Page 84 of Always Be True: Tino
Chapter 23
Natalie came awake slowly as the scent of freshly brewed coffee lured her from the hot dream she’d been enjoying. The details were a bit hazy, but it definitely involved her, Tino Gianelli, and that rug in her living room. As much as she hated leaving her dream world behind, it was time to get moving.
She opened her eyes to instant confusion. This wasn’t her room and definitely not her bed. A second later, everything came into focus. This was Tino’s bed, and she was wearing Tino’s clothes. Other details from the previous evening flooded back—the fear, the theft, and the police. She bolted upright and waited for her pulse to return to normal. The incident was over and done with. Time to move on.
It was early, but that was okay. She had a lot to do if she wanted to get to work on time. For starters, she needed to stop by her house to change outfits—no way she was going to show up wearing the same clothes she’d had on the day before, even if Tino had washed them for her. Of course, unless the police had already retrieved her purse, she couldn’t get inside her own house until a locksmith could come out and open the door for her.
Then there was the dreaded call to her parents to tell them what had happened. They weren’t exactly in the loop when it came to what went on at the foundation or the community center, but she couldn’t risk them finding out on their own. She’d also have to stop by her grandfather’s house. He’d handle the news better once he saw that she was truly all right. Getting there might be a problem. Her car was still at the center, and she didn’t have the keys or money for a cab. She’d already imposed on Tino enough without asking him to chauffeur her all over town.
It spoke to how frazzled she was that she couldn’t figure out how to fix any of it. Maybe a cup of coffee would help jump-start her brain. She cautiously stepped out into the hall and paused to listen at the door to the next room. The soft rumble of snoring made it clear that her host was still asleep. Tino must have set the timer on his coffeemaker before he went to bed last night.
After a quick stop in the bathroom, she crept down the stairs, trying not to make any noise. The man had definitely earned his rest. Her to-do list would have to wait until he woke up. For now, she’d help herself to a cup of coffee and then put her clothes in the dryer.
As it turned out, she wasn’t alone. A complete stranger was making himself at home in the kitchen. She let out a loud squeal before she could help herself. The man spun around to face her, sloshing hot coffee on his hand in the process.
“Son of a—” He cut the curse off midway through. “Sorry. You startled me.”
Then he grinned. “So, I’m guessing from the look on your face, Tino didn’t let you know that he asked me to come over last night.”
He wiped his hand on his jeans before holding it out to her. “I’m Jack McShane, Tino’s smarter and better-looking big brother.”
She grinned as her hand was swallowed up in his huge one. “Natalie Kennigan.”
“I figured as much from the way Tino described you, but it pays to be careful.”
Before she could decide what to make of that, another voice joined the party. “God, Jack, make it sound like I have women over all the time, why don’t you?”
Neither of them had heard Tino follow her down the steps, or at least she hadn’t. Jack’s smirk said he’d been fully aware of his brother’s approach. “My bad. Sorry, Natalie, but I couldn’t resist jerking his chain a little.”
While Tino glared at Jack, she studied the two men. Tino had dark, wavy hair and brown eyes, while Jack had bright green eyes and reddish-brown hair. They were close in height, but built along vastly different lines. Then there were the different last names, neither of which were the same as their mother’s.
Obviously, there was an interesting story behind all of the confusion, one that Tino had yet to share with her. She wouldn’t press for details now, but it was another reminder that they needed to talk about a lot of things, and soon.
“Look, I’m going to go dry my clothes.”
Because standing there in Tino’s shirt and shorts felt awkward, especially in front of his brother. Tino finally turned his attention to her. “I dried them last night. They’re folded on top of the dryer.”
“Great. Well, then, I’ll go get dressed so I can get out of your way.”
She didn’t make it two steps before she was surrounded by two walls that hadn’t been there two seconds before. With both brothers topping out at over a foot taller than she was, Natalie had to tip her head back at an uncomfortable angle to see their faces.
“What?”
Tino answered first. “We need to do something about breakfast for all three of us, so don’t be in too much of a hurry. I can get by skipping a meal, but Jack is a real bear if he doesn’t get fed regularly.”
She expected Jack to deny the allegation, but instead he said, “It’s a shortcoming on my part, but he’s right. You can ask my wife when you meet her or even our mom. She’s right next door.”
Like she was going to go knocking on their mother’s door wearing Tino’s shirt and shorts. She put her hands on her hips and gave each man a hard look. “Okay, guys, what’s really going on? Why the delay tactics?”
Jack looked over her head at his brother. “It’s only six o’clock. The building supply store doesn’t open until seven.”
What did that have to do with anything? Oh, wait. Maybe Tino was supposed to help Jack on a project today. “Look, if I’m keeping you from your job, I can call my folks and have one of them pick me up.”
Tino’s hands came down to rest on her shoulders. “That’s not it at all. We’ll need you with us at the store to pick out the replacement locks for your house and to tell how us many we need. Afterward, we’ll head over to your place and get started on replacing the ones you have.”
“But I was going to call a locksmith this morning. Besides, haven’t I already taken up enough of your time?”
She almost got lost in the warmth of Tino’s dark eyes as she waited for him to answer. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. “My time is all yours today, starting with getting the locks taken care of. While we get started on that job, you can check in with the police about your purse and briefcase. Once we know what’s going on, we’ll either go retrieve your stuff or take your spare car keys back to the center to pick up your car. From there, I’ll follow you over to your grandfather’s. He and I have our regular chess game this afternoon, anyway.”
