Free Always Be True by Alexis Morgan Page A

community center bright and early on Saturday, but I promised her.”
    Tino brushed a lock of her hair back from her face. “The things we do for family.”
    “So true.”
    She unlocked her door and stepped inside. Tino hated even the thin barrier of the door coming between them. He needed to know for sure that she really did want to see him again, even if it was only because he knew how to patch drywall.
    “Sorry about the cocktail party. Maybe it won’t be all that bad. I also meant to tell you that if everything goes as scheduled tomorrow, I should be able to lend a hand at the center on Saturday. That is, if you want me to come.”
    To lighten the moment, he waggled his eyebrows and added, “I could bring some other power tools for you to try out.”
    Natalie’s bright laughter rang out. “You sweet-talking man, I’ll be counting the minutes.”
    “I’ll see you then.”
    As he started back down the sidewalk, she called after him. “But for the record, Mr. Gianelli, I’d want you there even if you’d never picked up a hammer in your entire life. See you on Saturday.”
    Okay, then. He’d be counting down the minutes, too. The only problem would be telling Jack that they had to finish up the job tomorrow come hell or high water. They should make it if they started early and stayed late. His brother would bitch and moan, but too damn bad. There was no way Tino was going to miss out on spending Saturday with Natalie even if he had to share her with all the other volunteers who showed up to help.
    He was still smiling when he reached the annex and headed up the steps to his narrow bed. He might be sleeping alone, but he’d likely be enjoying some pretty hot dreams thanks to that amazing kiss down on the waterfront. Ones that featured him and a certain petite blonde with eyes the color of a summer sky and the kind of dimples guaranteed to drive a man crazy.

Chapter 5
    Natalie checked her watch and knocked on the back door of the gallery. She’d arrived in time—barely. Her mother wouldn’t be happy about her skating in just under the wire, but there wasn’t much Natalie could do about it. She’d been ready in plenty of time, but then she’d gotten a panicky phone call from her assistant saying that there was a problem with the computers they’d ordered for the community center.
    It had taken two more calls and a bit of determined begging to resolve the situation. The computers would be delivered as promised, which meant she didn’t have to reschedule the IT people who had volunteered to get them all installed over the weekend. It had been only one of several fires she’d had to put out during the day.
    The bottom line was this cocktail party was the last place she wanted to be right now. At least it was her father who came to open the door. He frowned at her and pointed toward the clock on the wall.
    “Sorry, Dad. I would’ve been here sooner, but some last-minute foundation business came up.”
    “Well, at least you made it in time to be part of the receiving line. Your mother was getting pretty frantic.”
    And they both knew that wouldn’t have been good. As a rule, her father was pretty unflappable. The only thing that ever fazed him was when his wife was unhappy about something that he couldn’t fix. Natalie not showing up on time definitely would have fallen into that category.
    “You can leave your purse and coat back here.” He gave her one last look. “There’s no time to dawdle.”
    “Tell Mom I’ll be right there.”
    She quickly touched up her lipstick and brushed her hair back and anchored it with the antique hair combs her mother had given her for her last birthday. After setting her purse and coat on a chair in the corner, she took a calming breath and headed out to find her parents.
    As soon as her father spotted her coming, he murmured something to her mother. She’d been talking to someone but excused herself as Natalie approached.
    “Thank goodness, you made it.”
    There