Page 16 of Ghostlighted
Had Ireallyjust told Ricky that I’d adopted myself into hisfamily? I knew how seriously he and all his relatives took that concept, whether they were related by blood, marriage, or ceremony, like the christening that made Ricky Sofia’s godson. He’d told me almost the first time we’d met that how important that commitment was to her.
But I wasn’t related in any of those ways. Yes, I’d found a belonging place in Ghost, but inviting myself into Ricky’s family without his consent? I mean, Ithoughtwe were heading in that direction, but he didn’t seem to be in any rush. For that matter, I was feeling a little cautious and gun-shy myself.
As in literally, since the last guy who’d made a move on me had threatened me with a gun.
“Get over yourself, Maz,” I told my reflection in the mirror over the sink as I scrubbed my hands with Sofia’s honeysuckle-scented soap. “If I overstepped, I’ll apologize and back off. If I didn’t? Well, that would be great.”
I couldn’t deny that something under my heart yearned to truly be a part of this community, including the Vargas clan, the scope of which seemed to grow by the day. But I’d been here less than a month. I had time.
Time to take my time.
I owned a house here, for Pete’s sake, a house that I shared with a permanent resident ghost. I planned to live here for the rest of my life, to make this town my home. Alienating anybody, let alone my next-door neighbor and a man I was seriously attracted to, would be awkward to say the least. I had enough failed relationships in my past. The last thing I needed was to start a new collection here in Ghost.
“Too bad there’s not a soap that can wash away anxiety, regret, and poor decisions, because I’d be seriously tempted to break into the royalty money for something like that.”
Until I could find it, though, I’d just have to deal with my own crap the best I could. So I dried my hands and returned to the kitchen to collect a tumbler from the kitchen cabinet.
When I stepped out onto the porch, Sofia was cradling her glass of tea in both hands. Ricky had returned the pitcher to the tray next to the remaining empty glass instead of serving himself, which was exactly on point with what I knew about him, even after such a short acquaintance: He always put others first.
I closed the door behind me and handed him the new glass. “Here you go.”
He looked up at me from his seat on the top step, his smile bright. “Gracias.” He took a deep breath, and I thought he was about to say something else, but then a gust of wind ruffled his hair and his gaze slid from mine to a spot behind me. “Maz, if you wouldn’t mind, could you close the door again? Give it a good yank. The latch is sticky, and it doesn’t always catch. I think I need to adjust the strike plate.”
“Sure.” I gave the door a good yank as directed, trying not to think about other things that might get yanked in the future if I was lucky. When I sat down and leaned against the post on the other side of the steps, Ricky was already holding out a full glass for me. “Thanks.”
He poured his own last, of course. “Tia, have you thought more about your party?”
She gazed down at her untouched tea. “It is not my party. It was a party for Guillermo. There is not much point if he cannot be here.”
“Why?” Ricky pulled himself up and tried to look affronted—a total fail on his perpetually cheerful face. “Are you saying the rest of us aren’t worthy of a party?”
Sofia made a shooing motion. “Do not be fresh, Enrique. You know that is not the point.”
“I know I’m not part of the family,” I said, “but?—”
“Nonsense, Maz.” Sofia rocked her chair forward so she could reach my shoulder and give it a pat. “Of course you are family. You and your gatito both.”
If Sofia had accepted me, that was something anyway. I’d learned enough about Ricky’s extended clan to know that she was its beating heart, even though she was only a Vargas by marriage.
“If that’s the case…” I glanced at Ricky and he gave a little nod, as if to sayit’s your move. “I have a proposal. How would you like to attend Lia— that is, Guillermo’s graduation ceremony?”
Her snowy brows drew together. “His ceremony? How? It is all the way on the other side of the country.”
“It is. But a plane can get you there in about six hours. You could go to Massachusetts, to Cambridge. Stay at a nice hotel. See the sights.”
Her eyes got a faraway look. “I have always wanted to see the campus where Guillermo has spent so many happy years.” She shook her head. “But it is impossible. Those airplanes, those hotels. They are expensive. And Guillermo’s law school costs even more. I could not afford it.”
“You wouldn’t have to.”
She looked from me to Ricky, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that Ricky took perfect care of my house—the outside of it, anyway—for ten years without taking a penny for it.”
“Pfft.” She batted the air. “That is nothing. This is what family does, and Avi and Oren, they were family.”
“Nevertheless, he’s banked some serious goodwill with me and Av— with me, so I’d like the graduation trip to be my gift to you.”
Her eyes widened. “But… but I could not go alone. I do not know the city, and Guillermo will be so busy.”
