Renzo (The Ciprianos of Kellington) (10 page)

“Yes, ma’am, I got
everything squared away just fine. But now I’m hungry from the aroma of this
good food you’re cooking.” Jaslyn smiled when her stomach growled. That banana
she had earlier didn’t curb her appetite and it was slowly getting toward
lunchtime.

“Here, taste this sauce
and tell me how it is.” Filomena grabbed a spoon and ladled the Pomodoro sauce.
She blew and tasted it. Jaslyn hadn’t tasted anything so delicious in her life.
It reminded her of the marinara sauce from the restaurant. Jaslyn made a
moaning sound and the group laughed. Filomena said, “Gianni, tell the boys to
come and help me. Jaslyn, go on outside and take the bread, wine, and ice tea
with you.”

“I’ll let you go and
eat then, see you later.” Renzo waved and walked out of the kitchen toward the
front door.

“Yes, ma’am.” Grabbing
the pitcher of ice tea along with the wine bottle, Jaslyn walked out to the
porch that showed off a beautiful garden. She was astonished by how beautiful
the place was. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath of the flowers’
perfume around her. No wonder Renzo brought her here today, this was a
beautiful place.

“Ciao a
tutti
,
bella
signora.”
A voice from behind her made her turn around as she saw Simone as well as
another man walking in with some plates. He had a broad smile on his
face,
dark hair that was cut short like Simone’s and as he
came over toward her, she realized he had eyes just like her own, hazel and
dazzling. These eyes were searching all over her body.

“Hello, Simone, how are
you?”

“I didn’t know you were
going to have lunch with us. Ms. Whitman, it’s nice seeing you. This is my
brother Federico, this, brother, is Ms. Jaslyn Whitman,” Simone said as his
brother looked at him then back to her.

“My goodness, now I
know why Renzo has been acting the way he has over you. What a
bella
creatura
tu
sei
.” He took her hand and
lightly kissed it as she watched Gianni and Filomena walk out.

“Federico, what did I
tell you!” said Gianni. Federico smirked.

“Yes, I know. You have
to understand, my dear, you are off limits to us since our brother is
interested in you.”

“Oh, really huh? Well I
promise not to tell him that you just tried to make a pass at me.” He smiled at
her. They walked over to the table filled with a wondrous array of food from
pastas, meats, cheese, veggies, to bread, and everything looked so good. “You
set a beautiful table, Filomena.”

“Why thank you, my dear,
now sit over here next to me. Boys make room.” Once everybody was seated,
Filomena said grace. Afterwards, everyone dug into the food. Everything that
she ate was delicious. She ended up getting thirds of the antipasto and
Federico kept looking at her all kinds of weird. Jaslyn couldn’t actually say
it was weird, but rather seductively like what he had said meant absolutely
nothing to him.

“This was a delicious
meal, Filomena, I am beyond stuffed,” Jaslyn declared, covering her mouth to
burp. “Excuse me.”

“I am glad you enjoyed
it. I honestly wasn’t planning on having company other than my sons today. But
it’s always nice to have another woman in the house. Now while the boys put
everything away, we will enjoy a walk in my garden.” Filomena smiled. They all
stood up while she showed Jaslyn to the walkway into the garden. “It’s such a
lovely day today, isn’t it?”

“That it is and I want
to thank you for letting me stay in your home today. I was not in the mood for
work after this morning.”

“I wouldn’t have been
either after what that
cagna
did to your car. Was it
that, bad what she did?”

“I know I’ll have to
get another car. It was so horrible all that trash—eggs and she painted
fuck you bitch
on the side of my car.
All of my tires were flattened,” Jaslyn said. Filomena looped an arm through
hers while they continued walking through the garden that sunny afternoon.

Chapter Seven

Renzo had gotten word
that both companies he called to clean up the mess and tow Jaslyn’s car were at
her house. He was grateful they came so quickly. He only hoped his family was
making her stay at his mother’s home a comfortable one. The phone rang once more
and he quickly answered it. “Hello Filomena’s, Renzo speaking.”

“Hi, Renzo, this is
Taylor down at the precinct. I was calling to talk with you about how Jaslyn
was doing.”

“She’s at my mother’s.
She couldn’t deal with working today, so I brought her to my mom’s for the rest
of the day until things were clear at her home.”

“We found Melanie and
are questioning her. She’s of course denying everything, but we are still
grilling her. I was going to call her cell, but I honestly didn’t want to make
her any more upset than she already was. You might as well tell her that she
needs to be careful.”

“Do you think Melanie
could do something else?”

“If she did this to her
car, there’s no telling what else she could do.”

Renzo was starting to
get worried, even though he knew Melanie and her antics could get bad, she
never went to these lengths before. Now that he showed interest in one
particular woman, she wanted to make their lives a living hell. “Thanks,
Taylor, and I’ll let her know right away.” Hanging up the phone, he reclined
back in his chair in deep thought.

What the hell was he going to do now?

* * * *

Jaslyn and Filomena had
been in the garden talking and then a topic came up that caught Jaslyn
completely off guard. “How do you feel about my son Renzo?”

“Umm, what do you
mean?” They both sat down on a bench where she could see the statue nearby.

“Just what I said
sweetheart for I know my sons very well and I’ve never seen him like this. You
have to understand when he got with Melanie, I didn’t approve. I told him from
the get go I didn’t like her at all. It was in her eyes. I saw something that I
didn’t like. But with you, I’ve never seen him so happy before.”

Jaslyn smiled thinking
for a moment. “I honestly can tell you that I don’t know what I truly feel for
your son. I mean he’s been a nice guy, but for some strange reason, I keep
thinking about his past. I know I shouldn’t be. Renzo doesn’t know this, but
before I came here I was in an abusive relationship with a man who lied and
used me. I won’t go into detail, but it left me an emotional and physical
wreck. Then I come here and things were going just fine until Renzo popped into
my life. I know he’s trying to get my attention, but I just feel he doesn’t
understand that even though I like all the things he’s done for me, I wish he
wouldn’t try so hard. It’s like he’s trying to over-impress me with the fact
he’s got the means to do what he does.”

“Well you have to
understand, my dear, this is probably the first time he’s really fallen in love
with someone. Like I said, I know my sons and all about their past antics. Even
though my other boys here haven’t changed their ways much, Renzo has. He’s the
one who’s always wanted to settle down and be with just one person. He thought
he would have it with Melanie, but of course that wasn’t the case. Renzo has
never been interested in any other woman around here until he saw you in the
shop. He defended you when Simone and Federico were talking about coming to see
you. He said you were off limits,” Filomena told her.

Jaslyn blushed. She couldn’t
believe he had said that to his own brothers. “He really did that?”

“That he did, darling.
I know if you tell Renzo the whole story he’ll understand. This will only make
your connection together stronger. I think you both need each other more than
you know. I can tell you have so much love to give.” She held Jaslyn’s hand.
Soon Jaslyn felt warmth go through her body. It was a feeling she hadn’t felt
since being with her own mom. She needed that bit of comfort.

Simone walked over to
the two. “Jaslyn, you have a call from Renzo.”

Both ladies made their
way back inside. Gianni handed her the phone. “Hello, Renzo.”

“Hi, Jaslyn, how are
you feeling?

“Much better thanks for
asking. Thank you for bringing me here, it was the pick-me-up I needed.”

He smiled. “You know
you’ve made me happy just knowing how my family has brightened your spirits.
Listen, I got a call from the officer who did the report. They have Melanie in
custody.”

“Thank God.”

“I wanted to ask you a
question though, how would you feel about staying with my mother for the rest
of the week until all of this blows over?”

She didn’t know what to
think. “Why?”

“For your safety,
mia
colomba
. The
officer thinks she might try something else. Listen, Jaslyn, I would love it if
you could stay at my mother’s place. If something was to happen to you, I don’t
know what I would do.”

A lump formed in her
throat. It was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. Looking around she saw
Filomena staring at her, wondering what was going on. “Why would you say
something like that?” her voice started to crack.

“Because I mean it,
Jaslyn, I care very much about you and if anything was to happen to you, a part
of me would hurt right along with you.”

Jaslyn covered her
mouth to keep from crying, but soon the sobs overcame her. Filomena rushed to
her side and grabbed the phone. “Renzo, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, Mom,
I was just telling Jaslyn how I feel about her. I think it might have been too
much for her.”

“I think so too, bless
her heart. What is going on?”

“I want her to stay
there for the rest of the week. Melanie might try something crazy. I told her I
didn’t know what I would do if something happened to her. I meant that too, I
would kill if anybody harmed, Jaslyn.”

“I know you would,
mio
figlio
,
listen I will make sure we get the things she needs from home and keep her here
with me,” Filomena assured him.

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll be
over later on to check on you all.”

“All
right, darling, goodbye.”
She hung up the phone
while Gianni gave Jaslyn a tissue. Then giving her a hug she smiled and said,
“You see, I told you that he cared, didn’t I? Now what we are going to do is
this—Gianni and Simone are going to take you to your house and you are going to
pack a bag for a week. Now go into the bathroom and clean yourself up then the
boys will take you home.” Filomena nodded to Simone who took Jaslyn by the arm
and showed her the way to the bathroom.

When the brothers and
Jaslyn got to her home, the car as well as the trash was gone. It was as if
nothing had been there the entire time and she was happy to see that eyesore
gone. The only thing that stood in its place was a large puddle of water from
where they had hosed it down. “Is that where the car was?” asked Simone.

Jaslyn nodded while
they walked to her door. “I won’t be but a moment.” Walking back to her room,
she went into her closet, retrieved her overnight bag, and began packing
clothes from her drawer. She didn’t want to leave her home, but she knew it was
for the best.

“You have a nice place
here, Jaslyn,” shouted Gianni from the living room as she went into the
bathroom to get her toiletries.

“Thanks. I really like
it, very peaceful out in the backyard too.” She grabbed all she could. Going
back into her room, she made sure she had everything she needed before they
left. She zipped the bag and walked back into the living room, noticing the men
checking out the pictures on the mantle.

“Is this you?” asked
Gianni holding a picture of her and her mother.

“Yes, and that is my
mom. It was taken when we were at church. I think I was about eight or nine.”
Both men smiled at the picture while Simone picked up another picture of her,
her brother, and mother about a year ago. “That is my brother, Henry, and of
course me and Mom. This is my dad, Quincy. He passed away about five years
ago…he was an amazing man.” Rubbing the antique frame with the picture of her
father in it, she missed hearing his pep talks when she was in therapy. He
would take her to physical therapy even though he was slowly getting sicker by
the day. “I think we better head on out.” Once Gianni grabbed her bag, she
rechecked the doors, windows, and the kitchen before heading out.

“Can we go by the shop
before we head back? I want to check on Delia.”

“Sure thing, Jaslyn, we
can do that,” Simone assured her as he helped her into the car. Looking back at
her house, she hated to leave even if it was just for the rest of the week. But
she had to get things straightened out with her car and with Melanie.

When they got to the
shop, Delia was there to greet them. “Oh, I’m so glad that everything is okay.
Did they get the car straightened out?” Delia asked giving her a hug.

“Yeah, Renzo got
someone to tow it and clean up the trash. I’m going to be staying with his
mother for the rest of the week until they think it’s safe,” Jaslyn told her.

“Think it’s safe? What
do you mean think
it’s
safe?”

“They fear Melanie
might do something else crazy even though she’s locked up. So Renzo thinks
it’s
best I stay with his mom. Honestly, I don’t want to. I’d
rather be at home because this is just a scare tactic to get me away from him.
Stupid vindictive bitch. I swear if I ever see her, all I can say is that you
know where my money is, my mom and Henry’s numbers are just in case I’m the one
ending up in jail.” The men started to chuckle. “But I will be back tomorrow,
just close up early today…around two.”

Delia gave her friend a
hug. “All right, boss, and you go get you some rest and relax. You remember
what Chi said and guys make sure your brother takes good care of her.”

“I think our brother
has a handle on that. I don’t think he’ll let anything happen to her period,”
Simone told the two as they said their goodbyes.

“Do you have any other
place you’d like to go before we head on back?” asked Gianni when they got back
to the car.

She couldn’t think of
anything but going back to rest. She could feel the tension in her back. “No,
not really, I really think I’ve done everything I need to do. We better head on
back to your mother’s place.”

* * * *

Renzo looked at the
clock for what seemed like the umpteenth time, anxious about leaving the
restaurant to be with Jaslyn. The dinner rush was still coming in and it was
the one night he didn’t want to be at the restaurant. He was eager to get to
her.

“Are you all right, Mr.
Cipriano?” asked Linda grabbing a menu from the podium.

Looking over at her
concerned face, he patted her back and smiled. “Yeah it’s been a long day, and
I’m ready to go home.”

“I hear you, well you
are the boss so you can go anytime you want,” she said, leaving to show
customers to their table.

He knew he hadn’t been
thinking straight. Taking a deep breath he went into the back and found Reggie
working in the office on the computer. “Hey, man, can you handle closing for me
tonight?”

Looking over at him, Reggie
stretched for a moment before responding, “Sure thing, I’ve got it. I’ll check
in with you in the morning.”

“Thanks, goodnight.” He
headed out the back door and to his car. He peeled out of the parking lot like
a bat out of hell. For the first time in forever, he felt really happy. He just
wanted to see her smiling face and look into those beautiful eyes of hers. That
was all he could think about to keep from getting mad about what happened
today. He wanted to comfort her and let her know everything would be just fine.
Stopping at a red light, he drummed his fingers on top of the steering wheel
while the music blasted from the speakers. Renzo knew he should have eaten
something at work because now his stomach was growling painfully. When he got
to his mom’s, she’d have a hot meal for him. Once the light turned green, he
headed up the road that would lead to his mom’s where the woman he was falling
in love with was waiting.

He noticed his
brothers’ cars were still there, so at least he knew they were keeping an eye
on her. Of course he had to contend with Federico; Simone, and Gianni who knew
he meant business with Jaslyn. When he rang the doorbell, it didn’t take long
for someone to come to the door. It was Federico. “Hey, bro, come on in.”

“How’s Jaslyn doing?”

“She’s in the living
room with Mom, looking through some family photos.” He gave a Cheshire cat grin
and Renzo’s heart almost dropped into his gut.

“Oh no! Are you serious,
man?” He briskly walked into the living room where his mother and Jaslyn were
sitting close together, looking at an open album. They looked up to see him
standing there. A beautiful smile softly spread across Jaslyn’s face. “Hello
there, Renzo, how
are
you?”