” Tris. And her guy.
His sister came out to the kitchen. Unlike clean-cut Ned, Tris’s friend looked like a biker even though he wore pressed khaki pants and a light blue shirt. His sleeves were rolled up and Dante saw tattoos on each arm. His head was completely bald, with an earring gracing one lobe. “Hi, everybody,” Tris said sunnily. “This is Ranger.”
Hell, it was going to be a long night.
* * *
“What were we thinking?” Dante asked after they arrived back at Brie’s house.
“What do you mean?”
“The night was a fiasco.”
“Once you stopped glowering at the men, and the girls stopped glowering at me, the night was fine.”
“Thanks to good old Mom.”
Georgia let her children’s antics go on for a half-hour...
First, the girls took turns:
So, you’re the princess...
What are your intentions with my brother...?
You don’t have much in common...
Do you want kids...would they be royal?
Then Dante took his turn:
What do you do for a living, Ranger?
How old are you anyway, Ned?
Why keep it a secret so long? What were you hiding?
Finally, Georgia stepped in. “Ned, Brie, I apologize for my children’s rudeness.” She’d scanned them all with the mother’s look. “Now that you’ve had your fun, can we please have a civil evening...?”
Brie laughed as she put her purse on the kitchen table. “It reminded me of home, Dante. Papá wasn’t kind to Ryder or Mike at first. He hated Connor. He told Ty he’d better not hurt Frankie. That’s how family acts.”
“I guess. Still, I’m sorry the girls weren’t very nice to you.”
“Only at first. When I could get them one-on-one, they were pretty good. Tris and I both like old movies. Lucia said Anna liked me a lot, so maybe she’ll give me a chance.”
“I guess.”
“What a grump.” She hiked herself up onto the counter and pulled him between her legs. “How ever can I cheer you up?”
His hand slid under her shirt. “This is a good start.”
* * *
Brie knew attending a playoff game was a treat. Mike had offered them tickets which were almost impossible to get on short notice, and exorbitantly priced. She’d asked Dante and his niece to come and, apparently, Evvie told Mike about Sammy and he’d gotten tickets for the boy, too. Dante was bringing both kids.
Before they arrived, she and Evvie sat together watching the field. From the dugout, Mike caught sight of her and waved. Evvie waved back, her grin the size of Sicily.
Brie said, “God, it’s wonderful seeing you so happy.”
“I’m in love.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
She studied her sister. “How are you doing?”
“Great.”
“Is that because of the man you invited to join us—again?”
“How could you tell?”
“It was obvious in the suite on my birthday.” She searched Brie’s face. “I’d say it’s gone further.”
Brie laughed. “Yeah, a lot further. I’m...enjoying him. Having fun with him.”
“Go for it, girl.”
“Hello, you two.” Dante arrived at their row of seats with the two teens. All wore Jagielski jerseys. Brie was warmed by the sight of him. “Hi.” She focused on the kids. “Hi, Sam. Anna.”
“Hi, Brie.”
“Hi, Ms. Gentileschi.” Sammy’s eyes widened on Evvie. “Hello, Ms. Gentileschi.”
“How about if I’m Evvie here? Come sit next to me, Sammy. Mike might even come over to say hi to us.”
They got situated with Dante between Brie and Anna. The latter leaned over and said, “Thanks a lot for getting the tickets. It rocks that I’m here, Brie.”
“Yeah, I think so too.” Dante’s leg brushed Brie’s. The feel of it against hers was...sweet.
They ceased small talk when batting practice started. The players finished on the field, and while Mike did indeed come to say hi and gave both kids balls, Dante turned to Brie. “I enjoyed seeing Mari and Lilliana again.” He frowned. “I wish it had gone better with my family.”
“They love you. They’re protective of you.”
He waited. “It’s okay to be protective of somebody you care about, Brie.”
She stiffened. As much as she liked the little things about having a man in her life, she didn’t appreciate how he could affect her mood so easily. So she ignored his remark.
“I gotta go to the john, Uncle Dante.”
“Okay. I’ll come with.”
“I can go alone.”
“You know, I’d like to visit the ladies’ room before the game starts. Is it okay if I come with you, Anna?” Brie said.
“I guess.” The two of them left. On their way down the ramp, Anna said, “Uncle Dante drives us all nuts, always wanting to...protect us, I guess.”
“It drives me nuts, too.”
They reached the ladies’ room, and Brie was suddenly hit from the front. She stumbled backward into the wall, but caught herself before she went down.
“Are you okay, Brie?” Anna asked.
“I—”
“Ma’am, are you all right?” A uniformed woman came up to her.
“I think so. What happened?”
“Some guy in a gray hoodie was in a hurry and bumped into
you.He didn’t even stop—he ran away.”
She stood straight. “I’m okay. No harm done.”
“You sure? I can take you to medical.”
“No. If you took everybody to medical who got jostled, you’d be overrun.”
“I guess. If you’re sure.”
Anna stood wide-eyed after the woman left.
Brie squeezed her arm. “No harm, no foul, sweetie.”
“He hit you pretty hard.”
“I know.”
“Uncle Dante will have a fit.”
Cognizant that she couldn’t ask the girl to keep something secret, she said, “Yeah. I’ll tell him. But after the game, if that’s okay. I don’t want to ruin the playoffs for him.”
“Sure. If you want.”
“I want.”
* * *
The following week, Dante waited for his boys in half the gym. Girls played in the other half, closed off by a foldable wall. For non-contact Phys Ed., they were often mixed. Rain had poured down all day long, and classes had to be held inside.
When the boys filed out of the locker room, Sammy approached him. “Can I be point guard on one of the teams?”
As far as Dante knew, there had been no bullying in the week since Pickles had come to visit. Sammy had seemed happier every time Dante saw him.
“Yeah, sure.”
Dante passed out vests in two different colors and took volunteers for the positions. Play began with a tip-up. A boy got the ball, threw it to Sammy who dribbled down the floor and made an easy layup. He’d had some practice in the game, Dante could tell.
The teams traveled back down the court, and another player made an easy basket. There were also lots of fumbles, traveling, and missed shots.
When he called a foul, defensive against the point guard, Sammy took the ball, tossed it up and swept it through the net.
At the end, Dante said, “Great job everybody. Some of you are very talented players. Some of you just need more practice.”
The boys headed to the locker room. When Sammy passed him, Dante touched his shoulder. He didn’t flinch this time. “You did great, kid.”
“I like basketball.”
“I can see why.” He high-fived the boy. “Keep up the good work.”
At the end of the day, the faculty meeting was held in the library. As soon as he entered the space, he saw Brie sitting next to a chair empty of all but her school bag, looking over her shoulder. For him? His heart bumped in his chest at the notion. Man, he was sinking fast into this relationship. He dropped down into the seat. “Thanks for saving this.”
“How was your day?”
“Good. You?”
“Yep. Most of them are good lately.”
“Yeah, how come, Brie?”
She bumped her shoulder with his. “Take a wild guess.”
Madelyn called them to attention. “Hello, everybody. Today’s agenda includes only one item, the Open House this Thursday.”
Comments rumbled through the group.
“Another long day.”
“Yippee. I can’t wait.”
“Stop complaining,” a well-liked teacher called out. “It’ll be fun.”
Madelyn continued. “I know it’s hard coming back, or staying through for a night activity. I appreciate your cooperation. As a treat, I’m having breakfast for all the staff in the lounge Friday. With plenty of coffee.”
That seemed to please everybody.
“The setup for Open House is the same as last year. You’ll be in your classrooms, gym, music room, etc. You’re to talk about your curriculum, and what you plan to do for the year. Your goals. Flyers went home saying no individual conferences on students would be held. There simply isn’t time. But you’ll make appointments tonight for parent conferences that’ll go through the month.”
When the logistics were finished, a teacher raised his hand. “I’m not trying to stir up trouble, Madelyn, honestly. But what happens with Sammy Simpson’s parents?
“His mother will come, hopefully. But I’m assuming your concern is about his father. He isn’t allowed on school property, so he won’t show up.”
“What if he does?” someone else asked.
“Call me immediately. But I don’t expect him to do that.”
Because he’d go to jail for it, Dante thought.
The notion was sobering. The faculty meeting ended on a downer. Brie sat where she was as everybody filed out. Dante asked, “Ready to go?”
“No. I want to talk to Maddie.”
“About what?”
“Sammy’s father. I have an idea.”
“Can I stay?”
“Sure.”
When Madelyn was free, she noticed they’d stayed behind and came back. “Do you two need something?”
“I do. Can you sit a minute?”
Madelyn turned a chair around and sat. “What’s up?”
Brie said, “I’d like to have a private meeting with Sammy’s father, off site. A one-on-one parents’ night.”
Dante’s jaw dropped.
“Do you think he’d want that?” Madelyn asked.
“I don’t know. But I’d like to try.”
Dante’s fist curled. “No way, Brie. You’re not meeting with that man alone.”
* * *
Madelyn stood. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I want you two to go into the conference room and talk. Alone. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”
Mortified, Brie just nodded.
Dante glared at Maddie. “I—”
She put a hand on his arm. “Dante, I care about Brie. And you too, for as much as I know you. Please, listen to me.”
So they went into the conference room. Brie took a seat. Dante leaned against the wall. “I didn’t mean to sound so pushy.”
She faced him fully. She liked this man a lot, didn’t want to hurt him, but she had to be in charge of her own life. “You’re autocratic, Dante.”
He jammed his hands in his pockets.
“Your family tells you you are. I’m telling you that you are. We’ve seen it first-hand.”
“I guess I am. But only with reason.”
“First the open window, which you connected with the trampled flowers.”
“I think maybe a person did that.”
“I know you do. But I told you I’d handle it. Which I did. I called Frankie. She came over. While she was there, a deer walked right up to the window and sat down.”
“You think the deer opened the window?”
“Don’t try to be funny. The deer depressed the grass. And probably trampled the flowers out front.”
“My cousin Joe is a cop. I told him about everything. He said I should keep an eye on things.”
“You don’t need encouragement from him to be protective. I asked you to let it go.” She took in a breath. “There’s more, anyway. You had a fit that I stopped a fight. You glowered at your family when they were just acting like siblings. I didn’t need your interference in those instances, either.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell me somebody almost knocked you to the floor at the baseball game?”
She flushed.
“Yeah, Anna brought it up. She thought you’d already told me like you said you would.”
“Okay, I withheld. Can you blame me?”
He folded his arms across his chest. Like he was pouting.
“Dante, it feels like you’re trying to control me.”
“I’m concerned about you. Damn it, I’m falling for you.”
“And I’m falling for you. But I told you that night, I don’t need protecting. And you’re ignoring my wishes.”
“This is how I am, Brie.”
“And it’s intolerable.” She stood. “We’re going around in circles. I need some time.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think we should take a break.”
“That’s crazy.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion. This is my decision.”
<
br /> “Boy, Eddie did a number on you, didn’t he?”
She bristled. “How dare you hold that over my head when I confided in you about it?” She took in a breath. “And if you’re implying this is my fault that you’re too overprotective, then I’m right to stay away from you for a while.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
Chapter 9
So fucking let her take a break! He was done! He didn’t need this shit. All he was trying to do was make sure she was safe. Damn her. He hurled the wrench onto the floor and it clattered loudly in the empty garage.
“Whoa, what’s going on out here?” Tris had come up behind him. She must have heard his temper tantrum.
“I’m in a bad mood, is all. And I can’t get that damn sparkplug out.”
Calmly walking over to him, she bent down and picked up the tool. He held out his hand. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong. You’ve been a bear—yesterday and today.”
He glanced up at the ceiling. “I know.”
“The princess have anything to do with this?”
“Don’t start on her!” The words came out way too aggressive. He blew out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry, sis.”
“You’ve been available to work as much as we want.”
“Yeah. I got a lotta free time on my hands.”
Reaching out, she squeezed his arm. “Dante, just tell me.”
When his sisters used that quiet, mushy voice, he always cracked. “She wants a break. From her and me.”
“How come?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, kid, was it because the family gave her a hard time?”
“No. Actually, I was more pissed at you guys than she was.”
“As if you didn’t give it to Ned and Ranger.”
“Was Ranger upset?”
“Nah. He’s tough.”
“He looks tough.”
“I like his tattoos. He’s got one on his—”
Dante held up his hand but she’d made him smile. “Enough! TMI.” Too much information.
“Let’s go outside and sit. See if you can convince me she’s not being a spoiled brat.”
