Page 37 of Just for Him
Epilogue – Vinnie
When Mama caught myeye and winked, I knew she had just given me her seal of approval. As if there had been any doubt.
Haven seemed pleasantly surprised by how well things had gone. Nick had broken the ice a few months earlier by bringing Kat, so that helped lessen the novelty of bringing someone new intola famiglia. That didn’t keep them from telling embarrassing stories about me, but it was worth a few blows to my manly ego to see Haven smile like that.
I had to admit that I felt slightly territorial when my cousin Lucia brought up that damn charity calendar and, with a wicked gleam in her eye, pointedly asked Haven what she thought of her work. Haven didn’t miss a beat when she answered that she really couldn’t offer a fair assessment because her calendar was pinned perpetually on October. I was going to thank her greatly for that one later.
I also freely admitted to a twinge of jealousy when it was brought up that I wasn’t the only Cerasino male to appreciate her mad coffee making skills. It was confirmed that Haven had been the barista at the café my brother Paulie so often bragged about. His comment that he missed his daily coffee fix earned him a warning glance from me. Judging by his subsequent smirk, he knew exactly what he was doing.Testa di cazzo.
Some of the attention was taken off me and Haven because of the rock concert. Ramona couldn’t stop gushing about the bands and the music. It looked like Dom had earned the “most favorite uncle” award with that one. Since I had gotten to spend the weekend with Haven because of it, I was perfectly okay with that.
Joel seemed pretty pleased with the weekend, too, though he was much more low-key about it than Ramona. He appeared content to let her do all the talking, smiling and nodding when she looked to him for confirmation and agreement. I didn’t miss the way he looked at her either. If I wasn’t mistaken, the kid was smitten.
I shot a questioning glance Dom’s way, and he answered with a smirk, confirming my theory.
After dinner, I picked up my plate and Haven’s so she could continue her conversation with Kat, Gina, and Val. “Stay here. I’ll bring you some espresso,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
Haven beamed at me. I loved how she appreciated such a simple gesture. She did flush a little, though, when the others made “oooo” noises. They were all grinning like Cheshire cats, and it was a measure of just how happy I was that I didn’t mind in the slightest.
I found Joel in the kitchen, rinsing off dishes with the power sprayer and loading the commercial dishwasher. Everyone else was occupied, so I took advantage of the opportunity.
“Hey, Joel, can I talk to you for a minute?”
He looked at me then nodded. His expression was more curious than wary, a far cry from the last time I had brought him here for a chat.
He finished up what he was doing, dried his hands, then followed me out back.
“What’s up? Something happen with Slash?”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” I told him. “This is about Haven.”
He narrowed his eyes, that protective streak surging forward and lurking just under the surface. “What about her?” he asked carefully.
“I really like her.”
“No shit.” He smirked.
“Don’t let my mother hear you say that,” I warned, “or she’ll wash your mouth out with soap like she did the rest of us.”
He shot a look toward the back door, then corrected, “Nokidding.”
I laughed. “I knew you were a smart kid. Listen, I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“About what?”
“I’m going to ask your sister to marry me. Not today, but soon.”
His face went blank. “Congratulations,” he said carefully. “But, why are you telling me?”
“Because this is going to affect you, too.”
I could see his mind working, putting together the pieces and coming up with an image totally different than mine. The eyes didn’t lie, and Joel’s flashed with hurt, then resignation, before going flat again. I knew I was right when he offered a small smile and said. “Hey, no worries, man. I can find someplace else to crash. Is that it? I got shit to do.”
He tried to walk around me, but I reached out and stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. “Yeah, you do, starting with pulling your head out of your ass. You’re not going anywhere.”
