The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo

‘I dropped by so we could discuss a few things and to get your signature on the contract.’

The normality of their conversation after her over-the-top reaction finally returned her pulse to normal.

‘I know I should’ve rung first, but I had an appointment in the area so I thought I’d drop by on the off-chance you’d be home.’

She needed to get out of the house. She needed to find a sense of equilibrium again. ‘If you’re sure you have the time?’

‘I have the time.’

‘I’ll just get Monty’s leash.’

She clipped the lead to Monty’s collar, led him through the house and locked her front door. She averted her gaze from the carport opposite and her car, with its four slashed tyres. She hoped her enigmatic employer hadn’t noticed them. She bit back an oath, her hand tightening on Monty’s lead. Mr D’Angelo must think he’d employed an utter fruitcake!

‘I’m pleased you accepted the position of caf'e manager, Neen. I have great hopes for the caf'e and I know you’re the perfect person to head this up.’

His smile was too kind, too compassionate...too knowing. His tone too well modulated. She bit back a sigh. ‘You saw the tyres, didn’t you?’

Monty chose that moment to try and yank her arm out of its socket. Without a word, Rico reached across and took the lead from her. He smelled of cold air and peppermint.

‘It happened today?’

She folded her arms and nodded. ‘Which begs the question, why was I so careless as to leave the front door unlocked, doesn’t it?’

‘Monty?’

She bit back a sigh. ‘It was all I could do to stay on my feet when I returned from the supermarket. Monty is always so...so delighted to see me.’ She could have sworn that she’d locked the screen door, but she mustn’t have. So foolish.

She closed her eyes and hauled in a breath. Ever since she’d received the news that Grandad’s will was being contested, her head had been in turmoil. Not to mention her heart. Her concentration was shot to pieces. It had to stop! She had to start paying attention again. She had to.

‘Have you reported the incident to the police?’

‘Yes.’ She swallowed and risked glancing up at him. ‘Mr D’Angelo, I’m very sorry for...um...’ Her stomach churned. What if she had stabbed him? ‘I’m a bit jumpy at the moment.’

She made him stop when they reached the end of the block.

‘Monty, sit.’ The dog stared up at her with his big dopey eyes. She made a hand signal. ‘Sit.’ He continued to stare at her. She folded her arms and looked away. Eventually he sat. ‘Good boy.’

She fondled his ears and then nodded to Rico. They set off across the road and then turned right towards the park and Bellerive beach.

‘He’s improving,’ she murmured, more for something to say than anything else.

‘Look, Neen, I’m the one who should apologise. I shouldn’t have come in like I did and I’m sorry I startled you.’

His eyes were dark, almost black. She didn’t doubt his sincerity for a moment.

‘I knocked and knocked, and I could see you at the end of the hallway. I called out...’

‘But between Monty and the radio—’ and her own too-busy thoughts ‘—I couldn’t hear you. It’s not your fault, Mr D’Angelo. You don’t need to apologise.’

‘Rico,’ he ordered.

The name suited him in one respect, with his dark Italian good looks, but Rico sounded breezy and carefree. She wasn’t sure she’d ever meet anyone less carefree in her life. He was a man on a mission—an important mission. And, like most do-gooding types with a quest to save the world, he carried that world around on his shoulders.

They might be broad shoulders, but nobody could carry around that kind of weight forever.

He suddenly stopped and swung to her. Monty strained on the lead. It could pull her completely off balance, but it barely seemed to register with Rico.

‘Look, I couldn’t help noticing that yours were the only tyres slashed. Is something up, Neen? Is there something I ought to know?’

A weight pressed down on her chest when she realised she’d have to tell him—in the interests of his staff’s safety. It grew heavier when it occurred to her that in their interests he might in fact retract his job offer.

For a moment she could hardly speak. The sun that glinted off the expanse of water in front of them dimmed. Finally she gestured to the remaining distance between them and the beach. ‘Let’s go down there and let Monty tire himself out.’

When they reached the sand Rico’s hand hovered uncertainly on the lead’s catch. ‘Are you sure he won’t run away?’

No, but... ‘He’ll stay on the beach,’ she promised. She’d learned that much.

Without further ado he released Monty and the giant dog charged helter-skelter straight into the water, spraying it in all directions.

Rico shook his head. ‘You’re going to have sand everywhere when you get home.’

‘Sand is something I can vacuum up. And it’s preferable to him chewing the furniture. An hour of this and he’ll be a relative lamb for the rest of the afternoon.’

He turned to her, hands on hips. She shrugged. There didn’t seem much point in delaying the inevitable conversation.

‘The slashed tyres aren’t an isolated incident. The police are aware of the situation but there’s not much they can do.’ She pulled in a breath. ‘Four months ago I broke up with a man who, it appears, can’t take no for an answer.’

‘And he’s persecuting you? Threatening you?’

She lifted one shoulder. ‘I have no proof that today’s tyres are his handiwork.’ But she knew in her gut it was. ‘I’ve taken a restraining order out on him.’

And she still couldn’t believe she’d left her front door unlocked!

CHAPTER TWO

‘NEEN?’

Rico touched her arm and Neen started. He immediately backed up, his eyes darkening. She wanted to reach out and tell him it wasn’t him, but...

But what? Was she going to let Chris turn her into a timid mouse? Was she going to let his behaviour rule her life?