Down and Dirty, page 6
“So it’s settled,” Tony said, rising and taking her empty plate while leaving the bowl. “You and Jasper are staying here tonight. Now finish your soup.”
“I don’t remember us settling anything,” she said, though she wasn’t about to continue the fight. The idea of staying in this warm, safe house with the promise of lasagna and a soft bed, and Tony and Rhys sleeping down the hall, was something she’d be a fool to resist. For one night, she’d give herself a break from reality.
Tomorrow, she’d venture back out into the cold, cruel world.
Tonight…she was taking the gift they were offering.
“Mommy!” she heard Jasper cry out.
She rose quickly, Tony and Rhys leading the way to the guest room. She gasped when she stepped inside one of the most beautiful bedrooms she’d ever seen. It was painted a pale dove gray and boasted tall ceilings with recessed lighting, and a huge bed with a thick, soft-looking duvet that had her itching to touch it. “This is your guest room?”
She didn’t mean to ask the question aloud, but this bedroom was bigger than the entire shitty apartment she’d been evicted from.
She’d thought the building looked big from the outside, but it felt even larger inside.
“Yeah,” Tony replied, stepping next to her. “Rhys and I renovated the top two floors when we bought the building. I have a fairly large family, so it’s nice to have a room for them when they come to stay. My sister Layla, and her partners, Miguel and Finn, stay here when they come up from Baltimore for a visit.”
Partners? Jess wondered what that meant, but it felt rude to ask.
Jasper was sitting up on the bed, rubbing his eyes, slowly shaking off his drowsiness. The large king-size bed seemed to swallow him. “Mommy?”
“I’m right here, buddy.” She sank down next to him on the mattress, almost groaning aloud at how comfortable the bed felt. “Did you have a good nap?”
He nodded, then filled her in on his day’s activities, which included everything from pancakes to coloring, to watching his favorite Disney movie, Up, to sleeping in the biggest bed he’d ever seen.
“And, Mommy, look,” he said, pointing at the wall directly opposite the bed. “They have a movie screen in their bedroom!”
She would have laughed at Jasper’s amazement if she hadn’t been so taken aback by the big-screen TV occupying most of the wall. She’d been raised by a single mother who, when sober, worked two crappy jobs that gave them just enough money to exist in the “barely scraping by” column. She’d never seen true wealth up close and personal, but it seemed pretty clear neither Tony nor Rhys were hurting in the financial department.
In addition to the huge bed and television, the room had a large armoire, a desk and office chair, a double-doored closet, and an open door that revealed an equally impressive bathroom.
“Guess what, Jasper?” Tony said.
Jasper bounced on the bed, fully awake. “What?”
“You and your mommy are staying here tonight. In this room.”
Jasper’s eyes widened. “We are?! Can I take a bath?”
Tony’s eyebrows rose. “A bath? Wow. Never met a boy who voluntarily offered to bathe. My cousin’s kids act like they’re being asked to shovel manure anytime someone tells them to take a bath.”
“What’s manure?” Jasper asked.
“Animal poop,” Tony replied, the response wildly hilarious to Jasper, who giggled with glee.
“You said poop,” Jasper said.
Meanwhile, Jess was hung up on Jasper’s request. She didn’t realize until that moment how much her son missed his baths. Since losing their apartment, she’d worked very hard to make them as small as possible in the homes where they’d crashed, staying out until just before bedtime and not imposing by asking to use the shower. As such, they’d been forced to clean themselves by taking sponge baths, and sneaking quick showers at the motel on the weekends.
“Of course you can take a bath,” Rhys replied.
Jasper hopped off the bed. “Can I get my toys?”
“Toys?” he asked.
“He has a few bath toys. They’re in the trunk of the car.” Jess enjoyed Jasper’s enthusiasm, the boy practically dancing next to the bed. “I’ll run down and grab them,” she promised her son. “We need some clean clothes for you too. And I should probably repack our car tent cocoon.”
Tony bent down and picked up Jasper’s shoes from the floor, quietly bidding the boy to sit on the floor so he could help him put them on. Jess watched the simple, almost-fatherly act, overwhelmed by amazement and longing.
“Why don’t we run down for your toys and clothes, Jasper, and your mom can get a hot shower in before you take over the bathroom?” Tony said, helping her son to his feet once his shoes were back on.
A hot shower? All to herself?
Jess was starting to wonder if she’d died and gone to heaven.
“You need anything from the car, Jess?” Tony asked.
“I should probably go down. Since everything is a mess.”
“I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to go back out in the cold today.”
Jess tried to remember a single time in her life when someone took care of her. Her mother, a cold woman, had never pretended Jess was anything more than a burden. So she hadn’t been shocked when her mother had kicked her out after discovering Jess was pregnant, telling her she’d made her bed and she’d have to lie in it.
“Um…maybe just a clean shirt and some jeans?” Then she looked at Jasper. “Grab some of the library books too, buddy. For bedtime.”
Jasper ran to the bedroom door, his expression matching the way she felt.
They’d both won the lottery.
Even if it was just for one night.
Chapter Five
“Are you sure you don’t want any more garlic bread, Jess,” Berta offered for the third time. “You’re too skinny.”
Tony sighed and shook his head. “You can’t tell a woman she’s skinny, Aunt Berta.” Then he turned his attention to Jess. “See what I mean about that honest-to-a-fault thing?”
Jess just laughed. “It’s okay. And truly, I couldn’t eat another bite. It was all so good.”
Jasper had already asked to be excused so he could go back to the guest room to watch SpongeBob on “the movie screen.”
He’d been plugged in for most of the afternoon, but Jess didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Neither of them had watched television the past few weeks, so she didn’t want to deny him the treat of vegging out as much as he wanted. God only knew when he’d get the opportunity to do so again.
“Well, no matter,” Berta said, rising from the table and picking up her plate and the basket of leftover bread. “I’ll pack some of it and the lasagna for you and Jasper for your lunch tomorrow.”
Jess rose. “That’s very nice of you, but you don’t need to do that. Here, let me help you clean up.”
She picked up her plate and Jasper’s as Rhys and Tony helped clear the table as well. The four of them made quick work of putting the kitchen back to rights, and despite Jess insisting it wasn’t necessary, Berta did indeed pack her and Jasper enough leftovers to last them for days. Jess had been hungry enough this month that she’d had to blink back tears of relief at the thought of not having to worry about food for a little while.
“That’s me for the night,” Berta said as she hung up the tea towel to dry. “Going to slip down the hallway to say good night to Jasper before heading to my apartment to watch Yellowstone. I wouldn’t kick that Kevin Costner out of bed for eating crackers.” She hugged Jess. “Goodbye, lovely girl. I hope you’ll come back to visit us again. And be sure to bring that sweet boy with you.”
Jess nodded, sad to think she most likely wouldn’t see Berta again.
Once Berta left the kitchen, Tony picked up a bottle of red wine from the counter. “Glass of wine before bed?”
She started to refuse, then reconsidered. This perfect night was dwindling down quickly. “That would be really nice.”
Tony poured three glasses, and they all moved into the living room. She claimed one end of the couch, while Rhys took the other. Tony plopped down in the recliner next to her side of the couch.
“I can’t thank the two of you enough for today. I…last night was probably one of the worst of my life, while today…well…it was one of the best.”
Rhys took a sip of wine, then put his glass on the coaster on the end table next to him. “It was nice having you and Jasper here.”
“Still planning to call social services tomorrow?” Tony asked.
She nodded, hoping to set his mind at ease, not wanting him to think she’d ever repeat last night’s stupidity. “I am.”
“Will you tell us if they don’t have room immediately?” Rhys asked.
She hesitated, knowing why Rhys asked the question, and knowing she wouldn’t impose on their generosity beyond tonight.
“Scratch that,” Tony interjected when she was quiet too long. “You will tell us if they don’t have room for you.”
She raised one eyebrow, pretending to be annoyed. Not exactly an easy feat, given the giddy feeling that followed his alpha male proclamations. Jess had spent a lifetime fending for herself, so when Tony used that growling, demanding voice, she let herself loosen her grip on the reins for a second. It felt ridiculously freeing, even it if was fleeting.
Regardless, she wouldn’t tell them if there wasn’t room. She wouldn’t continue to intrude on them that way. They’d already gone above and beyond.
“I wish you’d let us give you some money,” Rhys said, but Jess quickly waved his words away.
“No. I would never take money from you. I just got knocked down for a little while. I’ll find my way back up. I always do.”
“You and Jasper have been on your own since he was born?” Tony asked.
She shook her head. “Not exactly. I got pregnant toward the end of my senior year of high school. I was the stupid girl who thought she’d found true love. You can probably guess how that turned out.”
“Your boyfriend broke up with you?” Tony asked.
“Of course he did. My mom wanted me to get an abortion, but I refused. So she kicked me out right after graduation.”
“Jesus,” Rhys muttered. “What did you do?”
“One of my girlfriends from school, Danielle, had decided she wanted to move to Philadelphia, and she convinced me to come with her.”
Tony took a sip of wine. “Where are you from originally?”
“Des Moines.”
His brows rose. “That’s quite the move for two eighteen-year-old girls to make on their own.”
Jess shrugged. “Danielle’s home life had been worse than mine. Her dad was a junkie, always in and out of jail. So we decided we both needed a clean break. We pooled our money, bought that crappy Honda parked outside, and drove halfway across the country to Philadelphia.”
Rhys tossed a throw pillow to her. “Why Philadelphia?”
She placed the pillow against the arm of the couch and leaned against its softness. “Danielle was obsessed with Rocky. Like, insanely so. Which is silly, I know, but honestly, it didn’t matter where we went as long as it was far enough away from our parents. So we found a shitty little apartment, got jobs waiting tables at a pizza place, and after Jasper was born, we took care of him together. We didn’t have a lot, but we were making it work, and we had some great times.”
“Where’s Danielle now?”
“About a year ago, she started dating this guy, Ritchie. He was super nice and they fell in love. He got a job in New York in April, and she decided to go with him. It was already hard paying the rent with her salary and mine, so I found the second job as a housekeeper at Crossings Motel. Rocco is really cool about letting me bring Jasper along so I wouldn’t have to pay for a babysitter.”
Tony frowned, so she went ahead and answered his concern.
“I know the motel is sketchy, but I work there during the daylight hours, cleaning up after the guests have left, and Rocco is great about keeping an eye on me and the other girl who works there.”
Tony merely grunted in reply, and she fought back the urge to laugh and call him a caveman. The description certainly seemed to fit. She’d never seen this protective side to him at the diner, but that made sense, considering the danger level at Paulie’s was nil.
The majority of their customers were retired old men who’d meet up for coffee or the lunch special, while talking sports and politics with whoever else was around at the time. Tony, Rhys, and their friends brought the average age of the diner down to around seventy-three whenever they walked in.
“So Jasper’s father isn’t in the picture at all?” Tony asked.
“Nope. He’s never even seen Jasper, not in person or in a picture. Jasper is a Monroe, and I only put my name on the birth certificate. The guy turned out to be a total dick, so it’s better this way. Can I ask you guys a question?”
“Of course,” Rhys responded.
“How old are you?” She and the girls at the diner had always been curious about their ages.
“Thirty-five,” Tony said before nodding his head toward Rhys. “And that geriatric over there is thirty-eight.”
“Thought I told you to take it easy on the old cracks, Moretti.”
They all shared a laugh.
“How long have you been roommates?” she asked.
Tony leaned back, settling into his recliner, looking completely relaxed and at home, and she realized she felt the same way. Though it had only been about a month, it felt like ages since she’d been able to lower her guard. Tonight, she actually felt peaceful, calm. It was funny how quickly a person could forget those feelings when they lived in constant survival mode.
“Two years,” Tony replied. “Two long, loooong years.”
Rhys chuckled and rolled his eyes at Tony’s jest. “I’m a better roommate than your brother, Joey, and you know it. That guy is a slob.”
Tony didn’t bother to deny it, grinning widely. “You’re not kidding. If it had been him and me living in this apartment, Aunt Berta would have turn tail and run when we offered her the second-floor apartment.”
“How did she come to be here with you?” Jess asked.
“Oh man,” Rhys muttered. “Here we go.” Jess frowned, confused, until Rhys explained, “The Morettis prefer epic tales to simple answers. You might as well settle in, Jess, because I have a feeling we’re going to be here awhile.”
Tony clearly took no offense to Rhys’s joke. If anything, he looked downright flattered.
“I was born in Philadelphia, but when I was in middle school, my dad got a good job offer in Maryland, which he took. We lived there for five years, then my family moved back to Philadelphia from Baltimore after my mother passed away from cancer.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Tony.”
He nodded his head once, acknowledging her sympathy. “It was rough on my dad. After all, there were five of us kids, ranging in age from seventeen to twelve.”
“You’re the oldest?” She’d had a million questions rolling around in her head about Tony, Rhys, and all the guys they ate lunch with every Wednesday. It was cool to finally get some details.
“Yep. I’m the oldest, then Joey, then the twins, Gio and Luca, and Layla, the only girl, is the baby. She moved back to Baltimore a few years ago.”
“And you were seventeen when your mom died?”
He nodded. “Obviously, Dad was overwhelmed, struggling to work and raise us kids on his own. Nonna, Aunt Berta, and Aunt Rose all convinced him to move back to Philly so they could help. We came back just before my senior year of high school. My uncle Renzo, Dad’s brother—and Aunt Berta’s husband—was a carpenter who’d been working as a contractor on his own for years. When we came back, he and my dad decided to open their own business. That’s when Moretti Brothers Restorations began.”
“Oh,” Jess was surprised. “I assumed you and your brothers started the company.”
“Nope,” Tony said, crossing his feet where they were propped up on the raised foot of the recliner. “Moretti Brothers was the brainchild of Frank and Renzo Moretti. After I graduated, I joined them in the business. Then a year later, Joey hopped on board. Two years after that, Luca and Gio.”
“And who are all the other guys who eat lunch with the two of you every week? Are they all Morettis too?”
Tony shook his head. “No, not all of them. My cousin Aldo usually joins us. He’s a firefighter here in the city. Every now and again, Aldo’s brother, Elio, comes along. He’s not in town often.”
“He’s the hockey player, right?” Jess was very aware of who he was, even though he hadn’t come for lunch more than a half dozen times. Whenever Elio walked in, the typically quiet diner erupted with a simmering excitement over the fact there was some big sports star in the room.
“Yep,” Tony said. “You a hockey fan?”
She shook her head. “No. I mean, I’ve seen bits and pieces of games, but it’s sort of boring. Bunch of men on skates pushing a puck back and forth.”
Rhys laughed, while Tony looked at her like she’d just announced she was a vampire who fed on the blood of babies.
“Boring?” Tony repeated, completely aghast.
“You’ve done it now, Jess.”
“Done what?”
Rhys winked at her. “Something tells me you’re about to get schooled on why hockey is the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
She turned her attention back to Tony and grinned. “If I take back what I just said, can I get the rest of the rundown on the lunch gang?”
Tony sighed heavily. “Pretty hard thing to take back. We can move on, but I’m reserving the right to teach you the error of your beliefs at a later time.”
“So noted,” Jess said with a playful salute. “Any other relatives at the table with you?”
Tony shook his head. “No. I’ve got a bunch of other cousins, but they’re not part of the lunch posse. The rest of the guys are just buddies, like Rhys. Kayden has been best friends with Aldo since they were in diapers, while Rafe and Gio played on the same hockey team all through high school. They’ve been thick as thieves ever since.”
