the ten-year-old didn’t scratch Angelo’s pride and joy. After steadying himself on the crutches, he turned to shut the car door. “Thanks.”
Angelo waved at Nicky and Maria. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Marco nodded and made his way to the front door. He fished the borrowed key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. “I need to turn off the alarm.”
“Alarm?” Nicky whistled. “Fancy.”
Marco tapped his birth date into the keypad. “There. That should do it.”
He heard the laundry basket drop to the pristine dark-wood floor and Nicky was off. “Hey!”
The expression on Maria’s face was one of wonder. “That nice man really lives here?”
“Yep,” Marco answered, leading Maria into the large living room. He realised it wasn’t the kind of room you kicked off your shoes and got comfortable in. “Let’s get something to drink and find the media room.”
“What’s a media room?” Maria asked.
Although Marco had worked for years on houses that held media rooms, he’d never actually been in one. “It’s a room that is specifically designed to watch television and movies.” He grinned. “At least that’s what I hear. Let’s go see if we can find it.”
* * * *
At a few minutes after nine, Marco tucked Maria into one of the guest beds. He realised he’d forgotten to bring his baby sister’s nightlight. “Do you want me to leave the door open and the hall light on?”
Maria nodded. “Where will you sleep?”
Marco had been trying to figure that out all evening. “Would you be upset if I slept in the room with Kent?”
Maria bit her lip, her sweet face wrinkled in thought. “What if I need you during the night?”
He brushed Maria’s curls away from her face and bent down to kiss her on the nose. “I’ll be at the end of the hall. All you have to do is knock on the door.”
After several moments, Maria nodded. “I guess that’ll be okay.”
Marco smiled at his baby sister. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered around a yawn.
Marco reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.”
As he made his way back down the stairs, the front door opened. He almost tumbled down the steps when Kent entered with Bruno and a leashed Rufus in tow. He was about to ask about the dog when he noticed the bandages on Kent’s face. “What happened?”
Kent handed Rufus off to Bruno. “Why don’t you find the kitchen and get Rufus a bowl of water?”
“Kent?” Marco continued down the stairs, his gut twisting in knots the closer he got to his lover.
Once Bruno was out of the room, Kent walked towards Marco and wrapped his arms around him. “We need to talk.”
Marco nodded. “What happened?”
Kent gestured to the kitchen. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“No, but you can buy me a beer. By your expression, I’m gonna guess I’ll need one.”
Once in the kitchen, Kent scratched Rufus behind the ears and took his leash off. “I bet Nicky’s already found the media room.”
Marco could tell Kent wanted to talk to him alone. “Yeah. It’s down the hall to your right, Bruno.”
Kent opened the fridge and handed Bruno a couple of cans of Coke. “Nicky’s probably ready for one.”
Bruno glanced down at Rufus before addressing Marco. “I couldn’t find his food, did you bring it?”
“It’s in Angelo’s car,” Marco groaned.
“That’s okay. I can pick up some more in the morning. I’m sure I’ve got something he can eat,” Kent assured them.
Bruno nodded and left the room.
“Have a seat.” Kent pulled a package of steaks out of the freezer and slid them into the microwave to defrost.
“You’re not seriously going to feed a dog steak.” Hell, Marco couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten steak. The thought of giving the high-priced meat to a dog went against everything he believed in.
Kent just shrugged and passed Marco a bottle of beer. “He saved my life tonight. He
Angelo waved at Nicky and Maria. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Marco nodded and made his way to the front door. He fished the borrowed key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. “I need to turn off the alarm.”
“Alarm?” Nicky whistled. “Fancy.”
Marco tapped his birth date into the keypad. “There. That should do it.”
He heard the laundry basket drop to the pristine dark-wood floor and Nicky was off. “Hey!”
The expression on Maria’s face was one of wonder. “That nice man really lives here?”
“Yep,” Marco answered, leading Maria into the large living room. He realised it wasn’t the kind of room you kicked off your shoes and got comfortable in. “Let’s get something to drink and find the media room.”
“What’s a media room?” Maria asked.
Although Marco had worked for years on houses that held media rooms, he’d never actually been in one. “It’s a room that is specifically designed to watch television and movies.” He grinned. “At least that’s what I hear. Let’s go see if we can find it.”
* * * *
At a few minutes after nine, Marco tucked Maria into one of the guest beds. He realised he’d forgotten to bring his baby sister’s nightlight. “Do you want me to leave the door open and the hall light on?”
Maria nodded. “Where will you sleep?”
Marco had been trying to figure that out all evening. “Would you be upset if I slept in the room with Kent?”
Maria bit her lip, her sweet face wrinkled in thought. “What if I need you during the night?”
He brushed Maria’s curls away from her face and bent down to kiss her on the nose. “I’ll be at the end of the hall. All you have to do is knock on the door.”
After several moments, Maria nodded. “I guess that’ll be okay.”
Marco smiled at his baby sister. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered around a yawn.
Marco reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.”
As he made his way back down the stairs, the front door opened. He almost tumbled down the steps when Kent entered with Bruno and a leashed Rufus in tow. He was about to ask about the dog when he noticed the bandages on Kent’s face. “What happened?”
Kent handed Rufus off to Bruno. “Why don’t you find the kitchen and get Rufus a bowl of water?”
“Kent?” Marco continued down the stairs, his gut twisting in knots the closer he got to his lover.
Once Bruno was out of the room, Kent walked towards Marco and wrapped his arms around him. “We need to talk.”
Marco nodded. “What happened?”
Kent gestured to the kitchen. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“No, but you can buy me a beer. By your expression, I’m gonna guess I’ll need one.”
Once in the kitchen, Kent scratched Rufus behind the ears and took his leash off. “I bet Nicky’s already found the media room.”
Marco could tell Kent wanted to talk to him alone. “Yeah. It’s down the hall to your right, Bruno.”
Kent opened the fridge and handed Bruno a couple of cans of Coke. “Nicky’s probably ready for one.”
Bruno glanced down at Rufus before addressing Marco. “I couldn’t find his food, did you bring it?”
“It’s in Angelo’s car,” Marco groaned.
“That’s okay. I can pick up some more in the morning. I’m sure I’ve got something he can eat,” Kent assured them.
Bruno nodded and left the room.
“Have a seat.” Kent pulled a package of steaks out of the freezer and slid them into the microwave to defrost.
“You’re not seriously going to feed a dog steak.” Hell, Marco couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten steak. The thought of giving the high-priced meat to a dog went against everything he believed in.
Kent just shrugged and passed Marco a bottle of beer. “He saved my life tonight. He
Similar Books
