Primary Colors (2 page)

When Jonas asked about him, he mentioned the end of his tenure at the elementary school in Queens.

“You’ll miss the boy, Salvador.”

“Maybe not. I’ve offered to give him art lessons.”

“Do
you
have time for that?”

“I’ll make it for him. I manage to balance my life pretty well, except when I get in a painting frenzy.” He nodded to Jonas. “Besides,
where would I be without the hours you spent with me?”

Jonas got a faraway expression in his eyes. Was he thinking about the first time they met? Rafe had been a few years older than Sal and started hanging around the gallery where Jonas worked before he became known as the next Jackson Pollock. Meeting Jonas and eventually being adopted by him, then his subsequent patronage, changed the whole
course of Rafe’s life
.

And Rafe was determined to pay it forward.

“Why so glum, Sal?” Nia asked her son the question after dinner that night while the two of them were still seated at the dining room table. She’d made his favorite macaroni and cheese to celebrate today, and the scent still lingered in the house. His cousins were playing a board game in another room,
Matka
was on the phone, and Paulina had gone out for a walk. “You had a great day at school.”

“I dunno.”

She covered his hand where it rested on the table. “I think maybe you do.”

“I guess.” He peered up at her with a somber brown gaze. Way too somber for a six-year-old. “I’m gonna miss Rafe.”

Nia hadn’t mentioned the lessons because she wanted to talk to her sister about it first, and
consult with
Matka
to see if they’d be willing to supervise when she couldn’t
.

But her heart hurt at Sal’s statement. Damn it! All she wanted was to make this boy happy. Why were there so many roadblocks? She thought about the things in her life she couldn’t change: illness, death, abandonment. But she could affect this.

“Then I have some good news for you, honey.”

Sal’s sad expression
didn’t change. Good news was unfamiliar to him
.

“Mr. Castle asked me today if he could give you some individual art training.”

Sal’s eyes rounded like a puppy dog’s. “How come, Mommy?”

She hadn’t expected this. “Because he told me you were so talented he wanted to help you along in your art.”

“Geez.” Now pleasure suffused his face. “Wow. Oh, Mom.” Getting up, he hugged her. “I
can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, Sal. And you deserve this.”

“When?”

“As soon as I can make arrangements. I have to ask
Matka
and Aunt Paulie if they can be here for the lessons when I can’t, but if not, I’ll just have to find a way to supervise.”

“Can I call him?”

“Um, I guess. He gave me his card.” She stood. “I’ll get it.” Before she could move, he hugged her around the waist.
“Thanks, Mommy.”

“Thank Mr. Castle.”

“He told us to call him Rafe.”

“I gathered as much.”

Before Peter died, she thought kids should address their elders by their surnames, but since then, she’d come to see what was and wasn’t important.

Retrieving the card from the kitchen drawer where she’d stowed it, she grabbed her phone and rejoined Sal. “Here’s the number and my cell.”

A smile still on his face, he punched the buttons. A few seconds longer. “Hi, Rafe. This is Salvador Pettrone…” A grin now. “My mom says you can give me lessons.” He waited. “Me, too…um, yeah.” He looked up at Nia. “He wants to talk to you.”

“Thanks.”

“Can I go tell the guys?”

“Sure.” She put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Mr. Castle.”

“Rafe, please. I’m thrilled you accepted
my offer.”

“Sal was moping that he’d miss you now that your residence at school is over.”

“Ah, well, I’d miss him, too.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, I want to meet with you about the schedule, and well, just to know who’s spending time with my son.”

“Of course. I’d like to get to know Sal’s mom, too.”

A bit surprised, she said, “Please call me Nia.”

“Great.” His voice
was low. Masculine. Sexy. “When can we get together?”

Rafe entered Stargazer’s Bistro in Queens and snagged a table in the corner. He was looking forward to spending time with Sal Pettrone and encouraging his artistic talent. Maybe someday, Sal would feel about him as Rafe felt about Jonas. The thought warmed him. Staring out the window, he watched people come into and go out of the various restaurants, then a
little blue Civic pulled up, garnering a coveted parking space out front
.

Nia Ludzecky exited the car. The Indian-summer weather had allowed her to dress in a light yellow sweater that appeared soft to the touch and a skirt to match. She looked like a ray of sunshine you could capture in your hand. When she turned to gaze at something across the street, he saw her hair was braided again, and
the plait cascaded down her back. She didn’t smile as she headed to the door.

He stood when she entered, and waved. Still, no change in her expression. But when she reached him, he saw friendliness and…gratefulness in her hazel eyes instead of the wariness of the day they met at school. “Hello, Nia.”

“Rafe. Thank you so much for meeting me near work. Was it a haul coming out here?”

“No, I drove and appreciate the chance to get out of the city.” He nodded to a chair. “What would you like?”

“Coffee. Black.”

He raised a brow. “No caramel macchiato with whipped cream?”

Ah, this time the corners of her mouth turned up. “I usually have my dessert after a meal.”

Grinning, he headed to the counter, put in her order and a soy latte with caramel flavoring for him. He
returned and found her staring down at her phone
.

“Here you go.”

She put the cell away. He hated, really hated, when people checked their phones during an appointment. Or worse, at dinner.

“What did you get?”

“Dessert.” Man, was she easy on the eyes. And there was an aura about her, something mysterious and deep. He’d compare it to the
Mona Lisa
if that wasn’t so corny. “So, what
would you like to know about me?”

“Whatever isn’t on the Internet. Or actually, what isn’t true on the Internet.”

“Ha! I don’t google myself.”

“No? All those stories about you dancing with naked women on the tabletops at clubs aren’t true?”

His jaw dropped.
“What?”

Now she laughed, a soft, feminine sound
.

She’d teased. Well, wasn’t that nice.

“What do you already know?”

“That you grew up in the city. A single mom, no siblings.”

“That’s accurate.”

“I can’t imagine what it would be like to be an only child.”

“You have a sister, a twin.”

“I have six sisters and a brother.”

“No shit? Oops, sorry. But wow. What was
that
like?”

Now her eyes shone like the brightest of lights. “Mostly wonderful. It still is.”

“Lucky for you.” He heard
the note of sadness in his voice.

“You didn’t have a happy childhood?”

“No. But it got a lot better when I met Jonas Crane.”

“The painter? Elizabeita loves his work.”

“Elizabeita?”

“My youngest sister. She works at the Met.”

“Jonas will go down in history as one of the most important modern artists of the twentieth century.”

She leaned in, as if warming to the conversation.
“He mentored you?”

“And much more. But yes. I was always interested in drawing and painting from the time I was a toddler. When I was a little older than Sal, I found the gallery Jonas ran right down the street and pestered him to let me hang out. He gave me a chance to be around art, then do some myself, overseen by him. By eight, I was a fixture at his gallery. My mother died when I was
ten, and he and his then wife became foster parents. Not long after, he adopted me.”

“So that’s why you want to help out Sal.”

“In a way. But there’s more. Your son is talented, Nia. With a little instruction, especially at this age, art could be his life.”

She frowned. “Is art your life?”

“Inasmuch as any career is for most people. But if you’re asking if that’s all I do, no.”
He winked at her. “Not with all those dancing girls around.”

Another laugh. He liked causing it. He wanted to hear more, to experience more the feelings it aroused in him.

“I’m glad to hear that. I want Sal to be well-rounded. And happier.”

“He isn’t happy?”

“I’m not sure. He wasn’t when he thought he wouldn’t see you again. And normally, he’s terribly shy.”

“Like his mom.”

“Hmm. Yeah, I guess I’m shy. Me and Sofia.”

“One of the sisters?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Have you always been shy?”

“Yes. As we grew up, Paulina was so outgoing, I didn’t have to be. And then I met my husband and he…protected me, I guess.” She rolled her eyes. “I was fifteen.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. Paulina and I met the Pettrone boys when we went to high school, and the rest
is history.”

“You married brothers?”

“Twins.”

“What a cool story.”

“It is. Too bad it didn’t have an HEA.”

“HEA?”

“Happily-Ever-After ending.” At his questioning expression, she added, “You know, like in romance novels.”

“You read romance novels?”

“Yes, why?”

“Well, then, darlin’, you can’t be all that shy.”

A green goblin with blood-red
eyes jumped out from behind a haystack. Three boys recoiled and screamed. Adam Armstrong also shied away. Nia smiled at Paulina. “Babies.”

Sal moved behind Nia and didn’t say anything. Ben puffed out his little chest. “I wasn’t scared.”

Adam grinned. “Nope, me neither.” He winked at Ben. “We guys got to be macho, right, kid?”

In a development no one had expected, Ben, Paulina’s mischievous
son, had taken to Adam. It had only enhanced the relationship between him and Paulina.

Paulina poked her man in the ribs. “Don’t encourage him, Adam.”

Tommy said, “I was scared. Were you Sal?”

“Uh-huh.”

Bending down, Adam whispered in her son’s ear. Sal’s expression turned devilish. Lord, the guy had a way with kids. At one time, Nia had objected to letting Adam in their lives.
No more, though, as he’d made them all happier. And Paulina watched him as if he’d hung every single star in the sky. Sometimes, Nia felt…not jealous but wistful when she watched them together.

Adam held Sal’s hand as they reached the little bridge sightseers had to cross to get to the hayride. “Watch out for trolls,” Adam said, just as one banged against the floorboards and stuck a green
claw between them. Ben jumped, Tommy giggled nervously and Sal laughed. Once they reached their destination, Adam added, “Here we are.”

For the Halloween Horror Show put on by the community, the big rectangular wagon was already filled halfway with kids and adults.

Tommy pointed to the wagon. “There’s the hayride.”

Ben said, “You and Aunt Nia can’t go on.”

“They’re ’lergic,” Sal
told Adam.

“I know. It’s just us guys, I guess.” Taking Sal’s and Tommy’s hands, Adam followed Ben, who’d run ahead to the traditional Halloween ride. The four of them climbed on. When they pulled away, Nia turned to Paulina. She was shocked to see tears in her tough sister’s eyes. “What’s wrong, Paulie?”

“I can’t believe how good Adam is with the kids.”

“Who would have guessed?”

“He’s a constant surprise.” She turned to Nia. “I’m glad you’ve accepted him.”

“How could I not?” She slid an arm around Paulina. “He’s great. It’s getting more serious, isn’t it?”

Paulina had wanted to take the relationship slower than Adam had, but he’d agreed.

“Yeah. I can’t resist his charm, either.” She took a bead on her sister. “I wish you had someone, Nia.”

“I do, too.
Maybe it’s not in the cards.”

“I’m sorry the date with the art teacher didn’t go so well.”

“I did try, Paulie. I called him up. Went out. But I felt so uncomfortable with him.”

“Do you know why?”

“Because he wasn’t Peter.”

“You know what? I think you have to be friends with someone first, then it’ll work out.”

“You didn’t. You and Adam jumped right into bed, aka the lawn
behind the museum, right away.”

“You and I know we’re different, sis. It’ll happen for you, not the same way, though.”

“Let’s table this. It’s a beautiful night.” The sky was clear, there was a full moon and the air was balmy enough for them to dress in jeans and light sweaters.

“Okay. I didn’t have time to ask today, but did your meeting with sexy Rafe Castle go well?”

“Yeah,
he’s a nice guy. He’s starting Sal’s lessons Friday.”

“Sal will be so happy. And I meant what I said. I’ll chaperone anytime. I wouldn’t mind getting to see that sexy butt for a few hours.”

“Shoulders.”

“What?”

“He’s got great shoulders.”

“Does he now?”

Nia glanced at her sister. “Don’t start on him. He’s way out of my league.”

“No way is that true.”

Nia turned
serious. “No, Paulie, don’t view him as a prospective beau. Having him come out is only for Sal. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that for my son by some dalliance with him.”

“I know. I’ll shut up.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “So long as I get to ogle his butt.”

“I’ll tell Adam.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

She thought of Rafe’s comment.
You can’t be all that shy, darlin’.

“Don’t bet
on it.”

Donuta sat with Sal as he arranged his paints, colored pencils and chalk on the big table in the kids’ playroom. “How many times have you changed all those things around,
kochanie
?”

He smiled up at her. Of the four children in the family, this one was the most somber, so a smile from him was a gift. He reminded her of Sofia
.

“A lot, I guess. I want Rafe
to like it.”