39. Chapter 39
I follow my θε?ε? (aunts) and γιαγι? (grandma) into the kitchen, my mouth watering from all of the amazing smells.
“Luke, εγγον?? (grandson), go tell the others to get their heinies in here. Lunch is ready and I want them to have full bellies, so they have the energy to move everything. There are extra tables and chairs in the garage that they can bring in with them and set up. And remind those men that there will be no boots on in this house,” γιαγι? (grandma) calls over her shoulder and I can’t hold in my chuckle at the shocked look on his face.
Though the heated look he gives me when he turns my way has me trying not to squirm and rub my legs together. While we haven’t had sex yet, we have had plenty of make out sessions every night since that first night we arrived at the compound.
“Will do, γιαγι? (grandma),” he says and then he spears me with one more heated look before turning and walking down the hallway. I quickly look away and will my cheeks to cool down. Women in my family aren’t very sexual, especially around groups of people. I don’t always agree with that myself, but that could be because I didn’t grow up in as close knit of a community like the rest of my family. That and πατ?ρα? (dad) really tried to let me express myself how I wanted to, for the most part anyway.
Patch isn’t even gone a minute when I hear the heavy thud of motorcycle boots clomping into the mudroom, and then I hear the sounds of their boots being placed on the hardwood floor like they were asked to do. Wanting to feel useful, I grab the mismatched plates, cutlery, napkins and cups, balancing everything on my lap and wheel around to the end of the island closest to the hallway.
“Fuck, that smells good,” I hear Bear say from behind me as I finish setting everything out, and I bite my lip as I hear the rest saying similar murmurs of appreciation as they set up the tables and chairs.
Γιαγι? (Grandma) and my θε?ε? (aunts) wince, most likely because he swore, before quickly masking it and smiling brightly back at them as they pull the dishes out of the ovens. I know the club swears a lot, but I might need to see if they can curb the cussing around my family next time. I mean, I swear a lot myself, but I try to limit it around my family.
“We’ve got moussaka, pastitsio, and pastourmadopita. For sides there are a variety of cheeses, bread, and salad. We have lemonade and water to drink,” θε?α (aunt) Selena tells them.
“I don’t know what the fuck those three dishes are, but I’m trying all three,” Reaper darn near growls and I, along with γιαγι? (grandma) and my θε?ε? (aunts), smile back at him. He looks like he could start drooling at any moment.
“Moussaka is a casserole with eggplant, potatoes, a tomato meat sauce and is topped with a béchamel or a white sauce. Pastitsio is a pasta bake casserole with ground lamb, onions, meat sauce, béchamel, and penne. Pastourmadopita is a Greek pasturma or air cured, seasoned beef and cheese pie,” I explain as I point to each of the dishes.
I’m half expecting them to get right in line, but instead, they usher Levi, Mae, Sasha, γιαγι? , my θε?ε? (aunts) and me to go first.
“Our rule is women, kids, and those that cook eat first. I know that isn’t normally the Greek way, but that’s our way. Women and children first,” Gunner explains to them before stepping into line behind us.
My family stare at them in shock for a moment, because that’s not how it is for us. Everyone either eats together or the men eat first. But then, to my surprise, my family beams back at the guys. I think they’re already half in love with them and I know they had some reservations years ago when Patch mentioned he wanted to Prospect with them after turning eighteen.
Patch steps up beside me and takes my plate out of my hands. He dishes me up a little bit of everything before bringing it over to the table. I head over to the drinks and pour myself some lemonade and then head over to the table.
As everyone digs into the food, moans and grunts of appreciation sound throughout our dining room, it feels good to be surrounded by so many people again.
“Fuck, please say you can cook like this, Mary,” someone says, and it takes me a moment to realize it was Bones that spoke. The look he’s giving me is a mix between pleading and begging.
Smiling, I nod. “Yes, I can. Especially once I get back my recipe books that γιαγι? took for safekeeping.” His brow furrows at the word safekeeping, but it’s γιαγι? that explains before I can. As she squares her shoulders, I can’t help but smile. I’ve missed listening to her explain about our family’s love of cooking and about our treasured recipes to others.
“In our family, cooking is extremely important to us. It’s one way that we show our love, appreciation, and thanks to those around us. That’s why after… that night, I took του λουλουδιο? μου (my flower’s) cookbooks and a few other items for safekeeping since the boys were worried about if the people that kidnapped λουλο?δι μου (my flower) would come back and trash the house.
“The collecting and creating of new recipes is a tradition in our family that we still carry on today. The eldest matriarch of the family is the gatekeeper, so to speak, of our ancestor’s original recipe books. Over the years, that position has morphed slightly to be the eldest matriarch that also has a passion for cooking, as throughout the years, more and more women were working outside the house and wanted to make simpler dishes since they had less time to allocate toward cooking. Especially the large family meals.
“Any children that show an interest in cooking are given copies of our family’s recipes to start their own cookbooks with. As their skills grow, so do their collections of recipes. Once the children turn eighteen, they are gifted another cookbook that also has copies of the original on the back of handwritten or typed recipes. When they get married, they are gifted another cookbook, which is usually the final one they receive unless a family member creates a new recipe that they want to share with the family.”
“That’s so cool,” Mae says, her eyes lighting up at the thought. I know she loves to cook as well, and she’s shared with me how her friend Peggy and her husband Glen taught her how to make all the dishes they served at their diner, so I’m sure she’s excited about the thought of all of those old recipes.
Each of my θε?ε? chuckle at her excitement and I have a feeling Mae will be asking to see my recipe books in the near future. As if she’s thinking the same thing I am, she looks over at me with a hopeful look in her eyes. At my slight nod, she does a little shimmy in her chair as she softly chants ‘yay’ over and over again, which has even more of us chuckling.
Γιαγι? (Grandma) smiles softly at me and with her nod of approval, I feel my own smile growing even more. I’ve told her about Mae and Levi, so she knows both of them like to cook, but especially Mae.
“ Λουλο?δι μου (My flower) started putting some of us to shame before she was even ten years old. She’s added her own little twists to almost every recipe we’ve given her, more often than not improving the dishes, and she’s added many of her own recipes to our collection. On top of that, she wanted to pay homage to her Spanish heritage. She’s gathered many recipes and treated us to many fabulous meals over the years. This next part, not even you know, my dear Mary.”
She pauses again and dabs at her eyes as everyone quiets down, sensing the somberness that’s fallen over her. I straighten in my seat, trying to keep my emotions at bay.
“Your dedication to knowing your heritage through your love of food is unmatched in our family. I reached out to Antonio shortly before your eighteenth birthday and asked if there were any family recipes that he might be willing to share with you. When he learned of your deep love for cooking and how you had taken it upon yourself to learn how to cook real Spanish food, he told me he had something even better in mind for you. He had planned to give you them when you graduated, but unfortunately, you were taken before he could give them to you.”
My eyes burn with unshed tears, and I blink rapidly in an attempt to keep them from falling. Murmurs behind me have me looking over my shoulder, and my jaw drops in surprise when I see Grandpa Antonio and one of my aunts, Luiza, standing behind us with a couple of their bodyguards. I notice a few of the guys, especially the ones from the Junction Creek chapter, shifting in their seats and I know they’re making it easier to grab their guns if need be. I had hoped Thor and Patch would have filled them in by now, but maybe they hadn’t.
Luiza ignores the guys and fixes her gaze on me as she gives me a warm smile and a small wave, which I return. Grandpa eyes the men from both clubs warily, but they soften when he settles his gaze on me.
“ Hola (Hello), mi precioso capullo de rosa (my precious rosebud). It is good to see you looking so much like your previous self.” He pauses as he tilts his head toward γιαγι? . “Your grandmother invited us today so that we could finally give you your present. Luiza, mi ni?a (my girl)?”
Aunt Luiza takes a box from one of the bodyguards, and steps forward. She’s about to place the large box that she’s carrying on my lap when she pauses. Biting her lip nervously and her gaze bounces around to the people seated around me until it settles on Patch.
“Patch, from what Padre (Father) has said, you are with our Mary, sí (yes)?”
He gives her a curt nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
She scoffs, shaking her head slightly. “None of that ma’am stuff with me. You’re familia (family) now. However, this box is a little heavy and with Mary’s broken leg, I don’t want to hurt her. Can you—,” before she can even finish her sentence, he takes the box from her, sits back down in his seat, and sets it on his lap.
Both Aunt Luiza and Grandpa give me encouraging smiles, so I start unwrapping the box. Lifting the lid, my hand flies to my mouth in shock. Hesitantly, I reach out, running my finger along the edge of the beautiful cover.
“It was el libro de recetas de mi madre (my mother’s cookbook),” Luiza says quietly before pausing and blinks away the tears in her eyes. “She also had a love of cooking and baking. Out of all of my siblings, I’m the only one that liked to cook, and I did, countless times, with her before she died. However, my skills never even came close to hers. I copied all of her recipes into my own books, and held onto her original books, hoping that someone in nuestra familia (our family) would pick up her torch, so to speak. Then Padre (Father) got the call from Maria. He set up an appointment between the three of us and Haris. When she told us even more about your passion, I knew these were meant to be yours and Padre (Father) agreed.”
I look up sharply at that as I quickly pull back my hand, staring at her in shock, then to Grandpa and then back to Aunt Luiza. “B-But this was your mother’s. Shouldn’t you keep the originals?”
Both her and Grandpa shake their heads, warm smiles on their faces. Well, as much as Grandpa is willing to smile in a room full of armed bikers, that is.
“ Nuestras familias (Our families) are very much alike in this regard. The original cookbooks are always handed down to the woman who loves cooking the most.” He pauses and shakes his head slightly. “Well, I should say it would go to whoever loves cooking the most. It has just always happened to be women in the past in nuestra familia (our family).”
He steps closer, putting an arm around Aunt Luiza’s shoulders and then resting a hand lightly on my shoulder.
“You are meant to be the keeper of these recipes, mi precioso capullo de rosa (my precious rosebud). I know you will do my Esmeralda’s memory justice and I look forward to when we can break bread together. Perhaps when we are able to meet your little bebés (babies) in person and I bring a few of tus tías y tíos (your aunts and uncles) to visit along with me.”
Swallowing thickly, I nod. “I would love that as well.”
Both of them smile brightly at me, and I move to pick up the book out of the box, but Patch beats me to it. He lifts out the first book and sets it down gently on my lap.
Opening it, another gasp escapes as I look through the first couple of pages. “These are almost as old, if not as old, as some of our family’s recipes,” I say in awe as I continue looking through them, the excitement in me growing with each turn of the page.
I know Esmeralda had to have loved her family’s history and their recipes, because all of the old recipes are protected. She laminated each one and the holes in the pages have little rings to prevent them from tearing, sort of like grommets, but thinner than the ones I’m used to seeing. Or at least, I think she’s the one that protected it like this, but then I see a handwritten message in beautiful script at the back of the book.
Closing the book, my fingers trace the intricate patterns crafted into the leather encasing both the front and the back and then over the scripted ‘Vasquez’ on the front. Clutching it to my chest, I look up at them as I blink rapidly to try and hold back my tears.
“I’ll treasure them and will do the family proud.”
“There is also more in there than just my Esmeralda’s recipe books, mi precioso capullo de rosa (my precious rosebud),” Grandpa says with a mysterious glint in his eye.
Confused, I turn back toward the box and Patch pulls out all the books inside. Two are the ones Esmeralda mentioned, the smoking and baking recipe books. However, there are three other ones that steal my breath when I see them. My gaze flicks to γιαγι?? (grandmas) in shock before turning to each of my θε?ε? .
“But…” I start, and then γιαγι? shakes her head softly and I snap my mouth shut.
“Mary, λουλο?δι μου (my flower), it’s time. You know how much we all love to cook our people’s food, but no one has your passion, not even me. I think you should follow your true calling, λουλο?δι μου (my flower). I know you’ve always wanted to teach kids and help them as they grow into young adults, but I do not think that is what you are truly meant to do, Mary.”
I stare at her dumbfounded.
How did she know?
I never told anyone about my secret dream, not even Patch or my πατ?ρα? (dad).
“How did you know?” I ask quietly, and all four of them share a knowing look before turning back toward me.
“It was little things you said throughout the years. You gave hints without even realizing you were doing it, it seems,” θε?α (aunt) Sofia tells me and my cheeks heat in embarrassment.
“What was your dream, Siren?”
My cheeks heat even more when I realize everyone, and I do mean everyone , is staring at me, waiting for me to answer him. A part of me shies back at so much attention focused on me. Patch squeezes his hand that’s on my thigh, and I bring my attention back to him.
“I wanted to open a restaurant. To cook our family’s food for everyone to enjoy.” My voice is quiet, but as soon as the words are out, everyone’s faces break out into in grins and I feel a little spark ignite in me again.
A spark I haven’t felt since before I was kidnapped.
“If what Maria is saying is true, and that you cook better than the four of them, then I can’t fucking wait to have your cooking,” someone says and soon everyone’s voicing similar agreements.
Someone squeezes my shoulder, and I look up, realizing it’s Grandpa.
“Follow your heart’s true desire, mi precioso capullo de rosa (my precious rosebud). Do what you were meant to do.”
Tears fill my eyes that spark fans with everyone’s encouraging words.
“I will. Thank you, all of you,” I whisper. and they both beam at me. Turning toward the rest of my family, I see their beaming smiles shining right back at me.
“Looks like you have some more motivation to get back into the groove of things, Siren,” Patch says with a huge smile on his face, and I can’t help but nod in agreement.
With their approval, I feel myself shifting yet again. Especially since Patch is looking at me with so much pride and not hurt that I hadn’t told him about my secret dream. Excitement fills me as I run my hands over the leather binding of my grandmother’s cookbook.
I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen and try out both old and new recipes.
Aunt Luiza wraps me in a hug, squeezing me tightly, but not enough to hurt me. “Thank you. I know you’ll do justice to las recetas de mi madre (my mother’s recipes),” she whispers, and fuck if that isn’t what causes a few of my tears to escape.
“You’re welcome and thank you. I look forward to when we can get together and get to know each other again. I’d love to hear more about Grandma, too. Maybe we can even cook together as well.”
She pulls back and wipes her cheeks, but I know I chose my words correctly when I see her smiling even brighter. “I’d like that very much. I’m sure the others would love to get in on the stories as well. We never knew why Carmen forbid us from getting too close to you, but fuck her and her stupid jealousy. She always hated it when anyone outshone Carlos and Eileen or went against her word. I’m still shocked she took to Diego so much, but knowing what I know now, a lot of things from over the years make sense now.”
I stare at her in shock. “She forbid you guys from getting to know me better?” Suddenly, even more things are clicking into place, and I’m not liking where my train of thought is going.
Aunt Luiza pales slightly but nods. She looks over at Grandpa, and at his nod, she continues.
“ Sí (Yes). While your parents were still married, Carmen’s excuse was because you weren’t raised in the right culture, so we had to distance ourselves to not bring shame down on nuestra familia (our family). After your parents divorced, she started saying you were beneath us because of what you’d done to Eileen and what you’d put her through. That you didn’t deserve your tie to the Vasquez name. None of us believed her, but we also knew the hell she would rain down on us if we went against her word.
“After Padre (Father) came back from visiting you at the hospital last week, I overheard a conversation between Carmen and Diego. They both said that you would have been better off dead after the beating Stephan had given you so that they could get what they thought was theirs to take. I’m pretty sure they didn’t know I was there, so I stayed put and listened until they left the room. After that, I went straight to Padre and told him everything about what I’d just witnessed, plus what Carmen had said about you being beneath our family years ago. I had already been getting suspicious of what Diego’s been doing and saying recently, but I’d never thought he’d do something so heinous to his own family. Padre told me that they would soon be paying for their actions and that he’d share everything I’d told him with you, Patch, and Thor.”
She pauses as Thor stands and walks over to us, her eyes widening slightly as she sees him at his full height. All of these guys are intimidating on a good day, but when someone they love is threatened, that intimidation factor skyrockets, and right now—he’s pretty fucking intimidating. Surprisingly, Thor squeezes my good shoulder, but I don’t know if it’s in support or warning me not to say too much.
“Let’s set up a time, and we’ll discuss everything over a secure line. We have information we need to share with you as well, but here is not the best time.”
Ah, warning it is. Fuck, is he mad that Aunt Luiza shared as much as she did?
Grandpa tilts his head in acknowledgement. “Agreed. Let me know the time and date and I’ll arrange everything on my end.” He pauses and then leans down to kiss my cheek. “We’ll let you get back to everything here, mi precioso capullo de rosa , and we’ll be in touch. Please take care and stay safe. You may call on my assistance, if you ever need it.”
Aunt Luiza gives me one more hug and then they leave just as quietly as they came in.
Turning back toward Patch, I gently place the recipe books back in the box and close it. My mind reels with this new information, but I shake myself internally. I can deal and process those emotions later. Right now, I need to pack and direct what goes where. Tonight though, tonight I’ll journal and then dive into these recipe books.
At the thought of all of those old recipes, that spark inside me flares even brighter than before.
I’ll focus on my recovery and when I’m able to regain my strength in my arm and shoulder, my ass is going to be parked in the kitchen as I cook, cast or no cast.