Always Be True (24 page)

The paper was a bit wrinkled by the time Tino finished poring over the letter one last time. He smoothed it out before sliding it back into the envelope. Like Jack, Tino knew he'd just been given his marching orders by their father. Tino needed to get off dead center and figure out what he wanted out of life and how to get it.

After all, a soldier needed a plan in order to achieve his objective. With that in mind, Tino stretched out on the bed and made a mental inventory of everything that made him happy and gave him a sense of purpose. Natalie was at the top of that list. Once he accepted that much, everything else fell into place.

Now it was time to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

Natalie came awake slowly as the scent of freshly brewed coffee lured her from the hot dream she'd been enjoying. The details were a bit hazy, but it definitely involved her, Tino Gianelli, and that rug in her living room. As much as she hated leaving her dream world behind, it was time to get moving.

She opened her eyes to instant confusion. This wasn't her room and definitely not her bed. A second later, everything came into focus. This was Tino's bed, and she was wearing Tino's clothes. Other details from the previous evening flooded back—the fear, the theft, and the police. She bolted upright and waited for her pulse to return to normal. The incident was over and done with. Time to move on.

It was early, but that was okay. She had a lot to do if she wanted to get to work on time. For starters, she needed to stop by her house to change outfits—no way she was going to show up wearing the same clothes she'd had on the day before, even if Tino had washed them for her. Of course, unless the police had already retrieved her purse, she couldn't get inside her own house until a locksmith could come out and open the door for her.

Then there was the dreaded call to her parents to tell them what had happened. They weren't exactly in the loop when it came to what went on at the foundation or the community center, but she couldn't risk them finding out on their own. She'd also have to stop by her grandfather's house. He'd handle the news better once he saw that she was truly all right. Getting there might be a problem. Her car was still at the center, and she didn't have the keys or money for a cab. She'd already imposed on Tino enough without asking him to chauffeur her all over town.

It spoke to how frazzled she was that she couldn't figure out how to fix any of it. Maybe a cup of coffee would help jump-start her brain. She cautiously stepped out into the hall and paused to listen at the door to the next room. The soft rumble of snoring made it clear that her host was still asleep. Tino must have set the timer on his coffeemaker before he went to bed last night.

After a quick stop in the bathroom, she crept down the stairs, trying not to make any noise. The man had definitely earned his rest. Her to-do list would have to wait until he woke up. For now, she'd help herself to a cup of coffee and then put her clothes in the dryer.

As it turned out, she wasn't alone. A complete stranger was making himself at home in the kitchen. She let out a loud squeal before she could help herself. The man spun around to face her, sloshing hot coffee on his hand in the process.

“Son of a—” He cut the curse off midway through. “Sorry. You startled me.”

Then he grinned. “So, I'm guessing from the look on your face, Tino didn't let you know that he asked me to come over last night.”

He wiped his hand on his jeans before holding it out to her. “I'm Jack McShane, Tino's smarter and better-looking big brother.”

She grinned as her hand was swallowed up in his huge one. “Natalie Kennigan.”

“I figured as much from the way Tino described you, but it pays to be careful.”

Before she could decide what to make of that, another voice joined the party. “God, Jack, make it sound like I have women over all the time, why don't you?”

Neither of them had heard Tino follow her down the steps, or at least she hadn't. Jack's smirk said he'd been fully aware of his brother's approach. “My bad. Sorry, Natalie, but I couldn't resist jerking his chain a little.”

While Tino glared at Jack, she studied the two men. Tino had dark, wavy hair and brown eyes, while Jack had bright green eyes and reddish-brown hair. They were close in height, but built along vastly different lines. Then there were the different last names, neither of which were the same as their mother's.

Obviously, there was an interesting story behind all of the confusion, one that Tino had yet to share with her. She wouldn't press for details now, but it was another reminder that they needed to talk about a lot of things, and soon.

“Look, I'm going to go dry my clothes.”

Because standing there in Tino's shirt and shorts felt awkward, especially in front of his brother. Tino finally turned his attention to her. “I dried them last night. They're folded on top of the dryer.”

“Great. Well, then, I'll go get dressed so I can get out of your way.”

She didn't make it two steps before she was surrounded by two walls that hadn't been there two seconds before. With both brothers topping out at over a foot taller than she was, Natalie had to tip her head back at an uncomfortable angle to see their faces.

“What?”

Tino answered first. “We need to do something about breakfast for all three of us, so don't be in too much of a hurry. I can get by skipping a meal, but Jack is a real bear if he doesn't get fed regularly.”

She expected Jack to deny the allegation, but instead he said, “It's a shortcoming on my part, but he's right. You can ask my wife when you meet her or even our mom. She's right next door.”

Like she was going to go knocking on their mother's door wearing Tino's shirt and shorts. She put her hands on her hips and gave each man a hard look. “Okay, guys, what's really going on? Why the delay tactics?”

Jack looked over her head at his brother. “It's only six o'clock. The building supply store doesn't open until seven.”

What did that have to do with anything? Oh, wait. Maybe Tino was supposed to help Jack on a project today. “Look, if I'm keeping you from your job, I can call my folks and have one of them pick me up.”

Tino's hands came down to rest on her shoulders. “That's not it at all. We'll need you with us at the store to pick out the replacement locks for your house and to tell how us many we need. Afterward, we'll head over to your place and get started on replacing the ones you have.”

“But I was going to call a locksmith this morning. Besides, haven't I already taken up enough of your time?”

She almost got lost in the warmth of Tino's dark eyes as she waited for him to answer. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. “My time is all yours today, starting with getting the locks taken care of. While we get started on that job, you can check in with the police about your purse and briefcase. Once we know what's going on, we'll either go retrieve your stuff or take your spare car keys back to the center to pick up your car. From there, I'll follow you over to your grandfather's. He and I have our regular chess game this afternoon, anyway.”

They have scheduled games? Since when? “You do?”

“Yeah, he beat me last time and promised me a rematch.”

She'd have to have a talk with Cyrus about him hanging out with Tino later. Right now, she had enough on her plate. “If I go along with this plan, I'm going to insist on paying your going rate for the work.”

Jack spoke up again. “Look, I'll let you two hammer out the details while I start breakfast, assuming you've got food in the fridge, little brother. If not, I'm going over to Mom's and see if she'll feed me.”

Tino winced. “Let's not bother her this early. I can make a quick run to pick up some breakfast sandwiches.”

A knock at the door had both brothers going on point. “Too late, Tino. I'm guessing Mom spotted my truck in the driveway and wants to know what the hell is going on.”

Once again, Natalie was painfully aware that she was wearing Tino's clothes with nothing under them. It was tempting to bolt upstairs to hide in Tino's room, but what was the point? As soon as the guys filled Marlene in on what had happened, she was going to find out Natalie had spent the night in her son's apartment. Nothing had happened, and they were both adults, anyway. It wasn't as if she and Tino were even dating right now.

She remained frozen in place as Jack pushed past her to open the door. While he talked to their mother, Tino shifted to put his arm around her shoulders. “She doesn't bite, Blondie. Besides, Mom would've been the first one to insist you stay with us the minute she found out your place wasn't safe.”

“Seriously? She would have invited me to sleep in her son's bed?”

He leaned down to whisper near her ear, “Maybe. She's pretty determined to get all three of us married off. Something about wanting a bunch of grandkids. Before you hold that against her, remember she's not the only one talking that way. When your grandfather and I played chess the other day, he mentioned wanting the same thing from us, well, from you anyway. But considering it was me he was talking to, I have to think he pictured me being actively involved in the process.”

Her face burned hot. “Really? I can't believe he said that again. I'm sorry if it embarrassed you.”

Oddly enough, Tino didn't look at all upset about the prospect. To make matters worse, he gave her a quick kiss as his mother and brother watched. He winked at her before saying, “Hi, Mom. You remember Natalie.”

“Yes, of course. I'm really sorry about what happened last night, and I'm glad you didn't try to go home. Sometimes I wonder what this world is coming to, but I'm sure you slept well knowing my sons were standing guard. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Tino cleared his throat. “There is one thing, Mom. Any chance we can raid your kitchen this morning? I'm out of both milk and eggs.”

Marlene was clearly a little exasperated. “Now, there's a surprise. How many times have I told you that groceries don't magically appear in the kitchen? You actually have to go to the store once in a while. I swear, Tino, if it was just you, I'd make you settle for cold cereal. But after what Natalie has been through, she deserves better.”

Natalie hid a smile when Tino shuffled his feet. “Come on, Mom, don't embarrass me in front of the lady.”

Jack cracked up. “No, go ahead, Mom. I want to watch.”

Their mother gave her other son a disgusted look. “You weren't any better when you lived here, Jack. I didn't raise either of you to be helpless, but I'll go get things started. Come on over whenever you're ready.”

Natalie held in her own laughter until Marlene was out the door. “I really like her, Tino. She's tough.”

“Yeah, she is. She had to be to put up with a lot from the three of us. Dad, too, for that matter.”

“Amen to that.” Jack set his coffee cup down on the counter. “I'll head over to Mom's to grab a quick shower and then help her put a meal together. See you in a few.”

That left her alone with just Tino, who still had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Feeling awkward, she said, “I'll grab my clothes and get dressed.”

But when she tried to step away, he stopped her. “Are you okay?”

“Getting there.”

“Good.”

He seemed to want to say more, but maybe that was only wishful thinking on her part. She had so many questions about him, his family, and what was going on in that head of his, ones she was afraid he'd never answer.

“Um, I can't get dressed unless you actually let go of me.”

“And if I don't want to let go?”

Something about the way he was looking at her made her think he meant something more than just moving his arm. Again, was that only wishful thinking? As her grandfather was fond of saying, no guts, no glory.

“Then I think you need to think things through and make up your mind what you do want, Tino. You send so many mixed signals that I can't make heads nor tails of what you're thinking. But once you've figured it out, you know where to find me.”

His dark eyes looked down at her with such…hunger was the only way she could describe it. It made her want to drag him down onto the nearest horizontal surface and have her wicked way with him. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good idea for so many reasons, starting with the fact that his brother and mother were just next door and expecting them for breakfast.

When he didn't immediately respond, she said, “Okay, I'm going to get dressed. If your mom is nice enough to cook for us, the least we can do is show up before it gets cold.”

She picked up her clothes and started up the steps with Tino right behind her. When they reached the top, he finally spoke. “Natalie, we'll do whatever it takes to get your life back on track today. Afterward, I've got to take care of some personal stuff, but I promise I'll be back in touch soon.”

“Okay.” She cupped his cheek with the palm of her hand. “But when you're done doing whatever you need to do, we need to have a long talk. I've got questions.”

He turned his head to press a kiss on the palm of her hand. “I don't doubt that. I promise I'll have answers.”

“Good. Now, we need to get moving. Your mom is waiting.”

“I hear you had some excitement last week.”

Jay waited until the waitress set down the beers they'd ordered before continuing. “Clarence told me what happened. I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.”

Tino met Jay's gaze as he sipped his beer. “Yeah, a few bumps and bruises, but no real damage done. We lucked out because the police caught the kid who had stolen Natalie's purse and briefcase right away.”

Jay's grip on his beer tightened until his knuckles turned white. “I hope you changed her locks, anyway, just to be safe.”

“Yep, first thing. I figured she'd sleep better even though the cops were pretty sure they grabbed him before he'd had time to do anything with her personal information.”

Staring down at the table, Tino thought about the three kids who had attacked them. “From what the cops said, the guy who stole her purse and one of his buddies will most likely do hard time, because both already have records. Only eighteen years old, and the dumbasses have already managed to screw up their lives big-time. On the other hand, it was a first offense for the third one, and he's still a juvenile. Not sure what that will mean for him.”

Jay leaned back in the booth. “What do you want to happen to him?”

That was one of the questions that had kept Tino up the last couple of nights. “I want him to have a chance to change the path he's on. If that doesn't happen, eventually he'll end up in the cell right next to his two friends.”

Jay smiled as if something in Tino's answer had pleased him. “You and I both know nothing is likely to change the trajectory for kids like him, not unless someone steps up to convince them that there is another way.”

“Yeah.” And the weight of that knowledge had settled right on Tino's shoulders.

Maybe Jay was feeling some of that weight, too. “So, providing it's not already too late for him, what are you willing to do about it? And is it only this one kid you want to save or do you want to do more than that?”

That was another question Tino had been contemplating. “I want to do something for kids like him, although right now I have no idea what that might be. Our basketball team is a good start for the younger kids, though. I really believe we've got a good chance to do something positive with them.”

It was time to share some good news. “On that subject, there's a reason I asked you to meet me today. I had a long talk with my family this week, and we want to sponsor the team in the memory of our father, Joe Lukash. Back in the day, he and Marlene stepped up to turn things around for the three of us. We want to do the same for these kids. We've got you covered for equipment, dues, shoes, whatever you need. Come up with a dollar amount, and I'll write the check.”

“Holy shit!” The former Seal looked like Santa had just dumped a shitload of presents under his own personal Christmas tree. “For real?”

Tino grinned. “For real. But there's a price.”

“Anything, man.”

“Like I said, I want to do something for the older kids, too. Not sure what, but something. Intramural sports might be a good place to start, especially if we can recruit some other local vets to help coach them. Maybe if these kids get to know the men and women who have served their country, it might inspire them to reach for more. At the very least, that they deserve a chance to make something of themselves.”

“Like you and your brothers did.”

Tino nodded. “You, too, I'm guessing.”

Jay stared at some point on the far wall of the bar before finally answering. “Yeah, me, too.”

“One of these days, you'll have to tell me something about your own background. All I know right now is that you were a Seal.” He offered Jay a sly smile. “And don't think I've forgotten your promise to tell me about the lady in your past.”

Holding up his half-empty beer, Jay said, “I haven't forgotten, but I'm not a cheap date. One drink isn't nearly enough to make me go all chatty on you.”

“I never thought it was.” Tino checked the time. “Unfortunately, I can't stay and ply you with liquor today, but let's set aside time to brainstorm ideas about how to get the ball rolling about some kid programs soon. I've got someplace I need to be tonight, and I have another stop to make on the way.”

“Sounds serious, man.”

“Serious as death.” Because if things didn't go as planned, the disappointment might just kill him.

Jay toyed with the cardboard coaster that had come with his beer. “I'm guessing it has something to do with Natalie Kennigan.”

Never let it be said that the man wasn't observant. “Yeah, it does.”

Jay reached across the table to clink his beer bottle against Tino's. “Well, Soldier Boy, I will keep my fingers crossed that your mission is successful.”

“Thanks, Squid. That means a lot.”

“But if it all goes to hell and you need a drinking companion, you have my number.” Jay finished his beer and slid out of the booth. “Having said that, my money is on you, especially if Natalie is as smart as everyone says she is. You're a good man, even if you did pick the army over the navy.”

Tino defended his choice. “Joe was army.”

Jay clearly wasn't impressed. “That didn't stop your younger brother from joining the marines.”

“True enough.”

By that time, they'd reached the parking lot. Jay stopped to stare up at the sky. “Thanks again for sponsoring the team, Tino. My mom always said what goes around comes around. Maybe by doing something good for the kids, you'll get what you need in return. I hope so.”

Tino glanced at his companion. “Why?”

“Because then maybe there's hope for me, too.”

Then Jay disappeared into the darkness, leaving Tino staring at his back.