Ilsa: Read online

  “I don’t know if they do or not, but if you’re interested, I’m sure we could find someone to ask.”

  “Really, Tony? You’d help me find out?” Excitement made her bounce on the balls of her feet as she looked at him with bright eyes.

  “I would.” It would be so easy to pull her into his arms and taste those pert lips. To drink of her until he was finally, fully satisfied.

  Instead, he swallowed down his desire and opened the door.

  “Let’s go see what Caterina is willing to feed us tonight.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “A little higher. Now to your left. No, the other left,” Ilsa directed as Tony attempted to hang a branch in her store window. “Let me run outside and see how it looks before you fasten it up there.”

  Tony didn’t mind helping Ilsa with her project. In fact, he looked for any excuse to spend time with her, but a man’s patience only stretched so far when it came to helping decorate a store window.

  They’d already been working at this one for an hour and so far, Ilsa had changed her mind at least half a dozen times about how she wanted it to look. The previous evening, they carefully glued big colorful leaves she’d cut out of paper to the branches. Tony positioned the first branch in the window so many times, he was about ready to crack it over his knee and run out the back door, never to return.

  Ilsa finally decided she wanted the branches to frame the window across the top and down the sides. Tony installed hooks he made out of bent nails all along the inside of the window frame to make it easier to hang the branches. He assumed they would come in handy for future decorations as well.

  Glancing out the window, from his spot in the corner where he held the branch in question above his head, he saw her motion him to move to the right.

  He couldn’t hear what she said but her insistent gestures indicated he should move and gave him a good idea of what she wanted. Hanging the branch, he stepped back so she could give it a critical study.

  Tilting her head from one side to the other, Ilsa couldn’t decide if she liked the way the branch looked. Since it was the only one in the window, she thought it might look better once they hung the rest. The leaves did look pretty and added color to the space.

  “What do you think?” Ilsa asked a woman who happened to be passing by. When the dark-haired girl stared at her, Ilsa smiled. “Do you think that branch looks okay?”

  “What else are you putting in the window?” the girl asked, her voice mellow and smooth.

  Ilsa took in her freckled nose, haunted blue eyes, and upper lip that seemed to rest in a becoming pout. The dress she wore was of the latest style and well made, from what she could see. The pale pink shade suited her coloring.

  Explaining her vision for the window to the stranger, the girl, who seemed to be around Ilsa’s age, nodded her head. “I think it will look real nice,” she said and started to walk away.

  Ilsa reached out and put a hand on her arm. “Thank you for your opinion. I’m Ilsa, by the way. If you ever have a moment, stop by. I’d be pleased to visit with you.”

  “My name’s Marnie,” the girl said, looking her over from head to toe. “Your sister is the young Mrs. Nash, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she is. Do you know her?”

  “I’ve met her a time or two. She’s a fine lady. Thank you for the invite, but I won’t be stopping by your store, Miss Ilsa. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to be seen speaking with a girl like me.”

  With that, Marnie turned away, leaving a gaping Ilsa on the boardwalk watching her walk across the street and down the block.

  Tony tapped on the glass to get her attention and shrugged his shoulders, waiting for her direction.

  Rushing back inside, she puzzled over Marnie’s comment as she returned to stand next to the display. “Go ahead and hang the rest of the branches, please.”

  “Sure, chickadee.” Tony quickly installed the branches before Ilsa could change her mind.

  She was quiet while he worked. He looked over to find her staring out the window at nothing.

  “What’s wrong? Something happen outside?” he asked as he used a piece of fishing line to secure a branch to the hooks.

  “No,” Ilsa said, continuing to stare outside. She suddenly turned her focus to him. “Do you know that girl, Tony? She said her name is Marnie.”

  “I know who she is.”

  When Tony didn’t provide more information, Ilsa stared at him impatiently, wanting more details. “Well, who is she?”

  “She’s one of the working girls. Marnie tends to wander around town more than some of them do. I take ice to the establishment where she works. That’s how I met her.” Tony hoped Ilsa understood he didn’t meet her because he was a patron of the business.

  “I see.” Ilsa’s eyes grew wide and she sank down on a chair. “I had no idea.”

  “No, I didn’t suppose you did. As far as they go, Marnie’s not a bad sort, she just made some bad choices.” Tony stepped down from the window and admired his handiwork. The branches and leaves did look festive and definitely generated thoughts of autumn.

  “But she looked…” Ilsa struggled to find the right words to say.

  “Just like any other girl walking down the street?”

  “Yes.” Ilsa released a sigh, feeling sorry for Marnie and her lot in life. Other than her haunted eyes, she didn’t look all that different from her. Grateful to have people who loved her and watched over her, Ilsa hoped there was someone who cared for Marnie.

  Returning her focus to the window project, she smiled, noticing Tony had all the branches in place. “That looks fine, Tony. If you wouldn’t mind setting in the forms, I’ve got them ready.”

  Hefting three dress forms into the display, Tony moved them around until Ilsa was happy with their placement then hung backdrops of colorful fabric while she added a basket of apples and a bundle of wheat in one corner and a pile of pumpkins in the other.

  “Come on. Let’s see what it looks like outside.” She grabbed Tony’s hand and hurried back out to the boardwalk.

  Bright bursts of color filled the window. Three gowns, each representing a color that Ilsa thought looked like fall, created the focal point in shades of soft gold, vibrant orange and deep red. She added hats to the forms to complete the outfits and a small table between two of the gowns held gloves and a beautiful purple scarf. Gold and orange chiffon floated in the background from the top to the bottom of the window while the frame of branches and leaves set off the entire display.

  “It’s wonderful, Tony!” Ilsa clasped her hands beneath her chin as she bounced on her feet in excitement. “It’s even better than I imagined.”

  “Doesn’t look bad.” Tony gave it a critical eye, deciding Ilsa was as talented at displaying her fashions as she was at creating them.

  She smacked his arm and walked back in the shop.

  “You’ve been spending too much time around my sister,” he said, rubbing his arm after closing the door behind him.

  “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” she asked, genuinely concerned she’d hit him too hard.

  “I may have permanent damage.” Tony dropped his shoulder down and dragged his leg behind him, making Ilsa burst into giggles.

  “Tony, what would I do without you to make me laugh?” she asked, going to the workroom where she began straightening the mess they’d created on the worktable when they attached the leaves to the branches.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out.”

  He pulled her into a hug. A friendly embrace, similar to one he’d given her many, many times. As her head rested against his chest, he realized he was tired of the embraces just between friends.

  He wanted to hold her like a man held the woman he loved. He wanted to claim her lips as his own. He wanted so much, and yet Ilsa seemed content with their relationship as just friends.

  Not wanting to lose that, he released her and took the branches they didn’t use out back to dispose of in the
garbage bin.

  Ilsa tugged a small stepladder she used to reach the high shelves in her work area over to where she kept the bolts of chiffon and carried up what remained of the gold and orange material after they decorated the window.

  Standing on the top of the ladder, she stretched on her toes as she put the fabric back in its proper place.

  Placing her foot on the first step of the ladder to begin her descent, she heard the kitten yowl and looked down at the crazy creature that followed her up the ladder. Her foot held the kitten’s tail pinned to the step.

  “Sorry, Peaches,” Ilsa jerked up her foot and the ladder began to wobble.

  The kitten jumped down and scampered off, but Ilsa reached out, trying to grasp something to steady herself. As the ladder tipped, she felt strong arms grasp her waist.

  “Tony,” she let out a breath of relief and gave him a grateful smile. Glancing into his amber eyes, they blazed with heat as his gaze burned into hers.

  Instead of setting her on her feet, he let her slide down the length of him, holding her so their lips were mere tantalizing inches apart.

  Every sensation a body could possess flooded through her. Exploding sparks shot from her nerve endings and Ilsa had never felt, in her entire life, so vibrantly alive.

  The rock-solid muscles of his shoulders tensed beneath her hands and she pressed closer to him, wanting to feel more.

  As his lips moved toward hers, she twined her fingers in his thick, dark hair and hoped her dreams of kissing Tony were about to finally come true.

  She’d waited what seemed like forever for him to show some interest in her beyond a friend. Convinced he viewed her as another annoying little sister, she’d nearly given up on him noticing she was a woman and not a little girl.

  The warmth of his breath caressed her face and his lips lingered so close, she could imagine the feel of them on hers, the decadent taste of him.

  “Miss Thorsen? Are you here, Miss Thorsen?” a voice called from the front of her shop, causing Ilsa to jerk her head back at the interruption.

  “Yes. I’ll be right there.”

  Tony set her on her feet and stifled the groan that nearly escaped his lips at the wanton look she gave him over her shoulder as she walked out front to assist her customer.

  The kitten glared at him from the top of the worktable, so he picked it up and rubbed behind its ears, making it purr. He wished he could elicit a similar reaction from Ilsa.

  He’d been so close to kissing her this time. Closer than he’d allowed himself to get before. Overwhelmed by how much he wanted her, he realized he should be thankful for whoever interrupted them instead of wanting to inflict bodily harm.

  Stepping close to the doorway to the front of the shop, he listened as Grant Hill asked Ilsa if she’d like to attend a performance at the Opera House with him the following week.

  Unable to hear her response, Tony wanted to run out and punch his friend in the nose.

  The banker was handsome, successful, and a genuinely good person, but it still didn’t keep unreasonable jealousy from filling him with anger and irritation.

  Staying in the back with Peaches, Tony knew if he wasn’t willing to pursue a relationship with Ilsa, he shouldn’t be mad when other men tried.

  Setting the cat on the counter, Tony picked up his hat and quietly went out the back door. He liked Grant but not enough to stick around and listen to him pay compliments to the girl Tony planned to someday marry.

  Just as soon as he figured out how to make her understand he was more than a friend.

  Chapter Seventeen

  In exchange for all the free meals she ate at Caterina’s restaurant, Ilsa talked the woman into letting her sew a few pieces for her.

  She’d finished a beautiful wool coat in a deep shade of purple lined with lilac satin, along with a matching hat and gloves.

  She also planned to make three new dresses for her Italian friend. Caterina said it was excessive for the little amount of food Ilsa ate, but she wanted to do something in appreciation for having somewhere to eat a hot meal every night, if she chose to walk the few steps down the street to the restaurant.

  Most evenings, Tony stopped by just before closing time and walked her there then saw her home again. She enjoyed the time spent with him, although she’d given up hope Tony would see her as someone other than a ridiculous girl who needed his protection.

  Acknowledging, at least to herself, that she’d fallen in love with him, she doubted he’d ever return her feelings.

  Dwelling on the ache in her heart seemed counterproductive, so she turned her thoughts to how surprised Caterina would be by her latest creation. Kade picked out the particular shade of amethyst fabric in soft lightweight wool, saying it was the perfect color for his lovely wife.

  Ilsa designed the gown to have rows of intricate stitching in the palest shade of lavender running in diagonal stripes along the sides and front of the bodice. More rows of stitching circled the slim forearms of the gown while stitched rows of increasing width ran from the last diagonal stripe on the bodice to almost the hem. Delicate lace, in a matching shade of amethyst, adorned the wide collar and completed the fashionable high neck.

  Ilsa wanted to do one last fitting on Caterina before she made the final adjustments on the gown. Carefully folding it into a large basket, along with pins, a pair of scissors, and a pad of paper with a pencil for jotting any notes, she picked up the basket and hurried out the door.

  She’d only taken a few steps in the direction of the restaurant when the sound of a woman yelling reached her ears. Recognizing Caterina’s voice, she grinned at the string of Italian words filling the mid-morning air.

  Wondering what had Caterina in a tizzy this early in the day, Ilsa stopped just outside the restaurant’s back door. Debating if she should go in or come back another time, she decided since she was already there to complete her mission.

  Tapping on the back door before opening it, she stuck her head inside. Caterina marched around the kitchen, wildly waving her hands in the air, while Kade sat on a stool at the counter letting her rant.

  Noticing her standing at the door, Kade motioned for her to come inside.

  “What’s wrong?” Ilsa asked quietly as she stepped next to Kade.

  “I don’t know. She’s been feeling poorly the past few weeks and I keep telling her to go see Doc. Yesterday morning she had a dizzy spell and burned her hand on the stove. I threatened to carry her in to Doc’s office if she wouldn’t go by herself.” Kade sighed and ran a hand over his face before looking back at his infuriated wife. “This morning, on the way into town, she had another dizzy spell so I took her straight to Doc’s office. She told me to go on to work and she’d be fine. I stopped by to see what Doc had to say and she started yelling in Italian. That’s never a good sign. I’d have Tony interpret, but he’s out making ice deliveries. I know she’s called me a few names, because those words I have memorized. Beyond that, I’m not so sure what put a bee in her bonnet.”

  Listening to her friend, Ilsa could pick out one word she recognized.

  “Doesn’t she keep saying something about a baby?” Ilsa asked, looking at Kade.

  “Baby?” Kade jumped up and grabbed Caterina by the arms. “Say it in English, Cat. What did Doc tell you?”

  “That we’re going to have a baby in the spring and I will have to slow down and can’t spend all day on my feet cooking,” Caterina blurted before bursting into tears.

  “Aw, Cat. That’s wonderful news.” Kade picked up his wife and covered her damp cheeks with kisses. Setting her back on her feet, he gave her a confused look. “Why are you upset? I thought you wanted a baby.”

  “I do want a baby, our baby, this baby.” Caterina placed her hand protectively over her stomach. “But how can I give up my cooking, my restaurant?”

  “You don’t have to give it up, you just need to learn to let Jeb and the rest of your help take on more responsibility. I’m sure, despite Doc’s orders, you’ll be he
re every night in the thick of things, but let them do the heavy lifting from now on,” Kade suggested, knowing Caterina’s assistant Jeb and the others who worked for her could manage just fine without her there, if they needed to.

  “You aren’t upset that I’ll be fat and cranky and cry all the time?” Caterina asked, leaning against Kade.

  “You’ll always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me.” Kade kissed the top of her head then tipped up her chin so he could see her eyes. “And you spend a lot of time cranky and crying anyway. I probably won’t notice the difference.”

  Caterina laughed and smacked his arm, as he knew she would. She turned her head and noticed Ilsa standing by the worktable.

  “I didn’t realize anyone else was here, Ilsa. My apologies.” Caterina wiped the last of her tears away.

  Ilsa crossed the room and gave her a warm hug. “No apology is necessary, although I do believe congratulations are in order.”

  “Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to tell Aundy myself, and Tony. I hadn’t exactly planned to tell anyone for a while.” Caterina put cookies on a plate and set it on the table, motioning for Ilsa to have a seat. Kade carried over the coffee pot and poured three cups, then pulled Caterina onto his lap instead of letting her sit next to Ilsa. She gave him a private smile full of love before turning her attention back to their friend.

  “I won’t mention it to anyone. You can pretend I was never here this morning and didn’t hear a word.” Ilsa grinned at Caterina as she took a bite of a soft cookie filled with cinnamon and spice. Eating it, she helped herself to a second and sipped hot coffee.

  “Why did you come over this morning?” Kade asked, noticing the basket Ilsa left by the door.

  “I have a dress ready for Caterina to try on and couldn’t wait to see her wearing it. Do you have time for a fitting?”

  “Yes, of course,” Caterina stood and picked up the basket. “I’ll run upstairs and put it on then you two can tell me what you think.”