Primary Colors (7 page)

“I don’t have much free time. I’m so busy with work and home.”

“Nothing you do just for yourself?”

She thought for a moment. “I used to hike. Peter and I went out all the time. We strapped Sal in a baby pack after he was born.”

“Are those good memories, Nia, or do they make you sadder?”

“They used to make me sad. In the last year, they’ve made me feel better.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Are you?”

“Yes, Nia Pettrone. I am.”

As he drove back to the city, Rafe was smiling. He could still see beautiful Nia, dirt on her face, some in her hair, confiding personal things. He’d been thinking about her—a lot—since she’d been to his loft and he’d done
the painting. If he was completely truthful with himself, he’d admit he had a hard time thinking about anything else. But today, he believed she’d told him she was overcoming her grief, ready, maybe, to move on.

As he navigated the roads, he thought of how she came with a lot of baggage. A kid. A close family. He guessed he was ready for that, but he’d never be sure. Anyway, this was the early
stages of their relationship.

Nia would probably be surprised to think they had one. But they did. And he was determined to see where it led.

On Friday, Nia took the subway into the city with Sofia. Her sister, who lived and taught in Queens, had a doctor’s appointment with a renowned oncologist in Manhattan. Every three years since she was declared cancer free, Sofia was screened for the disease. Every time, one of her siblings went with her. Sofia took the checkup—with its potential of bad news—in
her typical Zen fashion, but whoever accompanied her was a wreck. Nia sat in the waiting room, trying to distract herself.

Her mind turned to Rafe, to four days ago when he’d come out to see why she’d canceled his lesson with Sal. He’d dug in the dirt with her, understood her punishment of her son and offered to help out. There were so many interesting facets to him. Did she want what had
started between them to go further?

“I’m all done.” Sofia, tall and willowy, with the straightest and lankest of hair, stood before her smiling.

Nia swallowed hard. “It went well?”

“Yes, honey, as it has for the last fifteen years. I wish you all wouldn’t worry so much.”

Nia glanced away from her sister
.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry.” She plunked down next to Nia. “Of course you worry
after what you’ve been through. You don’t trust the universe anymore.”

Facing Sofia, she asked, “But you do, Sof. After considerable tragedy in your life.”

“It was either that or spend that life, which I’m very happy to have ahead of me, in a high state of anxiety. I choose not to live that way.”

“I love that about you.” Her voice full of emotion, Nia took a deep breath. “I’m just
glad you’re okay.” They left the office and stepped out into bright November sun. It warmed Nia. “Do you have time for lunch?”

“No, sorry. I have to get back for a class at the studio.” Appropriate to her temperament, Sofia owned a yoga studio. After having to give up dance, Sofia had been a student at Serenity Yoga and then stayed on to work as an instructor. When the beloved owner retired,
Sofia bought the business.

They started down the street. Nia said, “I’ll go home, too, then.”

“Why don’t you stay in the city? It’s been rough for you, chaperoning the little ones. Take some time for yourself.”

“
Matka
said the same thing. The kids are back at school, and she’ll be there when they get home. She told me to take the day off from responsibility.” Nia thought for a moment.
“Maybe I’ll buy some new clothes. I just realized how boring mine are.”

“Your clothes are lovely. Conservative, but they fit you.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s what I don’t like about them.”

They reached the subway stop. Before Sofia headed down the steps, she kissed her sister. “Thanks for coming.
Kocham ciebie
.”

“Kocham ciebie.”

Nia strolled along the avenue, window shopping, enjoying
the honk of horns, the buzz of tourists and the tall buildings.

For a while, her observations kept her from recalling last night’s dream. It had been about Rafe. Never in her life had she dreamed about another man. Peter still populated her nocturnal imaginings, but not last night. It had been Rafe who’d stroked her hair with callused fingers. Rafe who’d kissed her forehead with firm lips.
Rafe who’d held her hand
.

Nia chuckled out loud. Even her dreams were tame. They were all in earth tones. At least he could have…she stopped the thought. How long had she been thinking of Rafe in that way?

She hit three stores and ended up with some tailored mauve wool pants and matching sweater, a little black dress that was silky and a one-piece jumpsuit in a pretty copper that made
her eyes shine.

As it was close to noon, she stopped in front of a café, took out her cell phone and called Caterina.

“Agent Ludzecky.”

“Hi, Caterina. It’s Nia.”

“Hi, sis. How are you?”

“Fine. I’m in the city. My turn to go with Sofia this year.”

“And?” A note of worry permeated Cat’s voice
.

“Everything’s great. But I stayed in town. The house was closing in on me.
Can you have lunch?”

“No, I’ve got a meeting with my boss. Sorry. If I’d known…”

“That’s okay. It was spur-of-the-moment.”

“Go down to the pub and have your meal. Patrick’s working.”

Nia chuckled at the inside joke. Their oldest sister, Caterina, had married into the famous O’Neil family. The only girl, Bailey, had become first lady and all the sons had led fascinating lives. Nia
and her six sisters had picked an O’Neil brother who they thought was the cutest. Hers and Sofia’s was Pat. Elizabeita and Paulina picked Dylan, Ana thought it was Aidan, and Magdalena broke ranks and picked Clay Wainwright, the brother-in-law and former president of the United States.

She
would
to go to the Bailey’s Irish Pub in the Village. Still holding her phone, she grabbed a cab. Filled
with a sense of adventure, of independence, she again thought of Rafe. What the hell? As the cabbie negotiated the streets at a breakneck speed, she called up her contacts and punched in his number. He answered on the fifth ring. “Hey, Nia. Great to hear from you.”

He’d seen the caller ID, of course. “Hi. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

“No, I’m staring at a blank canvas. At times
like these, I need to take a break. This is a welcome interruption.”

“I’m, um, I’m in the city.”

“Really, where?” He sounded pleased.

“I’m headed over to Bailey’s Pub for lunch, as we speak.”

“It’s almost impossible to get in there for lunch or dinner.”

“I have an in with them.”

“That’s right. They’re your sister’s family. I forgot. Are you meeting her?”

“No, I called,
but she’s busy.”

A pause. “Want some company for lunch?”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“I thought you weren’t going to ring that bell anymore.”

“I’m not. I’d love to have lunch with you. But my treat.”

“Be over there ASAP.”

She disconnected and felt her pulse beat faster. Was this a date? Did she want to date Rafe Castle?

You don’t want Lizzie to date him.

Because I
don’t want to ruin it for Sal.

Yeah, sure.

Oh, great, now she was talking to herself
.

After the call, Rafe jumped into the shower. He was shocked that Nia had called him. Sure, he’d been trying to make some headway with her. And they
had
gotten closer the night he had dinner with her family, even the afternoon he’d helped her weed the garden. But he’d initiated all
of that. He’d also had vivid dreams about her off and on all week. Some were hot. Briefly, he wondered what kind of lover she’d be. Shy and tender, he bet. She’d need a lot of encouragement. Before he had to turn the shower to cold, he got out and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved navy T-shirt and an open-weaved, off-white sweater. The outfit was new and he’d been waiting for a special occasion
to wear it.

He reached Bailey’s Pub, now an icon in the Village, and noted the long lines. Huh. What to do?

A man approached him. “Rafe Castle?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m Patrick O’Neil. Nia’s inside and asked me to keep an eye out for you. Let’s head around back.”

“Being in a famous family is a boon to business, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re lucky still, even after all these years.”

“Glad
for you.”

They walked down the side of the old building to a fenced-in backyard. Patrick opened a gate. From behind, Rafe noticed he was tall and fit, with a relaxed gait. “We sold half the business, so Sweeney and Sons profit, too. We told him he could change the name, but he doesn’t want to mess with success.”

They entered the pub by way of a big kitchen and found two people in a clinch.
Patrick quipped, “Geez, guys, get a room.”

Lazily, the man glanced over. Disentangling himself from his wife, he crossed the room. “Hi, there. I’m Liam.” He motioned to the woman. “And this is my wife, Captain Sophie Tyler.”

“Captain?” Pat asked
.

“Uh-huh. She just came over to tell us.”

“Congrats, Sof.” Patrick hugged her. And then introduced Rafe. “He’s meeting Nia here.”

“Yeah, I saw her. She looks great.” He winked at Rafe. “We
love
the Ludzecky family.”

Sophie snorted. “They love all those beautiful blondes.”

Me, too,
Rafe thought.

The scent of stew and baking bread followed him and Pat out to the pub proper. Rafe spotted Nia perusing a menu at a table in the front by the window. Hmm. Her hair was down. Pat said, “There she is.”

“Thanks.” Rafe
wended his way through occupied tables to the one he sought. “Nia, hello.”

Though he’d seen her like this before, he still caught his breath. Her unbound hair cloaked her, spilling down her chest, past her rib cage. Her eyes were sparkling brighter than the sun coming in through the window. For him? “Rafe. Hi.”

He took a seat. “I’m so glad you called.”

“I was in town with my sister
Sofia for a doctor’s appointment.”

“Which one is she?”

“Third oldest.”

“Is she sick?”

“Not now.” Nia shook her head. “She had leukemia as a teenager. She still gets scanned periodically. She’s fine. She’s been fine for years, but my stomach clenches every time she goes. One of us always accompanies her.”

Reaching out, Rafe settled his hand over hers. “You’ve had so much to
deal with in your life, Nia.”

She shrugged
.

A woman came over to the table. “Hello, lass.”

Nia stood immediately, and they hugged. “How wonderful to see you, Mary Kate.”

“How is your mother? I haven’t seen her in a couple of months. Is she well?”

“Yes, we’re all better now.”

The woman turned her blue gaze to Rafe. “And who is this strapping young lad?”

Rafe had stood,
too. “Rafael Castle, ma’am.”

“This is Mary Kate O’Neil. The matriarch of the family and a good friend of
Matka’s
.”

“Ah, like the painter.”

“He paints, too.”

“I’ll have to research your work.” Her smile encompassed the two of them. “Have the stew. I made the bread to go with it myself.”

After she’d left and they’d sat again, Rafe shook his head. “You’re all the most interesting
people.”

“The O’Neils are.”

“No, you’re family, too.”

Nia gazed where Mary Kate had gone. “When the guys were killed, she came out to the house once a week, cooked, helped take care of the grandkids. More important, she spent time with
Matka
. My mother needed someone outside the family to confide in.”

“How kind of her.”

Liam came over to the table. “Hi, again. Mama says to
bring you the stew and her bread. Want a pint to go with it?”

Rafe raised his brows. “What do you think, Nia? Shall we live dangerously?”

“Sounds great to me.”

An hour later, Rafe said, “Tell me about them.”

“The guys?” They’d made small talk over lunch but had been talking about Pettrone and Ludzecky Builders. She knew he was asking for something more personal.

“Uh-huh.”

“They were wonderful men. Kind, sensitive, smart.” She grinned. “Sexy as hell.”

“You said you knew them from high school.”

“Paulie and I were fifteen when we met them. Sophomores. They were seniors. We thought we were the luckiest girls in the school.” God, those were halcyon days. “We were.”

“When did you marry?”

“After Paulina and I graduated. We’d just turned
eighteen.” She let out a sigh, remembering. “We had a double wedding.”

“Wow.”

“We all knew it was meant to be. And
Matka
and Pa couldn’t object. She was only sixteen when they got married.”

“I can’t imagine what you went through when they were killed.”

“Besides the unfathomable hole it left in our hearts, you know what was the worst thing? The ambush. Here we were one day, two
happy families. Then we became a headline.”

Again, he took her hand. She liked it. Held on. “I’m so sorry.”

“We’re better. And Paulina’s gone on with her life. But me…I flounder along, still missing Peter like crazy.”

“You’ll find your way. It might take a little longer.”

“Most people push me.”

“No, that’s not right. When the time comes, you’ll find happiness again.

Staring
at Rafe, she wondered if he could be a part of that future.

“Tell me your secrets, Rafe.”

He took a deep breath. “I know something about ambushes. They’re my worst nightmare.” He often still felt sick about those times.

“How?”

“My mother was…not well. She was clinically depressed, and her mood swings were frightening. We’d go for days when I was the best little
boy in the world, and then boom…some imagined slight, some small mistake and she wouldn’t talk to me for a week.” He heard his voice go hoarse. “I couldn’t stand the…abrupt changes. I always thought if she’d been consistently mean, it would have been easier.”