“I wanted to say thanks,” he said, not letting go of me.
“For?”
“Showing me the ropes.” He took a step closer, still keeping me imprisoned in his grip. “I know you’re super busy with the reopen, but it means a lot you took time to get me up to speed. And I also want you to know how much I appreciate what you and your dad are doing by letting me be here. It can’t be easy on either of you, but you’ve both been nothing but kind and accepting, so thank you.”
Kind to old people, ridiculously good looking, and now a heartfelt and sincere thank you for something my father felt compelled to do. Was it any wonder I lost all brain function around this guy? He ticked off so many boxes on my what-I’d-like-in-a-man list it was scary. That I could picture what it would be like to be with him on a purely personal level and not just because he was on the job, proved scary, too. I’d been head over heels stupid in love with him at seventeen. It had taken a long time to get over the hurt from his dismissal after those glorious minutes in the back of his Z8.
I knew I had to keep some emotional distance from him now because Tony Roma could inflict serious damage to my heart.
Again.
My one saving grace was that I wasn’t a seventeen-year-old girl anymore with stars in her eyes and looking for some positive attention from the cutest guy in school. I was an intelligent, grown woman who managed a thriving business and had self-confidence up the hoo-ha. In addition to knowing the man I wanted to give my heart to for forever would want and cherish it.
I had to ensure I didn’t embarrass myself and fall for Tony all over again when I knew the feelings would never be reciprocated. One broken heart in a lifetime was all I was willing to give to any man.
I took a breath, nodded, and said, “Just make sure you find out who killed Chico. Now, I’ve gotta get back to work.”
I tugged on my arm and he let me go.
Was it my imagination he had what looked like reluctance in his eyes when he did?
Six
Advice for surviving in a big Italian family: Be the calm in a drama-storm any time you can.
It was good we got back when we did because my father was in a state.
“Madonna Violetta. Thank God and all the Saints you’re back. You gotta help me.” My father’s hair stood out at the sides, a sure indication he’d been swiping his hands through his temples and tugging on the ends, something he did only when he was frustrated and trying not to go ballistic. His cheeks were dotted with a boiled-tomato red color, and he was wringing his hands when he ambushed me as I came in through the store’s rear entrance.
“Daddy, what’s wrong? What’s happened? Dear Lord, please don’t tell me you found another body?”
“Worse,” he said.
“What’s worse than finding another body?” Tony asked from behind me.
Daddy flicked him a quick glance then zeroed back in on me. “Your mama’s here and she’s driving everyone nuts.”
“How so?”
My mother rarely came to the store, but it wasn’t unheard of. Most times when she did it was to get daddy to take her somewhere for lunch. Which was ridiculous because – Hello! – we owned a deli. Lunch was our lifeblood.
“She showed up about an hour ago and right away started rearranging the shelves, saying things weren’t put back where they were supposed to be before we closed.”
“Well, that’s not true because I’m the one who put everything back together in the same exact spots.”
He nodded. “Then she got into it with one of our regular customers. She heard Mrs. Carantella ask Lily if the mozzarella was fresh, which she does every single time she comes in, even though she knows it is. But your mama heard her and lit into her. Called her insulting and said she wouldn’t know fresh mozzarella if it jumped out of the display case and slapped her in the, quote, wrinkled-ass face.”
“Oh Gesu.”
“Then Mrs. Carantella got all indignant and stormed out mumbling about puttana’s and big boobs with no brains,” Daddy said, close to tears.
From behind me the distinct sound of a laugh being stifled drifted our way. It took everything in me not to turn around and smack Tony upside his head. Believe me, if it had been one of my brothers standing there and sniggering, I wouldn’t have thought twice about administering a little physical punishment.
“The place was filled with customers and every single person heard them. Your mama didn’t even blink, just went around greeting everyone and saying how we always have fresh everything and ‘that woman’ didn’t know good food when she tasted it. That lead to one of Mrs. Carantella’s friends calling your mama out on being rude, which lead to Gracie saying something about trashy people sticking to their own kind like horse’s glue. Then that customer left and your mama called after her ‘good riddance’ in that voice that makes people cringe. You gotta get her outta here, bambina.”
I rubbed my temples, trying to ease away the immediate headache I got while daddy related the recent events. “Did you ask her to leave?”
“What? You think I’m stupid? If I ask her to go home she’s gonna give me fifty reasons why she needs to stay. I can never talk over her. You know that. She just keeps steamrolling along. You’re the only one she listens to, the only one who can ever get through to her. I need her to leave, now, and let us run the business like we always do.”
“Where is she?”
“Up front, refilling the coffee pots and restocking the service items and probably bothering the customers. God help me if she starts talking about Chico. We’ve been able to keep the buzz about him down to a few questions today, but all the workers have been towing the party line that he died suddenly and the police are investigating and we know nothing else.” He glanced over at Tony when he said this.
“That’s good, Mr. S. The less said the better.”
Daddy nodded again and tapped me on the shoulder. “But I can’t prevent your mama from slipping up. You know what she’s like about keeping a secret.”
I nodded. “She can’t.”
“Can you get her out of here for me? Without her going ballistic?”
“I’ll try.” I shrugged out of my coat and handed it to him along with my bag. Turning to Tony I asked, “How do you feel about being used as a distraction?”
He cocked his head at me. “What did you have in mind?”
I told him. With a grin that made my tummy muscles flutter, he agreed.
I took a deep breath and proceeded through the hallway in search of my mother. She was exactly where daddy said she’d be, in the front of the store, seeing to the coffee display, and engaged in conversation with two women who were a pair of the worst gossips in the entire neighborhood.
As I sidled up to the table where mama was chatting with them I overheard her say, “The police are trying to figure it all out, but Sonny is digging deep, too.” She winked at them. “My money’s on him solving the case way before the police.”
I stumbled a bit in my haste to insinuate myself between her and the table.
“Hey, Mama.” I wound my arm around her waist and kissed her cheek while trying to tug her away. “It’s nice to see you.”