“It’s just that…” she hesitated then said, “I’m really very sorry to barge in on your family dinner, Ally.”
“That’s okay, Amalea. Mom invited my brothers and their wives without telling Ren and me, so it evens out.”
She grinned.
Then she looked down, reached out and touched my hand briefly, before she looked up and caught my eyes.
“He says he’s moving on,” she said softly, her words confusing me.
“I’m sorry?” I asked.
“From Vito,” she explained, and I pressed my lips together. “Some months ago, he told me he met a girl, he cares a good deal for her, so now it’s time.”
Some months ago.
Ren made this decision some months ago.
How cool was that?
Again she reached out and touched my hand before she whispered, “I certainly am happy to meet you, Ally.”
I got her.
She lost a husband; she was terrified of losing a son.
And she was giving me credit.
I didn’t let her move her hand, but caught it and told her, “He’s doing it for you, too.”
“He’s been going to do it for me for years now, honey.”
Interesting.
“Now he’s doing it,” she continued. “Angela has been talking about it. Dom’s mother, Ramona has been talking about it. Vito’s angry about it. But Lorenzo isn’t backing down.”
I nodded. “He’s got his mind made up and he already has plans for the future.”
Her eyes grew intense on me and they were far from unhappy. “This, I can see.”
I got that, too.
Again with the melty.
Jeez. What was up with me and the melty?
“As crazy as this night started,” I told her, “I’m glad you and the girls were here.”
“Me too, Ally.”
I grinned.
She grinned back.
“Ally, sweetheart, are you and Amalea coming?” Dad called, and I rolled my eyes at Amalea because Dad was likely calling because he was worried she caught me and I wouldn’t want to be caught.
See?
A good dad.
I pulled her hand up, tucked it in the crook of my arm and we walked with our drinks into the family room.
I stopped because everyone was lounging, except Lee and Indy were standing, Lee’s arm around her shoulders, hers around his waist.
This was not weird, entirely. Lee didn’t often have Indy close when he wasn’t claiming her in some way.
It was just weird they were standing.
My eyes went to Ren to see his eyes were doing a sweep of his mom and me. They stopped on his mom’s face, where it was clear he approved of what he saw, before he looked to me. He was also sitting in an armchair and he tipped his head to the armrest.
Seems another alpha hot guy wanted to claim his woman (yes, again, melty).
I let Amalea go and moved across the room to him. I sat my ass on the rest, felt his arm slide around my hips, and looked up at Indy to see she was looking at me.
But it was Dad who spoke.
“We had a lot of surprises tonight, but now I’ll explain one. And that is that Lee and Indy and Hank and Roxie are here because Lee asked that they be.”
What?
