SIGNS OF A QUIET HEART: (MY HEART IS YOURS - BOOK 1) Read online

  God, I’d like to suck on that lip.

  “Okay, Robbi, here’s the deal. I apologize, again. You are probably the most beautiful woman I have seen in ... well ... maybe ever. Also, in my own defense, I blame Toby. He has been singing your praises for weeks now. To be honest, I think he’s crushin’ on you so bad that the excess crush has somehow spilled over onto me.” His expression softened, but his eyes became huge as his face displayed that same feigned ‘I’m innocent’ look every teacher has seen a gazillion times on every student’s face since the beginning of education itself.

  So. Freakin’. Adorable.

  “That’s possible, don’t you think, Ms. Bennett?” He waited ... still nothing. Robbi struggled to keep her frosty expression from cracking, although her baby-blue eyes held a beguiling sparkle. A moment later, Tyler whispered, in a little-boy voice, “Ms. Bennett, may I please be excused?”

  Robbi simply could not hold in her laughter for another second as a giant giggle escaped her lips. Her playful, child-like glee went straight to his groin. In a desperate attempt to recover his dignity, Tyler raised his eyes upward and put his palms together as if in prayer. “Thank you, Jesus; I owe you one.” Looking back at her, he said, “So you accept my apology? I mean ... my apologies?” He stressed the plural ‘s’. “Both of them?”

  She tilted her head to one side and gave him her best sexy smirk. “You know what they say in baseball ... three strikes, you’re out. And pizza, for a dinner date, no offense, would be your third strike. So what’s it going to be?” She slowly licked her full bottom lip.

  He deserves to be tortured a bit.

  His response was immediate. “Sushi?”

  Hers was just as quick. “Good answer.”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Here’s my card. Call me later this evening, okay? Or you can text my cell if you prefer.”

  She nodded reflectively as she examined his business card.

  “D’Angelo, that means ‘angel’, right?”

  Tyler’s face lit up. “Yes, it does, or it could mean ‘messenger’. Don’t tell me you’re Italian.”

  “On my mother’s side. Her maiden name was Amato.” His grin was devilish, and his eyebrows wiggled as he nodded suggestively.

  “Amato, eh? I assume you also know what that name means?”

  Robbi rolled her eyes and faked a pout. “Well, of course I do.” Loved. Beloved.

  He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m just sayin’...” They shared another laugh, and then Robbi became serious.

  “Now, please let me say what I came over here to tell you, before you distracted me.” Giving him a sincere smile, she leaned against the counter, placing both hands on its spotless granite surface. Tyler placed his own hands on the smooth surface, opposite hers. Although barely touching, she was acutely aware of the fiery tingle through their fingertips.

  His expressive, dark eyebrows shot up in mock horror. “Just to be clear, my dear Ms. Bennett, it was you who distracted me.”

  “Hmm, you’re right. That seems to happen when I wear these heels. Seriously, I want to thank you and your father from the bottom of my heart for your gracious hospitality and all you did today for my students. I’m very grateful.”

  “Oh, that reminds me,” he exclaimed, as he reached into the back pocket of his black jeans, pulling out a folded envelope, which he pressed into her hand. She was not even aware he had already taken her hand in his.

  His eyes are the color of the ocean’s depths.

  Finally looking down to her hand, she saw it held the envelope, still unopened, which contained the school’s check to pay for the party.

  Robbi stared into his mesmerizing eyes with wonder. He saw a question begin to form on her lips, but he cut her off. “Dad and I wanted to do this for you and the kids, to show our appreciation for all you’ve done for Toby. I’m aware of how teachers spend some of their own money for classroom supplies and stuff, so I’m sure you can put this to good use.”

  Her face lit up as she exclaimed, “Oh, my God, I know exactly what this will help pay for ... our vegetable garden. You would approve; among other things, we will have tomatoes, basil, and oregano.”

  Tyler nodded in obvious appreciation for all things Italian. “Please let me know if you need help with that. I enjoy getting my hands dirty.” Suddenly his expression became very pensive. “It was my pleasure to help the children; but truthfully, I am the one who should be thanking you. Toby is a different kid since he’s been workin’ in your class ... more responsible, confident, and happy. He actually smiles often; I haven’t seen him like this in a very long time. You know, I’d do anything for that kid.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “His dad, my good-for-nothing brother, was a worthless piece of shit — excuse my language — and was never around. To me, Rocky was his biological father and nothing more.” He saw the question in Robbi’s eyes and answered it immediately. “Yeah, Rocky, as in Rocco Junior.” He inhaled deeply, and then continued. “I never actually saw him hit Toby, but there were cuts and bruises which couldn’t have all been accidents. What I did witness with my own eyes was my big brother, who was supposed to protect me, kick the fucking shit out of me every chance he got; but never in front of Mom or Dad.” He shrugged. “More unexplained cuts and bruises, you know? Anyway ... sorry, Robbi. I really didn’t mean to unload my family baggage on you; I just get emotional where Toby is concerned. Gee, talk about over-sharing. What the hell came over me just now?”

  He paused to stare into her eyes and seemed to lose himself there for one very long moment. Robbi held her breath as a swarm of butterflies ricocheted in her belly. “Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea what came over me, Ms. Bennett.”

  Robbi felt a rush of warmth spread over her cheeks.

  My face is bright red, isn’t it? Damn that blush of mine. Can’t I have any secrets?

  Tyler must have sensed her unease, because he shot her a quick wink. “I just wanted to give you an idea of what the kid has been through. I’m his only uncle, but more important, I’m his godfather, and trust me, I take that shit very seriously, ya know what I mean? Godfather. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you I am one hundred percent Italian, do I?”

  Robbi opened her eyes wide and faked a terrified expression as she vigorously shook her head, mouthing, “Noooooo.”

  Tyler added, “I stepped in a long time ago, when he was about five, to keep an eye on him; let him help out here in the restaurant, keep him busy and outta trouble. He would have joined the Marines right after high school like I did, but that was not an option because of his hearing loss. My parents actually have legal custody.”

  Robbi placed her hand on top of his, patting it lightly. “You’re a good man, Tyler.” She looked over her shoulder as her eyes searched for Toby. Tyler’s gaze followed hers as they both spotted him in the center of a cluster of children; chubby Samuel was hanging on his left leg, as Daisy was clinging to him piggyback-style. “And so is Toby. Look at him with those children; your influence is unmistakably evident. Toby’s like their guardian angel. See the little girl he’s carrying? She entered my class a few weeks ago ... profoundly deaf, speaks very little. She and Toby communicate exclusively in signs — silent trust and love — a quiet, yet profound miracle.”

  Robbi saw a tear start to form in one of Tyler’s magnificent blue eyes. She longed to cup his face in her hand and wipe the tear away. As much as she didn’t want to leave him, it was time to get back to her students. She gave him a final smile and said softly, “We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay? Bye for now, and thanks again for everything.”

  She turned and walked toward Toby and Mia, who had begun to flash the light switch. “Goodbye, Ms. Bennett. See ya soon,” Tyler called out to her. She licked her lips slowly, smiling to herself, as she confidently strode away. If she would have turned around to see the expression on Tyler’s face — as his eyes appreciated her ass —her stomach would have done a do
zen more flip-flops. Tyler shook his head, as if to clear it of her deliciously lingering scent, grateful he was standing behind the counter so the bulge in his jeans went unnoticed. His eyes stealthily darted around the room, hoping no one else observed him ogling the teacher. His gaze met that of his father’s, whose lips formed a sly smirk as the two men exchanged meaningful nods.

  Ms. Bennett walked toward Toby, who was standing beside his grandfather. Rocco was seated, not in the usual nondescript restaurant chair, but a luxurious La-Z-Boy brown leather recliner. Grandpa, often called Nonno by the older employees, had his feet up and looked like a king who was beholding his vast realm. There was a large sign on the wall, just above the chair. It read, ‘Rocco’s chair. Don’t even THINK about sitting here!’ As soon as the children quieted down, Toby announced, “Hey, kids! All the video games are free today; the juke box, too. Three cheers for my Uncle Tyler! Hip, hip, hooray!” The kindergarteners finished the next two cheers themselves. Tyler came out from behind the counter and acknowledged the cheers by raising both arms in a bodybuilding pose, which showed off his scary-huge, tatted-out biceps to perfection. There was a shrill, wolf whistle, followed by high-pitched female hoots coming from the back of the restaurant. Robbi’s head snapped around to see who had made the sounds, jealously ready to punch a bleached-blonde floozy who might be drooling over Tyler. All she saw was Tyler’s young cousin and his two aunts who had emerged from the kitchen. All three women were smiling proudly and clapping. Robbi wasn’t quite sure who had whistled; suddenly it didn’t matter.

  Toby beckoned his uncle to join him; they stood side by side, arms resting on each other’s shoulders. Tyler seemed about two inches taller, but Toby tried to stand super straight in a vain attempt to close the gap. At ease when speaking to the children, Toby playfully tilted his head until it lightly rested on Tyler’s massive shoulder. He had an extremely mischievous glint in his eyes. “Most of you kids don’t know this because we are always undercover, but Uncle Tyler and I are actually super-heroes.” Oohs and aahs could be heard from the kindergarteners. “Our super-hero name is TNT. Does anyone know what TNT stands for?”” He paused for effect as the kids muttered to each other and shook their heads. “TNT is for Toby and Tyler!” he shouted dramatically, his wide smile splitting his face almost in half.

  Tyler immediately stepped away from Toby and turned slightly to glare at him with a fierce expression, wagging his finger in Toby’s face. “Oh, no, young Toby, you are so very wrong!”

  OMG, they are both giant hams.

  “TNT means Tyler and Toby! I’m older, I’m taller, and my muscles are bigger!” He made his biceps dance just in case no one believed him.

  Well, that works for me.

  The kids went crazy with cheers and wild applause. Toby, obviously loving the spotlight, continued.

  “Okay, kids, now we’re going to cheer for Grandpa Rocco. First, I want to teach you how to say Grandpa in Italian. Nonno. Let’s hear you try, all together now ... Nonno.” Toby and Mia led the chants. “Nonno! Nonno! Nonno!” The children’s voices were in such perfect unison, increasing in volume as well as laughter until Toby gave the signal to cease. A few of the rowdier kids were giggling, “No! No! No! No!” Robbi had to join in their silliness. Verbalizing “No!” was frowned upon in her classroom. The ingenious children had figured out a way to voice the taboo word without getting into trouble.

  She was standing off to the side, just taking everything in. She could see Tyler out of the corner of her eye, standing a few feet away, eyes on his father. The children surrounded Nonno Rocco’s chair and would have all jumped up on him if the TAs had not warned them against it. Daisy clearly did not get that message. Somehow, she managed to climb up on his lap and lay her head on his massive chest. Rocco’s eyes lit up as he softly patted her pink cheek. Robbi was thrilled when she noticed Mia was right there, capturing the sweet moment from every possible angle. Daisy was looking directly at the camera, as if posing: head slightly tilted, lips pursed, hand on hip.

  Holy shit, look at her. She’s mugging for the camera like an uptight fashion model with serious ‘tude. That little ham ... where the hell did she learn that? Toby, of course.

  For Robbi, as an educator, this was a huge step forward. Daisy had made the journey from a shy introvert, who rarely made eye contact, to a beautiful, outgoing child — one who could reach out to people, communicating love even though she couldn’t quite do it verbally.

  Suddenly, Tyler was at Robbi’s side, their arms lightly touching. She looked up at him and could see his eyes were wet. “Dad always wanted a little girl,” he whispered, more to himself than to Robbi. She was about to respond when he abruptly turned and strode into the kitchen. Mia gave Daisy a thumbs-up, signaling her that the photo-op was done. Daisy waved to Grandpa Rocco, then clapped her hands, displayed her missing-tooth grin, and jumped off his lap. The second her feet hit the floor, she was off, running to join the rest of the class as the children scampered all over the restaurant, exploring the many games as Toby and Mia tried to keep track of them.

  Robbi returned her attention to her class. As K-1’s official photographer, Mia was still trying to get every child in as many photos as possible. It also did not escape Robbi’s attention, no matter what commotion was transpiring, that Toby never lost sight of Daisy. If truth be told, Daisy made it easy for him, often clinging to his leg or grabbing his hand.

  An hour later, it was time to depart. The children filed out of the restaurant as Robbi went to say goodbye to Rocco and Tyler, who was sitting in a chair next to his dad’s recliner. Robbi leaned down to hug Rocco and planted a light kiss on his cheek, as she expressed her thanks for his generosity. She extended her hand to Tyler, and as he took it, he smirked. “What? No kiss for me?”

  Robbi rolled her eyes and replied with a saucy smirk of her own. “Let’s wait and see how you behave at dinner tomorrow night.” He was still holding her extended hand and slowly raised it toward his lips for a soft kiss.

  Her legs seemed to tremble as his hooded eyes looked up at her through long, dark lashes. His voice was husky. “I can’t wait.”

  Her melodious laugh was music to his ears; he longed to follow her, hoping to hear it for a second, a third, a hundredth time. As she walked away, Rocco chuckled in a loud voice, which was obviously meant for her to hear. “Oh, I think I like that one.”

  Tyler waited until she was out the door before he answered his father. “I think I do, too.”

  Rocco guffawed loudly, slapping his son on the back. “Then it’s about time we had ‘the talk’, son.”

  “Dad, we had ‘the talk’ when I was, like, twelve,” Tyler retorted, rolling his eyes before giving him the ‘way too early for Alzheimer’s’ glare.

  Rocco slowly shook his head like the wise, doting, Italian father and grandfather he was. “Kid,” he paused, enjoying Tyler’s uncomfortable squirm. “I’m talking about The Talk.”

  Tyler protested with a groan. “Dad, I know all about your triple-B theory. I just need to know how to properly converse with a woman like her. She’s a teacher and probably has a bunch of university degrees, for God’s sake ... super-smart, not to mention magnificently beautiful. What do I say to her? My brain turned to mush; I couldn’t think straight. I’m taking her out to dinner tomorrow night and...” Tyler hyperventilated. His exasperation was painfully obvious to his father, but Rocco could not hide the grin, which had inched its way across his weathered face.

  “Kid, don’t worry about your brain; your head has nothing to do with this. And don’t trust your little head, either; sometimes that one only leads to trouble.” Rocco smirked, wagging his eyebrows in a playfully suggestive manner. Putting his hand on Tyler’s shoulder, he patted it affectionately. “Son, when it’s the right woman, you will know. Your heart will know. You’ll see, I promise you. It will take over like it’s on autopilot, and that heart of yours will never be the same again.”

  Tyler nodded, but worry still creased his brow. “I he
ar what you’re saying, Dad, but —”

  Rocco cut in brusquely. “What were the two of you talking about for so long, anyway?”

  His father’s pointed question made Tyler reconsider what had transpired. “Well, I gave her back the school’s check, then she thanked me, but I said we should be thanking her, and she asked why, then I talked about Toby and what he’d been through.” Tyler stopped to take a hurried breath, and then continued babbling at breakneck speed. “And how I’m his godfather, and how much I love him. And she said what a great TA Toby is, and how the kids are so crazy about him; and we discussed the meaning of the Italian last names D’Angelo and Amato, and how beautiful I thought she was and how sorry I was for cursing in front of her and then I —”

  At that point, Rocco had to plant his hand over Tyler’s open mouth, yelling, “Okay, kid, take a damn breath. I think I got it, and you don’t have a single thing to worry about. Don’t you understand? Your heart already recognizes what’s happening and it has taken control. I always suspected you got your soft heart from your mother, and this proves my theory.”

  “Soft? You think I have a soft fuckin’ heart?” Tyler snarled, a scowl twisting his features.

  Rocco planted his hands firmly on Tyler’s shoulders, which were heaving in frustration, and forced him to look directly into his eyes. “Soft was a poor word choice, son. I meant kind, caring, empathetic. You have a damn good heart. You just keep it hidden away; buried, because you think it shows weakness when it actually demonstrates the opposite. Unfortunately, your brother was responsible for making you that way, and I regret that.” Rocco’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. Tyler needed more convincing.