Page 34 of A Valentine's Day Gift
“Are one of his kids my age?” Jared asked.
“Yes,” she said, back on firm ground. Jared, despite being a daredevil, was the most easygoing of her sons. “His youngest, Angel, is seven too.”
“Angel?” Jared asked, his nose crinkling. “That’s a funny name.”
“It’s short for Angelo,” she said.
Jared shrugged and took a big swallow of milk, leaving a milk mustache that he wiped away with his sleeve.
“Napkin,” she said automatically.
The boys finished up in silence. Jared popped up from the table, and she grabbed him by the arm. “Wait. Does anyone have any questions about tonight?”
Gabe looked at her somberly. “Do we have to dress up?”
“No.”
“Yay!” Jared cheered. “I hate dressing up.” This one played hard; half the time he was covered in dirt.
“What’re they having for dinner?” Luke asked.
“We’ll have to wait and find out,” she said.
“Can we go now?” Gabe asked.
She released Jared. “Yes.”
The boys took off, and she sat at the quiet kitchen table, waiting for the other shoe to drop. That had been way too easy.
~ ~ ~
Allie arrived at Loretta’s colonial home ten minutes early. She’d hustled the boys out with time to spare just so she’d get there on time. She’d baked some brownies for the kids to have for dessert and then merely prayed that her kids would behave themselves. They’d been unusually quiet on the drive over; even Jared had been quiet.
She gathered her boys close on the front porch. “Now remember your manners. Say please and thank you. Call Vinny, Mr. Marino, and call Loretta…shoot. I don’t know her last name. Just wait and see how she introduces herself.”
“We know, Mom,” Gabe said on a long drone. Like she was the most irritating person on the planet.
“We always use our manners,” Luke said. “Are you going to ring the bell?”
“Yes.”
Jared jabbed it multiple times. She yanked his hand away. “Once is enough.”
The door opened to an older Italian woman, wearing an apron, her gray hair in a bun. “Come in, welcome, I’m Mrs. Costa.”
Allie ushered her boys inside, saying, “Thanks so much for having us, Mrs. Costa.” As if the woman hadn’t twisted her arm with good old-fashioned guilt.
Allie glanced over at Vinny and his three boys standing to one side all in a row. Vinny gave her a wink and a smile. She smiled back, her heart warming for this wonderful man she loved so much. She instantly forgave the push that had gotten her here tonight. Without that push, she would’ve dragged her feet indefinitely. Her love for Vinny made this meeting inevitable.
She returned her attention to Mrs. Costa, who was studying her very closely. Allie tried not to squirm.
She offered the brownie tray to their host. “I made dessert.”
Mrs. Costa took the brownies. “You cook?”
“Yes,” she said. “Not an expert or anything, but gotta feed the kids. I’d be fine with salad or cereal.”
Mrs. Costa arched a brow. “Vinny is an excellent cook. I taught him everything I know.”
