36. Chapter 36
Connor
“Are you nervous?” I was until she took my hand. I zoned in on the even, confident click of her heels on the stone drive leading to the Moretti house.
“More nervous than the time I showed up to arrest them? No. I’m okay.” She scowled at me, biting back a grin when I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against me. The last thing I was in that moment was nervous.
Grace grabbed hold of the knob and turned. “At least they like you more now.” She winked. “I think.”
“You think? What do you mean you think?” I put my hand on the small of her back to follow her into the house, smiling when she threw her head back and laughed. The sound bounced from the door and went straight for my chest.
She opened the door into the house, and the light from the interior washed over her. “Oh, relax,” she said. “Come on.”
“They’re here!” her mother shouted when we stepped in, even though it looked from a glance that most everyone was already close enough to see us.
“Come in, come in.” The woman looked more like Grace than she had any other time I’d seen her.
When she smiled and her face lit up, it reminded me of the grin Grace wore when she was happy.
“Hi, Mom,” Grace said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Her mom buzzed with the kind of excitement only a woman hoping her daughter had a boyfriend would have. “Do you remember Connor?”
“I mean, how could I forget?” Everyone laughed before discomfort could settle in.
“You’ve certainly made quite the collection of first impressions, huh?
I’m Isabella, but as long as you make my daughter happy, you can call me Mom.
” She hugged me tight while Grace giggled.
I didn’t have a choice but to hug her back.
Giaco and Ronan stepped forward; off to the side, Enzo remained as skeptical as I expected them all to be. Giaco stuck out his hand like a peace offering. “You’re welcome here,” Giaco said, shaking my hand when he took it. Ronan nodded. “We owe you one.”
“Not that our sister is the prize for getting us out of a drug charge you somehow stuck us with.” Ronan cackled while my stomach tightened. Then, he shook my hand and clapped me on the shoulder. When I looked over at her, Grace was calm. If she was calm, I could be calm too.
“Your sister is the reason I was so adamant about getting you out of it. And I assure you, I tried to stop it before it ended up at your front door.” Her brothers nodded like they understood. Then, Grace jumped into the circle and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“And he’s not a cop anymore,” she said, giggling when their eyes all widened.
When they turned their expectantly questionable stares in my direction, I shrugged. “I didn’t want to do it anymore. It meant I hurt the one person who means the most to me.”
Giaco and Ronan looked up when the door to the kitchen opened and their wives walked in. Then, they looked at me, as if to say they understood—probably all too well. I imagine neither of them ended up with the women in front of them without some battle.
“It’s good to see you, Connor,” Nellie said, tucking herself under Ronan’s arm.
Aurora smiled softly. “Thank you for keeping our guys safe. We owe you.”
“Like I said, we all do,” Giaco agreed. It felt like a truce.
“Maybe we can start with dinner, hmm?” Isabella clapped her hands twice, reminding everyone she was the matriarch and in charge of this family dinner. “It’s ready. Everyone take a seat.”
We settled around the table like it was natural—as if I’d had a seat next to Grace at this table forever. Overflowing dishes of pasta, sauce, and cutlets of meat were passed around with smiles that slowly erased uncomfortable history.
“Is there anything you need, Connor?” Isabella asked, carefully unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap.
I shook my head and smiled, wrapping my arm around Grace’s shoulders and pulling her against me long enough to press a kiss to the side of her temple. “No, thank you. I have everything I'll ever need right here.”