Page 65 of And Everything In Between

“And if you crash from it later, I’m right here.”

He stole a kiss before closing her door. When he got inside, he turned to her and asked, “My turn, you sure you ready for this?”

“You mean meeting your momma and sister?” Paige teased. “I’ve been ready.”

He grinned and kissed her knuckles. “You’ll charm ’em. You already got me.”

#

The smell of barbecue hit them before they even parked. Smoke billowed from behind the garage, and music thumped low from a speaker playing The Ohio Players. A folding table sat under a canopy, stacked with foil pans and Tupperware. Lawn chairs formed loose circles, and kids ran wild between setups, juice boxes, and hot dogs in hand.

“You do this every year?”

“Yeah, they work hard and a lot of them sacrifice time with family to ensure this shit run the way it should. I’d be nothing without them.”

Giovanni pulled up to the curb, hopped out, and opened Paige’s door. She stepped out in her sandals and white off-shoulder sundress, eyes scanning the scene. It brought back flashbacks from their first night. The same vibe was before her.

“You nervous?” he asked, grabbing the bags of drinks and chips they’d picked up.

“Nope.” She popped her sunglasses on. “I’m tryna decide who I want to impress first.”

Giovanni chuckled. “Betsy, my mom is over there in the striped sundress. Spirit got the braids and the iced tea. They’re cool people and you ain’t gotta impress anybody. Be you.”

“Always.”

They made their way toward the grill, where a couple of his guys from the shop were flipping meat and nodding along to the beat. Paige felt the eyes on her as they moved through the crowd. Not shady or hostile, that small-town curiosity that came whenever someone new stepped into an established circle. These were Giovanni’s people, folks who’d watched him grind for years, who’d celebrated his wins and probably helped him through the losses. She couldn’t blame them for wondering who this woman was that had their boy looking so damn happy.

Giovanni didn’t flinch at the attention. His hand stayed firm at the small of her back, guiding her through the room like she belonged—because to him, she did. He wasn’t parading her like a prize. He was bringing her in. Introducing her to people who mattered.

Because he’d brought women around before, sure. But not like this. This time, he felt it in his chest. This time, he was nervous—not because he questioned her, but because he didn’t want her to questionthem.Ever.

And that? That meant something to Paige. She’d been someone’s secret, someone’s “we’ll see.” But this—like everything else between them—was honest. Present. Real.

“Ma! Spirit! Come meet my lady, Paige.”

His mother turned first, face lighting up. Giovanni got his color from her. She was beautiful, sure, but it was more than that, there was a calmness in her that made everything make sense. Paige could tell: the softness her man carried came from this woman right here.

“Ohhh, so this is the one.” Arms wide, grin wider. “I was starting to think you were a myth.”

Paige laughed and leaned into the hug. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Don’t be nice,” Spirit said, approaching with her cup in hand and a grin that matched her brother’s. “Oh brother, you got a fine wine here. And I recognize you. It all makes sense now.”

Giovanni groaned, but Paige grinned. “Well, I’m flattered... I think.”

Spirit sipped her drink. “You should be. I saw the video. I’ll be in the wedding, but I’m not wearing heels.”

The four of them laughed, and the ice broke.

Giovanni’s mom looped her arm through Paige’s without warning, firm but affectionate. “Come sit with me, baby. I wanna know everything.”

Before Paige could even glance back for backup, Giovanni was already being pulled away by Rolani, calling him over with some drama at the grill. Smoke was rising, and voices were getting louder.

Giovanni squeezed her hand. “I’ll be right back, baby. You good?”

“I’ll be fine,” Paige said, even though she felt like she’d been handed over like a baton in a relay. “Go on.”

He gave her that look, double-checking.

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