Chapter 5
Five
Luca
It’s cloudy outside, and as we arrive at the compound, large drops of rain begin cascading down from the heavens.
It fits my mood perfectly.
There’s a vehicle in front of the house that I don’t recognize. It’s a small, two-door black sedan with quite some age on it. The dark sheen has seen better days, as has the front corner bumper.
“Your parents’ car?” I ask, my stomach tumbling at the fact that they arrived before us.
I grab an umbrella from the backseat and walk around to lead Harper out of the car, sheltering her from the rain.
She raises an eyebrow as I wrap my arm around her waist. I lean down, my lips brush against her ear. “Fake dating, remember,” I say. “We need to make this convincing tonight.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
While my parents probably don’t care whether we’re an actual couple or not, we are clearly performing for her parents this evening.
I lead her up to the main door, and before I can so much as knock, the front door swings open and one of my father’s men greets us. There’s not so much as a smile on his face.
“Come inside,” Vito says. “Everyone is in the family room.”
I lead Harper into the house, and we both take off our shoes and coats. I reach for her hand as I lead her down the hallway to the open room on the left beside the dining room.
“Mama!” Zeke squeals and throws up his arms at Harper the second he lays eyes on her.
She untangles her hand from mine and hurries over to her son, bringing him into her arms, nuzzling and kissing him as she puts him on her hip to hold.
“We were just talking about the two of you,” Dante says.
It’s not much of a greeting. Not that I’d expect much from my father.
My mother, Nikki, gets up from her seat on the sofa and embraces me in a tight squeeze before untangling her grip and giving Harper a much gentler hug with Zeke in-hand.
Harper’s parents are both nursing a beer, and I have a feeling we’re going to need something far stronger to deal with tonight. Her mother is standing near Harper, keeping a close eye on Zeke while her father sits beside my old man on the sofa up against the wall.
“Hi, I’m Luca,” I say, introducing myself to her mother first, as she’s a few feet closer to me. I hold out my hand to properly introduce myself. Her gaze tightens, but she forces a smile.
She has Harper’s eyes, the same dark, mysterious gaze crosses her features, and I can’t tell if she already hates me. I get the distinct impression that she’s made up her mind about me, perhaps before even meeting.
I glance at Dante, hoping he didn’t mention the engagement.
Perhaps we can skirt through dinner with zero mention of it.
“I’m Catrina,” Harper’s mother says and gestures toward her husband, “and that is Jack. He’s enthralled in a heated business discussion on stocks, bonds, and gold as an asset. They’d be putting me to sleep if it weren’t for this little one—” She runs a hand through Zeke’s dainty brown hair.
He reaches an arm out for Catrina before Harper manages to recapture his attention.
It’s hard not to stare at the bond between Harper and Zeke.
She’s completely immersed in his little world, cooing and talking to him, as she covers him with kisses. “Do you want to meet someone special to me?” she whispers in the sweetest and most precious voice.
Zeke doesn’t seem to care much either way. He’s squirming and probably wants to run around like a maniac. I’m sure my parents would love that. Another McKenna to discover something they shouldn’t in this place.
Except he wouldn’t be able to spill any secrets, given that he doesn’t seem to be talking much. It’s a lot more like babbling.
Every so often, I can make out a word he’s trying to say, like mama, but mostly it’s nonsense to my ears.
Harper steps closer, bringing Zeke right over to me. “Luca, this is my son, Zeke. Zeke, can you say hi to Luca?” She takes Zeke’s hand, which is wrapped around her thumb, and bounces it up and down in a wave-like gesture.
Zeke looks at me curiously, his wide eyes enraptured with me.
“Hi, buddy,” I say, unsure what to do.
Zeke immediately buries his face in her neck.
Did I say something wrong?
“You don’t have to be shy,” Harper says and rubs her son’s back. “Luca is a very special friend.”
Zeke glances up briefly from Harper’s chest before meeting my stare and then hiding again.
The kid already hates me.
Great.
I force a smile and then stalk across the room to properly introduce myself to Harper’s father. “Hi, I’m Luca,” I say, holding out my hand.
“I’m Jack,” her father says, his gaze tight. There’s no smile, no hint of happiness. He already doesn’t like me and we just met. “How about you and I take a walk outside?”
“Okay,” I say with a nod, but my insides are warning me not to do it.
Jack puts his beer down on a coaster on the end table and stands, stretching.
I glance at Harper, and her brow pinches, clearly worried as well. “Hey,” she says, bouncing Zeke in her arms as she approaches Jack and me.
I press a chaste kiss at the corner of her lips, trying to make our fake relationship believable.
Actually, kissing her would be better, but she does have a toddler in her arms, and that’s the excuse I’m going with for not making out with her, because in reality, I’m still pissed and hurting about her betrayal.
She lied to me about Zeke.
But I have to bury that anger for tonight.
“We’re just going to take a walk,” I say, gesturing at her father.
Harper frowns and turns her attention toward her father. “Dad, it’s raining outside. You’re not taking Luca into the rain for a talk. You can sit down in here and get to know one another.”
I’m surprised that she’s so brazen with her father, but of course, he isn’t mafia. She doesn’t have to fear him.
“Of course,” Jack says and forces a smile, but his eyes don’t shine. “I didn’t realize it started to rain.”
I head for the couch and grab a seat next to Jack.
Dante scoots over, leaving me some space.
It’d be great if he got up, went to talk to Mom or even Catrina. But instead, he’s hanging out with us, probably eavesdropping, not that it takes much with him sitting beside us.
“My daughter called us this week to tell us about her new boyfriend,” Jack says. He reaches for his beer, the bottle nestled between his hands as he glances at it. “Can’t say I’m happy with all of her life choices.”
“You mean Zeke?”
Jack turns toward me. “I mean my fifteen-year-old daughter getting knocked up by her eighteen-year-old loser boyfriend in high school. Best thing he did for Harper was turn over his parental rights.”
“You don’t have to worry. Harper and I are adults; we know about safe sex.”
My father clears his throat behind me, like he’s trying not to choke. Maybe he should quit listening in and get up, go bother someone else.
But Dante doesn’t move from his position on the couch.
Jack holds up a hand to stop me from discussing anything further.
“I don’t need to hear about you fucking my little girl.
I need you to understand that she’s a mom, first and foremost. Zeke comes before any boyfriend, so if you think you’re in it for a good time, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. ”
“I can assure you, Mr. McKenna, that I care deeply about your daughter. I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to meet you, your wife, and Zeke this evening.” I’m doing everything I can to remain calm and not screw this up with her parents.
I can’t see them giving us their blessing. Already he doesn’t particularly like me, and I haven’t even mentioned our engagement.
“It’ll take time for us to see what kind of man you really are,” Jack says. He glances past me at Dante.
“I mean no disrespect to you, Dante. I’m sure you raised a wonderful son,” Jack says, trying to be polite, “but understand that I have to look out for my daughter and my grandson.”
I don’t dare turn around to witness the expression on my father’s face. “I understand quite a lot about protecting family,” Dante says. The sofa dips, and I realize that he’s standing up. “Perhaps we should all take this conversation to the dining room; dinner will be served soon.”
I stand and hurry over to Harper; my hand falls to her lower back. She’s still holding Zeke in her arms, but he seems to be busy playing with a toy phone in his hands.
“We’re moving this party into the dining room,” I say. I would offer to help hold Zeke, but I doubt he’d let me, since I’m a stranger to the kid.
“Oh good. I could really use a sit,” Harper admits and then groans. “Not again.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask, noticing her frustration when she lifts Zeke and wetness is dripping down his legs and onto her clothes.
“I’ll find you something of mine to wear. Why don’t you get him cleaned up in the bathroom?” I offer.
“Can you grab the diaper bag? It’s over by the door,” Harper asks.
I grab the bag and lead her out of the family room and to the bathroom. I don’t want her wandering around and finding trouble. Although the fact that her parents were invited today means that it’s probably pretty calm around here.
“I’ll grab my bag from the car,” I say and hurry down the hallway after she’s situated. I slip on my shoes and run out into the rain, getting soaked while I retrieve my duffel.
I probably should have grabbed the umbrella, but I was trying to be quick. I ditch my shoes inside and leave a wet trail behind me as I slosh across the hall. Even my socks are soaked. I knock on the bathroom door. “It’s just me,” I say.
“It’s unlocked,” Harper answers.
I turn the handle and step in, bringing the bag with me.
Her back is to me, and she’s got Zeke on the bathroom mat with a changing pad, as she secures the tabs on his new diaper. “All clean,” she says in that sweet voice that she uses when talking to Zeke.
He’s squirming and restless, but she manages to keep him steady while she changes his clothes, since the other ones were wet.
Something we both have in common, well kind of.
Mine is definitely from the rain, though, kid.