Page 354 of Branded
I’d plunked down onto the couch, was watching the action in the kitchen while eating my third cinnamon roll.
They were delicious.
Nonna JoJo was right. There was no such thing as too much sugar.
Especially when I’d eaten bacon and eggs alongside the baked goods.
Definitely not a healthy meal. Nor one eaten remotely near brunch time. They’d become early afternoon cinnamon rolls (because it took a long time to make cinnamon rolls with a five-year-old who had a ton of questions—not to mention a grown woman who had an equal amount of very similar questions).
But no one seemed to mind—the timing or the questions.
So, we’d all eaten and then did dishes and then I’d gone back for seconds—or thirds, I supposed.
But it was cold and overcast outside and the meal was warm and spicy…and felt like home.
I felt home here in Cas’s place, surrounded by his family, by the laughter and easy acceptance.
But…I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t feel a bit intimidated being near Luca, and so I hadn’t really put myself out there with him. He hadn’t given me any indication he wouldn’t be open to conversation. It was just that I was more comfortable with Margot and Sam and Kathy and Kathy’s husband, Tim, who teased each other and bantered just like the Breakers’ players and their significant others did when they came into CeCe’s. And obviously, Joanne was amazing—sweet and bubbly and giving me major Beth vibes, so I was feeling right at home with her too.
Interacting with Luca, though?
Well, that had been…hesitant.
Mostly because—in my experience—dads were scary and not nice and?—
Right. Crap.
He was waiting for me to answer a question. And dads got impatient, and he might think I was dumb and?—
His hand came over mine, squeezed lightly before letting go. “It’s not a trick question, darlin’,” he said gently. “I promise.”
“I know,” I whispered after a moment, holding very still. “I just?—”
I bit my lip, knowing I had a choice here—one I knew that Cas would make for me if I let him. He would step in, make the call to protect me from this conversation because he knew it wasn’t the most comfortable place for me. He’d done the same thing throughout the entire visit. Like when I’d been vague about some of the details of my childhood, and he’d given his family pointed looks so they’d accepted that vague without further explanation.
Because of Cas, they’d taken my benign explanation about my mom dying and my father not being currently in my or Ethan’s lives at…well, maybe not at face value. But they hadn’t pressed for anything further…and then they’d gone back to baking.
Similar to how they’d accepted my short explanation about Ethan’s dad—though that had, luckily, required fewer vague comments and euphemisms and pointed looks from Cas.
Because Ethan was nearby, and they were careful with him.
I knew that part of Cas stepping in was that he was protecting me and Ethan, saving me from dredging up painful shit, but I also recognized that his family had left it alone because they were nice people, and they’d picked up on the fact that it wasn’t a comfortable conversation for me.
So yeah, as the afternoon had rolled on, it was clear where Cas had gotten the Nice Trait.
From a good family.
Good siblings.
A good mother.
A good father.
The last of which was why I released a breath, shoved down the prickling instincts that told me nothing good could come of this conversation, met Luca’s eyes, and said, “I’m not used to this.”
It was a soft admission.
“Not used to what, honey?” he asked kindly.
