Caterina: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Pendleton Petyticoats Book 2 Page 28

  “Tony, as happy as I am to see you, why are you here?” Caterina placed a plate of cookies on the table between the two men while Tony ate his sandwich. She sat on Kade’s solid thigh and wrapped her arm around his neck as he helped himself to a cookie.

  Ignoring Tony’s frown at their familiarity, she waited for his response.

  “Luigi hasn’t given up on finding you. He sent Vittorio Martello to find you twice.”

  “I sent him on his way twice.” Kade told Tony about the wild goose chase he sent the man on to Baker City the last time he came to Pendleton.

  Tony laughed and shook his head. “Vito was probably hopping mad when he didn’t find her there. He came back and started hanging around the store. They figured it would only be a matter of time before Rina wrote to us. Clever minx that she is, she wrote a letter as a proprietor of a new restaurant, seeking quality goods for her establishment. Unfortunately, I opened the mail that day and Vito was in the store when I ran out, excited to show Papa. I didn’t say anything, but Vito knew whatever was in that letter was about you.”

  “What happened? None of you said anything in the letters you wrote.” Caterina leaned against Kade, waiting for Tony to continue his story.

  “Papa decided we would fill your order, just like any other customer, but he wanted to wait until we had several shipments to send so it wouldn’t be singled out. That’s why it took a few weeks to get your supplies on their way.” Tony finished his sandwich and water. Caterina stood and poured him a glass of milk to go with the cookies, then returned to sit with Kade.

  “You still haven’t said why you’re here or what happened to you,” Caterina said, growing impatient.

  “Let me finish,” Tony chided as he took a cookie and nodded his approval at the taste. “Almost as good as Mamma’s.”

  Caterina leaned over and smacked his arm.

  “I see you haven’t broken her bad habit of slapping people.” Tony glanced at Kade.

  “Not yet, but I plan to work on it.”

  Tony laughed and took a gulp of milk. “We knew Luigi watched our every move, so Mamma decided the only safe place for your letter was somewhere he wouldn’t look - in her Bible. It was a good thing she put it there, too, because we came home after church one Sunday to find the apartment completely torn apart. Mamma cried for two days and Papa nearly had to lock Alonzo and me in the icehouse to keep us from confronting Luigi. Nothing was stolen, but a few things were broken. They mostly just made a mess looking for that letter.”

  “And the police won’t step in?” Kade asked, incredulous that any officer of the law would turn a blind eye to something like that.

  Tony made a noise of disgust, similar to one Kade heard Caterina make many times. “They don’t care. Luigi pays them well to look the other way when it suits his purposes.”

  When Caterina tensed, Kade rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her back. “Then what happened?”

  “Anytime we left the store, any of us, we were followed. To make deliveries, to go to church. Poor Anna couldn’t even go to the doctor without them following her.”

  “What’s wrong with Anna?” Caterina asked, concerned for her friend.

  Tony made a rounded motion in front of his stomach and grinned. “She and Carlos will welcome a baby this summer. You’ll be an auntie again.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news, Tony. Why didn’t someone mention that in their letter?”

  “I guess there was so much other news to tell, we forgot.” Tony drummed his fingers on the table. “Papa put together enough orders we could sneak in the crates to ship to you unnoticed. Alonzo and Carlos took a load to the pier, and Bruno and I took the rest to the train station, including yours. Some of Luigi’s men were there and watched every single crate we unloaded. Not seeing anything unusual, they thumped on us a bit, wanting to know where you were, demanded to see your letter. We told them we hadn’t received a signed letter from you, because in truth you didn’t sign the letter you sent.”

  Tony sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. “Vito didn’t care for my answer and decided Bruno and I needed some friendly persuasion. Lucky for us, they’d roughed up a few too many people recently and some of the guys from the livery helped us get away. Vito and two of his associates cornered me on my way back from an ice delivery a few days ago. Vito said Luigi knew exactly where to find you and was coming here himself to bring you back. That he’d make a public example of you, a warning to others not to cross him. I punched him in the nose. Wasn’t the first time it had been broken. His men worked me over pretty good and left me hanging off the back of the ice wagon.”

  “How’d you get home, Tony?”

  “I knew I had to beat Luigi here. I wasn’t sure he really knew how to find you or if he was trying to force one of us to warn you. I made it home and we waited until it was dark then Carlos and Alonzo went for the doctor, pretending I was badly hurt. The doctor played along and I left wearing his clothes and driving his buggy. I drove back to his office, changed into my clothes, and waited to make sure no one followed me. I hightailed it to the depot and caught the first train out of town. And here I am.”

  “And I’m glad you are.” Caterina stood, kissing Tony on each cheek and then his forehead. “For a pesky brother, I sure missed you.”

  “For a spoiled, annoying sister, I missed you, too.” Tony put an arm around her waist then studied Kade. “Have you seen a portly man, well-dressed, with an ugly scar on his face?”

  “No, and I keep a pretty close eye on who’s coming and going in town. I haven’t seen your friend, Vito, either.”

  “He’s not my friend. Never was. I have a feeling he and Luigi will travel together, though.”

  “Do you really think they know where I am?” Caterina asked, frightened. For all her bravado, the thought of facing Luigi again made her mouth dry and her palms clammy.

  “I don’t know, but I have a feeling if they haven’t arrived yet, they aren’t far behind me.”

  “Regardless, your warning gives us time to plan.” Kade got to his feet and went to the telephone, asking the operator to place a call to Nash’s Folly.

  With the help of Garrett and the sheriff, Luigi wouldn’t be able to take Caterina anywhere.

  A few days later, Caterina was busy making a layered cake while Tony drank coffee at the kitchen table and read the paper. He snitched a piece of candy from the violet-lidded box Caterina insisted stay on the table.

  While the gift from Kade impressed his sister, Tony was more impressed with the contents.

  “Did you know they organized a professional baseball league in Philadelphia? Eight teams have signed up so far,” Tony said, recalling Caterina always liked to see a rousing game of baseball.

  “Do you suppose Aunt Teresa will watch any games?” Knowing her aunt, she wouldn’t set foot close to one. She didn’t like the noise, the crowds, or the potential of getting dirty.

  “I don’t suppose she will,” Tony said with a grin.

  Kade decided it would be best if no one knew Tony was in town. He could keep watch over Caterina without anyone being the wiser and Kade could go about his duties without the anxiety produced by leaving Caterina alone. Tony had, of course, met the Nash family, the sheriff, and a few of their close friends, including Grant Hill.

  “Can you run upstairs and get me another tin of cocoa, Tony?” Caterina asked as she mixed the frosting for her cake. “It’s on the third shelf in the store room.”

  “Be happy too.” Tony felt a little stir crazy from sitting around watching Caterina cook. He’d helped her as much as he could, completing little fix-it projects around the inside of her place. Kade came by a few times a day and kept him entertained with stories.

  After their first meeting, Tony admired the deputy and knew, without a doubt, Caterina made a good choice for a mate.

  Easily locating the cocoa powder, he started down the stairs, but a voice floating up the steps made his blood run cold. Sticking to the plan he and Kade s
et in place for the day Luigi showed up in Pendleton, he retreated upstairs, opened a window and stuck out his head. He looked up and down the street and noticed the banker strolling down the boardwalk.

  Frantically waving his hands to get Grant’s attention, the man finally looked up at him.

  “Run and get Kade, Grant. Tell him it’s an emergency.” Tony watched as the man nodded and sprinted down the street to the sheriff’s office.

  Tony stuffed a gun Kade had given him into the back waistband of his trousers, making sure his vest covered it. He took a deep breath, picked up the cocoa powder, and noisily clomped his way down the stairs.

  “Rina, I found the chocolate, but you really should organize things up there.” Tony pretended he didn’t see Luigi, Vito, or the three thugs with them.

  “Drop it, Tony, and raise your hands where we can see them.” Vittorio pointed a gun Tony’s direction. Luigi held Caterina’s arm in a vise grip and the look on her face was one of fear blended with anger. If Luigi kept pushing her, there was no telling what she might do.

  Slowly setting the tin on the counter, Tony raised his hands and greeted the other men by name. “Fabian, they let you have a vacation from your duties at the police station? And look, you brought Enzo, too. How will New York survive without you two there to fight all the crime?”

  Vittorio punched Tony in the stomach, making him double over. Quickly, he stood and continued his taunting because it was keeping them all distracted until help arrived. “You brought your new protégé, Rocco. Poor kid, you’ve only been on the force, what, a month or two? How’d you get roped into this?”

  Tony tightened his stomach muscles in preparation for Vito’s next punch. It didn’t even make him gasp for air.

  “Stop it you pazzo fools!” Caterina yelled, stamping her foot down on Luigi’s, making him howl in pain.

  The last decade spent sitting in his office, bending people to his will like puppets, combined with his love of rich, Italian food, left Luigi out of shape with little strength or endurance.

  He reached out a beefy hand to grab Caterina, but she twisted back his thumb until it snapped. Despite his pleas for help, Luigi was on his own.

  Luigi glanced around, filled with real fear. Vittorio’s face wore a coating of cocoa powder while he received a sound walloping from the youngest Campanelli brother. Two officers and a tall cowboy subdued the other three men he’d brought from New York. More cowboys guarded the restaurant’s front door and peered inside the windows.

  Desperate for a means of escape, Luigi grabbed Caterina by her hair and began hauling her toward the back door. Something sank into his leg. He looked down as a cat hissed at him, trying to claw its way up his shin. As he gave his foot a vicious shake, he didn’t count on Caterina putting up a fight or the cast iron skillet she snagged when he dragged her past the stove.

  The first thump of the skillet hit his arm, forcing him to release his hold on her. The second caught him in the face, shattering his nose. The third left him lying senseless on the floor.

  Kade, Garrett, and Tony stared at her in surprise while the sheriff shook his head and grinned. “Little lady, if I ever need backup in a tight spot, I’ll send for you and that skillet of yours. You do a right smart job of defending yourself.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Caterina huffed from her exertion and the rush of adrenaline still pumping through her veins. “I’d prefer to never be forced to do that again, though.”

  “Well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about these particular men anymore,” the sheriff said as they forced the Italians to their feet. He nudged Luigi with the toe of his boot, hoping they wouldn’t have to carry his deadweight down the street to the jailhouse. “We’ve got a special place for each one of them.”

  Tony and Garrett, along with Dent, Grant, and a few of the hands from Nash’s Folly, helped move the prisoners to jail. Garrett and his men happened to be in town picking up a load of supplies. They were visiting with Kade before heading back to the ranch when Grant ran into the sheriff’s office saying there was an emergency at Caterina’s place.

  Kade, Garrett, and the sheriff burst in the back door and took charge while Garrett’s men and Grant guarded the front. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the thugs were under arrest and Caterina held her skillet like a weapon over the prone form of the mafia ringleader.

  Overwhelming relief washed over her as she watched the Italians hauled off to jail.

  Once the door shut behind them, she rushed into Kade’s open arms. She no longer feared her future and could embrace it with whole-hearted enthusiasm.

  Shudders shook her shoulders. Kade kissed the top of Caterina’s head and rubbed his hands soothingly along her back.

  “It’s okay, darlin’. I promise they won’t ever hurt you again,” Kade said in a soothing tone, pulling her closer to his chest.

  “I know. I’m fine.” Caterina raised her head, no longer able to stifle her laughter.

  Kade stared at her, open-mouthed. The sight of him so flummoxed made her laugh even more. She finally sank down on one of the stools at her worktable and fanned herself with her apron.

  “Mind sharing the joke?” Kade asked tersely, wondering if Caterina had succumbed to hysterics from the morning’s excitement.

  She took deep breaths until she could speak without breaking into another round of giggles, then wiped her eyes and smiled at Kade.

  “I’m not afraid anymore. For the longest time, I’ve been terrified of Luigi and what he might do to me. He’s the one who should be afraid.” Caterina picked up her skillet and swung it a few times. “Pow! Did you see the look on his face when I hit him?”

  Kade rubbed his jaw as a trickle of humor replaced the fear he’d felt for Caterina’s safety. Obviously, she was capable of taking care of herself.

  “I did,” he said with a chuckle, recalling the utter disbelief that crossed Luigi’s face before Caterina brained him with her skillet. Kade picked her up then sat on her stool, settling her across his lap. “You really are a little wild cat, aren’t you?”

  “Why don’t you marry me soon and find out for sure,” Caterina suggested as Kade lowered his lips to hers. Rufus meowed for attention, interrupting their kiss. It was just as well since Tony and Garrett strode through the back door, full of excitement at taking down one of the cornerstones of the New York mafia and his hired thugs, three of whom were police officers.

  “It’s been quite a morning,” Tony said, plopping down on a kitchen chair and picking up the paper he’d dropped on the table earlier, opening it to the page he was reading before all the excitement began. “What have you got planned for the afternoon?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Mamma, stop fussing. I’ll be fine.” Caterina hugged her mother as the older woman tried to stem her tears.

  “But my baby girl, my sweet bambina, is marrying such a big, tough man,” Angelina cried, patting her daughter’s cheeks as she sniffled again. “Goodness, Rina, you never said he was so handsome and strong and rugged. He looks like he could, oh, what is the phrase they say… wrangle a bear?”

  Caterina laughed and hugged her mother again. “Wrestle a bear, Mamma. And he probably could if he needed to. Don’t tell, because he’d be livid if he thought anyone knew otherwise, but he’s really very sweet and gentle. You saw the candy box he bought on the table, and the picture frame in the living room he gave me, and the spice box on the counter. He’s the one who arranged for these flowers.”

  She picked up a bouquet of roses Kade ordered from somewhere in California. It was too early in the season for them to bloom in Pendleton, but she sniffed the fragrant blossoms and smiled.

  “He’s a good man, Mamma, and he’ll be a good husband.”

  “I know he will, but my gracious, he is something to see. I’m just not sure I like the idea of you being a married woman. You’re my baby. And two of your brothers still aren’t wed,” Angelina protested, sweeping Caterina into a tight hug then pushing her back,
afraid she might wrinkle the exquisite gown Aundy had sewn for the wedding and spent the last half-hour fussing over to make sure it looked just right.

  Made of shimmering white silk, the nips of lace and tucks of satin ribbon accented Caterina’s figure, making her look even more elegant and lovely.

  “I’m so glad you and Papa are here.” Caterina kissed her mother’s cheek before turning to the mirror and adjusting the veil on her head. “And Tony and Alonzo.”

  “You didn’t give us a lot of time to arrive, though. Honestly, you and that deputy couldn’t wait another month to wed?” Angelina gave Caterina an exasperated glance.

  She and Franco received a telegram one afternoon not long after Tony stole away from the city saying Caterina and Tony were safe, Luigi was in jail, and would they please come for a wedding in two weeks.

  Kade sent a separate message asking for their permission to marry Caterina and expressing, quite eloquently, his love for their daughter.

  Someday, Angelina would share the letter with Caterina. She was certain the girl had no idea her soon-to-be husband sent it. The fact he had shared from his heart in his plea for Caterina’s hand endeared him to his future mother-in-law.

  “You remember being young and in love, don’t you Mamma? Every day you spent apart was like an eternity.”

  Angelina smiled, remembering well her own courtship with Franco. It had been much more peaceful than Caterina’s - that was for sure. Despite the rough start to their relationship, it was plain for any to see that Kade truly loved her daughter, with the kind of love meant to weather life’s storms.

  “I’m sure that incredibly handsome man of yours is pacing the floor, ready to be wed. Shall we go?”

  “Yes, Mamma. I’m ready.” Caterina lifted her skirts and turned toward the door. As she walked down the stairs, her father turned to look at her with pride, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

  “Oh, Caterina. You are a vision,” he said, kissing her cheek. “You look so much like your beautiful Mamma on our wedding day.”