“Not now,” she told Emma. “There’s something I need to do.”
“And it can’t wait ten minutes?”
“No, it can’t,” Gina said.
“If that man has upset you in some way, I’ll make him regret it,” Emma promised.
“No, actually, that man has made me see things clearly for the first time in weeks.”
She might find Rafe O’Donnell annoying and pushy and arrogant, but he was right about one thing: she was a fighter. It was past time she started acting like one and seized control of her life again, even if no one else agreed with what she was about to do.
Chapter Nine
After leaving Gina, Rafe was more determined than ever to track down Bobby Rinaldi and make him pay for his crimes. It was no longer just about the money. Unjust or not, most of the investors, Rafe’s mother included, could afford to take their losses. Now, though, his concern extended to Gina, who was clearly paying a far higher toll than mere dollars.
The bleak, defeated look on Gina’s face the day before would haunt him forever. He blamed himself for that, and for somehow leading her to the conclusion that the only way out was to declare bankruptcy and come home to Wyoming. That was the last thing he’d intended when he’d started all this.
He muttered a harsh expletive and faced facts. That was exactly what he’d hoped for when he’d come charging out here on his white horse determined to save the day for his clients. But that was before he’d known anything at all about Gina Petrillo and the kind of warm, decent, caring woman she was. For once in his life, he should have paid attention to his secretary. Not that he’d ever admit that to Lydia. There were some things best left unsaid to a woman who tended to gloat.
Without pausing to consider what he was about to do, he headed straight for Tony’s and pounded on the front door until Tony came out of the kitchen and opened it.
“There’s no need to break the door down,” the man chided.
“Sorry. I should have realized you’d be in the kitchen and come around back.”
“Or waited until the restaurant was open,” Tony suggested mildly, though he stepped aside to allow Rafe to enter.
“This couldn’t wait,” Rafe said.
Worry immediately creased Tony’s forehead. “It’s about our Gina?”
Rafe nodded. “Yes. And she doesn’t know I’m here. It’s better if it stays that way.”
“I imagine she would not approve,” Tony guessed. “So, why did you come? I am her friend, not yours.”
“That’s precisely why I came,” Rafe said. “I think she’s about to do something she’s going to regret and only you can stop her.”
“Then we must talk.” Tony beckoned him toward the back. “However, you will have to explain while I work. I am making pasta and I cannot stop without ruining it.”
In the kitchen Rafe drew in a deep breath, savoring the aromas of garlic and tomatoes, oregano and basil, flour and eggs. He also took in the aging but spotless appliances, the floor that looked as if it had just been mopped to a shine. If this was where Gina had learned the basics of the restaurant business, she had learned from a man who obviously took pride in his work. The room was both cozy and efficient.
“Sit,” Tony said, gesturing toward a stool. “If you would like coffee, you will have to pour it yourself,” he added, already working with the dough again, stretching it with nimble fingers, then putting it through a pasta machine to form perfect fettuccine noodles.
“No coffee, but thanks.”
Tony glanced at him. “What is wrong with our Gina?”
“She said she had told you about her business difficulties,” Rafe began cautiously, in case she hadn’t been as totally forthright with Tony as he had been led to believe.
Anger brought bright patches of color to Tony’s cheeks. Rafe couldn’t translate the word he uttered, but it was evidently not complimentary toward Bobby.
“If he were here, I would toss him in a pot of boiling water myself,” Tony said with a huff.
“Join the club,” Rafe said.
Tony seemed taken aback by the ferocity of his response. “I was under the impression that you thought our Gina shared the blame.”
“I was suspicious of her, yes,” Rafe admitted.
“And now?”
“I’m all but convinced that she had nothing to do with anything that happened.”
“But not totally convinced?” Tony asked, scowling at him. “Then you can go. I have nothing to say to you, and you have nothing to say that I wish to hear.”
Rafe smiled. “But that’s why you must listen, because you believe in Gina unconditionally, because you will want what is best for her.”
“Of course,” Tony said at once. “But how? What help can I give her? She would never take money from me, even if I had enough to fix the problem Bobby has created.”
Rafe thought of her display of pride and knew Tony was right. “Not money, but I do think she is going to come to you for a job. In fact, I think she is going to tell you that she wants to move back here and work with you.”
“She came here yesterday and said precisely that.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That she would be welcome, but that she should think about it. Obviously, you think the decision is as impetuous as I do. You think she made the offer not because it is what she truly wants, but because she thinks it is her only option.”
Rafe admired the man’s quick thinking, as well as his understanding of Gina. “Yes, that is exactly what I think. She’s giving up, Tony. I think a lot of things have been piling up the last few weeks, including the death of her friend’s husband, and she’s throwing in the towel, taking the easy way out. She’s convinced herself that she has an obligation to stay here for her friend’s sake.
