Page 12 of Romancing the Rumrunner
Tony smiled. She always had his back.
“You worry too much,” she said, squeezing his hand. “You’ve got a good heart and a good head on your shoulders. Trust in those.”
Tony stood and gathered her to him, surprised as always at how small and light she felt in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and patted his head, just like she’d done since he was a little boy.
“I love you, Ma.”
She pulled back and held his face in her hands, then pulled him down to kiss his forehead. “Love you, too. Now,” she said, patting his cheeks. “Go catch those criminals.”
Tony smiled and left his mother with a lighter heart. She always helped him put things in perspective.
Chapter Five
Jessie hummed as she worked, the meaningless notes turning into a song after a few moments. She loved to sing, truth be told, though having an audience made her more nervous than she could stand. So she avoided doing it in front of people, except for the odd Sunday at church.
But now, when there was no one to hear her but the uncut beef hanging in the freezer, she could let her voice ring out. She belted out the lyrics to “It Had to Be You,” picturing a pair of gorgeous brown eyes watching her as she sang.
“You have a beautiful voice.”
Jessie screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping so hard her back slammed against the wall. She grabbed the nearest knife she could get her hands on, her other hand clutching her chest like some old biddy having an episode.
“Sorry,” Tony said, chuckling and holding his hands up, “didn’t mean to startle you.”
She dragged in a few deep breaths, trying to calm the furious pounding of her heart. Here he was, conjured by her thoughts almost, popping up out of the blue.What gives?“What are you doing here?”
“My apologies. I mean no harm,” he said, looking down at her hand.
She glanced down, belatedly realizing she was still brandishing a knife at him. “Oh,” she said, dropping it back on the counter. “Sorry.”
“Entirely my fault. I didn’t realize you hadn’t heard me come in.”
Jessie waved him off. It wasn’t his fault she’d been too preoccupied to hear the bell. But with her heart still in her throat, she wasn’t feeling generous enough to admit that.
“What can I do for you?” Jessie asked.
He tilted his head and studied her for a moment. Her eyes narrowed, not quite glaring at him, but enough to let him know she didn’t appreciate being ogled.
“Do you sing, Miss Harlan?”
“Obviously, Mr. Solomon,” she said dryly.
“No,” he chuckled. “I mean do you sing professionally?”
“I am a butcher, Mr. Solomon. I sing for enjoyment, for myself. And occasionally in church if I’m feeling particularly adventurous.”
He laughed again. “Please call me Tony. I think that is the first time I’ve heard the wordsadventurousandchurchmentioned in the same sentence.”
Jessie shrugged, her mouth twitching into a smile despite herself. “I enjoy singing. I’m just not so good at doing it in front of an audience.”
“Hmm.” Tony rubbed at his chin and studied her some more. “That’s a shame.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, after hearing what you are capable of, I’d hoped to convince you to come work for me.”
“Work for you? Doing what?”
Tony glanced around and Jessie followed his gaze. They were alone in the shop, but Tony leaned forward over the counter anyway.
