Page 13 of Always Be True: Tino
There was no reason not to tell him the rest. “He showed me how to use one of those fancy reciprocating saws. I cut out some damaged drywall.”
Her grandfather’s eyebrows shot up. “How did that go?”
“Just fine,” she said with no little pride. “Of course, all I had to do was follow the lines he’d drawn on the wall. Still, he said I did a good job.”
“Did he now?” Cyrus sipped his tea. “Does this brave man have a name?”
“He does.” Natalie hid a smile behind her teacup. When her grandfather glared at her for her non-answer, she added, “His name is Tino.”
“Tino what?”
She shook her finger at her grandfather. “Nope, I’m not going to tell you his full name. We both know you’ll either start digging into his background yourself or pay someone to do it like you do every time I start seeing someone new.”
He’d done that with the men she’d dated in the past, and she hadn’t appreciated it one bit. He’d claimed it was to make sure they weren’t simply after her money, but it made her feel as if he didn’t trust her judgment. On the other hand, maybe he was right to do so. After all, he’d been the only member of the family who hadn’t approved of her engagement to Benton.
“Well, that’s interesting.”
What was? Then she realized Cyrus was looking at her as if she’d just tossed him a special treat, his smile more than a little wolfish. Before she figured out what it was, he said, “I just asked what his name was. You’re the one who brought up the subject of dating him.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. Yep, she might as well have painted a target on herself—and maybe Tino, too. “Don’t tell Mom, but Tino and I are going out for dinner and a movie on Thursday evening.”
“And you don’t want your mother to know because…?”
“You know how she can be, Grandpa, especially if she doesn’t approve of my choice in men.”
His eyes narrowed. “What makes you think she won’t approve of this fellow?”
“Because he isn’t Benton.” Natalie let her disgust show. “She and Dad still think I’m making a mistake by not asking Benton to forgive me for breaking up with him. They think he’d be glad to take me back if I asked nicely enough. Yeah, like that’s ever going to happen.”
“What is it about that guy that they like so much? I swear, I doze off about thirty seconds after he starts talking.” Her grandfather gave a rough laugh. “Actually, he doesn’t talk. Benton pontificates.”
She shouldn’t laugh, but she couldn’t help herself. He was right about that. “Benton is nice enough, but he’s just not the guy for me. For one thing, he doesn’t understand why I’m putting all this effort and money into the community center. Our values don’t mesh at all, and I wish my folks would accept that and let me move on with my life.”
“If they give you any grief about it, let me know. I’ll straighten them out on the subject. But right now, I want to hear more about this Tino.” He held up a shaky hand. “And I’m not asking for his last name or anything that would let me do a background check on him. I’m just curious what you found so interesting about him. You’re usually more cautious about hooking up with men.”
That last part startled another laugh out of her. “Hooking up with men? Where on earth did you learn that expression?”
He huffed at her. “I watch television. Call it whatever you want, Natalie, but you know I’m right. When was the last time you agreed to go out with a man you’d known less than twenty-four hours?”
Darn it, he was right. They both knew she didn’t make impulsive decisions very often. “Would it make you happier if I went out with every guy I met?”
“Not at all. Like I said, I have to wonder what makes him so special.” Maybe Cyrus realized he was treading on a delicate subject, because he tried to lighten the conversation by adding, “Is he incredibly handsome like me?”
“No one is as handsome as you, Grandpa, but he comes close. Dark eyes, dark hair, and a nice smile. He’s a bit too tall, though.” He’d still have several inches in height over her even if she wore her highest heels.
“All of that’s superficial, little lady. We both know you’re not that shallow.”
Again, he was right. “To start with, he brought his own tools to the community center and put in a full day’s work. Can you even imagine Benton owning a hammer much less a reciprocating saw? The work we’re doing there is important, not just to me, but to the surrounding area. Even knowing that, Benton has never spent a single hour there helping out. I know it’s not his thing, but he could’ve made some effort.”
She pictured Tino in her mind as they’d shared pizza and pie. “But I think what really swayed me was that he listened when I talked. Really listened, you know, as if what I said really mattered to him. Rosalie liked him, too, and she’s a tough one to fool for very long. In that way, she reminds me of you.”
“Now you’re trying to butter me up.” Although he looked pleased with her assessment.
“So anyway, until I know if this relationship is going to go anywhere, I’d rather not involve the folks.”
Cyrus reached across the small table to pat her on the hand. “Which I’m guessing is why you didn’t mention taking him to that art gallery thing on Friday.”
Natalie grinned at him. “Actually, when Mom tried to convince me to ask Benton to be my plus-one, I threatened to bring you instead. That shut her right up.”
