“Count on it.”
The buzzer for the front door sounded again.
“Are you expecting anyone else?”
“No.” But she got up.
“This time use the intercom.”
She pressed the gray button, thinking she should have done it before. Never mind it being some deranged criminal, what if Angelo had been a reporter? “Who is it?”
“Tara?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Danette. Can I come up?”
“Of course, hon.” She buzzed the entry lock and then dove for her shirt.
“Button up, Angelo. Danette’s on her way up.”
“Worried if she sees my manly chest she’ll swoon?”
“Maybe.” She winked. “But mostly I don’t want to advertise what we’ve been doing for the last half hour.”
“You’re a conservative little soul, all things considered.”
She shrugged, but bit her lip. “Does that bother you?”
“No. I was raised by a traditional Sicilian woman, you’ve got to remember. Before my father died, she defined the term conservative.”
“I wish I could have met her.”
His eyes clouded over. “Me, too.”
There was a knock on the door and Angelo answered it because he was closer.
Danette stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost. “Mr. Gordon?”
“Angelo. I’ve eaten meat from your barbecue. That puts us on a first name basis.”
At that, Danette’s eyes filled with tears and her fist flew to her mouth, but the sound of a sob escaped.
Tara rushed across the room and threw her arms around her friend. “It’s okay, hon. Truly. We know you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
She wasn’t totally sure about what Angelo believed, but he wasn’t acting all cold and accusatory, for which she was grateful.
“But Ray did.” And then the sobs escalated.
Tara held Danette until she calmed down and stepped away, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief Angelo handed her.
She took a deep breath and then let it out, her eyes wounded pools in her tear ravaged face. “He doesn’t understand why I’m so angry.”
“The idiot. I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. I broke up with him.” Her lip quivered, but she maintained control. “I can’t believe I let myself love that slimeball.”
“Aw, hon…”
Her gaze darted to Angelo. “I quit my job, too. Told Primo Tech what they could do with their management training program after I found out you’d been fired.”
“I’ll get you reinstated,” Angelo said without hesitation.
Danette shook her head. “Thank you, but I need to get away. I’ve lived here all my life and been protected for most of it.” She bit her lip and swallowed. “I want adventure. I thought Ray was it, but I was wrong.”
Tara’s heart broke for her friend.
“Maybe I could help find you something.” Angelo said.
A glimmer of hope sparked in Danette’s eyes. “Seriously? You mean it?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you mad at me?”
“You are not responsible for the malicious behavior of your former boyfriend.”
“I’ll never make another scrapbook page again.”
Tara gave her a hug around her shoulders. “Let’s not get hasty. One scheming photographer does not the death of a hobby make.”
Danette gave her a weak smile.
They talked her into staying for dinner. When Angelo discovered she spoke both Spanish and Italian, he said it would be a piece of cake to get her a job abroad if she’d like.
Danette left with a smile on her face, despite the sadness in her eyes.
Tara frowned at the closed door Danette had just walked through. “I’d like to punch Ray right in the nose.”
“I’ve done better than that. I’ve instigated proceedings against him for getting the photo under false pretenses.”
“I doubt the charges will stick.”
“Maybe not, but I’m doing my best to make sure they do and the experience of going to court and having to hire a lawyer to defend his actions definitely will.”
“True.”
“So, about this wedding.”
“Fly to Reno, get married and check into a swank suite for our wedding night?” she asked, more convinced than ever that waiting would be taxing her control on her feminine impulses.
He grinned, his expression more carefree than she’d ever seen it. “We are going to have a very good marriage, stellina. You fit me like a glove.”
Angelo looked around the exclusive wedding chapel with satisfaction. A big wedding was out of the question. Not only would it take too long to prepare, but he didn’t want the publicity that would accompany it to alert Baron Randall of Angelo’s plans to marry Tara.