“I want a word.”
“What—like a safe word?”
“Yeah. A drop-everything-and-save-me word.”
“Okay. Pick one.”
She was quiet for a second, her brow taut with concentration. “Turbulence.”
He chuckled. “Good word. Okay—you say ‘turbulence,’ and I will drop everything and save you. So, you ready?”
She climbed out of his H3—literally climbed. The truck sat up high, and she was little, so she turned and climbed down as if she were on a ladder. He’d have loved to be able to pick her up and help her out, but instead, he just waited, and closed the door once she hopped to the ground. Then he leaned down close. “Lay one on me.”
She kissed him, and he made the most of it. When she pulled back, she muttered, “They’re gonna hate me.”
“No, they won’t. They’re gonna be surprised, because I never brought a girl to meet my family before, but they’re not gonna hate you. They’re good people, Manny. Promise.”
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her little blue shorts. She looked cute and young today, in shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers, her hair back in a simple ponytail, and none of the heavy eye makeup she often wore. “Okay. It’s your dad, three brothers, two sisters, a sister-in-law, and a kid. Right? That’s everybody? Seven handshakes. But no hugs.”
“I told you, you don’t have to let anybody hug you. Trey’ll want to shake your hand, too. And my brother John has a new girlfriend. I don’t know if she’ll be here or not. Oh—and Pop’s lady friend, Mrs. D. She’s old school, and she’ll want to hug you, but I’ll head her off. So be ready for ten handshakes. Okay?”
“Fuck, Luca. Fuck.”
“I know. But you’re a tough little shit. It’s gonna be okay.” He was worried, actually. She looked paler even than normal and absolutely terrified. He was pushing her far—he had pushed her far—to get her to agree to join him on the beach for the Fourth of July.
The town of Quiet Cove was having a big celebration, with the boardwalk as the centerpiece. The boardwalk and public beach were full to bursting with holiday revelers, but Luca’s older sister, Carmen, owned a little house and a slice of beach just past the public area, and the Paganos were gathering there. This was nothing like the Memorial Day bash that their father threw every year. This was just the family gathering, playing and eating and then heading off to the town’s celebration in different groups, whenever they saw fit.
She took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
He went to the back of his truck and pulled out the necessary beach shit, and they went around Carmen’s house to meet his family.
They were the last in. Where family obligations were concerned, Luca was usually last in. As they came around the house and saw the sheer number of people Manny was about to meet, and watched their expressions shift as they saw him and comprehended that he had, for the first time ever, brought a date, he realized that he’d made a tactical error. He should have prepared them. He had not said a single word to any of his family about her.
Not for any reason other than he hadn’t seen any family outside of work since Sunday. Training Anthony had sucked a big chunk of his free time, and he’d been spending what was left with the little slip of a woman at his side. He wouldn’t say it hadn’t occurred to him to mention her, but there had never been a time to do so.
They were going to be shocked, and Manny was going to feel that. Fuck.
Well, too late now.
Carlo broke the collective family gaping trance and came up to them, a bemused smirk on his face. “Hey, man. You brought a friend.” They gripped hands.
“Yeah. Carlo, this is Manny.” He went for it. What the hell. “My girlfriend.”
Carlo was smooth, so his shock was manifested merely as a lift of his eyebrow and then was gone. Luca knew that Manny would miss it completely. Then he turned his suave, city boy smile on her and held out his hand. “Manny. This is going to sound like a line, but have we met?”
Manny shook his hand and then yanked back. Carlo noticed but didn’t say anything. “Yeah. I manage the band that played at your wedding.”
“Right! You called Luc’s truck a giant phallus. And told him he had a tiny dick.”
Luca was happy to see her smile a little. “Um, yeah. I did. I was right about the first one, but wrong about the second. He’s not compensating. He’s showing off.”
Good girl! Luca was proud. That was the Manny he’d hoped had come with him today. That Manny would get through this fine. She might even have a good time.