A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10) (8 page)

* * *

T
ia parked
her truck and grabbed her purse. She was fifteen minutes late, and she was pretty sure Marcella wouldn’t be happy about it. Carlos had told her horrible stories about his mother and her need for keeping a schedule.

Tia hurried through the door and found Marcella at the back of the store. She turned with a smile on her face. Tia had always envied Marcella’s calm demeanor. Today, she was dressed for shopping. The red blouse set off her Hispanic complexion perfectly. On most people, jeans would look casual. Somehow Marcella made them look classy. Her makeup was perfect and, amazingly, she didn’t have a hair of out place.

“Oh, Tia, there you are.”

She rushed over to her. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“No worries,” she said with a wave of her hand.

Tia blinked and opened her mouth to remark on the stories that Carlos had told her, but she quickly snapped it shut.

“What?” Marcella asked.

Tia shook her head.

“Are you sure?”

She pretended to be interested in a dress. “Yeah.”

Marcella chuckled. “I have a feeling my son has been telling stories about me again.”

She glanced at the older woman. “No. Not really.”

“That’s okay. They all do it, and I have no idea where they come up with such horrible things to tell about me. You can tell me over lunch all the atrocious stories Carlos has been telling you.”

“They weren’t that horrible. Not really.”

“Don’t worry. Come over here. I want you to look at these dresses.”

Tia approached the fitting room and looked at the dresses. There were three, just three. All of them were stunning. The first was a red, off the shoulders thing that Tia knew would complement her coloring. The dark green dress was barely there, with spaghetti straps and a very low neckline. The last was white, just plain white, with a shimmer of sparkling rhinestones that she knew would shimmer when she moved. All of them were simple in design, but Tia was smart enough to know they would be perfect for her.

She approached the dresses and saw one of the price tags. Her eyes widened. She had money, as Adrian had left his money to her, and Carlos had paid her for half the ranch. However, spending hundreds of dollars on a dress she would wear once wasn’t something she could do.

She turned around. “Mrs. Santini—“

“Marcella.” Determination marked her features.

“Marcella.” This brought a smile to the older woman’s face. “I really can’t afford these. They are gorgeous, but they are a bit above my budget.”

Her expression softened. “You let me worry about that.”

She opened her mouth to argue.

“Just try them on and then we will talk. Remember, you
are
representing the ranch, and it is important that you impress at the benefit.”

She wanted to say no, but it had been so long since she had dressed up. She had never been a woman who went for sparkles and high heels, every now and then, though, she liked to get girly with things.

“Okay.”

Tia shut the door and studied the dresses. She had never been a woman who liked frivolous things, but to put on a beautiful dress…that was something she liked. There just wasn’t much call for it in her line of work, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a date.

Pushing aside her worries about the price, she decided to throw herself into the process. She might as well try to enjoy herself as much as possible.

C
arlos had just sent
off his last visitors when he saw a cloud of dust heading up the driveway to the house. He didn’t need to see the driver to know it was his father’s truck. His father didn’t come out to the ranch that often on his own, meaning without his mother, so he wondered if something was up. It couldn’t be anything that serious or he would have gotten a phone call. He sat on the top step and waited for his father to park the truck in front of the house.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were planning on coming by.”

His father smiled as he walked around the hood of his truck. “Yeah, well, there isn’t much going on today.”

He studied his father. A Marine down to his toes, his father did not do anything without a plan. A motto in their family had always been that plans don’t fail. You fail to plan. There was only one reason his father would drive out this way.

“So, Mom’s busy and you’re out here?”

His father smiled. “I just thought I’d check things out.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Okay, you’re right. Feels odd to be at home without your mother.”

“Yeah?”

He shook his head. “You would think I could handle being in the house by myself. I am a Marine.”

He chuckled as he stood up. “Yeah, but Marines are usually the ones gone.”

“It’s an afternoon.” The mild irritation in his father’s voice pulled another chuckle from Carlos.

“Want a beer?”

His father smiled. “Sounds good, but I don’t want to take you away from your work.”

Carlos held the door open and waited for his father to walk in before following.

“I just have to check on the horses later. They had a lot of attention on the tours today. Toby fed them this morning.”

“He working out for you?”

They had hired Toby to work part time a few months earlier. He filled in along with a few other men they had working from time to time. Both he and Tia thought they would be able to hire someone full time within the next year.

“Doing a good job. He shadowed me during the tour today. Tia isn’t really happy about that, but I told her with our expansion and requests, we need to be able to handle the work load. Plus, we need to have time off from time and time.

“Like next weekend for the benefit.”

He nodded. “Exactly. Will and Toby can cover the ranch while we're there. It makes it so much easier.”

Carlos grabbed a couple of beers, handing one to his father before twisting the top off his. “Is there another reason you stopped by?”

“I was going to call, but since I found myself restless, I thought I would stop by. I heard something about someone trying to get the fracking rights out here.”

“Here? Like on my land, or in Arizona in general?”

“Here.”

“As far as I know, they haven’t found any natural gas nearby. Plus, I know there is a bill in committee for it. They are trying to ban it, but I haven’t heard that it moved anywhere.”

“Is it something you considered?”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t care what was beneath the ground.”

“Even if it makes you a lot of money?”

He gave his father a look that had the older man chuckling.

“Yeah, I guessed that. You don’t need it. None of you ever did.”

He shrugged. “Without enough research, I wouldn’t want to risk disturbing the horses for that. They are our top priority, because without them, we can’t do the work we need. Besides, I doubt there is anything under there.”

“I thought you might say that. Just wanted to let you know about the rumors I’m hearing. When speculation starts, the vultures will try to show up and make offers. Thought you should be prepared.”

“Always good to know.”

“Speaking of knowing things...”

“Yeah?”

“Just know, your mother is up for playing matchmaker.”

He studied his father and wondered just how much to tell him. He decided it would be best to tread carefully.

“Is that a fact?”

“I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. She isn’t exactly subtle.”

He shook his head. “Subtle and Mom are not two words I would put together.

His father chuckled. “From the moment I met your mother, she has never been subtle.”

Carlos knew they had met at a dance when his father had been stationed in Yuma.

“Yeah?”

His father nodded. “Your mother has always been someone who went after what she wanted—even if she isn’t completely right about what she wants. Of course, your Aunt Joey didn’t help—and still doesn’t.”

He chuckled. “I can imagine.”

“She and Papa are going to be here, by the way. For the benefit. They decided to make their way back to Virginia via Arizona.”

“That’s great. I heard from Brando last night. He heard that Nando got a new assignment.”

His father frowned. “Damn, I hope he isn’t getting deployed again. I thought he was supposed to stay in Germany for three years. Your mother will have a fit if he has to go back over so soon. Then I will have to deal with your mother.”

“First, you have to deal with her.”

“Dream on, son.”

“And I don’t think he got a deployment, but I am sure we’ll hear soon enough.”

“That’s good.”

They drank in companionable silence for a few minutes. The air was actually starting to cool off a bit and there were a few clouds.

“I take it you understand the problems with getting involved with a woman you work with.”

He shifted his weight. His father had never been what you would call nosey. Tony Santini had been involved in their lives, but as with all of the other parts of their family, the wives were the ones who ruled the troops, aka the family.

“Are you warning me off because she’s my partner?”

“You are the controlling partner.”

That was true. He owned more of the business than she did, but she probably had more power than he did. He understood all of the business, but Tia had it in her blood. Adrian had said his sister had ridden a horse before she could really walk, and Carlos believed it.

He studied his father. Asking Carlos about romance was not something his father did.
Ever
—other than the talk about safe sex. He had taken Carlos and Brando aside. It was almost as uncomfortable as that moment.

“You should know that I wouldn’t act on any feelings without thinking of the consequences.”

“Good. I know your mother raised you right, but I wanted to make sure.”

“You had some hand in it.”

His father smiled. “Yeah, but you know she molded you into the Marines you are today.”

“You always seem to forget I’m not active anymore.”

“And you always seem to forget you are always a Marine no matter what, especially in this family.”

“Gotcha,” he said with a smile. “Wanna go talk to the horses? I know that’s the real reason you came out here.”

His father smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“
I
worked
up an appetite this morning,” Marcella said as the waiter went away with their orders.

“I’m still a little dizzy.”

Marcella chuckled. “Yes, Lalani said something like that to me when we spent some time together.”

“That’s Anthony’s wife, right?”

She nodded. “I’m glad you decided on the white dress. It’s going to look perfect with Carlos’ tux.”

There was the little warning buzzer going off in her head. Again. More than once during the shopping, Marcella had said something that made Tia uncomfortable. She seemed to have linked up Tia and Carlos in her head as romantic partners. Truth, she wanted that herself, but Tia wasn’t sure if she would take that step. The added pressure from Marcella wasn’t helping.

“You know we aren’t going on a date.”

She smiled, and most people would look at Marcella and see an airhead. She knew better. Tia knew that Marcella used it to fool people.

“Mrs. Santini.”

“Marcella.”

“Marcella, Carlos and I are not dating. We are not an item.”

“Yes, as you have said.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “I sort of understand the stories now.”

“What stories?”

Damn. “The ones Carlos tells about you.”

“Like what?”

“He said that you ran a tight ship. That’s the way he described it.”

“I had to. Six kids, and five of them boys. Of course, Elena was sometimes the worst of the bunch. She’s smarter than all of them, other than Brando. I always had to keep an eye on her.”

“Yeah?”

Marcella laughed. “Yes. She would get her brothers to do things, and then watch them get in trouble. She’s evil.”

“Yeah, Carlos has said she is the worst.”

“Now, back to my son. You are attracted to him?”

“He’s a Santini.”

“That much is true. All very pretty, they are.”

“I think a big part of his beauty comes from you.”

Her smile broadened into a grin. “See. The women are always smarter.”

The waiter returned with their salads. Marcella waited to say anything else until they were alone.

“I’m assuming you haven’t slept together?”

Tia choked on her sip of water.

“Are you all right?”

Tia took a long time wiping off her mouth.

“Yes.”

“So?”

She watched Marcella as she nibbled on her salad.

“You seriously want to know if I’ve had sex with your son?”

“Oh, you’re like them.”

“Like who?”

“My children. I really don’t know how I raised such a group of prudes.”

Tia had the urge to laugh, but not from humor. It was from nerves. She felt as if she had fallen into another dimension. Who asked questions like that? Marcella Santini, that’s who.

“And apparently you’re one too.”

“No. I just don’t know how to talk to a man’s mother about having sex with said man.”

“Oh, so you
do
want to have sex with Carlos.”

She covered her face with her hands. “Good lord.”

“I just don’t understand the problem.”

Tia dropped her hands. “I’ve never...”

“Had sex?”

Marcella asked the question loud enough to gain attention from the table next to theirs. The teen girls giggled. Tia couldn’t remember a time when she was so embarrassed. Tia leaned forward.

“What I mean is that I’ve never really had any kind of relationship with the mother of a man I’ve dated. So, this is all somewhat new to me. But, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t normal.”

Marcella shrugged. “I’ve never liked the idea of being considered normal.”

“I don’t think you are ever going to have to worry about that,” she muttered.

Marcella sighed. “I’ll let it go, for now.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Marcella threw back her head and laughed.

“Oh, you will do just fine. I knew when you gave Carlos back to me, you were a strong woman.”

“I—”

“No, don’t say you didn’t do it. He isn’t the same as when he left. No one who comes back from war is the same, especially considering what Carlos went through. None of us could reach him. Not even Brando, and of course being twins, they are especially close.”

“He was just mad at the world.”

“And you allowed that mad to be directed toward you.”

Her mouth twitched. Marcella was definitely smarter than people probably gave her credit for. “That is usually best. Before the person realizes it, they are in a routine and routine helps a lot of PTSD sufferers.”

“Yes. And I said that to Carlos, but he ignored me.”

“You’re his mother. Boys, no matter what age, hate to listen to their mothers.”

“As I said. Strong, but also smart. Any woman who has to deal with a Santini needs both of those traits. Otherwise, they will plow right over you.”

She thought back to all those early days when Carlos first arrived at the ranch. He had tried to do just that the first few weeks.

“Yeah, well, I’m made of tougher stock.”

“That you are. Oh, good, here comes our meal.”

Tia waited for the waiter to leave before she responded. Marcella didn’t hesitate. She dug into her entree.

“I appreciate that you are thankful to me, but I want to make sure you understand that there is nothing going on between Carlos and me.”

“Why not?”

Once again, she found herself trying to explain her feelings to someone who had no right to ask. Not at the moment. How did she answer Marcella when she couldn’t figure out what the hell she herself thought?

“There are things to be considered.”

Marcella set her fork down carefully and leveled a look at Tia. Okay, so this was the mom she had heard so much about. She could just imagine getting caught doing something against the rules and getting this look. Tia was full grown and it scared the bejesus out of her.

“I understand about the ranch. I do. Mainly because I see what it means to my son, and for the patients who come there. Both of you do so much good for other people.” She opened her mouth to respond, but the older woman stopped it by holding up her hand. “No. Let me finish this. Both of you give so much. Long days and hard work. But I wouldn’t expect less of Carlos, and I’m sure your parents would say the same thing about you. You also deserve to have happiness.”