Melissa Schroeder - A Santini Takes the Fall (The Santinis Book #9) Read online

  Looking around, he saw flowers. There were a few here and there from friends in her dance world he suspected. It was then that he realized he should have gotten her something. He hadn’t thought about it beforehand.

  With a sigh, he noticed that the biggest arrangement sat in the center of her dining table. It was two-dozen long stemmed red roses. Irritation hit first. He should have done that. He should have had them with him tonight and given them to her. He fucked that up, but he’d remember next time.

  The card was sitting on the table, and he couldn’t fight his curiosity. He picked it up, and by the time he was done reading it, he was furious.

  Can’t wait to see you for the season. It will be wonderful to have you back with me in New York.

  Viktor.

  She was moving back to New York? When the fuck had she decided that? Sure, they had only been involved for a few weeks, but they were sleeping together, and he knew it was more than just a fling for him. But maybe, it wasn’t for her. Maybe she was just keeping herself busy so she could go back to Viktor.

  Dammit.

  It was bad timing for her to walk out of the bedroom right then. He looked at her. She was wearing a big, fuzzy, white robe, and her face was scrubbed clean, and her hair was brushed away from her face.

  “Hey, I thought maybe…” her words trailed off when she saw his expression.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He held the card up. “When were you going to tell me about this?”

  “You read a personal card addressed to me?” she asked, her voice filled with indignation. “What gave you the right to go snooping?”

  “You’re ignoring the question. When were you going to tell me about New York?”

  She frowned and looked at the card, then her expression cleared. “You don’t understand.”

  He wasn’t listening though. His heart was bleeding when he thought of the way she had lied to him. She probably laughed about it.

  “Anthony, it is all just a joke.”

  “You think this is a joke?”

  She took a step back from him. He knew he had a bad temper, and he needed to get out of there before he said something he regretted.

  “I think I need some time.”

  “Wait, Anthony, let me explain.”

  “No. I need some time to think.”

  “I—”

  “I can’t deal with this.”

  “No, wait Anthony. You don’t understand the situation.”

  She said it as if she were going to come up with an excuse for being deceptive. He couldn’t take that. “Listen, I need a break.” His heart twisted “I need a break.”

  “You’re being stupid.”

  “No. That was me before when I thought you were being truthful with me. I don’t mind being your plaything, sweetheart, but I’ll be damned if I will put up with lies.”

  Before she could say anything else, he strode out the door. She didn’t come down the hallway to stop him, to explain. Instead, the elevator dinged open, the sound of it echoing down the empty hall.

  If he listened to her, he might accept it…and she might just break him. How had he fallen so hard, so fast? It had never been like this before, and now, he felt hollowed out. The rage that had surged just moments earlier had dissolved and there was nothing left.

  He rolled his shoulders and fought the need to go back to the apartment. With more than a little regret, he stepped onto the car, then punched the button for the first floor.

  Maybe he was lucky. He, at least, hadn’t told her about his feelings, so she didn’t have that to laugh at when she was back in New York.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Anthony fought the need to yell at everyone in the office. Every one of them had been asses all day long. Now, he was dealing with DC and their asinine forms.

  “It isn’t my fault you can’t find your ass from a hole in the ground, Donaldson. I’ll fill it out again, but since you waited until the last day to actually fucking look for it, you can wait.”

  With that he slammed the phone down.

  “Well, thank God you never wanted to be a diplomat.”

  He turned and found his father standing just a few feet away, a smile curving his lips. He was wearing a newly bought Hawaiian shirt, and his skin had darkened in the last few days.

  “Hey, Dad. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

  “Your mother thought maybe I should have a talk with you, and since we’re planning on going home tomorrow, I figured today was a good day.”

  He nodded. “Let’s go outside.”

  Once they were outside, his father looked out over the scenery.

  “This is a nice place to work.”

  He nodded. “Not bad.”

  “But then, you have a woman like Lalani, it doesn’t matter where you live.”

  He said nothing to that. He couldn’t. Sometime during his irritation in the last few days, he realized he might have made a mistake. He just didn’t know how to fix it.

  “Tell me what you did, and I can help you with it.”

  He shrugged. “I accused her of something that she might not have been doing.”

  Anthony felt his father’s study, so he turned to face him.

  “Grovel.”

  “What?”

  “Get on your knees and beg her to take you back.”

  He knew that was what it would take, but that wasn’t what he truly feared.

  “What if I’m not wrong?”

  His father shook his head. “Doesn’t really matter.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “Let me ask you this. If what you think she did was true, do you want to live without her? Is it that unforgiveable?”

  “And I might be wrong.”

  “What do you think she did?”

  “She might be making plans to move back to New York.”

  His father’s eyebrows rose. “No way.”

  “I read a card from a friend saying he couldn’t wait until she got back.”

  It was his father’s turn to shrug. “I’m not sure it’s true, but did you tell her why you were upset? Did you tell her that you loved her?”

  “No.”

  “Well, then that’s on you.”

  “How did you know?”

  “That you love her?” Anthony nodded. “I watched you watch her dance.”

  He groaned. “I was that transparent?”

  He nodded. “But maybe just to me. See, I know the feeling.”

  Anthony nodded. “Yeah. But what do I do?”

  “I told you. Grovel. Beg her to take you back. Don’t overthink it. Doing that made me almost lose your mother, and I would be lost without her.”

  “Okay. Where’s Mom?”

  “With Alana. She wanted more time with Jon before she left. Fix it before tomorrow, or we could be stuck here forever. She’s not leaving without you being happy.”

  That sounded like a nightmare. “Gotcha.”

  He watched his father walk across the parking lot, then turned to go back inside. His boss was standing there.

  “Go home.”

  “What?”

  “Go home. We don’t want to deal with your problems. Call it a mental health day and fix it.”

  “Were you listening to a private conversation?”

  He cracked a smile. “No, but I have complaints from everyone. Go fix whatever is wrong, and don’t come back until you can get it right or worked out of your system.”

  With irritation, he shook his head and followed his boss in. He needed to shut down his computer, grab his car keys and then, he needed to find Lalani.

  Hopefully, he hadn’t upset her too much.

  * * *

  Lalani pulled into Alana’s driveway and frowned. There was a rental car there. Dammit, if the Santinis were there, she was going to shoot her friend. Well, not really, but she could not deal with the pain of seeing his parents. Alana had promised Anthony was working that Monday. When she had finally pulled the story out o
f Lalani, Alana had insisted on coming to see her. Knowing Alana was feeling horrible thanks to swollen ankles and last trimester blues, Lalani had offered to come over.

  It showed how much she loved her friend. Only her need to take care of Alana had pulled her out of the apartment. She had slept for most of the last three days. And cried. She had cried a lot. That pissed her off more than anything else. She had promised herself never to cry over another man.

  She parked beside the rental—which was a convertible, of course—and she slipped out of her car.

  Alana had the door open before Lalani had made it to the front step. “I tried calling. They stopped by because they are worried about Anthony.”

  Of course they were. Who knew what the ass was up to? He had stormed off Friday night, and she had not heard from him all weekend.

  “I think they should have worried about him earlier in life. Maybe they could have fixed him. Or maybe dropping him on his head ten times was a bad idea. Now he’s a lost cause.”

  “I agree with you,” Marcella said.

  She turned and found Anthony’s mother approaching her from the cottage. Damn. Just her luck. It was bad enough that she felt lower than dirt for mocking her son, but Lalani knew she looked a mess. She hadn’t had much sleep in the last few days, and she hadn’t really showered. Here was Marcella walking toward her looking as if she had been on a relaxing vacation. Of course, she had been, but it didn’t make Lalani feel any better.

  “Oh, don’t look embarrassed. I know my son has been an ass. Every Santini is before you tame them.”

  She didn’t say anything to that. What could she say to the mother of the man who broke her heart?

  “Alana, dear, why don’t you go put your feet up? You need rest.”

  Marcella worded it as a question, but Lalani heard the authority beneath it. Alana apparently had no problems abandoning her.

  “That sounds lovely.”

  Then they were standing there in the driveway, staring at each other. “So, Anthony is being difficult?”

  “That man was probably born difficult.”

  The moment the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

  Marcella laughed. “He was difficult before he was born. I had the worst case of morning sickness.”

  “I can believe that.”

  “Oh, I like you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now, don’t get snotty. Listen, as women, we have to stick together, but let me give you a little help. Anthony has a temper on him. It has been something he’s fought hard to control, but the only time he lets it get out of hand is when he is hurting. That, or someone he loves is hurt. He cannot stand for his brothers or sisters to be hurt physically or emotionally.”

  “Listen, Mrs. Santini—”

  “Don’t be like that. Let’s go sit down on the stoop.”

  She followed Anthony’s mother, and they both settled down. She heard Jon laughing and knew that Marco and Tony were keeping him occupied for the time being.

  “I always worried about him. I always thought it was because he was my first born, but it was more than that. Anthony is the most like his father. I guess it makes sense being the oldest, but from a young age, he plotted everything out. It wasn’t that he was careful, but well…you could call him kind of anal.”

  She snorted.

  “Ah, yes. That temper wrecked havoc on him for a while, but he got it under control. I guess it is that way with military brats. He couldn’t control his life, or when his father would be home, but he could control other things.”

  “I understand that.”

  “I knew you would. With Anthony, well, he goes to the extreme when things are very important to him. You are very important to him.”

  “He has a funny way of showing it. The fight was stupid, but he just walked out.”

  Marcella nodded as she looked out over the lawn. “I can see that because he has a temper and says things he shouldn’t when he’s mad. Unfortunately, the more he cares, the worse he can be. And, even though he was angry and hurt, he left so he didn’t say anything to hurt you. It was stupid, but well, he is a man. They are the lesser sex.”

  A bubble of laughter escaped.

  Marcella took her hand. “Please, give him another chance. He’s an ass, but he adores you. If you could have seen the way he looked as he watched you dance…he loves you. Remember that he needs forgiveness. Just make sure you make him beg a little.”

  “I will if he ever talks to me again.”

  “I think you’re about to get your chance.” Marcella nodded to something behind her, and she saw Anthony pulling into the driveway.

  He got out of his truck and slammed the door. With a dark frown, he strode in her direction.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  She heard his mother sigh.

  Lalani remembered Marcella’s advice and stood up. “None of your damned business.”

  Secretly hoping he would follow, she walked away toward the back of Alana’s house. She was placing her bets and hoping they would both win the hand.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Anthony stared at his mother, his brain trying to comprehend what had happened. He was already irritated because he couldn’t find her. He’d called, gone by her apartment then her studio. When he couldn’t find her, he had returned home thinking to corner Alana and find out where the hell Lalani was.

  Then, he’d pulled into the driveway and found her sitting here with his mother. He’d been so damned relieved to finally find her, it had irritated the hell out of him.

  “What the hell was going on here?”

  His mother’s narrowed gaze told him how she felt about his question. “I was talking to Lalani.”

  “Holding her hand like she’s some kind of long lost friend. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

  She blinked as she stood up. “Your side?”

  “Yes. My side. I’m your son. Or did you forget that?”

  “No, I did not, but apparently you did. You talk to me in that tone Anthony, I will wash your mouth out with soap.”

  He blinked and the mother from his teenage years was back. He realized just how his question sounded. “Sorry.”

  “Good. Now there are no sides, there is one. You two need to be together, so go get her. She is in love with you, even if she doesn’t know it. Don’t let her get away.”

  He wanted to argue, but he knew his mother was right. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Te Amo, Antonio.”

  “Te Amo, Mama.”

  “Now, go get your woman.”

  He smiled and turned to go find Lalani. He found her sitting on the porch, waves of anger pouring off her. She was definitely irritated with him, but he was just as irritated. The fact that she hadn’t called him, but came here was a little aggravating. And, it hurt. It was stupid and he felt like an idiot admitting it, even to himself.

  “Are you going to explain yourself to me?”

  Her eyes flashed with anger. “Excuse me?”

  He should have listened to the alarm bells that were sounding in his head, but his mother didn’t call him pigheaded for nothing. Her tone goaded his temper. Thanks to be sent home, he had no way to vent his anger.

  “I asked if you had an explanation.”

  Another look of disgust. “I don’t think you deserve one.”

  “How am I supposed to react when I see a note like that?”

  “I would expect you to ask me…rationally.”

  “I did.”

  “No, you did not. You yelled at me. Then, you told me that we needed to take a break, and you stomped out of my apartment.”

  “Hey, you’re the one with plans to move back to New York.”

  She stood up and narrowed her eyes. When she spoke, she pronounced every word very carefully—like she was talking to an imbecile. “I have no fucking plans to move anywhere.”

  He blinked. He had never heard that particular word come o
ut of her mouth before.

  “The card said—”

  “He always says things like that. He’s convinced that I’m dying of boredom in Honolulu.”

  He opened his mouth, then shut it again.

  “That was the smartest thing you could have ever done.” She shoved her hands through her hair, then settled them on her hips. He was acutely aware of the audience he knew was glued to the massive window watching everything. So, he held his temper, or his mother would smack him in the back of the head.

  “I moved back here. It was a decision.”

  “Because your mother was sick.”

  “And now she’s gone. I could have moved back. Hell, I have offers to dance all the time.”

  He snorted. “I just bet you do.”

  She ignored his sarcasm and plowed ahead. “And there will be a time I might do an exhibition, but this is my home. This is where I want to live. Could you honestly have seen me with my students and think that this isn’t exactly where I want to be?”

  His mind started flashing memories of seeing her on stage with her students, of hearing her speak of her reasons for teaching, and his world shifted.

  “Yeah, you finally get it. Well, too bad it’s too late. I can’t deal with such a stubborn, pain in the ass man. I don’t care if I love you. It’s not worth it.”

  She turned to leave as his brain caught up with what his heart had known all along. He rushed forward and grabbed her hand. She tried to twist away, but he was too strong for her. And, truth be known, it was a half-hearted attempt on her part.

  He tugged her closer and made her stand in front of him. “You care to go back to the thing you said before?”