Page 44 of Hail Marry
Probably because a lot of things haven’t come up yet in our short time knowing each other.
“There you are, babe!” Victoria comes out from behind the counter and runs toward me in yoga pants and bare feet with red toenails. She throws her arms around my shoulders, then pulls my mouth to hers.
My body wants to go into shock mode, but my brain is vaguely aware that we have an audience, so it takes me a second, but I kiss her back. I expect a short peck, but she lingers long enough that I start to feel the stirrings of the same things I felt at our photoshoot.
After a few seconds with our lips locked, I’m convinced I’ll open my eyes to Austin’s fist flying at my face for kissing his sister like this in front of him.
Finally, Victoria pulls away.
Austin’s fist is nowhere in sight.
Victoria smiles at me, with the faintesthelp meencoded in her pretty eyes. “How was your day?”
“Uh, good,” I say. “How was yours?”
“Good. Except for missing you.” She goes up on her toes and kisses me again.
Dang. That’s probably how I should’ve answered.
She looks at the two cans and one glass jar in my hand and smiles. “You remembered! Thank you, hun.” She grabs them, then sets them down before threading her fingers through mine and pulling me toward the kitchen.
I’m living in an alternate universe. But it’s one I helped create. I feel like I got out of a Jumanji board game, and now I’m getting stuck in monsoons and stampedes.
My gaze meets Austin’s. The man is staring me down, and I can’t blame him. His fist may not be punching me, but his thoughts are.
“Luca,” Victoria says, “meet my brother, Austin, and his wife, Mia.”
Mia’s closer, so I put out my hand to shake hers. She’s got a familiar face, and I vaguely remember seeing something about Austin Sheppard marrying another musician. She’s a pretty brunette, and she’s smiling at me, but she’s definitely doing her own evaluation.
I put out my hand to shake Austin’s, but he’s got his arms crossed, and they stay that way.
“Austin,” Victoria says in an annoyed voice, while Mia elbows him.
“Sorry, Luca,” Victoria says. “My brother thinks so highly of himself that he can just show up without any notice and then stare people down.”
“Oh,” Austin says, his brows going up in mock incredulity. “Are we not doing surprises in this family? ‘Cause, see, after your surprise wedding text, I was under the impression that anything was fair game.”
“Very funny,” Victoria says dryly, but the man has a point.
He turns his gaze to me again. “Do you know who I am?”
Victoria scoffs and shakes her head.
“Yeah,” I say.
“Do you like my music?”
Victoria’s wide, intent eyes fix on mine, begging me to say yes and tell him he’s my favorite artist.
But I’m not a good liar, and my abilities are already being taxed to the maximum at the moment.
“Um, no. Not really.”
Victoria shuts her eyes in chagrin, and Austin stares at me. The room is fraught with tense silence as I wait for…I don’t even know what.
Then Austin’s hand shoots out, waiting for me to shake it. “I like an honest man, which is why I’ll return your honesty with my own: that pass you dropped against the Bruins in the third quarter this season was inexcusable.”
“Austin!” Mia says, horrified.
