Merediths Awakening (11 page)

“Did your brother turn up?” He actually sounded concerned, and even reached out to lay a large, warm hand over her knotted fists.

She shook her head. “No,” she responded. “Matthew, my other brother, went to his house and found a big mess.” He raised his brows questioningly and she continued.

“Bagels and coffee flung around the kitchen.” She sighed. “But no sign of Marcus.” She shook her head again.

“He was spending the weekend with his assistant,” she could hear her voice becoming colder, sharper. “No wait, his ex-assistant. It’s why I took the meeting with you yesterday. He couldn’t wait until after five to get her home and tie her up.” She made a low sound of frustration. She didn’t understand what was happening with her brother. More, she didn’t understand what was happening with her. Why was she spilling family business to this virtual stranger?

“It really bothers you, him tying her up?” Tony’s voice was soft, non-judgmental.

“Yes,” she snapped automatically. When he raised his eyebrow in her direction she answered more calmly, “No. God, I don’t know anymore.” He stroked his hand over hers soothingly, and she gave a slow sigh of defeat.

“Marcus doesn’t lose control,” she continued. “I don’t know what set him off, when he’ll be back,” she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the headrest. “I just know I get to hold things together. Again.”

*

Tony hated the defeat and confusion in her voice. Under her anger, he could hear the fear, and it made him want to find her all-powerful big brother and kick his inconsiderate ass. Instead he held her hand and drove. He couldn’t fix her family, but he could share his with her.

Sometime in the midst of their embrace before leaving the office, he’d decided his Princess needed a healthy dose of affection. And he knew just where she could get it.

Thankfully, she kept her eyes closed as he drove, so she didn’t realize they weren’t going home. Since she didn’t realize, she didn’t argue. Tony took a breath as he pulled up in front of his grandmother’s house. The street was already lined with cars belonging to various family members, and he glanced at the dashboard clock. They were a little late, but dinner wouldn’t have started yet. Now he just had to get her inside.

Meredith opened her eyes to the sound of Tony’s door closing, and looked around in confusion. They weren’t at her condo. They weren’t even at his house. She wasn’t sure exactly where they were, but she had the sinking sensation she was about to find out.

When Tony opened her door, she sent him a narrow look.

“Where are we?” The residential street was attractive, obviously upper middle class.

The selection of cars congregated around the house they headed for ranged from Tony’s

“man-truck,” to an elegant Audi, with a couple of SUVs thrown in for good measure.

When Tony didn’t immediately answer, and didn’t quite meet her eyes, Meredith’s unease grew.

“Tony,” she tugged him to a stop in the driveway. She glanced up and saw a little face topped with curly dark hair appear in the window, then disappear just as quickly.

“Where are we, and what are we doing here?”

Tony finally met her eyes and gave her a sheepish smile. “We’re at my Nona’s house.” He caught her questioning look and explained, “My grandmother’s house.” Her eyes widened in horror, but he forged on. “We’re here for Sunday dinner.”

“And who,” her voice was faint. His announcement had punched the air out of her.

“Who do all those cars belong to?” Oh God, she prayed, please don’t let him have brought me home to meet the family. She hadn’t even decided on an affair with the man, so she certainly wasn’t ready to meet his Nona!

But deep down she realized that wasn’t true. She was already neck-deep in an affair with Tony. She was even honored he’d take her to meet his family. She was also terrified.

Terrified they wouldn’t like her, or worse, when he saw her with them, how awkward she was sure to be, he’d realize his pursuit of her had been a mistake from the beginning.

“Hey,” he tipped her chin up and met her eyes. His look was warm and reassuring.

“They don’t bite. They’re a little loud,” he glanced up at the window where the curly-haired child had been joined by three dark-haired women of varying ages. “And a lot nosy,” he grimaced as they all waved energetically at him. “But they’re pretty wonderful.

And since you’re pretty wonderful, too,” she felt her eyes widen, and he grinned, “you’re bound to hit it off.”

“But…” She never got to finish her protest because he dipped his head and sealed her lips with his. And in spite of her turmoil about the day, her brother, and the fact his family was watching, she found herself melting into the kiss.

She was bemused and a little flushed when he led her through the attached garage and to the door. Her bemusement quickly turned to sensory overload as he opened the door and ushered her into controlled chaos.

A dark-haired whirlwind launched herself into Tony’s arms before he’d even stepped into the entryway. As he caught the child, Meredith recognized her as the curly-haired moppet who’d been watching them through the window.

“Unca Tony!” She couldn’t have been more than three or four, Meredith guessed, though her experience with children was severely limited. Up close, the little girl resembled Tony, sharing his melted chocolate eyes and engaging dimples.

“Hey, Squirt,” he shifted the child to one arm, and reached out to tug Meredith into the house behind him with his free hand.

“Who she?” Big brown eyes peered at Meredith over Tony’s shoulder and a pudgy finger pointed in her direction.

“Don’t point, cara, it’s rude.” A lovely, equally dark-haired woman stepped apart from the crowd of similarly dark-haired people watching them curiously. Leaning around the little girl, she wrapped her arms around Tony and kissed both of his cheeks, beaming at him, before turning to scrutinize Meredith.

“Welcome to our home,” she finally said, stepping forward and extending her hands.

Meredith blinked before accepting them, and found herself drawn into a light hug, as the woman placed a light kiss on each cheek.

“I am Sophia, this one’s,” she sent Tony an exasperated look, “big sister. And the little imp in his arms,” Sophia turned to tap a gentle finger on the child’s nose, causing the little girl to giggle, “the one with no manners? She is my daughter Josie.” Sophia turned again to her brother, without releasing Meredith’s hands. Meredith began to feel a bit panicked. She needed those hands. She couldn’t type without them, and if she couldn’t type, how could she work? Meredith drew a breath and forced herself to calm down before she gave in to hysteria.

“Although it would seem my bambina comes by her lack of manners honestly.” Sophia glared at Tony. The expression only made her look lovelier, like a painting of a ticked-off Madonna. “Are you going to introduce your friend, Tonio, or just stand there grinning like an imbecile?”

Tony grinned and, to Meredith’s profound relief, retrieved her hand from Sophia.

Glancing at Meredith, he must have seen her stress because he pulled her closer and clasped his hand loosely around the back of her neck.

“Well, as you know,” he addressed Meredith, “this is my big sister. She’s a pain in my…” Sophia gave a light growl completely at odds with her elegant, serene appearance,

“neck,” he concluded before turning to his sister.

“Sophie, this is Meredith Worthington, my friend.” To Meredith’s surprise and relief, he didn’t put any emphasis or suggestive inflection on his words. Hearing him call her his friend sent a little trickle of warmth through her, and she felt her smile become a bit more genuine.

“She is in need of a good, home-cooked meal,” he continued, “and a little TLC.” Tony placed a noisy kiss on Josie’s cheek, and set her on the ground. Turning, he led Meredith further into the crowd. Sophia stepped up to her other side, and leaned close to be heard above the noise of the group.

“Don’t worry about remembering names just yet. There are far too many of us,” she grinned and flashed what Meredith was beginning to think of as the Renatto dimples,

“and we all look alike.”

*

Tony led Meredith to a small grouping of chairs and plopped down at one end of an overstuffed couch. Meredith let him tug her down next to him, but he noticed she remained perched on the edge of her seat. Like someone about to run for her life.

Giving a little jerk to the hand he still held, he toppled her over so she landed pressed up against his side. She scrambled to catch her balance, but gave in and relaxed against him much more easily than he’d expected. Looking down, he grinned a bit at her wide eyes and dazed expression.

She was watching his family like an anthropologist might watch a new civilization.

Her eyes flicked from one person to another, taking in the teasing, the joking, the affectionate interactions that made up the extended Rennato family.

When his cousin Frankie teasingly shoved Tony’s younger sister Theresa, Meredith flinched. Tony gathered her closer, choking down murderous thoughts about her father, and held her until Theresa smacked Frankie on the back of the head. When the young man just laughed, Meredith drew a breath and relaxed again.

“Antonio!” The voice coming from the kitchen was warm and robust and faintly accented. The woman it came from was tiny and birdlike, and ruled over her family with an iron hand sheathed in a velvet glove.

“How is it you have been in my house for more than five minutes, and have not come to give your Nona a kiss?” Tony’s grandmother glided through the throng of Rennatos, cutting a path cleanly to where Tony and Meredith sat on the couch.

Tony sprang to his feet, and took Meredith’s hand as she jumped to join him. Once she was securely standing, he released her and scooped his grandmother into his arms, swinging her around in an exuberant hug.

“Nona, I am a bad, disrespectful grandson,” he winked at her, and then at Meredith, and Nona’s stern expression began to crack. “Will you forgive me,” he set her gently on the floor and dropped to one knee, lifting her tiny hand to his heart, “if I introduce you to my guest?”

*

Nona’s sharp black eyes raked over Meredith, leaving her feeling completely exposed. Not that her look was unkind. It was just speculative. It suddenly came to Meredith Nona was looking at her with the same expression Marcus often wore when sizing up a new business associate.

Pasting on her best “company” smile, Meredith extended her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Rennato.” The older woman had a surprisingly strong grip, and those assessing eyes never left Meredith’s face. “And thank you so much for allowing me into your home.”

Meredith felt her smile getting brittle around the edges as the other woman continued to scrutinize her. Unconsciously, she reached for Tony’s hand, and was absurdly comforted by its rough warmth as it wrapped around hers.

“Nona,” Tony scolded teasingly, “you will frighten my friend away with those eagle eyes!”

“Well,” Nona sniffed, “you have yet to introduce her, so what should an old woman say?” Meredith thought she might detect a hint of a twinkle in those sharp black eyes, but was afraid to count on it.

Next to her Tony heaved a long-suffering sigh. Moving his hand up her arm to wrap loosely around her nape, he introduced Meredith to his grandmother.

“Nona, I’d like to present my friend, Meredith Worthington.” Nona’s eyebrows raised a bit. “Princess,” those eyebrows rose even more at Tony’s use of his nickname for Meredith, and she felt herself color. “This is my Nona, my grandmother, Violetta Vincenzo Rennato. She rules this little kingdom.”

Finally Nona’s lightly lined face broke into a smile. Meredith caught her breath. The woman immediately lost twenty years, radiating joy and vitality. And those darn Rennato dimples.

“You have such a lovely smile!” The words were out before she realized it, and Meredith flushed even darker. She was not one given to outbursts, nor was she given to casual compliments. She’d simply been bowled over by the warmth glowing in the older woman’s eyes.

Nona turned that radiant smile on her, and Meredith felt strangely pleased.

“You will call me Nona,” she instructed Meredith before turning to Tony. “I like her, Antonio. Perhaps I will forgive your rudeness after all.” She turned toward the kitchen, and then back to Tony, snapping her fingers. “You will come now and set the table.” That said, she sailed through the crowd like Moses parting the Red Sea, leaving Meredith standing next to Tony with her mouth hanging open in a most undignified manner.

“Wow,” marveled a conspicuously blond man who seemed to be attached to one of the exotically beautiful women filling the room. “Tia and I had been married for over a year before she let me call her Nona. She still hasn’t decided if she likes me.” The rest of the family laughed, and Tony pulled Meredith in for a brief hug. “I’ve got my orders, Princess, and if I want to stay in her good graces, my butt better get to setting the table.” Meredith sent him a mildly panicked look when he left her side.

“I’ll help you,” she quickly offered, but he waved her back before she could follow him.

“No, no. You’re company. Let Reesa here,” he indicated a beautiful young woman with melting brown eyes, “get you a glass of wine, and get to know everyone.” With a grin, he vanished into the kitchen, leaving Meredith stranded in a sea of strangers.