by Donna Fasano
As soon as the little boy and teenager moved out of range, everyone started talking at once, especially Carmen, the boy’s mom. Looking at Angelina, she shook her head wonderingly.
“Danny is so shy; it’s been near-to impossible to take him to a daycare or playschool. And getting a babysitter? Well - forget it! Even with the family, and we’re talking people he’s known all his life, he’s very picky about who he wants to be near. He went straight to your Tee and even asked to be picked up. It’s amazing! I’m speechless.”
Joe, catching Angelina’s eye, asked a silent question with a raised eyebrow. Her answering smile and nod let him assume that she was happy and comfortable. He then joked with his favorite sister-in-law, knowing he’d be booed and chased off. “Speechless, Carmen? Ah—I don’t think so!”
Watching him amble toward his father and brothers, Angelina owned up to the fact that he had the sexiest way of moving she’d ever noticed in any man. If eyes could eat, she’d just consumed a full-course meal.
“Are you and Joe an item?” The woman sitting to her left, introduced to her as Sara, Cody’s wife, interrupted her musings.
Feeling as if there was more to the question than ordinary interest, Angelina scrutinized the girl before answering. She thought for a moment and decided the serious expression on the other woman’s face was an indication that she wasn’t being nosy, but she cared about Joe and was extending a friendly hand.
“An item? Oh no! We’re just friends. New friends actually! I’ve only known Joe since the earthquake. I was one of the victims he rescued, well sort of.” Her secretive grin caught Sara’s eye.
“He loves working for the Search and Rescue. Some weeks they call him every night.”
Wondering how Sara knew details about Joe’s daily life made Angelina hesitant to say too much. She knew Joe tended to be pretty closed about his personal affairs. She’d picked up the vibe from the man himself, and then Lee’s descriptions from time to time had made her aware of this trait.
She glanced over to see his brothers open up their group and include him in with jostling camaraderie. Her softened gaze was unconscious and revealing.
Laughter reluctantly returned her attention back to the women’s group, and she caught Carmen’s teasing grin. She grinned back and shrugged her shoulders.
“He’s something, ay?” Carmen leaned over and whispered behind her hand. “Us girls tease him that he’s pure eye candy.”
“He is that, but I bet he hates you saying it. I haven’t known him for very long, but what I do know is that there’s much more to him than how he looks. So far, he’s taken on an earthquake to rescue me, helped Tee when she needed a strong arm and he’s fast becoming a wonderful friend.”
“Don’t get me wrong. You don’t need to stick up for him with me. We all think he’s pure gold. Everyone here cares about him. It’s just that we’d like to see him settle down. He’s a wild one. All the Davidson boys were, but he’s the last one single, and he’s even more skittish than the others. You’ll have your work cut out putting a bridle on that wild stallion.”
With a wink Angelina answered in droll tones. “Did I happen to mention that I won many ribbons for bareback riding when I was a girl in Chile?”
Infectious laughter between the two had the rest of the ladies wanting to know what was so funny, but the subject was diplomatically changed.
Angelina’s eyes searched again and found Joe easily. He was by far the tallest of the brothers, and in her opinion the best looking. But at the moment, he wasn’t the happiest. In fact he looked down right grumpy.
~*~
“Where’s Dad?” Joe asked, looking around the yard, noticing his father’s absence.
“Getting the steaks so we can start the cooking,” his oldest brother, Lon, answered. Then he looked over to where Angelina was sipping a glass of wine, visiting happily with the wives.
“Hey, bro, your girl is gorgeous and… hot! Let’s see how long you stay unattached with her on your horizon. Soon, my man, you too will be blindsided, handcuffed, married and loving it. My advice to you, little brother, is to get very used to the terms ‘honey-do’ and ‘Yes, dear.’”
Chapter 46
Later that same night, lying in her luxurious bed, Angelina could almost pinpoint the minute when Joe had changed. After approaching his brothers, he’d become distant, flippant and terse, scowling at everyone. Like a shape-shifter with the ability to switch to animal form, Joe possessed the power to alter from being enthralled to man not interested. What could have happened to transform him from suitor to stranger in a matter of a few minutes?
She was relieved they’d used her car to drive to his parents’ place, as it had been the perfect way to leave him behind after she’d grabbed Tee and escaped soon after dinner. A smart girl, Tee, had said very little on the way home, except to mention how much fun she’d had with the brats, and what an awesome family the Davidsons were.
Invitations to come back any time had resonated out as they’d taken their leave. Phone numbers had been exchanged between Angelina and Joe’s female relatives. Lunches, get-togethers, and shopping trips had all been discussed and left open with promises that they would happen soon. Even Tee was inundated with offers, and freely gave her number to all the moms with babysitting on their minds.
They were warm and wonderful, all except for the person who mattered most: Joe. While they were leaving, Angelina had seen his mother giving him the evil eye, and he’d sheepishly walked them to the car. But he’d been distant and unlike the person she’d arrived with. Angry and hurt, as far as she was concerned, this gringo had flipped on her for the last time. She lay there remembering their last exchange.
“Are you sure your brother doesn’t mind driving you to get your truck? I could drop you off? It really isn’t out of our way.” Angelina made the suggestion, politeness being second nature to her.
“No, it’s fine. Lon and Carmen live close, and it’ll give me extra time to spend with little Danny.”
“To relieve his sore misser?”
“Something like that,” he smiled ruefully.
Lying against her plumped-up pillows, she remembered his last grin, but she most of all remembered the wretchedness apparent in his knockout-green eyes. As inexperienced as she was, she knew he had some nasty demons to deal with. Wrestling with the tangled blankets yet again, the questions reverberated.
What had happened to the great guy at the beach? Had she done something wrong? Did she say something inappropriate? Maybe she came on too strong in letting him see how much he attracted her. Lord, she hoped not.
And more importantly, what had his brothers said to make him change so drastically?
And… why the hell was she crying over him… again?
Chapter 47
“Weren’t you terrified to stay with those losers under the bridge? What were you thinking?” Dean demanded of Tee, while they sat together, eating ham sandwiches during their lunch break the next day.
Shrugging, she answered. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve spent the night at that place. The little bit of money I’d brought with me had been stolen. So… I teamed up there with some of the others broke and homeless like me. At the very least, I’d figured the cops wouldn’t pick me up.” Thinking about losing her money reminded Tee of the stomach-sinking horror she’d felt once she’d realized it was gone. She also remembered the bitch who’d befriended her and was only after what she could get.
Dean interrupted her pondering “Why were you running from the cops? You can tell me. I promise I won’t turn you in.”
Even grinning, he looked solemn, and she heard the ring of truth in his tone. Instantly, a budding warmth wormed its way into the pit of uncaring she’d built for self-protection. “I…I just ran away from the freakin’ system. Everywhere they placed me got worse. You know? It was creeps with their over-indulged weird kids, then sleazeballs I had to hide from, and scum who thought they were better than me. One day, I was with my social work
er who meant to farm me out yet again, and she left me alone with my files. I found out I was born here in Victoria. I saw my mother’s name—well, only her first name. But then and there, I decided to come and find her if I could. She didn’t want me when she was fifteen, but maybe things have changed for her. You never know, and I don’t really care. Nothing could be worse than my life up to now.” She shuddered and looked away so he couldn’t see the scared little girl she kept hidden.
Dean tried to catch her eye but she refused to let him. She didn’t want his pity. With her body stiff, she pulled away.
Full of sincerity, his low voice stopped her moving. “I know if I tell you the truth, say how sorry I am that life has been this hard for you, you’ll get all ornery and take off. So, I’ll just say that I really want to help. Have you started searching yet?”
Hesitating, she answered him. “Don’t know how. But I’m saving all my wages. I figure I could use the same agency Angelina hired to find the owner of the gold.”
“Good idea. Look, I just have to ask. What if your mother doesn’t want you to find her?”
Anger sprung from deep inside. Her voice shook with emotion and she stared him down. “If she doesn’t want me, I don’t want her! It’s as simple as that. I’ve lived all my life with people who don’t want me and I’m never going to again. Ever!”
Dean put his warm hand on her arm and caressed the skin lightly. “We want you. All of us! I heard Coralee say that if Angelina’s grandma had a problem with you living there, she would take you home with her.”
“Coralee said that? She’s chill, dude! She took me shopping a few days ago after work, and we had a blast. Like, she helped me pick out some rad tops, and even sneaked a crazy-nice white blouse into my bag when I wasn’t looking. I’d put it back cause it was harsh—you know—expensive, but she’d gone and paid for it and then gave it to me as a present.”
“She’s a cool lady.”
“Yeah!” Not wanting to come across as too needy, Tee bit her tongue and kept her response short.
Dean continued, “There’s more. When Pops questioned Angelina about you, she told him not to worry because you would always have a home with her. She has total faith in her grandmother falling under your spell, and working out some kind of a miracle with her posh friends to get you enrolled in a school as soon as they can.”
Emotions rioting, Tee swiveled away and got to her feet. “We’d better get back to work, or you dad’ll fire our butts.”
“Hey, before we go, I want you to know something. If you ever—and I mean ever—need a friend, I’m here. The same goes for my dad. He’s your biggest fan. If my mom was still alive, I firmly believe he’d have put in to adopt you by now. It’s all we hear about at home. You shoulda be working as hard as Tee, yada, yada; she’sa smart, she’sa strong, she’sa funny, blah, blah. It’s a good thing I like you.”
Never having had anyone say such a thing to her before, Tee just gave him a friendly push and then rushed off to hide in the washroom until the tears stopped and the swelling around her eyes diminished.
~*~
The next week was hectic. Accumulated overtime hours were beginning to take their toll on everyone’s nerves, not just Tee’s. Ordinarily, the atmosphere in the office was relaxed and jovial. The co-workers had a functional rhythm of working together, tolerant and comfortable with each other.
But then, Tee knew that Angelina had been the heart, the brains, even the spirit, bolstering everyone else. Her attention to details and her indefatigable drive had carried them along, happy to follow her lead.
Until lately! Now she was no longer their gutsy, funny boss. Instead, she looked haunted and sad. Many times they caught her staring off into a world of her own imagination until something like a phone ringing would bring her back to earth, and she’d be in a frenzy to get back to her files. Most of them had no idea why she behaved this way, but Tee did. She blamed Joe.
Chapter 48
Head down, Angelina gave thanks for her wonderful crew who had all pitched in to make sure they were running at full speed this week. Her massive pile of files had saved her from letting her thoughts roam to where they traveled too often, to a man who one minute she wanted to kiss, and the next kick in the ass.
Stop it! Do what you love best—work. Angelina figured she still had time to win her wager, but now more than ever, she needed to concentrate on her priorities. Suddenly, Chile had begun to seem like a haven to her, an escape from recent painful experiences.
Today, completely surrounded by damaged, dirty ledgers piled on every available surface, she immersed herself in her job, living in her own little world. Except for the actual day of the earthquake, their computer files were up to date. All the spreadsheets and the accounts for every one of their customers were organized and balanced.
As an added blessing, she’d purchased top-of-the-line, extra strong, steel-paneled filing cabinets, expensive, but proving to be worth every penny. Since their walls were replaceable, the repairmen had been able to knock through them to get the books out. Though somewhat messy, ninety-nine percent of the files were legible and usable. The ones that had taken a beating were those laid out on the desks the day the quake struck.
Her customers would be thrilled at just how little damage she had sustained. After the episode, she had meticulously spent hours calling each and every one of them explaining about her security systems and assuring them once she had reopened, their individual files would be swiftly updated and kept current. Their support and well-wishes had been overwhelming, and had given her the impetus to work all the harder.
Just then a well-tailored man knocked on the office’s open door. “Are you Angelina Serrano, owner of Serrano’s?”
“Yes, I am. How can I help you?”
“I’m Phil Cowden, attorney for Nathan Black, one of your clients.”
“He’s one of my best clients and a very nice man.” Confused but businesslike, Angelina stood to shake his hand. Quickly lifting the folders from the chair closest to her desk, she made a gesture for Mr. Cowden to sit, which he ignored.
Nerves pounding, roused by the serious look on the man’s face, she said, “What can I do for you, Mr. Cowden?”
Rather than following her prompt to sit, the uncomfortable-looking man searched in his briefcase and soon handed her an envelope. “If you have any questions concerning this situation, please contact my office.” Seconds later he was gone, leaving behind confusion and dread. Nerve-wracking premonitions made her hesitate, until curiosity compelled her to read the letter.
Undisputedly, the damning sheet of legal mishmash put paid to all her dreams. She’d failed! Crazed laughter hit first, and then came unleashed fury. A notebook, innocently lying on her desk, was the first victim of her lack of control and was soon followed by the pen she’d been squeezing. Finding no release to her built-up frustration, she pounded the desk and a slew of Spanish blasphemy followed.
Ya basta! She’d had enough. Life had been kicking her in the ass for long enough. No more!
Grabbing her purse, she shoved the letter into the side pocket, stuck her cellphone next to it and hightailed it to the front door. Coralee and Lee sneaking a clinch in the hallway pulled apart. “Angie, what’s happened?”
Angelina looked neither right nor left, but headed straight for the exit. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
She stormed outside, only to skid to a standstill when she noticed Joe leaning against a Search and Rescue truck, looking better than any man had a right to look when all she wanted to do was write him off for being MIA.
He straightened and approached warily. “What’s wrong, Angel-ah-lina?”
This man was getting to her. “Nothing! I just have to go and see a man about a lawsuit.”
“Excuse me?” He blanched. “What’s happened?” He stood in her path and wouldn’t let her go around him.
“What do you care? You’re hiding out here so we won’t meet. Think I don’t know?”
He had
the nerve to look somewhat sheepish but belligerent at the same time. “You’re wrong! I didn’t want to bother you, and Lee just had to take a minute to confirm plans with Coralee.”
“Bah!” Her hand slashed in front of his face. Then her eyes dug holes into his dubious excuse and he looked away. It was only because she had something else on her mind that she took pity on him. “One of my customers sent his lawyer with a letter to accuse Serrano’s of embezzling funds from their accounts. I’m on my way to tell him what I think of him for sending his lawyer to do his dirty work. He couldn’t even face me himself. Bastardo!”
“He’s crazy! What kind of proof did the guy give you? His allegations must have come with some kind of justification. Have they started some sort of investigation?”
Staggered by his questions, Angelina’s brain reassembled from furious self-pity to participation. “You’re right. Those are valid questions, and I know just the person to ask.” Angelina turned away from Joe, and at a fast pace, she started down the block.
“Hold it. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to tackle Mr. Black in person and get some answers to those very queries. No-one calls me a thief and gets away with it. Not without a fight.”
Joe continued to walk beside her, while at the same time he sent a text message. “I’ll just let Lee know to wait for me.”
Stunned, Angelina stopped. “Now why the heck would you do that?”
“Because I’m coming with you. Considering the mood you’re in, things might get out of hand. And there’s no way I’m letting you deal with this situation without back-up. Lead on.”
Her heartbeats had accelerated the minute she’d seen him. But nothing equaled the pleasure his words brought. However, stubbornness kicked in and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her gladness. “Do what you want, I don’t care.”
