8. Tate
8
TATE
“Tate,” Gigi squeals as she comes barreling through the front door of the shop with Pike behind her. “I’ve missed you.”
She sucks me up into an almost suffocating hug, but I don’t fight it. I’ve missed my cousin. Over the last handful of years, as I was developing the concept for the Chicago branch of Inked, I spent a lot of time in Florida and the most time with Gigi and Lily.
While I love my cousins here in Chicago, my Florida cousins are closer to me in age. We have more in common, which makes getting along easier. And if I’m honest, I look up to my cousin Gigi. She has her shit together and has everything I want in her own personal and professional life.
“Look at you,” she says, pulling back and letting her gaze rake over me. “As hot as ever.”
“Thanks, cousin. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“What’s this?” she asks, moving my hair away from the side of my neck. Her eyes immediately narrow. “Is that a…”
My stomach drops, and I move my hand to the very spot she’s inspecting. Wylder didn’t. He wouldn’t. Would he?
“You have a hickey,” she breathes, and indeed, Wylder did, and he would. She gives me a little shove on the shoulder. “Good for you, girl. I hope he’s hot as fuck.”
“Primo,” Timber says as he strolls by and lifts his fingertips to his lips, kissing their tips. “Chef’s kiss.”
Gigi giggles at Timber’s ridiculousness. “I hope I get to meet him.”
“He’ll be here tonight.”
“Excellent,” she says as Pike drops a duffel that must weigh a ton based on the loud thump as it lands on the tile.
“Hey, Tater Tot,” Pike says as he moves in to kiss my cheek. “We’ve missed you. You should come down and visit us this winter. Soak up a little sunshine and shit. Everyone would like to see you.”
“Maybe I will do that.”
I love the Florida side of the family. Part of me wishes they lived here and that we would’ve grown up together. I can’t imagine the amount of fun and trouble we would’ve gotten into. Maybe that’s why the branches live so far apart—they know it would be disastrous.
“Are you ready for this week?” I ask them. “This is a new experience, and you’re both booked almost completely full. I made sure to leave a little wiggle room here and there.”
“That’s great news. I’m stoked for this week.”
Dad stalks into Inked with two suitcases, one in each hand, as they try to roll in different directions at the same time. Somehow, he maintains control of them both and looks effortless doing it, too.
“Hey, Daddy,” I say, giving him my sweetest smile because he deserves nothing less.
“Kiddo.” He smiles back with so much kindness.
He’s set the bar. I refuse to accept anything less than the amount of love he shows me and Tilly. I want it all. The entire package. So far, Wylder’s come pretty damn close, but only time will tell if we’re just in the honeymoon period where he’s the best version of himself. We’ll see if the mask slips sometime soon, revealing an entirely different person hiding underneath.
“Let me help you, Ang,” Pike says, taking a suitcase from my father’s hand, along with the heavy duffel. “You wanna show me where we’re staying?”
“I’ll take him,” Dad says before I have a chance to reply.
My father spent countless hours helping me remodel the upstairs so it would be comfortable when family visited. It was a win-win for the entire family. Even if they weren’t doing a guest spot at Inked, they’d have somewhere to stay so none of our lives would have to be disrupted.
Our homes here aren’t like our family’s in Florida. They have huge houses, which are closer to mansions than our small Southside dwellings. They have spare bedrooms, something that is an expensive and unnecessary luxury for people living in the city.
“The shop looks better in person than in photos. You did damn good, girl,” Gigi says as she turns around, soaking in the design. “You really did do copy-paste with a little twist.”
“I had to go edgier.”
“Hell yeah. And it fuckin’ rocks too.”
“Thanks for doing this,” I tell her.
“I was chomping at the bit to get here.”
“I mean everything, Gigi. Without your backing for this shop as a branch of Inked, I don’t know if it would’ve been as big of a success as it has been so far.”
“Are you kidding me? The idea was brilliant. I’m just pissed I didn’t come up with it myself. And everybody is excited to have their turn to come up here to do a spot and visit the family.” She stops in front of a black-and-white I took last time I was in Florida. It’s of the outside of her shop, with palm trees illuminated by the setting sun. “This is so pretty.”
“I had to have a piece of the original here.”
“I’d like a copy of this for our shop. And if you could take something similar of this location, I’d like a copy of that, too, to hang with it.”
I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face. “I’d be honored.”
“You have a great eye. You should’ve been a photographer.”
“You think?”
“The lighting is spectacular in this one,” she says, pointing to the palm trees in the photo. I waited hours for just the right light and took so many variations to find the perfect one. “If you don’t make it in tattoos, you can with a camera.”
“My tattoo skills are still just average, but I want to be part of this shop as more than just the owner.”
“Maybe piercing is your thing. Lily could maybe show you a thing or two when she’s up here next month. Talk it over with her. She wasn’t into drawing and art, but she’s good with a needle. I think she secretly gets pleasure out of stabbing people.”
I don’t know why, but I burst into a fit of giggles thinking about my bookworm, shy cousin randomly stabbing people with a wicked smile on her face. I could one hundred percent see her finding immense joy in someone else’s pain.
“She’s a sadist, but she’ll never admit it. No one would ever believe me either because she looks like she shits rainbows.”
I laugh harder, and my eyes start to water, probably ruining my makeup, but I don’t care. Gigi’s cracking me up with how she’s talking about Lily.
The door pops open, and my brother strolls in like he owns the place and not me. “Cousin,” he calls out, moving to pick her right up off the floor like she’s a yard ornament.
She smacks at his arms, but it’s no use. My brother is bigger than her. She may as well be swatting a fly when her small hands land against his big biceps. “You big oaf. Put me down,” she hisses, but she’s smiling at him when she says it.
“You love me,” he teases her, not releasing her either. “Say it, and I’ll let you down.”
“You’re an idiot,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Say it.” He smiles down at her, and it’s easy to see the family resemblance. There’s a look to the Gallos. The men are born big, like they’ve been bred that way for centuries, deep in the mountains of Italy.
“Fine,” she whispers, sagging into his hold. “I love you.”
The words aren’t said with enthusiasm, but they’re enough for my brother because he sets Gigi back down on her feet. “You look good, li’l cousin.”
“You do too,” she says, punching him in the arm with as much force as I think she can muster, but he doesn’t move an inch. “You probably have all the women wrapped around your little wicked pinkie.”
“I’m over that scene,” he announces.
“Hitting for the other team now?” she asks with her head tilted and her eyes wide.
“No. I’m not playing the field anymore. I want to get serious and settle down.”
Now it’s Gigi’s turn to burst into a fit of giggles. “Oh. Okay,” she says between bouts of laughter. “That’ll be fun.”
“It’ll be something,” I add with a chuckle.
“Don’t laugh at me,” he says, getting testy. “I’m being serious.”
“I think you’ve blown through every single, pretty woman within twenty miles and are out of options,” I say to him without an ounce of judgment. “But I have all the faith in the world that you can find someone who will want a relationship with you.”
The women have never been an issue. They’ve been trying to tie him down since he was a teenager, but he’d always found a reason why they’d never move on past a few dates. He is his own worst enemy when it comes to love.
“I’m not that bad,” he argues.
I stare at him with zero emotion on my face. We both know he’s lying, and I can wait it out until he admits it.
“You’re a Gallo,” Gigi says. “You are that bad. It’s genetic.”
Brax snorts a laugh. “I’m different.”
“No, you’re not. But when you do find the one, just like the other men in this family, you’re going to love hard and deep,” she explains to him as she holds his shoulder.
“I’m ready.”
She smiles at him with so much love. “You say that now, but it’ll knock you right on your ass.”
He rubs his hands together, excited and hopeful for the future. I know my brother. He’s an optimist. He can find the silver lining in anything. The guy is the epitome of turning lemons into lemonade.
“I need a change.”
“A change?” Dad asks as he walks back into the lobby of the shop, with Pike right behind him.
“I’m ready to settle down,” Brax tells him.
My father staggers backward, holding his chest. “Am I dying?”
“You better not be,” I say, shaking my head.
I can’t fathom losing my father, and it’s the one thing I don’t like joking about. It hits too close to home because we already lost one parent. I know it’ll happen someday, but I’m not ready for it. I’m too young. He needs to be a grandpa first. I want my kids to have solid memories of my daddy and not just photographs and stories of him.
Dad drops his hand and laughs. “It’s still tickin’. Don’t worry, baby girl.”
“It’s not funny, Dad.”
“So, when are you getting married and who’s the lucky lady?” he asks Brax.
Brax shrugs both shoulders. “Don’t know, but I’m on the hunt.”
“It doesn’t work that way, son. Women aren’t prey. It’ll happen when it happens. I wasn’t expecting to meet someone, and then Tilly showed up. End of story.”
“I want a woman like Tilly,” he says.
I glance up at the ceiling and sigh. “Do you want a servant?”
Brax jerks his chin back, frowning. “Is that what you think Tilly is?”
“No. Tilly’s the best person I know besides Dad. She’s a sweetheart.”
“Exactly. I want a nice girl, and if she can bake cupcakes, it’s an added bonus.”
My dad wraps an arm around my brother and pulls him against his side. “You’re a bonehead, but I love you.”
Brax peers up at our father, looking every bit like the younger version of him. “You know I’m you, right?”
Dad smiles down at him. “I know it. Lord help us all because one is enough.”
“Hey,” Brax says, giving Pike his normal chin-lift greeting.
“Good to see you,” Pike says back, giving him the same stunted chin tick.
Men.
“It’s beautiful up there, Tate. You guys did a great job.”
I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face at his compliment. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without my dad’s help.”
“I’ve got to get back to the bar. It’s my night to work. Catch you all later,” my brother says, peeling himself out of my father’s hold. Before he dips, he gives Gigi a kiss on the cheek. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too, knucklehead,” she says to him as he stalks toward the exit. “We’ll be over later for a beer.”
“Excellent,” he says before he walks out the door and jogs across the street.
“I need to freshen up and unpack,” Gigi says as she tucks herself up against her husband.
“Wylder will be here around nine, and then maybe we can head over for some drinks and food,” I tell her. “Sound good?”
“Is Wylder hickey guy?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
My father starts to cough.
“Yes,” I tell her with a glare.
She laughs her ass off as she and Pike leave my father and me in the waiting room.
“Well, it could be worse,” he says, finally stopping his imaginary coughing fit. “At least it’s only a hickey.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not even that. She’s only stirring the pot.”
“She’s good at that.”
“You can say that again. My poor cousin with three girls filled with attitude. I don’t know how he survived their teen years with any form of sanity,” dad says.
“You sure couldn’t tell by looking at him. Uncle Joe’s still got it. Man is handsome as all get-out. He has a huge social media following when he posts at the shop.”
“Really?” he asks, his forehead wrinkled.
“Yeah. It’s crazy. Older women are bananas. And the number of young women who have a thing for the silver fox, as they call him, is astounding.”
Dad smiles. “We age like fine wine.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Unlike us. We wither away with chin hair and more lip hair than ever, but you guys only get better.”
“Don’t be silly, baby. You get more beautiful every single day. Just like your mom.”
I’m hit by a sudden pang of sadness. “She was beautiful.”
“Inside and out. I didn’t deserve someone as pretty and good as her.”
“Dad, you deserve only the best, and Tilly’s everything I could’ve ever wanted if it couldn’t have Mom. Mom’s been gone for so long, I sometimes have a hard time remembering small details about her time with us. My memory is filled with Tilly and her love. You did well. The best.”
Dad pulls me into a hug, and I melt against him as he presses his lips into my hair. “It was bumpy at times, but I’m beyond blessed. And out of everything, your mom gave me two amazing kids and another with Tilly.” He pauses as I hug him tighter, pressing my cheek against his chest. “Well, at least you. Brax is still a work in progress.”
I giggle against his T-shirt. “He’s a pain in the ass.”
“Most men are until they’re like forty.”
“That’s no lie, Daddy.”
“Speaking of which…”
I peer up at him, my arms still wrapped around his body.
“Things good with Wylder?”
“Yeah. We broke down on our way back yesterday, but Wylder fixed the Scout, and we were able to get back a few hours ago.”
“It’s handy when you have a man who knows a thing or two,” he tells me as I step out of his embrace.
“It is. He was surprisingly calm too.”
“That’s what I like to hear, baby. No one has time for a mantrum.”
“Mantrum?” I ask, chuckling.
“You know the type.”
I nod. “I know it way too well.”
“I’m glad Wylder is solid. I figured he was. Single dads raising kids on their own usually are. There’s no time to worry about yourself when you have to keep two kids alive and happy.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him as I realize that was his life, but he was dealing with the grief of losing his wife on top of Brax and me. He didn’t have anger to propel him through things, but sadness that weighed him down.
“Don’t be. I don’t know if I would’ve survived the heartbreak without you two kids. You kept me going and gave me more joy than anything in the world during that time and after.”
I pop up on my toes and press a kiss to my dad’s cheek. “You’re the best, Pop. I love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart. Now, I better get home before Tilly has a fit. She’s cooking dinner, and I don’t like to be late. It’s movie night.”
“I miss those,” I tell him. “Give her a kiss from me.”
“I will. She’ll be in tomorrow with some pastries for the shop and Gigi and Pike. She wants to spoil them a little.”
I smile, giving him a wave. “They’ll be happy.”
“Bye, baby.”
“Bye, Daddy.”
As soon as he’s out the door, Timber comes stalking into the waiting area. “I’m so fucking jealous. It’s like a lovefest out here. I got no one, but you guys… You’re a freaking army of little Italians who shower kisses and hugs on one another. It’s maddening at times, but I’d give my freaking left arm for a sliver of the magic you got.”
I run up to him, giving him the same hug I gave my dad. “You’re my people too, Tim. We can adopt you.”
“You’re a silly thing. I’m a little old for adoption.”
“Who says?”
When he pulls away from my hug, he’s at least smiling. “Maybe I’ll marry into the family.”
“There’s a problem with that, honey. Everyone’s too young for you other than me and Brax. He’s looking to settle down, but I don’t think he’d dig what you have going on in your pants.”
“I’d make that boy see stars,” he says and laughs. “Well, just know you’re lucky as fuck.”
I don’t need to say anything else. I know I am, and I never want to forget it.