“Cool!” Kate yelled and I heard her scrambling toward the door, following, I knew because I heard her shouts outside, Keira.
Then I heard the door close. Then I heard both the girls shouting outside.
The mingling of family wasn’t supposed to happen, not now, not until Joe and I were having, say, our peony festooned engagement dinner somewhere fancy and close to water (I was thirty-five and this was the second time around but that didn’t mean I didn’t have fantasies), when Bea was comfortable with Joe; Theresa and Vinnie could be briefed about Bea’s delicate disposition; and the situation could be contained.
“Joe –” I whispered and his hand came to my neck.
“Relax.”
“Bea’s shy.”
“Buddy, relax.”
“She spooks easy and Theresa and Vinnie are –”
He dipped his head and kissed me lightly.
When he was done, he asked, “Baby, what’d I say?”
I stared into his blue eyes.
Then I nodded.
His hand slid from my neck to around my shoulders and he walked me through the study, the living room and out the door.
The vision that assaulted us was Kate, Keira and Mooch jumping around Bea, Gary, Uncle Vinnie and Aunt Theresa, Mooch yapping, the girls giving exuberant hugs and kisses.
Then Kate stopped and grabbed Bea’s hand, introducing, “Gram, Gramps, this is Uncle Vinnie and Aunt Theresa, Joe’s folks. They’re awesome!”
Bea started to take a step back but Kate, knowing how her grandmother was, clutched her hand and she got close as Gary’s arm went around Bea’s waist.
“Yeah, they’re awesome!” Keira concurred, her arm around Vinnie, her smile so big, it had to hurt her face.
“This is great, isn’t it Mawdy?” Kate called to me, “like, most of the whole family together.”
“Yeah,” Keira agreed. “All we need is Mel, Benny and Manny and it’d be like a family reunion.”
Theresa and Vinnie were beaming. Gary looked confused. Bea looked scared out of her brain.
One thing was good, the girls were thrilled and I liked it that they already thought of Joe’s family as theirs. I thought it was a little weird, we’d only met them once, but I liked it.
The rest of it was bad.
I disengaged from Joe and walked forward as Kate announced to Theresa and Vinnie, “We so have to do that!”
Oh Lord.
I ignored the reunion planning and went to Bea first. “Hey Bea.”
Kate and Gary let her go and Bea walked into my arms. I gave her a hug and she gave me one back. When she did, I forgot the current drama and felt Tim’s Mom’s arms around me. They’d been around me before, hundreds of times through laughter, through tears and just because. My eyes stung as the memories assailed me and I pulled her closer.
“Honey,” she whispered.
“I’m okay,” I whispered back but my voice was hoarse.
I didn’t let her go and shoved my face in her neck, smelling her perfume, the same scent she wore since forever, and the tears spilled over.
“Oh, my precious girl,” Bea murmured.
“Missed you so much,” I choked.
“Me too, sweetie.”
I pulled my head away and looked at her to see tears in her eyes and I shook my head and laughed, not because it was funny, just because it was so us.
“We’re the pair, aren’t we?” I asked.
She smiled at me and I felt Gary get close.
“Lemme have a bit of that,” Gary demanded, Bea let me go and turned me into Gary’s arms.
“Hey Dad,” I said into his ear.
“Hey there, my beautiful flower.”
His words, words he meant, words I liked, words said so often to me, made me choke again and I shoved my face in his neck. He held tight until I pulled in a steady breath then he let me go and turned us to the rest of the gang. Kate, Keira, Bea and even Theresa had wet eyes. Vinnie was studying his shoes. Joe’s eyes were on me.
Gary’s gaze went to Joe.
“This your new fella?” Gary asked, his voice studiously friendly.
Before I could answer, Keira did. “Yeah, Gramps, that’s Joe. He’s the bomb.”
Gary gave his granddaughter a small smile that I could see he didn’t fully commit to and then he let me go and offered his hand to Joe.
“Joe, I’m Gary.”
Joe took his hand and said, “Pleasure.”
They dropped hands and Gary looked Joe up and down. “Pam didn’t lie, you’re a big guy.”
“Yep,” Joe agreed and said nothing else for this was true, Joe was a big guy.
Gary turned and pulled Bea to his side. “My wife, Bea.”
Joe pulled me to his side as he dipped his chin to Bea and murmured, “Bea.”
“Am I gonna get a kiss or what?” Theresa demanded to know, getting impatient and butting in. Then she bustled up and grabbed Joe’s face, yanking it down to hers, kissing his cheek then his other cheek then back before letting him go and coming to me to do the same thing. When she jerked my head around I understood why Joe didn’t protest. She was jerking my head around, sure, but the affectionate way she did it felt good.
“Cal, son.” Vinnie shoved in, giving Joe a back pounding hug then he turned to me and whispered, “Cara mia,” then he gave me a tight hug, released me and turned to Bea and Gary and asked, “So, momentous occasion, you meetin’ your daughter’s new man.”
“Um… Vinnie,” I said, “these aren’t my parents. They’re Tim’s parents.”
“Tim?” Vinnie asked me.
“My husband,” Vinnie’s eyes got big and I finished quickly, “he died just under two years ago.”
I could swear Vinnie’s face grew knowing and he looked at Joe.
Before I could assess what Vinnie’s knowing look meant, Vinnie said, “Right,” clapped his hands and finished in a booming voice, including Bea and Gary in his announcement, “family’s family, always is, always will be, thank God. Now, I need coffee. We been on the road since six and road coffee is shit.” He leaned into Bea, who leaned back as he said, “Pardon my French.”
Theresa slapped him on the arm and snapped, “Vinnie, the girls. They don’t need to hear your foul mouth.”
“That’s okay, Aunt Theresa, Joe cusses all the time and he says much worse stuff, like the f-word and the c-word.” Keira, doing her best to make Vinnie and Theresa feel better, threw Joe right under the bus.
I groaned because Bea, nor Gary, would shine their light on Joe cursing in front of the girls. The f-word, Gary would accept on occasion, but not in front of the girls. Never Bea, she went to church every Sunday and taught Sunday school for thirty years. The c-word for both, never, ever. Tim didn’t shy away from swearing but he never did it in front of his Mom or the girls and I wasn’t certain I’d ever heard Tim use the c-word.
Joe slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I looked up at him and he definitely looked like he was fighting back laughter now.
I couldn’t see what was funny.
Joe looked down at me, squeezed my shoulder and prompted, “Coffee, buddy.”
“Right,” I whispered, Joe turned me and we led the way to the house.
“Gram, this is my new dog, Mooch,” I heard Keira announce and then I heard Mooch yap his hello.
“He’s cute, honey,” Bea replied quietly.
We hit the house and the minute we did, Joe turned Dad.
“Keira, babe, show Theresa and Vinnie around. Katy, help your Mom with coffee. Yeah?” Joe ordered.
“Sure, Joe,” Kate smiled at him and skipped to the kitchen.
“No probs, big man,” Keira stated on a grin. She dropped Mooch and linked her arms with Vinnie and Theresa, tugging them through the living room into the hall.
I was staring at my youngest daughter, thinking, Big man?
Then I looked at Gary and Bea whose heads were swinging back at forth between the girls.
“Why do
n’t you guys sit?” I suggested. “Coffee’s fresh. Joe brewed a pot not ten minutes ago.”
Gary started then looked at me. “That’d be fine, Vi.”
Bea looked up at Gary. “I need to get my pie out of the cooler, hon.”
“Yeah,” Gary muttered, “right.”
“Pie?” Kate asked from the kitchen where she was taking down mugs.
“I, uh… made, um… Joe here a chocolate cream pie,” Bea answered shyly.
“Killer!” Kate shrieked then screamed, “Keirry, Gramma made Joe a chocolate cream pie!”
“No way!” Keira’s voice shouted from down the hall.
“Way!” Kate shouted back.
“Phenomenal!” Keira yelled.
I looked at Joe and explained, “Bea’s chocolate cream pie is really good.”
Joe’s mouth was twitching before he stated, “I’m gettin’ that.”
“I’ll go get it,” Gary muttered, his mouth also twitching which I hoped was a good sign.
I went to the kitchen. Joe moved to Bea.
“Sorry, Bea, didn’t know Vinnie and Theresa were comin’. You want, I’ll take ‘em somewhere, give you some time with Vi and the girls,” he offered, my stomach melted and Kate leaned into me, bumping me with her shoulder.
“I’m fine, Joe. It’ll be okay but… uh… thank you,” Bea said softly.
Joe wasn’t done. “They can get loud and in your business, it gets too much, just give me the sign, yeah?”
I was worried this was too honest. Being honest was, of course, Joe and it was also sweet but I didn’t want Bea to think I was telling tales out of school.
I held my breath and she looked up at him, not quite meeting his eyes then she lifted a hand. I thought she’d touch him but she dropped her hand and spoke.
“I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
“Right,” Joe muttered and Keira, Vinnie and Theresa came into the room, Keira playing tour guide.
“So this is the living room which comes complete with dining area and views of our sparkling kitchen which I cleaned.” She threw an arm out and sashayed around the room as if she was a paid model, showcasing a luxurious suite before she went on. “And next, you’ll see our fabulous study.”
Joe grinned at Keira, hooked her around the chest as she sashayed passed him and pulled her back to his front. Then he bent and kissed her hair. He let her go and she turned a radiant smile on him before sauntering into the study.
Bea watched him do this then her eyes came to me. I saw the sheen of tears but I also saw her smile.
I smiled back, thinking maybe it all would be okay and then I began to get down to the task of seeing to the coffee but before I could my eyes caught on Theresa.
She was staring at Joe, tears in her eyes too. She seemed locked in place even as Joe moved toward the kitchen, her eyes stayed glued to where he was when he kissed Keira.
“Aunt Theresa!” Keira called. “You’re missing the fabulous study!”
Theresa’s body jolted, her gaze moved swiftly to me then she looked away, swiping her fingers under eyes before turning toward the study.
“Can’t miss the fabulous study,” she called back, forced cheerfulness in her voice.
Vinnie gave her a look then he gave me a look then he gave Joe a look. When Theresa got close, he pulled her into his side. Keira strolled around the study, bringing their attention to the “top-notch, state-of-the-art computer system that Mr. Joe Callahan recently installed” (her words). As Keira spoke, Theresa put her head on Vinnie’s shoulder and I felt a lump of tears hit my throat.
My eyes moved to Bea who was studying these goings-on closely, her face thoughtful.
Joe got close to me and whispered, “First shock of it, baby, they’ll get used to it and it’ll all be good.”
I looked up at him and nodded. He touched his mouth to mine. Gary walked in with the pie.
“And now, Joe and Mom’s phenomenal boudoir!” Keira announced.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
Joe grinned.
Theresa, Vinnie, Bea and Gary all looked at Joe and me.
Joe remained silent.
I resisted the urge to kick him and announced, “Um… by the way, Joe moved in last week.”
Kate came up beside Joe and me and unusually declared very publicly and with a drama that would make Keira proud, “Yeah, and thank God he did, seein’ as my ex-boyfriend, Dane, the Jerk, was a jerk and since Joe was here, he took me for a ride in his Bullitt car.” She looked at Bea and explained like she knew everything about the history of Ford Mustangs (which she might, who knew what she and Joe talked about when I wasn’t around). “That’s a 1968 Mustang GT, Gram,” then she went on to everyone, “and Joe told me that we Winters girls were the best women he’d ever met and if Dane didn’t get with the program he was gonna lose his chance because I shouldn’t put up with anything less than my man handin’ me the world.” This was okay, until she finished. “And, he said if Dane ever hurt me again, he’d break his neck!”
“Oh shit,” I muttered but before I could intervene, Keira skipped toward the living room and carried on with the storytelling.
“Yeah, and when our mean, nasty, loud neighbor bleached Mom’s yard with a dirty word, Joe and me fixed it and Joe said I was the best assistant he ever had and he’s gonna teach me security so I can install systems like he does for people like Nicole Bolton and Jarrod Francis.”
Kate looked at Joe and breathed, “You installed Nicole Bolton and Jarrod Francis’s systems?”
“Not Bolton, babe, but Francis, yeah,” Joe told her.
“Wow! Is he as hot as he is in the movies?” Kate asked.
Joe grinned. “Can’t make that call, Katy.”
Kate grinned back and suggested, “Maybe next time you do a job for him, you can take me along and I’ll let you know.”
Joe shook his head, still grinning then changed the subject. “You called Dane your ex.”
Kate’s grin faded and she said, “Yeah.”
“You make that decision?” Joe asked as if he and Kate didn’t have an audience of six.
“Yeah, last night,” Kate answered, also not concerned about her audience of six.
“You tell him?” Joe asked.
“Texted him,” Kate answered.
“He text back?” Joe went on.
“I turned my phone off,” Kate told him.
Joe wrapped his hand around her neck and stated proudly, “Good play, babe.”
“I can’t wait to get a boyfriend,” Keira sighed dreamily and I heard Bea laugh.
This startled me and my eyes went to Bea to see she was looking at Keira.
“Don’t grow up too fast, honey,” Bea said softly. “It’s not near as fun as it seems.”
“Dane’s hot, Joe’s hotter. I wanna be just like Mom and Kate, lassoing all the good ones in and wrapping them around my finger,” Keira replied ingenuously.
“Someone kill me,” I muttered and Joe burst out laughing, dropped his hand from Kate’s neck, turned to me and wrapped it around mine. Then he pulled me to him for a quick kiss.
Then he turned to Keira. “Finish the tour, Keirry.” His eyes went to Kate. “Get the pie from your grandfather.” Then he turned to the coffeepot and grabbed the handle.
The next ten minutes were spent with Keira finishing up her tour; Kate engaged in the impossible task of finding space in our fridge for the pie; Joe and me handing out coffees; me cutting up a coffee cake, putting it on a plate and setting it on the coffee table; and everyone settling in the living room.
Vinnie and Theresa sat on the couch, Gary with them. Bea sat in an armchair. The girls sat on the floor. Joe sat in the other armchair and I perched on the arm.
Everyone stared at everyone else and sipped their coffee.
Vinnie had eaten two pieces of coffee cake before I said, “Bea, the girls need to go to get their school supplies. We waited for you to get here because we thought you’d like to come with.”
“Yeah
, we need notebooks and pens and rulers and stuff. You always came with us to get our school supplies,” Keira reminded her and Bea smiled at her granddaughter.
“That’d be just fine.” Then she pulled in a visible breath, her smile turned timid and looked at Theresa. “Theresa, would you, uh… like to come with us?”
Theresa glowed. “I’d love to.”
“Good,” Vinnie declared, “gives Cal and Gar and me a chance to do man stuff.”
I bit my upper lip, wondering how Gary would take to being nicknamed “Gar”, not to mention being sucked into “man stuff” with two men he didn’t know when he’d come down to see the girls and me.
“Like what?” Kate asked.
“Anything that doesn’t include shoppin’,” Vinnie answered and Kate giggled.
“You can look after Mooch,” Keira suggested, Mooch in her lap squirming to get out in order to lay waste to something. “He doesn’t like to be in his box much.”
“What kind of dog is that?” Gary asked his granddaughter.
“American Husky,” Keira answered and Gary’s eyes came to me then they went back to Keira.
“What else?” Gary asked and Keira tipped her head to the side.
“What else?”
“Yeah, he got anything else in him?”
“Nope, pure bred,” Keira replied proudly and Gary looked back at me.
“That’s luck, Vi, finding a pure bred puppy at the pound,” he commented, knowing I didn’t have the money to buy a pedigree dog.
“We didn’t get him at the pound. Keira’s friend’s dog had a litter. She fell in love with them so Joe bought him for her,” I blurted, not thinking, too freaked out by the morning to watch my words.
“What?” Kate and Keira asked in unison.
“Shit,” Joe muttered as my body tensed and I looked at my girls.
“Um…” I started.
“Joe bought him?” Keira asked and the look on her face was a look I’d never seen before on my daughter. She had a great number of expressions. Her face always spoke volumes most of which I was fluent in. This one I was not.
“Um…” I repeated trying to read her expression and Keira looked at Joe.
“You bought him?” she whispered.
“Vi,” Joe murmured on a prompt, clearly not wishing to wade in this time.