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  “Well, baby sis, the way I hear it, Mom has found Mr. Perfect for you. His name is Ivan. And that drama scene bought you some time, because I heard her and Alex talking. Mom’s not going to stop nagging you until you agree to go out with him.”

  “Ivan, as in ‘the Terrible’?”

  “Uh-huh. Have to admit, my mind went straight to Russian Mafia.”

  He was joking. Right? Her mom wouldn’t set her up with some gangster dude, would she? Dios. This was her mother they were talking about. The woman wore three-inch-thick rose-colored glasses and refused to believe the world had changed in the last fifty years.

  Tawny knew too that there would be no getting out of the date, not after her earlier blunder.

  Maybe he’d be like Ilya from Christine Feehan’s Sea Haven series. Now that was one sexy Russian mob hit man.

  Ivan and Tawny.

  Tawny and Ivan.

  Nope, she just didn’t see it.

  Chapter Six

  There had to be at least twenty bucks’ worth of coins at the bottom of the fountain, and for the life of her, Tawny couldn’t figure out why anyone would waste their hard-earned cash on a superstition. Granted, not all of the coins came from one person, and most people only threw in one, or two at the most. Still, what a waste.

  “What would you wish for? You know, if you believed in miracles.”

  She turned around to greet Cherry. “The usual—win the lottery, be swept away by a knight on a white horse, that the pound of fudge I ate won’t make the scale go up.”

  Cherry linked arms with her and smiled. “Who’s to say it can’t happen, well, except for the fudge part. Mine came true.” Cherry looked around the crowded Piazza di Amore, changing the subject before Tawny could present the logical reasons her so-called wish came true. “So, what’s new?”

  They made their way around the crowded plaza, weaving in and out of shoppers, diners, and tourists. “I got an invitation to the Finding Mr. Right cast reunion party.”

  “You turned down the last one. Are you going to go this time?”

  “It’s tempting, except it’s in September and there’s a certain best friend’s wedding I’m planning. So no, maybe next time. Although if they could guarantee Graham would be there, I’d ditch you in a heartbeat.”

  “Ooh, isn’t he the former basketball player?”

  “Yep. That man is six feet of pure deliciousness. But word has it he’s taking a break.” She couldn’t blame him; after her last boyfriend, she wasn’t in a big hurry to find another. Plus, she needed to find a job. ASAP.

  Cherry sidestepped to miss getting run over by a sugared-up toddler and looked around, shaking her head. “Now, tell me, what are we doing here? I mean, I love the piazza, but it’s crazy crowded.”

  “I’m going on a coffee date at Pastiche. You are going to act as my wingman, woman, whatever and come rescue me in seven minutes.” If only she could skip this farce altogether.

  Cherry snagged an empty table at Vendi’s Café and pointed to the seat next to her. “Explain this to me. Why are you going on a date you obviously don’t want to be on?”

  Tawny sat with a deep sigh. She didn’t blame her friend for being confused, as she rarely caved from parental pressure. “My dad found out—not from me—about my job. Then I opened my mouth and accidentally insulted his and my mom’s home. Sooo, to make up for the comment and make my mom happy, I agreed to meet this guy Ivan.”

  “Who names their kid Ivan?” Cherry’s face scrunched up. “He’s not Russian Mafia, is he?”

  A laugh escaped, the first one in days. “I don’t think so. His full name is Ivan Castro. I have no idea where she met him or anything about him. She could have found him on a street corner for all I got out of her.” Tawny rose, grabbed her purse, and looked her friend in the eye. “Oh, except she thought he’d make beautiful grandbabies.”

  Cherry laughed in reply. “Always a good thing to consider and so your mom. Thinking ahead. Okay, why do you need me to rescue you, though? It’s just a coffee date. Chances are low he’ll have a priest standing by.”

  “Chica, you and I know a coffee date means nothing. It’s the safe meet. No commitments. No chance for romantic overtures, but does he know that? My mom was behind this, after all. I’m actually afraid to find out what Mama said to him about me.”

  Her friend’s grin said it all. “Sweetie, I love your mom, would do anything for her, but her quest for more grandkids could drive a saint to drink. Did you know she asked if Jase and I had picked out names yet? She’s already planning the baby shower, and we haven’t even said ‘I do’ yet.” Cherry shook her head, blew out a breath, and waved her hand in front of her face. Her typical sign for forget about it. “Back to you and your date. Considering she wants to marry you off, you know it was all good stuff.”

  A shudder ran through her. Mierda! Knowing her mother, the guy (Ivan, who she already pictured as some marauding warlord) probably expected to meet the next Martha Stewart. Boy, was he in for a surprise. Tawny’s culinary skills were limited to just beyond those of a college freshman. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Maybe.” The grin bloomed into a full-on smile.

  Sure, laugh it up now. She’d see who was laughing when Tawny was at the altar, marrying a perfect stranger with Cherry dressed in a bright orange maid-of-honor dress.

  “Fine, I will be your knight in shining armor and save you from Ivan the Terrible. What exactly do you want me to do?”

  A deep sigh expelled from her lungs. “Seven minutes after I go in, I need you to come rushing in and claim you’ve been trying to reach me. Say there’s an emergency and I have to go with you.”

  “What kind of emergency?”

  “Oh, I don’t care. Make it up as you go.”

  “Why seven minutes? Why not five or ten? Or hey, why not ride it out and see if there’s a connection?”

  The cocked brow said much. Cherry didn’t get it. Of course she didn’t. She was in l-o-v-e and thought everyone else should be too.

  “Five minutes seems planned, and ten gives him way too much time to get personal.” Tawny took a few minutes to ponder Cherry’s other question. In the end it boiled down to gut instinct. “Tawny and Ivan. I don’t see it. Besides, marriage isn’t in my plan—not right now anyway. Finding a new job is.”

  “Got it, ‘the plan.’ Goodness knows we wouldn’t want to deviate from the plan. Speaking of, no word from NE Event Solutions?”

  She’d hoped someone would call Monday and offer her the job. Not that it would get her out of the date; it might have given her a good excuse to postpone things. “No. I called yesterday. A temp answered the phone and all she’d say was that Mrs. Spinelli was away on personal business. I really hope Mr. Spinelli is okay. They were all fun and treated me like they’d known me forever. He’s about my dad’s age. Can’t imagine losing him so early, you know.” And there she went, opening mouth without clicking on the brain first. Of course Cherry knew.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

  “No need to apologize. It’s been twenty years since they disappeared. Your parents have been more of a mom and dad to me than I can remember my own being. So I get it. Besides, Pops has too much life in him to leave anytime soon.” Cherry glanced at her watch before looking back up, a half-smile lighting up her face. “Shall we synchronize our watches?”

  “Ha, very funny.” Tawny walked away, ignoring the nagging voice in her head. The one that reminded her that Piazza di Amore was where Cherry and Jason met for their first date. And look where it led? Marriage, exactly where Tawny didn’t want to go. “Remember, seven minutes,” she called over her shoulder.

  “Sure thing. Until then I’ll sit here and enjoy my gelato.”

  Tawny rounded the back corner of the plaza and spotted a tall man standing with his hands in his pockets, staring at her. Dark eyes took in her every move. Sort of reminded her of David. Not that David went around in slacks and a sports coat. Nor did he have olive sk
in or muscles from a gym. Not that she knew if Ivan worked out at a gym or not, he just looked the type. And David wasn’t interested in a real relationship with her either. Then again, maybe he’d lost interest. After all, she had thrown her drunken self at him. And he refused.

  This guy looked like he belonged on a beach with lots of bikini-clad women surrounding him. Or better yet, a pool where he wouldn’t have to worry about sand getting in places better left unmentioned. David got down and dirty. No way this could be her date. Her mom had said he was Latino and some kind of businessman. This guy looked like a model.

  “Tawny.” He took her hand, kissed the top. “I am Ivan Castro.” His gaze stayed locked with hers. “It is my pleasure to meet you.”

  Wow, Mama had good taste. Who knew?

  She swallowed her tongue as his smooth, rich voice caressed every nerve ending in her body.

  He held the door open for her, waiting for her to precede him into the café.

  A gentleman. Nice.

  He led her to a table in the back and held her chair out. The waitress showed up to take their order before they even looked at the menu. A small pang of guilt plagued her for ordering when she didn’t plan to stay long enough to even drink her coffee. She didn’t know what to say, which was a new experience for her, so she went with the question hounding her for days.

  “I’m curious. How do you know my mother?” Tawny played with the drink napkin, avoiding eye contact.

  He let out a deep, masculine chuckle. “She approached me in the grocery store. Apparently, I was buying the wrong brand of toilet paper.”

  Tawny couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “Shy is not in my mother’s nature. So how did you go from buying household products to a blind date?”

  She wouldn’t put it past her mom to have bribed the man. The woman was desperate to marry off her youngest child and get more grandbabies. It’d practically become an obsession for her.

  Ivan sat back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other at the knee, his smile wistful and sexy. “Your mother is a persuasive woman. At first I thought she was crazy—asking a total stranger to go on a date with her daughter. Then she showed me your picture. How could I say no?” The man radiated sexual vibes by simply breathing.

  The waitress delivered their coffees and pastry, giving Tawny a moment. Perhaps she’d reconsider her earlier decision. Scruffy, day-old beard, blond highlights running through his warm brown hair, and caramel eyes made her pulse stutter.

  Not racing like a certain pair of blue eyes.

  Stop thinking of David. Concentrate.

  “You’re not the only one who has trouble telling that woman no. None of us kids are good at denying her whatever she asks for.” Hence the blind date, something Tawny had sworn never to do again.

  “Your mother tells me you are the only girl in your family. See we have something in common already. I am the only male with three younger sisters.”

  It was an innocent statement, yet there was something, a slight change in his tone, a quick dip of his glance to her chest, a slight raise of his lips that didn’t set well. Whatever it had been, when it came to men, she’d learned to listen to her instinct. Especially in the recent weeks. Instinct had told her Doglover12 had sounded too good to be true. Yep, turned out to be a shallow ass. Instinct told her David would jump at the chance to sleep with her and he’d . . . Well, everyone was allowed to be wrong once. There were plenty of other examples before him to teach her to listen up and pay attention.

  “How nice. Do they all live here in Providence?” A quick sip of her espresso gave her a chance to glance at her watch. Cherry was due any minute. Thank goodness.

  “No, my family all lives in Cuba. My sisters are all married. They have done their duty and given my parents many grandchildren to love.”

  What? Brakes screeched in her brain. All thoughts of sexiness ceased to exist. Duty? Did I slip back in time and land in the fifteenth century? Once again, her woman’s intuition nailed it. Any time now, Cherry.

  “You must miss them terribly.” She resisted the urge to check the time again. “One of my older brothers lives on the West Coast and another in Boston. They drive me crazy when they’re home, yet as soon as they leave I miss them.”

  “Family is important, but my work is too.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m the vice president of marketing for Globus America. I’ve worked hard to rise to my current position, putting family second until I reached my goal. Now it is time to do my duty and find a wife and start a family.”

  Great, he’s the perfect son-in-law and her worst nightmare rolled into one bad rendezvous. She could hear her mother now: “I’ve already booked the church, mija.” She didn’t need or want a husband right now. It wasn’t part of her plan.

  Come on, Cherry, save me, girlfriend.

  “Have you thought of applying to Finding Mr. Right? It’s a great place to meet like-minded women.”

  “Ah yes, the reality TV show. I understand from your mother you were once a contestant. See, we are perfect for each other. You are looking for a husband and I’m looking for a wife.”

  Tawny squirmed in her chair. “Actually, I went on the show as support for my friend. I left during the third ceremony because I’m not looking to get married or have children right now.”

  Ivan looked confused. “I don’t understand. You are twenty-eight, correct?”

  “Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?” Did Mom give the guy her dossier?

  “Your hips are good for birthing, but soon you will be too old to bear children. Your mother said you are organized and logical. Surely you must see the logic in not waiting too much longer to get married and give your husband many babies?”

  She clenched her lips closed to avoid spewing coffee all over him. “What else did my mother say?” Pressure built at Tawny’s temples.

  “You went to university and hold a finance degree. You are tired of working in a man’s world. You are ready to settle down and raise at least three children.”

  Three? Nope, the plan called for one, one child. Possibly two, but never more. She knew firsthand what kind of mischief took place when the kids out numbered the parents.

  Forget waiting for Cherry to come to the rescue, she needed out of here. Now. “Ivan, you—”

  The door flew open. A woman with disheveled red hair and a frantic look on her face stood in the entrance. Glossy rounded eyes met Tawny’s gaze. If she hadn’t known her since kindergarten, Tawny wouldn’t approach the crazypants standing before her. What the heck happened?

  “Cherry?”

  Her best friend raced to the table, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank God I found you.” Cherry released her only to grab at her hands. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  Tawny glanced at Ivan, no longer sure this was the ruse she had cooked up earlier. Her hands ached from Cherry’s grasp. Tears hung at the corners of Cherry’s eyes. Her voice wobbled as she tried to catch her breath.

  “Chica, what’s wrong?”

  “Everything,” Cherry wailed as fresh drops ran down her cheeks. “It’s the . . . Oh, I’m interrupting your meeting. I’m so sorry. Don’t worry. I deal with this on my own. So sorry to bother you,” Cherry said to Ivan.

  He stood, gesturing to his chair. “Obviously something has happened that has caused you grief. Please sit and talk with your friend. I’ll get you an espresso and allow you some privacy.”

  “No, it’s fine, please don’t go to any trouble on my behalf.” Cherry grabbed Tawny in a tight hug. “He’s gorgeous. Want me to leave?” she whispered.

  “Don’t you dare,” Tawny responded through gritted teeth.

  Good looks aside, dating Ivan would be like dating her oldest brother with his chauvinistic, backward attitude.

  “Chica, it’s okay. Right, Ivan?” Tawny looked to her coffee date for confirmation. With his nod of agreement, she turned back to her r
escuer. “Tell me what happened. Is it your grandparents?”

  Cherry raised a brow at her with a look that said crazy train welcomes Tawny Torres. Okay, good, they were playing out the ruse, then. “It’s . . . the wedding. It’s all falling apart. The place I booked just canceled on me. They overbooked and now I have no place to get married.”

  Seriously? This was her friend’s idea of an emergency? They really needed to work on their communication skills.

  Cherry dropped into the offered chair, hands covering her face. A sob escaped. “What am I going to tell Jason?” She shook her head, looking up at Tawny. “He really wanted to get married in the same church as his parents, especially since they’re gone. It’d be like having them there with us.”

  Puh-lease. Jason’s parents married in front of a court clerk, but Ivan didn’t know that tidbit. Going by the pained look on his face, he was falling for the dramatics. Head over heels.

  They needed to play this right. Even Neanderthals had feelings. No point crushing his. Almost as important, she didn’t want the story getting back to her mom. Cherry let out a little hiccup-sob before dropping her head down into her palms. Drama Queen much? The good part was it had the desired effect on Ivan. He stepped back, eyes darting back and forth. Probably looking for the nearest escape route. Men simply didn’t do tears well.

  He reached out to Tawny, letting his hand drop before making contact. “Weddings are important. I will leave you to your friend and we can continue our discussion later. Dinner Friday night. I will pick you up at seven.”

  The man didn’t ask, he assumed. Never big on alpha types, his presumption she’d be free made all the hairs on the back of Tawny’s neck stand. Her mother would be ecstatic if she said yes, and she’d be engaged by the end of the first course. Sorry, Mom, going to have to let you down this time.

  “Friday’s not good for me. Maid of honor duties,” she added quickly. “I’ll call you.” She purposely left off the when. This way she didn’t have to lie or break a promise.