Real Fake Love (Copper Valley Fireballs #2)(57)

Both.

I’m definitely both.

And it’s not better later that afternoon as we’re hanging out in the visitors’ lounge at the park. Some of the dads have gone sight-seeing or in search of all the lobster they can eat, but some are hanging with us.

No one’s asking Max where his dad is, because we all know his story, and no one’s asking me why my Nonna’s here instead. It’s not exactly an elephant in the room.

More like Glow the Firefly’s butt. We all know there’s something wrong, but no one’s going to talk about it.

And why would we, when Nonna’s in the house?

She’s prancing through the lounge, being TikTok Nonna, the Blow-Up Dinosaur Slayer.

Seriously.

She takes out Cooper, who’s riding Francisco’s blow-up triceratops, by lassoing the dinosaur with a rope made of twenty years’ worth of strung together pantyhose.

I don’t want to know what else she has in her luggage, and for once, I wish the mascots were with us, because Nonna taking out Glow?

I’d sign up for that.

Brooks drops into the seat next to me in the kitchenette, where we have a good view of Nonna doing a second take with Cooper and Darren helping her. And yes, she’s wearing Confucius. I refused to let her take him off. “Your nonna needs to meet my brother-in-law’s nana next time we’re in New York. They’d need bail money.”

“So that’s how I can get rid of her?”

He shoots me a look. “Hasn’t uncursed your junk yet, huh?”

“My junk’s fine.” Getting frustrated, but fine.

“Don’t sound fine.” Francisco claims the seat on my other side and leans in. “Your old lady holding out?”

“No.”

“Ah, man, she is.” He cracks up.

“You won’t be laughing when your abuela puts The Eye on you,” I mutter.

He thumps himself in the chest. “Gotta think forward. Like me. My abuela? She thinks I’m engaged.”

Brooks grins. “Ah, you’re both screwed.”

“Dude. Dating Henri. I’m fine.”

“And you’re in over your head. How long’s she gonna stay with you if you can’t give her what she wants?”

“Says the guy who didn’t even know how to give it to a woman until…when was that? Yesterday?”

“Don’t be ragging on the newly former virgin. His fiancée’s good luck.” Francisco shoves me. “You got your own problems. Don’t make them for the rest of us.”

Brooks tips his chair back. “Luca, if you’re not happy with a woman, forget the curse and get out.”

“It’s not Henri. It’s…” I jerk my head toward Nonna.

“No way, man.” Francisco gives me the don’t do it look. “Your grandmama only wants you to be happy. Don’t ever think she doesn’t.” He lowers his voice. “That makes the curse worse.”

The door opens, and Francisco’s right.

I should not tempt the fates.

Because I thought bad thoughts about Nonna, and now my father’s strolling into the room.

Brooks thumps his chair legs down and shoots me a look.

My failed wedding wasn’t the only thing he witnessed during that year I spent in New York.

Let’s just say he knows my relationship with the old man is rocky at best.

My sperm donor’s bloodshot green eyes settle on me. Lost weight since the last time he came around asking for money. And his gait isn’t entirely steady either.

Fuck.

How the hell did he get in here?

Oh, right.

Because he’s Giovanni Rossi. Still has the name, even if he doesn’t have anything else.

Brooks starts to rise. He glances at Francisco. “Get Santiago.”

I rise too. “No need. I got this.”

“And we’ve got you, okay? Don’t be a dick about having a team.”

I cross the carpet straight-faced like my heart isn’t thumping and my fingers aren’t tingling like they want to go numb. I stare down fastballs coming at me at a hundred miles an hour every single day. I’ve moved six times in my professional career, started from the ground up making new friends and learning to fit into the new flow of a new team six times. Been within spitting distance of tornadoes, hurricanes, and got snowed in once without power.

But facing my father always gets to me like nothing else.

I open my mouth as I stop next to him, and before I can get a syllable out, Nonna’s hip-checking me out of the way. “Gio! There you are. Come give your mama all the hugs.”

He winces, but she growls, and Mob Boss Nonna is once again in the house.

She shoots me another look as she grabs him and tugs—yes, still in her blow-up dinosaur costume—and drags him back out the door.

I should follow, but I don’t want to see him.

I want—

Dammit.

I want sunshine.

I turn, and everyone pretends they weren’t staring. So I lift my cell phone, which isn’t ringing, and mutter, “Gotta take this.”

And then, like a chickenshit, I dash into the nearest closet.

Fuck on a breadstick. I’m dialing Henri.

“Luca! Hey. I was thinking about—”