“You’re an easy person to love.” I literally stop walking when those words leave his mouth. “Come on.” He pulls me back along. I’m not sure he understands what he is saying. Has he forgotten I grew up in foster care? My parents literally didn’t want me. I’d almost been adopted a few times, but the keyword there is almost. No one truly wanted me. So I grew up thinking I was the opposite of easy to love. I thought there was something wrong with me.
“I’m saying I can see why people warm to you so quickly. Your loyalty is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There was a reason I wanted you to be my wife.”
Holy crap. He has to drop all that on me right now? Seconds before I’m about to meet his mother and probably make a total fool of myself?
“Is this her?” A woman with short silver hair comes rushing out of the kitchen toward us. She’s taller than me. “You’re gorgeous.” She has a kind face and a warm smile that puts me at ease immediately.
“Thank you,” I say, suddenly feeling bashful at all of her attention.
A giant smile lights up her face. I let go of Vinny’s arm because I can tell she’s coming in for a hug. She wraps her arms around me tight.
“Is that why you scooped her up so quickly, Vincent? Worried someone was going to steal her from you?” She pulls back from the hug but doesn’t let me go. Her hands are still on my shoulders as she gushes all over me.
“I was shocked someone didn’t already have a ring on her finger. When you know, you know,” he responds. Once again, his words take me by surprise.
“You know, his father has been saying when you know, you know for years to Vincent about me, and he always rolled his eyes, thinking his own father was nuts for marrying someone a week after they met, but here we are. Like father, like son.” Her gray eyes almost sparkle. I now know where Vinny got his from. “I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Fay, but you can call me Mom. I know, I know.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m coming on strong, so until you’re more comfortable with me, Fay is fine.” She looks at Vinny. “See, I told you I’d be good and not too strong. I pulled it back a touch.” I fight a laugh and lose out. They clearly had a talk before he brought me out to meet her.
“I’m Julieta, but everyone calls me JJ. Unless you’re your son and call me Jules.”
“Both are so pretty. They fit you. I think—”
“Jules is mine, and I’m not sharing,” Vinny cuts in on her. Fay doesn’t seem to mind. Vinny’s behavior only causes her smile to grow more.
“JJ it is, then.” She releases her hold on me, only to grab my hand and start pulling me toward the kitchen. I’m thinking Vinny is more like his mom than anything. “Sorry I was fussing in the kitchen. I’m so used to popping in and making sure he’s got food to eat that doesn’t always come in a box or that gross powder stuff he drinks.” She makes a face. “I don’t mean to step on your toes. You just tell me if I am.” Vinny follows us into the kitchen.
“It’s fine. I’m still kind of moving in,” I admit.
“I didn’t notice any of your things here.”
“Her stuff is being packed up even as we speak.” Damn, I want to ask him how he did all that already, but that is something I should know.
“Are we still going to do a reception or something? Or a second wedding for guests?” Fay asks as she slips some containers into the fridge. I keep my mouth closed. Vinny can lead here.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Oh,” I can see her disappointment, but she quickly tries to hide it. “Well, what if we do something so we can meet her family?”
“I don’t really have family.” Fay’s face softens. “I mean, I have Rae. She’s my best friend, but she’s more like a sister really. We got put in the same group home when we were teenagers, and she has a twin brother Travis. They’ve been my family.”
“Well then, that’s going to change. You’re married now, and you’re a Castillo. Soon you’ll see you have a mom and dad, but I still want to meet your family. Rae and Travis.”
“Travis works at the docks here for us. He’s the reason I found my Jules. She’s been living in Seattle. Got a job there after she finished college, but now she’s coming back home.”
“I bet that made your Rae happy.”
“It did. It’s nice to be back. I never really wanted to go, but the job wasn’t one I could turn down at the time.”
“How about this, Mom? She was working for Ivan Lawson.”
“The grump from Princeton?” I snort a laugh at her description. It really is a small world sometimes.
“That’s the one.” Vinny chuckles with me.
“I could never get that boy to smile, but he did love my cinnamon rolls.” I want to laugh even harder at her calling Lawson a boy. “He’s one of those types that the right girl will knock him right on his booty.”
“I’ve never seen or heard anything about him dating, and I see his schedule. It’s packed full of work, so I don’t think he could be hiding dates anywhere if he didn’t want the office to know about it. I’m only one of his four assistants.”
“Four! Jiminy Crickets.”