Sweet on You (18 page)

"He's kind of like your brother, then," Eve stated.

They all looked at the blonde.

Eve shrugged. "She's told me about him, and he's been coming into the shop. I guess Marley must have told him we're friends, because he's been asking me about you."

"That bastard." If Tony were here, she wouldn't resist throwing her glass at him.

"He's confident to say the least, but he seems like he wants the best for you," Eve said. "He seemed worried, and it wasn't pretend-worry."

"Tony doesn't bother pretending." Daniela frowned. "He really asked about me?"

"Yes. I don't know him normally, but he seemed tired and worn out. And sad." Eve looked at him. "He said it's the first year your family isn't having Christmas together."

"Nonna used to host it. Now that she's gone and our parents are traveling, it's just the two of us. It hardly seems worth it." But it made her sad, nonetheless.

"There's something to be said for family," Gwen said, "even if they suck. Fortunately, not all family is biological."

"Hear, hear to that." Lola lifted her glass in a toast. "To new family and girl time, both of which are sacred."

"Happy holidays, ladies." Olivia raised her glass, too. "May you get your heart's desire."

"And lots of good loot," Lola added.

They all looked at her.

"What?" She took a cookie. "I may write romance, but I can be a realist sometimes."

Chapter Twenty-five

"You made a mess of it, didn't you?"

Nico glanced up from the contract he wasn't really reading because he couldn't focus on the words. "Excuse me?"

Jason gave him an arch, British look that conveyed disappointment on a cellular level. "I saw that you won the bid on the Harrison building."

He returned his employee's look with a hard one of his own. "I told you I intended to make that purchase."

"Yes, but that was before Daniela."

Shoving the documents aside, he whirled in his chair and stared unseeing out the window.

Jason cleared his throat. "You know I don't infringe on your privacy—"

Nico snorted.

"—but as your right hand, I feel I need to speak up this time, because you're making the biggest mistake of your life."

It certainly felt that way, but he'd made a promise to his brother. He clenched his jaw. Eddie gave his life for him—this was the least he could do.

Unaware of his inner dialogue, Jason continued in his clipped voice. "Is this property so important that you're willing to destroy the best thing that's ever happened to you?"

"I need air." The chair skittered as he stood. He blew by Jason and grabbed his coat off the hook. "Look over those contracts for me."

"Think about what you're doing while you're out," Jason called after him. "And don't come back until you've made the right decision."

Nico left the building, barely noticing the greetings the guards called out to him. He walked down California Street. He stopped at a liquor store and bought a bottle of Jim Beam before continuing on to the Embarcadero, past the Ferry Building, and right on Harrison.

His steps slowed as he neared the building.

It was nothing like the night he'd found Eddie on the sidewalk. That night had been still, with a full moon illuminating the night's evilness. Tonight, there wasn't a sliver of moonlight to be had, but it didn't lessen his uneasiness. He tensed as he strode up the walkway.

Nico sat on the front stoop of his newly acquired building, the bottle of Jim Beam in his hands. He took a slug of the whiskey, grimacing. He held the bottle out to pour it on the sidewalk when a stiff breeze all but knocked him upside the head.

It'd just been the wind—logically he knew that—but for some reason he had the feeling Eddie was lurking somewhere in the periphery, smirking at him.
Little bro, sometimes I think you ain't got any brains in that big head of yours
, he'd have said.

"I know," Nico muttered, shaking the rest of the liquor out of the bottle. Because he suspected trading in Daniela's love for this decrepit building was a colossal mistake.

Not that Daniela had said the words to him. He wasn't a connoisseur of love, or anything about it, but there was something more than just lust between the two of them.

He missed her.

All day he sniffed the air, searching for the scent of her baking. He didn't trip on random articles of clothing, or find underwear in odd corners of his apartment. In the mornings, he woke up reaching for her.

It was a gnawing ache, deep in his gut.

Something rustled close to him, and he turned, knowing instinctively it wasn't the wind.

A little girl stood eight feet away, staring at him with the biggest eyes he'd ever seen.

He didn't know what to say, so he fell on an old standby. "Hi."

She shifted closer, playing with the zipper on her brand new jacket. "Are you Santa Claus?"

He took in the signs: the not clean hair, the clothing that was still creased from its packing, the wary look in her eyes. This girl was part of Daniela's project. He sighed sadly. No wonder she'd been so determined to help.

The girl took another stepped forward. "My brother said Santa was the one who brung us food and presents."

He was more like the Grinch, actually, about to take their home away. "I'm not Santa, but I know who your Santa is."

Her eyes widened. "Can you tell him thank you? And can you tell him the cinnamon bread is my favorite?"

"I will." If Santa ever spoke to him again.

"Maybe Santa will bring us a new home too." She looked up at him. "We used to have a nice apartment, but then Mama got fired because I was sick and no one wanted her so we had to move here. But I don't like it. But we gots to go now, because they're going to knock the walls down."

"That sounds awful," he managed to say.

"My brother Jimmy says he'll take care of me, no matter what." Her thin chest puffed out. "He will too."

His heart cracked. Eddie had done the same for him. "I'm sure he will."

She head popped up, hearing something he wasn't attuned too. "I gots to go."

He watched her scurry into the cold building he was planning to tear down.

For someone with big brains, you got no sense, little bro
.

"No kidding." Nico got up and walked to his car, hearing Eddie's mocking laughter in the wind.

Chapter Twenty-six

Under normal circumstances, if Daniela received a call in the middle of the night, she'd have been irritated beyond belief. It wasn't so irritating, though, when she couldn't fall asleep, which was the case since she'd left Nico and moved back into her own house.

Sighing, she fumbled around the nightstand for her phone. The number on the screen was long and foreign. Frowning, she deliberated a moment before she answered. "Hello?"

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart!" her father's voice boomed across the static-y connection.

"Daddy." She sat up and turned the light on. "Where are you?"

"We decided we needed some warmth, so we flew to Australia for the holidays. Sidney. But tomorrow we're headed to the Great Barrier Reef. What's this we hear about you firing Tony?"

The bastard tattled on her. She clenched the covers in her fist. "He started it. He's being a jerk."

"Hold on. Your mother wants to say hi." There was more static, and then her mother's voice came on. "We miss you, honey. How are you?"

She heard the real, underlying question and she sighed. "I miss Nonna."

"I know, honey. I'm sorry we aren't there, but Tony said he's in San Francisco with you."

"Unfortunately."

Her mother chuckled. "I remember when you and your brother were younger, and he'd do something that'd infuriate you, and you'd retaliate by taking something of his and holding it hostage. Some things don't change."

"I'm not holding anything hostage," she exclaimed, indignant.

"Aren't you?" Before she could answer, her mom said, "Tony means well, but he's a man, so he's going to be clueless sometimes."

Daniela smiled faintly when she heard her father's muffled protest.

"But even if he is clueless and deserves being punished for saying thoughtless things, which is what I imagined happened, Tony has your best interests at heart. Don't shut him out, honey. He's trying to help you."

She crossed her arms tight. "You don't know how thoughtless he's been."

"I doubt he does either," her mom said lightly. "You should tell him. We love you, Dani. Be happy."

Her dad called out his goodbye in the background, and then the line disconnected.

Daniela sat in bed, staring at the wall.

Her mother was right.

Pushing the covers aside, she left her room and headed to Tony's and pounded her fist on the door. "Tony, I need to talk to you," she yelled through the door.

He swung open the door, rubbing his eyes, wearing only pajama bottoms.

Crossing her arms, she leaned in the doorway. "How retro of you."

"Do you know what time it is?" he rasped in his sleep-husky voice.

"It's time to end this, according to Mom." She put her hands on her hips. "I noticed that you told on me, by the way."

"I didn't tell on you. Our parents asked how you were, and I said bitchy." He frowned at her. "Finish harassing me so I can go back to bed."

"You're a jerk."

He rolled his eyes. "So you've told me."

"I'm sick of you being my manager. I don't want a manager if that's how you're going to be." She hugged herself, willing herself to keep it together. "I want my brother back, the guy who was my best friend, who would have sent me a goofy card for my birthday, not have his secretary send me flowers."

He gazed at her, his brow furrowed.

She pointed at him. "Don't be a guy."

"The last time I looked in my pants, that's what I was."

"I mean listen to what I'm saying. I'm telling you I miss you. Since Nonna died, you've abandoned me." Tears filled her eyes and slipped silently down her face.

"Aw, hell, Dani,
don't cry
." He reached out and pulled her against him, holding her tight. "Yell at me. Throw things at my head. But I can't stand it when you cry."

"I'm sad." She sniffled. "You've been treating me like I'm a client, but I'm not. I'm special, damn it."

"Yes, you are."

She looked up, glaring at him. "Are you laughing at me?"

"A little." He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry, Dani. I didn't mean to make you sad."

"Jerk." But she already felt better—lighter.

"I only want what's best for you, though, and you're making it difficult for me. I've been thinking about your soup kitchen."

Retracting, she looked at him warily. "What?"

"I'll help support your project, but on one condition. That you have someone manage the charity and you continue baking at least part-time." He crossed his arms and gazed at her steadily. "Before you get all bent out of shape, hear me out. You
love
baking. It's the core of you. You can't give it up, I just don't believe that'd make you happy. Think of what Nonna would say if you told her you were going to stop."

Nonna's voice popped in her head.
You must be hungry to speak such nonsense, Dani. Sit. We'll eat penne a la arrabiata and then make tiramisu, okay, bella?

Tony tugged on one of her curls. "She wouldn't let you quit either. But you can have both."

She shook her head, deflating. "It doesn't matter. The building I wanted got taken out from under me."

"We'll find another building."

"There's nothing in the city that's affordable."

"Are you questioning my ability to make this happen?"

A smile flirted with her lips. "God forbid."

"Smart ass." He pushed her toward the door. "Get out of here. I need my beauty sleep."

"Yes, you do." She grinned as a pillow hit her in the back on her way out. She returned to her room and snuggled in her bed, feeling a little better. Maybe she'd make
bocconotti
for Tony in the morning, since it was his favorite, and he was hers.

Chapter Twenty-seven

With her head resting directly on top of the bar at Grounds for Thought, Marley could feel the vibrations from the espresso machine reverberate through her brain. She hoped it'd shake some sort of idea into her, but so far it hadn't done anything but give her a headache.

Valentine patted her shoulder. "You should have taken my matchmaking abilities more seriously. I'm always right about these things."

"You're not helping," she mumbled against her arm.

"What?"

She lifted her head and frowned at her friend. "I have plenty of guilt on my own right now. I don't need more."

Valentine smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"I need help figuring out how to win Brian Benedict back."

She shook her head. "That's not going to be easy. You're not his favorite person right now."

"You've talked to him?" Marley grabbed her arm. "Where is he? I've tried calling but his phone is off. I've even tried going to his apartment but he doesn't seem to be there."

"He went away to Mexico for a few days."

A sick feeling churned in her stomach, and she couldn't help asking, "By himself?"

"Of course, by himself." Valentine rolled her eyes. "Although it'd serve you right if he had a rebound fling. He's a great guy, and you took him for granted."

"Rub it in, why don't you?"

"Well, you don't seem to hear otherwise." She took a sip of her tea. "I gave you the perfect guy and you didn't treat him like the gift he was."

"I know that. I'm kicking myself about it every second I'm awake and even in my sleep." Marley faced her friend. "Tell me the truth. Is it too late to try and get him back?"

Valentine studied her for a long, silent moment. Whatever she saw must have passed the test, because she shook her head. "I don't know. Brian said he needed a change of scenery to think things through. He's coming back in a couple days."