Page 11 of Hidden Rocco
She tilted her head and pushed her plate back. He took her dish and placed it under his so he could clean up once the conversation ended. “No, you didn’t. If you help me ensure this hotel is in tip-top shape by summer I can pay you very well.”
So this was a job offer. His mind raced and his skin buzzed. If he gave her too much information, she might call the police. Rocco folded his hands on the table. “That’s generous.”
She pursed her lips. “It’s not really. I could use a second person around.”
If he stayed here, was he hidden away enough? Or was this too dangerous? “You don’t know anything about me, ma’am.”
She leaned closer. “I told you my name is Mica, so you don’t call me ma’am.”
Rocco had no right to call her by name as she was a good and kind woman. He stood fast. “You’re a lady and deserve to be treated with respect.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “And calling me ma’am is respectful?”
He gave a quick nod of his head and finished clearing the table to show he wasn’t worth her time. “You are absolutely my superior and I’m happy to help out around here for a bit.”
She reached over the dishes and squeezed his thumb. He glanced up at her and she said, “Rocco, look…my ex’s family might come for Jacob.”
Wait. Her son was in danger? She was clearly a caring mother. He met her gaze and asked, “Why are you alone?”
She sucked in her bottom lip and then let it go. “I… I can defend myself but it would be nice if… if I had someone like you here to ensure I had the chance to, or just to call the emergency number I’ll give you.”
Bad people didn’t listen to a simple no. He’d had breakfast, lunch and dinner with men who would and could hurt her with no qualm.
The hotel chalet was quiet due to the remodel and out of the way, so perhaps he could stay for a while to protect her and Jacob. He stacked the dishes and stood. “You want me to watch your back.”
She looked at her son, who was sleeping, and followed him to the sink. “Hopefully this is just me being paranoid, but I can pay well.”
He washed the dishes without saying a word, considering his options. Silence clung in the air except for the birds that chirped outside the window. The white snow on the ground and trees would melt soon. Once the last fork was in the drying rack, he let out a deep breath. “Don’t pay me. Just send the money to my mother, and I’d rather her not know it’s from me.”
She folded her hands on the counter next to him, her foot propped against her opposite calf like she’d been a dancer. “Give me her address.”
Mica oozed grace and beauty from every cell of her body. He’d do his best to help her while he was here. He kept his head down. “Okay. Thank you, ma’am.”
She stood taller but her lips pursed. “I’d like to hear you call me Mica though.”
In a few days or at most weeks, he’d leave, but her memory was going to last for years. He turned and noticed the birds in a pine tree outside the window despite the snow on the tips.
Life was beautiful here. It fit the woman beside him. He met her gaze. “Mica’s an unusual name, ma’am.”
She let out ahmm, but then set her toes on the floor. “It’s short for Michaela. My mother had a thing for angels. My brothers are Gabriel and Raphael.”
A good woman from a good family. He gave her a half-smile. “I had two brothers, neither worth talking about, both dead but definitely not angels.”
She pressed her hand to his bicep. “That had to be hard.”
Goosebumps grew on his arm and down his body from her touch. He moved to end the contact so he could breathe easier. A prisoner wasn’t good for a lady. “I’m not exactly the kind of man your type associate with, ma’am, but I’ll do my best to ensure no one gets in here.”
She tapped the side of her cheek and studied him. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I have over a decade of HR and management skills. I’ve been hiring and firing employees for years now and I can tell you’ll be a good worker, and my despite your lack of bags, I get the sense you’re honest to the core.”
The parole board didn’t have that opinion of him last month.
But her faith was something he’d try to meet. He brushed against her shoulder while he stared at the bird and said, “I’ll live up to that, ma’am.”
She bumped his side once more on purpose and he glanced at her as she said, “And I’ll look forward to when you’re comfortable enough to call me Mica.”
She was the kind of woman a man never forgot. Her kiss would probably taste better than chocolate and he’d wanted chocolate for years.
Today he breathed free air. Today was already sweet because Mica was here. He glanced down at her. “Can I ask you a question?”
