Annie was getting ready to graduate with a nursing degree and was dating a nice man who was working (he was a fireman) but would try to stop by later. And Jenny was starting her first year at college, going for a general associate’s degree until she figured out what she wanted to do with her life.
Jenny had informed her of all this as they’d wandered the house. Every person Gina had been introduced to welcomed her with a huge smile. She was torn between wanting to roll around in their warm happy family vibes like a kitten in a fleece blanket and running for the hills before she somehow destroyed their mojo. Or they destroyed hers.
“Well,” Linda said, “dinner should be about set. Let’s go see if Charlie’s ready.”
Charlie, Rick’s dad, was apparently the cook in the family. At least for special occasions. He was in the kitchen stirring some delicious-smelling steak strips in a big slow cooker and laughing with one of Rick’s brothers-in-law. Gina’s eyes widened at the display spread out on the counter. Three large slow cookers held steak strips, chunks of chicken, and shredded pork. Alongside those was every taco fixing you could think of: shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, lime wedges, refried beans, salsa, three different kinds of guacamole, and tortilla chips.
“You’re lucky you came tonight,” Rick murmured in her ear. “Dad’s taco nights are legendary.”
Someone handed her a plate and she followed the flow of people through the line. Rick heaped his plate and grinned broadly when Gina did the same. They ate out on the deck under the waning sun with his family spread all around. When they were all full to busting and the sun had set, they kicked on the white Christmas lights strung all over the deck and sat back to chat.
“So, what’s it going to be tonight?” Linda asked.
Suggestions of Pictionary, Pyramid, Taboo, Wheel of Fortune, and other game names started flying. Gina looked at Rick, eyebrows raised in question.
“Taco night is also game night,” he said with a wink.
“You guys do this how often?”
“Every weekend. We don’t always do the games if not everyone can come, but since there’s so many of us…”
They finally settled on Pyramid and divided up into teams. Rick and Gina were paired together with a decidedly speculative gleam in Jenny’s eye. That girl was nothing but trouble. Gina couldn’t help but love her, though. Her enthusiasm for everything was infectious.
They went through several rounds with each team racking up more and more points. Gina was surprised at how well she and Rick did. She’d never been a big game player, but her initial hesitance evaporated with the lighthearted spirit of the game. It finally came down to a tie between Linda and Charlie and Rick and Gina.
Rick’s parents started their round out fairly well. Hell, they’d been together since high school. They knew each other so well that all one had to do was say a word or two and the other almost immediately got it. It was like watching an episode of Will & Grace during one of their game nights. But then Charlie choked, missing his last clue.
Everyone hooted and hollered. All Rick and Gina needed to do was get three more points and they would win.
Rick jumped up and Gina followed, adrenaline rushing through her.
“You ready?” Rick asked, holding his clue card out in front of him.
“Lay ’em on me,” Gina said.
The second his mom flipped over the timer he began rapid-firing words at her.
“Frosting. Sprinkles. Edible glitter.”
“Things you’d put on cupcakes! Or cake!”
“Right!” He dropped the card and grabbed another one. “Mayonnaise. Sugar.”
“Things that you eat.”
He shook his head. “Snow. Lotion… My legs.”
“Things that are white!” Gina shouted, laughing.
“One more point to win!” Jenny said.
Rick pulled the last card and frowned for a second. “The Godfather.”
“Things that you watch?”
He shook his head. “Thugs. Hit men. Money.”
“Um…things that are scary?”
“Five seconds!” Jenny said.
Rick’s face brightened. “Alejandro!”
Gina jumped up. “Things that are in the Mafia!”
“Yes!”
“Time!” Jenny said.
“We won!” Rick bent and picked Gina up, wrapping his arms beneath her butt to hold her aloft.
She laughed and held on to his shoulders as he spun her around. His family laughed and chattered along with them. Rick seemed to realize how close they were about the same time Gina did. Their laughter died down and he slowly lowered her to the ground, his eyes burning into hers the whole way. Every inch of her body tingled with little electric shocks where it came into contact with his. When her feet finally touched the ground again she expected him to let go. But he didn’t. Instead he pulled her closer. She looked up at him…