kind smile, and there was a beauty mark near her left eye. She had to be Reba, and the handsome salt-and-pepper-haired man with tattoo sleeves rising to his feet beside her had to be Rob. An older man sat in a lawn chair with a tiny white kitten in his lap. Chloe assumed he was Justin’s grandfather. There were three pizza boxes on the table, along with a few beers, sodas, and water bottles.
“Are you using my dogs to win chicks?” Dwayne called out to Justin as they approached.
“Just one dog and one woman.” He squeezed Chloe’s hand, looking at her with that lopsided grin that made her belly tingle. “And the dog now has a name thanks to that very special woman. His name is Shadow.”
“My boy doesn’t need a dog to charm a woman, but that’s a perfect name for the dog. He follows Justin around like Justin is his proud papa.” Reba came around the picnic table with her arms open and said, “Get in here and give me a hug, charmer.”
Justin hugged her and said, “Mom, Preacher, Gramps, this is Chloe Mallery.”
“Formerly known as Uptown Girl,” Dwayne chimed in.
Justin glared at him and said, “Shut it, Gunner.”
“It’s okay, Justin. I hear jealous cousins say all sorts of things,” Chloe teased.
“Oh my goodness. You are fantastic,” Reba said. “We’ve been hearing about you for so long, I feel like you’re already part of the family.” She hugged Chloe, and in a hushed voice, she said, “He’s crazy about you.”
“Mom, I’m pretty sure she knows that already,” Justin said with a shake of his head.
“I do,” Chloe said. “Justin makes it hard not to.”
Rob clapped a hand on Justin’s back. “That’s my boy. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chloe.” He embraced her firmly, the way a father might hug a daughter. “Let me introduce you to Justin’s grandfather, Mike.”
“I can introduce myself,” Mike grumbled as he rose to his feet, holding the kitten. Rob went to him. Mike handed him the kitten and said, “I can walk ten feet, boy.”
Mike ambled over, looking tougher than any grandparent Chloe had ever known in his jeans and a denim shirt.
“You’re a pretty woman,” Mike said in a serious tone. “What are your intentions with my grandson?”
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t that. Justin looked amused. She lifted one shoulder and said, “Well, he’s pretty cute, so I’m hoping to get a few kisses.”
Reba chuckled.
“Just a few?” Mike scoffed.
“The truth is, I was hoping to use him for his body and his money,” Chloe teased. “But I figured that wouldn’t win me any favors with his family.”
Laughter tumbled from Mike’s lips. “That’s more like it.” He gave her a gentle hug and said, “Sit down and have some pizza. You need some meat on those bones.”
“Yes, join us,” Reba said. “We have plenty.”
Chloe looked at Justin, worried about disappointing him if their plans were any further delayed.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those gals who only eats salad, or needs a man’s approval to put something in her mouth.” Mike pointed at Dwayne, who was smirking, and said, “Do not say what you’re thinking.”
“Gramps, you set me up for that one.” Dwayne took a swig of his beer.
“You’ve got a filthy mind, Gunner. A good mind, but filthy as can be.” Mike looked at Chloe and said, “Come on, now. What’s it going to be? Rabbit food or pizza?”
Chloe lifted her chin, and Justin nodded almost imperceptibly, as if he were cheering her on. “Hand over a slice of that pizza,” she said as she sat down at the picnic table. “In fact, I’ll have two, please.”
“Do you want to ask Sid if she wants some?” Justin asked.
Dwayne shook his head. “She and Baz ate an entire pizza before he took off to meet Evie.”
Justin sat beside Chloe and said, “In addition to being Baz’s assistant at the clinic, Evie is his best friend.” He lowered his voice and said, “Thanks for hanging with my family.”
“Thanks for bringing me. This is fun.”
They ate and talked, joking around so much Chloe felt like she’d known his family forever. Shadow slept at Justin’s feet, and every once in a while he’d put his chin on Justin’s leg for a little love, which Justin was happy to give. Chloe took pictures and explained that she enjoyed making keepsakes of fun times, which Reba seemed happy to hear. Reba asked if she could have copies of the pictures, because she said