Mr Destiny (13 page)

Kate was still smiling when Tony walked out of the restaurant and headed for the taxi. Her smile faded, but only because her
heart started pounding so badly it scared her.

What was it about this guy that rattled her every time she saw him?

Alex had been right about the casual dress.

But dear Lord!

No man had the right to look that good in faded jeans.

He grinned that little-boy grin of his when he walked up to the passenger side of the taxi. When he opened the door, he offered
Kate his hand to help her out of the car. Kate took his hand and stepped out onto the sidewalk, but she wasted no time telling
the taxi driver to wait for her. The last thing she needed was getting left in Queens without a way to make a quick exit.

Alone time with Tony Petrocelli was
not
an option.

Kate faced him.

He grinned again, and said, “Are you sure you want the taxi driver to wait? I'll be more than happy to drive you back to the
city myself.”

I'd be more than happy to let you, too.

That's the problem.

Kate shook her head. “No, I'll stick with the taxi.”

He shrugged. “Okay. Second question. Are you sure you're really up for this?”

Kate said, “I don't have to help you break down your mother's bedroom door or anything, do I?”

He laughed. “No. All we have to do is walk to the back of the restaurant where my family is having dinner like we do every
Friday night. I'll introduce you to my grandmother. And then I'll escort you right back outside to the taxi. Okay?”

“Okay,” Kate said, hoping she sounded a lot braver than she felt. “Then I guess it's time to go meet…”

“Our destiny?” Tony teased.

“Your
grandmother,
“ Kate corrected.

If only he hadn't put his hand on her back as they started inside the restaurant. If only he hadn't touched her, Kate might
have been able to ignore the rat-a-tat-tat inside her chest, and summon up the courage she needed to face the family she knew
she was getting ready to thoroughly disappoint.

Tony felt Kate tremble when he placed his hand at the small of her back. For a second he was tempted to turn her around and
tell her to forget the whole thing.

She'd agreed to come of her own free will, sure, but he still felt guilty about involving her in the never-ending drama that
always seemed to surround his family. The only thing that stopped him from putting her back in the taxi and sending her on
her way, was knowing that after tonight Kate wouldn't have to deal with him or with his family again.

He took a deep breath, opened the door, and let Kate enter the restaurant ahead of him. When he stepped through the door himself,
it was as if someone hit pause. The commotion going on inside stopped for a second.

“Do I really look that out of place here?” Kate whispered back over her shoulder.

“No way,” Tony said, leaning forward close enough for her to hear him. “We're just not used to having someone so pretty show
up in this place.”

“Liar,” she whispered back.

And she did look amazing.

Too amazing.

Even in jeans.

But it wasn't the time to let Kate or her sexy curves deter him from his mission. His goal was to get her back to the family
table, prove she wasn't his intended bride, and rescue her before she was overwhelmed by the usual Petrocelli Friday night
confusion.

He managed to usher her past the staring customers, toward the rear of the restaurant. But the second his mother looked up
and saw them walking in her direction, she jumped up from her chair and hurried forward to greet them.

“Don't let my mother intimidate you,” Tony warned.

His warning came too late.

His mother embraced Kate like the long-lost daughter-in-law she wasn't going to have.

Tony frowned. “We had an agreement, Mama. Remember?”

Her only response was to smile happily back at Tony over Kate's unsuspecting shoulder.

Kate wasn't prepared when the robust woman grabbed her in a bear hug. But it did cross her mind that she hadn't been hugged
like that in a long, long time. For a second, Kate was reminded how much she missed hugs like that from her own mother.

“Well, don't just stand there, Anthony,” she said, when she finally released Kate. “Introduce me to this lovely girl.”

“This is Kate Anderson, Mama,” Tony said. “Kate, my mother, Gina Petrocelli.”

Kate was surprised.

Gina Petrocelli looked nothing like she'd expected.

She'd expected some frail, nervous little gray-haired woman, kneeling by her bedside praying. This woman was a beautiful,
full-figured woman, not a wrinkle on her face, or a strand of gray in her hair. Her brown eyes danced with excitement as she
sent Kate a big smile.

“Call me Mama Gina, Kate,” she said. “First, we talk a bit. Then we take you to meet Nonna.”

“Forget it, Mama,” Tony said. “Kate's taxi is outside waiting for her. I promised her this would be quick. She needs to get
back to the city.”

“Tina,” Mama Gina yelled over her shoulder.

Kate smiled at the lanky girl as she ambled in their direction. She looked to be somewhere in her early twenties. Her dark
hair was spiked, her makeup was Gothic, and she was chewing her bubble gum ninety miles a minute.

“Take the taxi driver outside some pizza from the buffet and find out what he wants to drink,” Mama Gina told her. “Keep him
happy.”

Tina nodded, and headed toward the buffet set up at the far end of the restaurant.

Mama Gina sent Tony a victorious smile.

Then she took Kate's hand and began leading her to a booth in the back, away from everyone else.

Kate had no choice but to follow. She looked back over her shoulder for Tony. He was following behind them, shaking his head
disgustedly.

Mama Gina motioned Kate into the booth, then grabbed Tony by the arm and pushed him into the seat beside her. A little too
close for comfort, Kate decided, when his leg touched hers for a second.

She scooted closer to the wall for safety.

After she seated herself across the table from them, Mama Gina sent them both another big smile.

Tony looked over at Kate, and said, “My mother promised she wouldn't do this, Kate. She obviously has selective memory tonight.”

“What's wrong with me talking to Kate for a minute?”

Mama Gina frowned at Tony, then smiled warmly at Kate again. “Kate has
been nice enough to come. I think she deserves to know why it is so important to your family that she meets your grandmother.”

“I've already told Kate all about Nonna's predictions,” Tony said.

“You've told her your way. I'll tell her mine.”

“Show her your engagement ring, Kate,” Tony said. “Maybe then my mother will accept the fact that you're already engaged and
soon to be married.”

Oops.

She'd forgotten about the ring.

Kate panicked for a second.

A plausible lie finally slipped through her lips. “I forgot to put my ring back on when I showered after work,” she said,
looking over at Tony.

He stared at her bare finger, then back at her.

He kept looking at her, as if he suspected the lie.

Double oops.

Kate looked away.

Mama Gina said, “Kate doesn't mind if we have a little talk first, do you, Kate?”

“I really don't mind,” Kate said, looking back at Tony.

He was still staring at her bare finger.

Damn.

I really should have worn the ring.

Something was up.

Other than the fact that Kate was a lousy liar.

She was definitely lying about the reason for not wearing her engagement ring, and Tony knew it.

But why?

The mystery about the ring took a backseat, however, when his mother spoke up and said, “I wanted you to know a little bit
about my Anthony, Kate.”

Tony groaned. “Mama, please.”

He could only imagine what was coming next.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Kate glanced at him, an amused look on her face.

Shit.

“Anthony was raised right here with his five sisters.” His mother pointed to the ceiling above them. “Right above this restaurant.
Mario and I raised our children in the apartment upstairs, where we've lived since we first married and bought this building
for our restaurant. A small space, yes. But our home has always been filled with a whole lot of love.”

“And no privacy whatsoever,” Tony mumbled. “Just like right now.”

Kate giggled at his comment.

Tony looked at her, and said, “You really are enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Loving it,” she said, and grinned at him.

They stared at each other for a second.

Tony broke eye contact first.

Off-limits. Off-limits. Off-limits. Off-limits.

“Even in kindergarten, Anthony was smart boy,” Mama Gina said, and Tony groaned even louder. “Always at the top of his class.
He graduated with honors from Princeton, too.”

If I had my revolver, I'd shoot myself.

How embarrassing.

Especially since he didn't miss the surprised look on Kate's face when his mother mentioned Princeton.

“Surprised a cop would have a Princeton education?” He just had to ask.

“A little,” she admitted.

“The police force wasn't Anthony's first choice in a career,” Mama Gina spoke up. “He tried Wall Street first.”

Tell it all, Mama. Dammit, tell it all.

Kate looked at him again. “Now, that does surprise me. I would never have figured you for the killer-instinct Wall Street
type.”

Is that a compliment?

Tony wasn't sure.

Mama Gina said, “Anthony decided there was more to life than making big money. He left Manhattan. He came back home to Queens.
He went to the Police Academy. And he's made his father and mother very proud. He's made his community proud of him, too.”
She looked at Tony. “Tell her, Anthony. Tell Kate about the apartment building you bought and turned back into a safe place
for people in your neighborhood to live.”

Tony could feel himself blushing.

Enough is enough.

“I think you've bored Kate long enough, Mama,” he said.

He slid out of the booth and stood up.

Mama Gina counteracted by reaching across the table and taking Kate's hand, holding her captive. “I've embarrassed my son,
Kate. But I wanted you to know Anthony is a good man. I knew he'd never tell you himself.” She lowered her voice, “Anthony's
always been a little shy with the ladies.”

“Mama!”
Jesus.

“What?” Mama Gina asked defiantly. “Tell me once when you've brought a nice girl home for your mama to meet. Never. Until
now.”

“Kate's only here now, Mama, because she took pity on me when
you
locked yourself in your bedroom praying.”

She ignored the reminder and turned back to Kate. “Still, I wanted you to know these things, just in case my mother-in-law
realizes who you are tonight.”

“Mrs. Petrocelli,” Kate began.

“See,” Tony spoke up. “Now you're embarrassing Kate.”