wide and wild, like she’d never seen anything like us before.
“Like what?” I shot a frown at Dario when his voice got too loud, clearing my throat to get his attention. He glanced around the table, waving at our father in apology.
“Loud.”
“Bella,” I started, shooting her a smile. “You’ve been around us six months now. You’re not used to this bullshit yet?”
“It’s not…bullshit…” Even cursing, the woman was beautiful, and hearing it, seeing how her cheeks flushed, how she glanced toward my mother, like she thought saying something crude in front of her would be disrespectful, did nothing to harden the soft spots the woman had made of my heart.
Fuck. I sounded like some moony punk writing Hallmark cards.
Downing my coffee, I tried to ignore the way she smelled and that sweet, lingering smile she gave me. It was stupid, thinking I could forget anything about her, but things were starting to get to me. She was getting to me.
“Maggie,” Dante said, his voice a little high, like he’d had more than the two mimosas Maria thought, “you should make plans to come with us to the lake house for the Fourth next month.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea,” Ma said, clapping her hands. Despite how she’d reacted last night when Maggie had refused her bag, the woman seemed to light up at my kid brother’s suggestion. “He’d love it there and God knows you could do with a break.”
“Oh…I don’t know.” Next to me, Maggie shifted in her seat, moving the kid to stand when he wiggled. He balanced on her lap, grinning around the table like he knew he had everyone’s attention.
“You can’t say no,” Dante told her, polishing off the last of his mimosa. “It’ll be fun and I’m sure Smoke will take you to Bradford’s cliff. You’ll like that most of all.”
The asshole’s stupid smirk didn’t lower when I glared at him. I wiped my mouth, gaze on my little brother until he finally had the good sense to stop grinning at me.
“What’s…Bradford’s cliff?” Maggie said, holding onto the kid’s hands as he balanced on her lap.
“It’s where Smoke always took his…”
“It’s where Dante will end up if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut,” I interrupted my kid brother.
“Still,” Ma said, waving to get us quiet. “Maggie, you should come. You and the baby. We always try to get out of town for the Fourth, and last year, well, there was too much going on.” My mother shook her head, refusing to look at Dario or Dante. Last year was the first we’d spent together since those two assholes came home. The lake house would have been a bad idea. Too many cliffs. Too much water. Way too many places to hide a body if they pissed each other off.
“I…well, thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Carelli…” At my ma’s frown, Maggie gave her a smile, then stood, likely figuring the offer of handing the kid over would make up for still refusing to call Ma, “Mrs. Carelli” and not “mama.”
“Let’s see you,” Ma said, reaching for Mateo when Maggie held him out to her. “Oh…you’re getting more and more handsome every time I see you.”
“You saw him two days ago,” Pop said, smiling.
My folks had taken to the kid as if he was their grandson and the thought should have bothered me. But as Maggie helped Maria clear away the dishes, ignoring whatever bullshit Dante said to her, and my folks played with the baby, taking turns talking to him like idiots, I couldn’t find it in me to be pissed. Fact was, he was the closest thing they had to a grandson. The thought twisted something in my chest.
“Hey,” she said to me, that pretty smile widening as she leaned over me to grab my empty plate. “I need a favor, but you gotta promise not to laugh at me.”
“Bella, would I laugh at you?”
“Yes, he would,” Dante cut in, howling when I flipped him the bird.
“Name it,” I told Maggie, taking the plates in her hands from her before I made her sit next to me.
“My Outback—”
“That tank!” Dante said, laughing when Maggie shook her head.
No matter what my kid brother said, Maggie was proud of her car. She’d learned her lesson since I’d convinced her to ditch the shit bucket she’d landed here in. It had given out on her a couple months back. The tires on the Subaru were new, the back windshield and paint job I had replaced, without her knowing,