At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(169)

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.”