Always Be True (12 page)

As predicted, Sunday morning had dawned gray and overcast. At least the rain had held off so far, but there was a definite chill in the air. That hadn't prevented the two of them from enjoying the long ride out to Friday Harbor on the ferry or from wandering around the town together. It was now late afternoon, and they'd finally ended up back down by the water sipping big cups of hot chocolate as they watched the boats out in the harbor.

When the big ferry appeared off in the distance, Tino checked the time. Unfortunately, it was right on schedule. “We have about half an hour left before we need to be on board.”

Natalie sighed and wrapped her hand around his upper arm and leaned her head against him. “Where has the time gone? I swear we just got here.”

She was right. Despite the gray day, they'd had fun wandering up and down the streets and checking out all the shops. Along the way, he'd picked out a silly T-shirt for Ricky, a pretty set of earrings for his mother, and a custom-made hair clip for Natalie. She'd been complaining about the effect the damp air was having on her already-curly hair, but that was just his excuse for picking out a small present for her. He liked the idea of her thinking of him every time she used it.

Natalie had insisted on buying him a small blown-glass whale to remind him of the pair of gray whales they'd seen breaching out on the water on the way to the island. Everyone on the ferry had rushed to the windows to watch the huge animals slowly making their way northward in the Sound. While everyone else raved about seeing the whales, he'd taken more pleasure in seeing Natalie's huge smile and her eyes shining bright with excitement.

Now their time together was winding down, and he hated having to leave the island behind. The idea of dropping Natalie off at her place before returning to his own place alone held no appeal at all.

Although he suspected he knew what her response would be, he offered her an alternative plan. “If you're not in a big hurry to get home, we could always hang out awhile longer and have a nice dinner here on the island before we catch the later ferry run.”

She was already shaking her head, but at least she didn't look happy about it. “I wish we could stay, but I really should get home earlier than that. I have a report I need to finish polishing for an early meeting in the morning, and a few other things to do tonight to get ready for the week.”

No surprise there. One of the things he liked best about her was how seriously she took her responsibility to the foundation and the projects it took on in the area. If Natalie said she needed to work, it was nothing less than the truth and not just an excuse to end their day together as early as possible. And while that only made him want to spend more time with her, he wasn't going to push.

Natalie pulled out her cellphone and handed it to him. “I want another shot of us before we have to board.”

They'd already figured out that the selfies turned out better if he took them, thanks to his longer arms. “Let's stand so that the ferry is in the background.”

As Tino was trying to get the angle right, an older couple stopped to watch. The man held out his hand. “I'd be glad to take the picture for you if you'll do the same for us.”

“Great idea!”

After snapping several shots in rapid succession to make sure he got a good one, the man traded cameras with Tino, who returned the favor.

“Check to make sure you're happy with how they turned out.”

“Thanks, they all turned out good,” the woman said with a happy smile after flipping through the pictures. Turning to her husband, she added, “Terry, once we're on board, I'll send these to the kids to let them know we're enjoying our present.”

He wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. “Our kids gave us an Alaskan cruise for our fiftieth wedding anniversary. My bride and I leave from Vancouver, B.C., tomorrow afternoon. We flew in early to do some sightseeing around Seattle before we go.”

Natalie gave them one of her thousand-watt smiles. “Congratulations! Fifty years together is an amazing accomplishment. What's your secret for a happy marriage?”

His wife didn't hesitate. “It's simple. Marry the right person in the first place. It worked for me.”

“She always says that, but I'm really the lucky one.” Terry gave his wife a quick kiss. “We should go get in line to board. Nice meeting you two.”

As they made their way down to the dock, Natalie held onto Tino's hand. “Somehow I doubt luck has anything to do with it.”

For his part, Tino wasn't so sure he agreed with her about that. After all, if his mother hadn't happened to see the article in the paper about the need for volunteers, if he hadn't been willing to go to keep Marlene happy, and if Natalie hadn't almost backed into a bucket of paint, the two of them might not be standing here together now. Sounded like good luck to him.

“Guess we should be going, too.”

He reluctantly started toward the line forming to walk onto the ferry. At least they still had the scenic cruise back to the mainland and then a long drive back home before he had to kiss her goodbye.

He'd see her again on Tuesday after practice, even if only for a few minutes. And then, at long last, it would be Wednesday and dinner at her place.

Just the two of them. Alone. Behind closed doors.

He couldn't wait.

A quick check of the time on Wednesday evening confirmed that Tino was due to arrive soon. The only problem was that Natalie was so far behind schedule that she would be hard-pressed to get even the essentials done before he got there. Earlier, she'd made a mental list prioritizing what
had
to get done versus what could be put off until at least tomorrow or even later.

Unfortunately, returning her father's phone call was at the top of the list. There was no telling what he wanted, but the man normally left it up to her mother to handle any routine stuff. She couldn't imagine that after all these years he'd suddenly developed the urge to chat. It was tempting to put off talking to him until tomorrow, but she didn't want to risk having him call again if she and Tino were to…

Well, regardless of whatever they might be doing, she didn't want the interruption. With any luck, her father would be too busy to answer. If so, she would leave a message that she was going to be tied up for the rest of the evening and would try again first thing in the morning.

Luck wasn't with her, because he picked up on the first ring. “Hi, honey. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.”

“Hi, Dad. What's up?”

“I'm sorry to have to ask, but I need a special favor.”

Those last two words set off a very loud alarm inside her head. No doubt they were a euphemism for something that was going to suck big-time. She'd learned to be cautious enough to ask for details before making any rash promises. “What's the favor, Dad?”

After a second or two of heavy silence, he drew a sharp breath and started talking—fast. Did he seriously think spitting out the words at high speed would make them any more palatable?

“There's a dinner dance this Saturday night that we were supposed to invite you to attend. Mom thought I had told you about it, and I thought she had promised to give you a call. Luckily, we caught the mistake in time.”

“Lucky for whom?” she asked, even though she already had her suspicions.

“Us, actually.” He sighed. “Short notice or not, we really do need you to come.”

Damn, she really should've found a way to duck out on this conversation. “What's the occasion and why is it imperative that I be there?”

“It's a benefit dinner to raise money for a local community orchestra.”

She also had her suspicions as to what the answer would be to her next question, but she had to ask. “I repeat, Dad, why do I need to be there?”

“A major source of their funding got cut in half with no notice. The organization is scrambling to come up with ideas on how to make up the shortfall. We're hoping the foundation would consider making a donation.”

Once again, he picked up the pace, his words tumbling all over each other. “Not that we made any promises. We both know better. I only said that you would be willing to listen to what they had to say. Once you have the facts, you're absolutely free to make your own decision.”

Natalie stamped her foot in frustration. This was not how this should have been handled, and her parents knew it. The organization should have put together a written request with all the pertinent facts and figures instead of presenting their case at a social event. Praying for patience, she did her level best to remain calm. “Dad, you know that our annual budget is already spoken for and has been for months.”

“Yes, yes, of course. But I also know that you hold back some money every year in a discretionary fund that you can use when something unexpected comes up.”

It was hard not to resent being backed into a corner as she continued to point out the salient facts. “That's true, but those funds are intended to cover emergency expenses that crop up on existing projects.”

Even as she spoke, she did a mental calculation of her own personal budget. Her grandmother had left her a trust fund that Natalie rarely touched, preferring to live on the salary she drew as the director of the foundation. If her parents had made a habit of pressuring her to use the foundation's money on their pet projects, she'd be more inclined to refuse outright. But they rarely asked and only when they both felt the situation warranted it. “I'll hear what they have to say. That's as much as I can promise. Make sure they know that.”

“They know that's all they can expect. Even if the foundation can't make up the entire shortfall, even a little bit would help. If you've got a pen and paper handy, I'll give you the address, etc.”

She didn't have time for that. “Have Mom email me the details. I have plans for the evening and really need to get going.”

Before she could say goodbye, her father started talking again. “I'll do that, but there's one more thing. Rest assured I haven't forgotten the conversation we had at the art gallery the other night, but your mother insisted I tell you this next part.”

Natalie could guess what he was about to say and was tempted to respond with one of her grandfather's saltier expressions.

“Honey, we're both aware that right now you're not interested in rekindling any kind of long-term relationship with Benton. Having said that, your mother is sure he would be glad to play escort for one evening since his parents are also supporters of the orchestra.”

No way and on no day was that happening. On the other hand, if she turned up again without a date, Benton was likely to get the idea that she wasn't serious about not wanting to see him again.

“Don't worry, Dad, I have somebody I can ask.”

Another long silence. “You're dating someone new?”

“Yes, I am.” And she wasn't going to talk about it right now. “So thank Mom for her concern, but I can manage my own social life. I'll talk to you both soon, but I've really got to hang up now. If you need to tell me anything else, use email. I won't be taking calls tonight.”

Mainly because she didn't want to face the inquisition that would be forthcoming the second her father relayed her message to her mom. She wouldn't be able to avoid the discussion indefinitely, but hopefully she'd bought herself enough time to talk to Tino about the dinner. She had no idea if he would actually be willing to go with her and wouldn't blame him in the least if he didn't. She'd also have to let him know that it was a black-tie affair, which meant a tuxedo.

Picking up the chef's knife, she vented her frustration on the poor, innocent carrots and other vegetables for the salad. Darn it all, anyway. She should have known better than to return her father's call. It had been only a matter of time before the two halves of her life—the public and the private—crashed into each other, but she'd really been hoping to put it off for a while longer.

Granted, eventually she and Tino would have to dive into the deep end of the social pool as a couple if they were going to continue to see each other. She just wished it wasn't going to be so soon and especially at an affair where they'd be bound to spend time with her mother and father, not to mention her ex-fiancé and his parents. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard if she wasn't the only one who believed that the breakup with Benton wasn't a temporary aberration on her part. If one more person even hinted that he'd be willing to forgive her if she were to ask him nicely enough, she was going to go ballistic.

She finished assembling the salad and checked on her
pasta e fagioli
soup. The rich scents of tomato sauce and fresh basil helped to soothe her badly frayed nerves. Comfort food, indeed. After tasting the broth to see if it needed another sprinkle of salt, she turned her attention to slicing the rustic loaf of bread she'd picked up at her favorite bakery on the way home from work.

All in all, it was a pretty simple meal, but it was one of her favorites. She'd already warned Tino not to expect anything too fancy, but she hoped he wasn't disappointed. She quickly set the table with her grandmother's everyday china.

With dinner under control, it was time to add some finishing touches to her own appearance. She changed into a soft blue sweater that brought out the color of her eyes. Paired with skinny jeans and black ankle booties, the outfit hit the right note for a casual evening at home. She touched up her lipstick and checked her hair. She'd thought about wearing it up, but Tino seemed to prefer it down and loose.

The doorbell signaled she'd just run out of time for any further primping. After a last look in the mirror, she headed for the entryway. One final deep breath before she opened the door did little to ease the flurry of jitters in her chest. What did help was seeing that Tino looked every bit as nervous as she felt. He looked scrumptious in jeans and a crew-neck sweater that accented his sleekly muscled build. The deep red color brought out the warm tones of his skin. And if he wasn't her date, she might actually hate him for having such long lashes framing those dark eyes.

He held out a bottle of wine along with a bunch of small, bright pink lilies. “Sorry, I know I'm a little early.”

“Only by a minute or two.” She accepted the bouquet and motioned for him to come inside. It was amazing how crowded the foyer seemed with the addition of one man. Odd that she'd never noticed that happening when Benton used to stop by. On the other hand, she couldn't remember ever feeling quite so…so aware of him on a physical level as she was of Tino from the first time she'd laid eyes on him. It was as if she stood high on a mountain pass where the air was too thin to really catch her breath.

The sensation wasn't unpleasant, but it was definitely perplexing. “Thank you for these. Alstroemeria happens to be one of my favorite flowers. They come in such amazing colors.”

“I'm glad you like them.” Tino gave her a quick kiss and then stepped back to sniff the air. “I don't know what you're cooking, but it smells wonderful.”

“I warned you that I don't do fancy, but I make a mean
pasta e fagioli
soup. Come on into the kitchen. I need to get these in water and then check on dinner.”

Then she headed down the hall and let her handsome guest follow as he would.

Tino watched Natalie take off at hyperdrive speed, faster even than her usual quick pace. Either she was worried the flowers wouldn't last another five minutes without water or else he wasn't the only one a bit nervous about how this evening would play out. Rather than crowd her, he took his time hanging up his jacket on the hall tree before following her toward the kitchen. Well, and also so he could admire the way those jeans hugged her curves and imagine just what it would be like to get his hands on that fabulous ass.

Her spiky-heeled boots only added to the sexy sway of her hips as she walked. God, he hoped his tongue wasn't hanging out, especially because she paused halfway down the hall to glance back to make sure he was following. Her dimples made a brief appearance before she continued on her way, which left little doubt that she knew exactly the effect she was having on him.

By the time he walked into the kitchen, she was straining to reach a vase in one of the cupboards. At five foot nothing, anything beyond the first shelf was a definite stretch for her. Using the tips of her fingers, she'd managed to tug the heavy vase to almost within her reach, but at the moment it was teetering precariously on the edge of the shelf. Tino gave it even odds whether it would fall into her grasp or tumble past her waiting hands to shatter on the floor. To avert the potential danger, he hurried to the rescue.

“Here, let me get that.”

He reached over her head to lift the vase down to the counter. As he did so, he tried not to think about the soft press of her body against his or the sexy scent of her perfume. A gentleman would back away as soon as the near disaster had been avoided. Evidently he didn't fit that description.

Instead of retreating to the safety of the other side of the room, he gave Natalie just enough room to turn around but kept her trapped between him and the counter. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to escape, either. Her hands settled on his waist as the corners of her mouth tipped up in a hint of a soft smile.

“If you plan to make a habit of rescuing me, I'm going to have to find a way to reward you. Any suggestions?”

“All kinds of them.” He stared down at her and let her glimpse the real hunger he was feeling even if it wasn't for her soup, no matter how delicious it smelled. “However, it would be a shame to let all the hard work you put into fixing dinner go to waste.”

She trailed one hand upward to settle over the center of his chest, her smile widening when his pulse picked up speed under the warmth of her palm. “So true, but the good news is that dinner is ready. We're having soup, salad, and sourdough bread.”

“That sounds great.” He let her slip away. “Although I notice you didn't mention any dessert.”

Her tongue darted out to quickly lick the corner of her mouth. “Don't worry, Gianelli. I'll come up with something I'm sure you'll find…most satisfying.”

The image of her welcoming him into her bed, into her body, flashed through his mind. He couldn't help it. He groaned. And brat that she was, Natalie laughed.

“Maybe I should get dinner on the table.”

He couldn't have agreed more. “Is there something I can do to help?”

Anything that would distract him from wondering how sturdy that pedestal table actually was. Right now, he very much wanted to toss his hostess down on top of it and conduct a few hands-on tests to find out. Unfortunately, she derailed that train of thought.

“Why don't you open the wine while I serve the soup and salad? I thought we'd eat in here instead of the dining room. It's cozier.”

Really? As Natalie put the finishing touches on dinner, he studied the room. The table and chairs were obviously high-end antiques, but he preferred furniture with clean lines rather than covered in so many curlicues. The matching hutch was crammed full of china in a pink floral pattern, the kind made for a woman's delicate hand, not a soldier's callused fist. The rows of hand-painted plates decorating the walls didn't help matters.