Page 51 of No Sweet Goodbyes

We get out of the truck and Emma slides her hand into mine, even though we’re just walking across the lawn.

This moment, right here, is going to burn itself into my memory for every lonely night ahead.

“Your mom owns a restaurant, Dom. She makes amazing food. You can’t blame me for wanting to eat the deliciousness.”

She releases my hand to hug my mother, and the two women walk inside without me. I follow at a slower pace, even though I can see Emma practically dragging Mama into the kitchen for snacks.

“That’s a good girl.” My father’s voice comes from his office. “I like her.”

“So do I.” I walk into his office and take a seat on the couch that sits against his wall, lying back and putting my head on the arm. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing.” He waves a hand dismissively. “Just taking care of the paperwork needed from us for Bee to go with her uncle tomorrow.”

“Have you met him? Is he a good man?”

“I don’t like him,” Dad says. “He’s got shifty eyes. You know the kind. Secrets in that family must run deep, though, because I couldn’t find any information about him that would keep her from going there.”

A lifetime ago, my father worked as a private investigator, and he still has all the skills required for the job.

“He’s an upstanding citizen, which is suspicious,” he goes on. “Not even a parking ticket. I don’t want Bee to go to someone who isn’t on the up-and-up.”

I snort, seeing the protective flash in his eyes. “You just want her to stay with our family and that’s clouding your judgment.”

He dismisses me with a look. “Your mother and I love having her here, yes. But that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong.”

I close my eyes for a second, enjoying the peace. “I’ll have Linc keep an eye on him while I’m gone, if that will make you feel better.”

“Good. I’ll give him all my notes.”

Notes. Because my father doesn’t do anything half-assed, and of course he’s got notes on the other man.

“Dinnertime!” Bee bounces into the room with a laugh. “Hi, Dom!”

She runs back out again before I even open my eyes, and my father’s laugh has me smiling.

“See what I mean? She’s a breath of fresh air. Now that you’re all grown-up and out of our house, we need someone young.”

“You need an empty nest,” I correct him as we walk into the kitchen. “So that you can sleep in and enjoy retirement. And you don’t even have that yet because Vi is still living here.”

“Bah.” He waves a hand in the air, narrowly missing Vi’s head as she walks in. “No, I don’t. She keeps us young.”

“Oh, your mother is amazing,” Emma says from the table. In front of her is a bowl of menudo and a plate of tortillas. “Look, Dom. She made menudo. It’s delicious. You gotta have some.” Emma slurps her soup and then tears off a piece of tortilla and eyes the soup with a smile on her face.

“I love her,” my father corrects his earlier statement. “Forget liking her. She’s perfect and you need to marry her. Now. Before she smartens up and leaves you for someone better.”

“It’s been a week,” I tell him. “Give it time.”

“If you give her time, she’s going to realize that she’s too good for you and leave.” He isn’t trying to use his words as a knife, but they still cut as deep as one just the same.

“She’s amazing,” I agree with him and let everything else go. I don’t want the first person I tell about how I feel to be someone other than Emma.

She deserves to be the first person to hear those words.

I sit down at the table next to her and marvel at the way she savors every single bite of her food. If it weren’t innocent and if we weren’t surrounded by family, I’d have to drag her to bed because I’m suddenly jealous of the way she’s handling a bowl of soup.

“So, Emma.” Vi smiles at us. “Are you going to tell us what happened and why everyone at the restaurant today was talking about you being a ninja?”

Emma chokes on her soup and then flushes while she wipes her face with her napkin. “I’m not a ninja. I just sparred with Eddie today.”

---