resolutions to keep her feelings about Sal in perspective, Annie laid her head on his shoulder, sighed, then gave in to the sensations of the moment. It certainly would help matters if she didn’t feel so right in Sal’s arms. It was nothing, she assured herself. Her emotions were only natural, considering the circumstances. But at the moment, locked in Sal’s arms, she was having a hard time keeping things objective.
“Sal…would you like to come over for dinner tonight?”
He tensed. “I’d love to, Annie, but I can’t. I’ve…I’ve got a date.”
Annie stiffened and stepped out of his arms. “I see,” she said, trying not to show her intense annoyance. She couldn’t go out without a chaperone, but it was all right for him to continue his carousing! She wasn’t jealous, she told herself. Why should she be jealous? Sal had gone on hundreds of dates over the past few years, so why should this one be any different?
“Annie.” Sal grabbed her arm, knowing she misunderstood. “I promised Mrs. Altero I’d come over for dinner—”
“And meet her granddaughter?”
Sal nodded. He had to talk to Mrs. Altero. She was the only one who’d been around last night and she was the only clue he had. She’d even taken a walk past the deli just about the time of the burglary. If it meant eating her cooking and meeting her granddaughter in an effort to obtain the information he needed to protect Annie, then he would do it. He would worry about explaining to Annie later. Right now, he just wanted to make sure she was safe.
“Yes,” he sighed, “and meet her granddaughter. I shouldn’t be late, though, and I’ll be right across the street if you need me.”
“Need you,” she fumed. “Sal, come on, I told you, I’m a big girl and it’s about time I start handling my own life and my own affairs. Now, I’ve got to get back to work.” She shrugged off his arm and headed out front.
“Annie?”
She stopped, holding her breath. “What, Sal?”
“You never answered my question. Are you going out with David again?”
Annie turned to him with a grin. “You’re right, I never did answer your question, did I? Have a good time tonight,” she called, giving his cheek a friendly pat before turning and heading back to her waiting customers.
Chapter Six
Annie paced the length of the living room, not knowing what to do with herself. She kept going from window to window, peering at Mrs. Altero’s house, wondering what Sal was doing, and knowing he was there—with the infamous granddaughter.
She’d already drunk four cups of herbal tea, finished filling out all the forms that needed filling out, washed all her floors, and still she kept pacing. Lord, this wasn’t supposed to be happening. Sal was supposed to be worried about the men she was dating—not the other way around.
Sighing at her own behavior, Annie went into the kitchen and poured herself another cup of tea. She wasn’t thirsty, she just needed to do something to keep her mind off Sal.
She didn’t want to think about him. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself. The more she thought about Sal, the more confused she felt.
Sipping her tea, she went back into the living room and sank down in the rocker. What was she going to do? She had to think about this problem rationally, she realized, glancing around the familiar room.
She’d spent hours refurbishing the old brownstone after Tony died. They had bought the house right after they’d gotten married because it was close to the police station and the deli. She’d grown up in an almost identical house not two blocks away.
After Tony’s death, with nothing but grief and time on her hands, she’d stripped all the woodwork, refinishing it to its original beauty. Sal had helped her do some of the heavy work, spending his days off and vacation time hauling wood, scraping off paint and just lending a hand wherever needed. They’d discovered they both had a fondness for country furnishings and
“Sal…would you like to come over for dinner tonight?”
He tensed. “I’d love to, Annie, but I can’t. I’ve…I’ve got a date.”
Annie stiffened and stepped out of his arms. “I see,” she said, trying not to show her intense annoyance. She couldn’t go out without a chaperone, but it was all right for him to continue his carousing! She wasn’t jealous, she told herself. Why should she be jealous? Sal had gone on hundreds of dates over the past few years, so why should this one be any different?
“Annie.” Sal grabbed her arm, knowing she misunderstood. “I promised Mrs. Altero I’d come over for dinner—”
“And meet her granddaughter?”
Sal nodded. He had to talk to Mrs. Altero. She was the only one who’d been around last night and she was the only clue he had. She’d even taken a walk past the deli just about the time of the burglary. If it meant eating her cooking and meeting her granddaughter in an effort to obtain the information he needed to protect Annie, then he would do it. He would worry about explaining to Annie later. Right now, he just wanted to make sure she was safe.
“Yes,” he sighed, “and meet her granddaughter. I shouldn’t be late, though, and I’ll be right across the street if you need me.”
“Need you,” she fumed. “Sal, come on, I told you, I’m a big girl and it’s about time I start handling my own life and my own affairs. Now, I’ve got to get back to work.” She shrugged off his arm and headed out front.
“Annie?”
She stopped, holding her breath. “What, Sal?”
“You never answered my question. Are you going out with David again?”
Annie turned to him with a grin. “You’re right, I never did answer your question, did I? Have a good time tonight,” she called, giving his cheek a friendly pat before turning and heading back to her waiting customers.
Chapter Six
Annie paced the length of the living room, not knowing what to do with herself. She kept going from window to window, peering at Mrs. Altero’s house, wondering what Sal was doing, and knowing he was there—with the infamous granddaughter.
She’d already drunk four cups of herbal tea, finished filling out all the forms that needed filling out, washed all her floors, and still she kept pacing. Lord, this wasn’t supposed to be happening. Sal was supposed to be worried about the men she was dating—not the other way around.
Sighing at her own behavior, Annie went into the kitchen and poured herself another cup of tea. She wasn’t thirsty, she just needed to do something to keep her mind off Sal.
She didn’t want to think about him. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself. The more she thought about Sal, the more confused she felt.
Sipping her tea, she went back into the living room and sank down in the rocker. What was she going to do? She had to think about this problem rationally, she realized, glancing around the familiar room.
She’d spent hours refurbishing the old brownstone after Tony died. They had bought the house right after they’d gotten married because it was close to the police station and the deli. She’d grown up in an almost identical house not two blocks away.
After Tony’s death, with nothing but grief and time on her hands, she’d stripped all the woodwork, refinishing it to its original beauty. Sal had helped her do some of the heavy work, spending his days off and vacation time hauling wood, scraping off paint and just lending a hand wherever needed. They’d discovered they both had a fondness for country furnishings and
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