He acted like she had a contagious disease.
She pushed that aside and spent the next few minutes assuring her sister and cousin everything was under control. Once she managed to convince them she just needed a moment alone to gather her composure, she pulled out her phone and texted Dev: Ready.
His reply came back within thirty seconds: Be there in 5
A small flutter in the pit of her stomach accompanied a rush of relief as she sent back: I’m in the kitchen, so drive around to the back service entrance.
She wasn’t even going back out to the party to say goodbye. Knowing Celia, their brothers would get the low-down before the last gift was unwrapped, and she wanted to be long gone by then. Although their questions and advice came from a place of love, it was starting to get a little repetitive the third or fourth time around.
A loud creak from behind had her nearly jumping out of her skin. She whirled around with a gasp, phone clutched in her fist.
“Perdõna, mija.” Elena extended her hand, palm out. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Shelby sagged against the island counter at the sight of Dev’s mom, her knees weak from the surge of adrenaline. Two seconds later, she found herself wrapped in the petite Spanish woman’s arms. She clung to her, the comfort of her reassuring hug triggering a rush of unexpected emotion. With her own mom back in D.C., Elena was the next best thing.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I was in the pantry—”
Shelby pulled back with a low groan. “Please don’t ask me if I’m okay.”
Elena gave her a gentle smile. “I already know you’re fine. I heard you say it at least three times. Possibly four.”
“Well, I am.” She looked away, and then recalled the rest of her conversation with Celia and Raine. Crap. “What I said about Dev…”
His mother arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow while moving around to the other side of the island to grab a chocolate chunk cookie from a loaded tray. “What did you say about Dev?”
“I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. And I know he’ll do a good job. It’s just, well…” She shrugged her shoulders. “He can be a little, um…”
“Bossy? Overbearing? Arrogant?”
Shelby’s lips quirked as she raised her gaze to meet Elena’s across the counter. “Yeah.”
“He always has been,” she agreed. “I imagine it served him well in the Army, but it’ll take him a while to realize this isn’t the military.”
“Oh, he knows. I’m not so sure he cares.”
Elena’s soft laugh faded to a sigh. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t his choice to leave, so the transition may take a little longer.”
A seed of sympathy took root with the reminder. She accused him of treating her like a five year old, but maybe next time she could stop herself from acting like one.
“You know, I recall you two palling around quite a bit when you were younger.”
The thoughtful note in the older woman’s musing brought forth her own memories—and a slight frown. “He was nice enough to tolerate me tagging after him. And that ended the moment he got his first girlfriend. He discovered cars and girls, and I was still playing with frogs.”
His mother made a sound that was neither disagreement nor agreement. But she didn’t know that things had really changed about the time Shelby hit thirteen, right after he’d graduated high school and left for the Army. And then there was the whole mortifying rejection at sixteen.
Elena braced her elbows on the counter while breaking off a small chunk of the cookie in her hand. But she didn’t eat it as she raised her gaze. “Can I ask you to do something for me?”
The solemnity in her expression quickened Shelby’s pulse. “Of course.”
“Both my boys lost a part of themselves out there in the world.”
It was strange to hear her call them boys when both Dev and Reyes were strong, capable men. And yet, to their mother, she guessed that’s what they’d always be—her boys.
“I’m sure they’ve dealt with things you and I can’t even imagine,” Shelby murmured.
“I know that. And I worry it’s too much for them to carry alone, but neither of them will open up to me or Estefan. They keep everything to themselves because they don’t want us to worry.”
> “And that makes you worry more.”