Page 64 of Always Be True: Tino
Her grandfather gave Tino the once-over and then stuck out his knobby hand. Tino stepped closer and shook hands with him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Now that the introductions were over, it was time to head out to the patio. “Let’s go outside, Grandpa. Tino was admiring Grandma’s landscaping out front, and I’d like him to see the rose garden.”
Her grandfather normally didn’t have a problem with her pushing his chair for him, but this time he immediately spun it around and headed for the French doors that led directly to the patio. No doubt he didn’t like looking weak in front of Tino. She followed a couple of steps behind him in case he ran out of energy while Tino did an end run around him to open the doors.
Outside, Esther was just coming through the kitchen door carrying a tray piled high with goodies. Tino immediately veered off to take it off her hands. “Let me get that for you.”
Her grandfather watched the interchange. “Somebody raised that boy right. If that had been Benton, he would’ve parked his ass in a chair and expected Esther to wait on him hand and foot.”
No arguments there. “I know, Grandpa, but let’s not talk about him now. Not in front of Tino.”
She tried hard to make that sound like a casual request, but her grandfather straightened up in his chair and glared up at her. “What did that fool do now?”
Unfortunately, Tino had overheard their conversation. “He didn’t much like seeing me with Natalie and wasn’t shy about letting his displeasure be known.”
“Spoiled brat.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me on that score.”
While he talked, Tino set the tray down on the patio table and then pulled a chair out for Natalie before sitting down himself. At least he didn’t go into details about how ugly the encounter had gotten the other night.
“My granddaughter tells me you just got out of the military. Which branch were you in?”
“The army. I served in the military police.”
“Did you like it?”
“I did. But after ten years, I was ready to quit bouncing around the world. Also, my father died last year, which has been hard on my mother.”
Cyrus stared out toward the roses along the fence. “My condolences on your loss. It’s never easy to lose someone you love. Things haven’t been the same since I lost my wife.”
Natalie blinked back the burn of tears. Her grandfather might be a grump, but he’d clearly adored her grandmother. Just as with her parents, theirs had been a love match. After pouring the tea, she offered each of the men a muffin before taking one for herself.
Her grandfather took a deep breath and shook his head, maybe dragging himself out of the past. “You know, I was in the army back in the day. I did two tours in Vietnam.”
The two men exchanged a long look, maybe two warriors sensing they’d each found a kindred spirit. “I’ve read books about that war and talked to a few veterans along the way. It was tough duty.”
Cyrus shrugged. “Well, I’m guessing you’ve been through some rough times yourself.”
“Rough enough, sir.”
For the first time since they’d arrived, Tino’s smile didn’t reach his dark eyes. “My mom is really glad to have two of her three sons safely home and out of the service. Although she’d probably deny it, worrying about my younger brother keeps her up nights. Mikhail is a recon marine. He’s stateside right now, but that could change anytime.”
Her grandfather showed amazing sensitivity by redirecting the conversation. “Natalie tells me that you let her try out your power saw.”
Tino kicked his grin up a notch. “From what others have told me, that was mighty brave of me.”
She immediately protested. “Hey! You said I did great.”
Her grandfather’s laugh came out a bit wheezy. “The man’s not stupid, Natalie. What else was he going to say when he was trying to impress a pretty girl? I’m guessing the man would’ve said the same thing even if you’d cut a hole in the wall big enough to drive a truck through.”
She glanced toward Tino and waited to see what he had to say on the subject. “That’s true enough, sir. But in this case, I didn’t have to lie. She did just fine, especially for a first-timer. All she needed was a little coaching.”
“There’s not much my granddaughter can’t do when she sets her mind to it. I’m glad to hear that you recognize that about her.” He set his cup aside. “Now, what’s this I hear about your liking to play chess?”
—
Natalie sipped her tea and watched the two men hunched over the chessboard. When they’d gotten lost in the game, she slipped away to join Esther in the kitchen. Even from a distance, the intensity and determination to win that both men had brought to the game was palpable.
