Page 57 of Chosen Road

Vander bent and offered me his cheek for a kiss, then snagged the converter off the coffee table and sat back on the couch. “When’s Gus getting here?” he asked.

I frowned. “He should have been here already.”

Vander’s attention swung to me immediately. “He’ll be here. There’s nowhere else he’d rather be.”

“How do you know that?” I retorted then instantly wished I held my tongue.

Vander’s lips tipped up on one side. “I have eyes. He loves his wife. He’ll be here.”

“Anyways!” I glared at him, then turned towards my sister. “How was your weekend?”

“So. Jace called Vander ‘dad’ for the first time…”

Half an hour later, when Yiayia called us to bring the platters to the table, Gus still hadn’t shown up with Alex, and he hadn’t called. I paced the length of the living room, chewing on the side of my thumb.

Finally, the front door opened, and I heard Yiayia greet Gus and Alex. I took a deep breath. I could control this. It wasn’t like I was in danger of falling in love with him, I was already in love with him. The danger was in believing in us again, believing in myself again.

Yiayia set us up at the table in a different formation than last time. The woman was playing games. She put Vander at one end of the table, and Gus at the other. She was making her point clear: ‘man is head of the house’. She placed Alex and I on either side of Gus, Ruby and Jace on either side of Vander, George between Alex and Jace, Yiayia directly across from George, between Ruby and me.

“Rubes, I’m having flashbacks to church when Yiayia would sit between us to keep us quiet,” I teased.

“Those were good days,” Ruby replied warmly.

Yiayia side-eyed me then wagged her arthritic finger at the boys. “I be watching you three, make sure you eat,” she warned, and they laughed.

With Gus at the head of the table, there was no risk of his shoulders bumping mine, but the same could not be said for our knees under the table. This was how we sat at home. His legs were so damn long, it was impossible for us not to bump. I tucked my legs under my chair as best I could, but I longed to sit as we used to, his leg stretched out under mine, my crossed ankles resting on his.

While George and Jace regaled Alex with tales of their weekend away, Gus dropped his napkin on the floor and bent to retrieve it. I felt his big hand smooth down the back of my bare calf and I froze in my seat.

He glanced up at my face and I looked at him in shock. He gave me a small, twisted smile, then lifted my legs forward before tucking his ankle behind mine. I relaxed, knowing he wanted the same thing I did. The tension bled from my system as I basked in the warm familiarity of us.

“Where’s your church, Yiayia?” Vander asked.

“Why? You want to go?”

“I need to talk to the priest about a wedding date. I’m thinking to do it before Christmas when George will be here.”

Ruby threw her fork down on the table. “What?”

Vander’s eyes shone with mischief. “I told you. We’re getting married. I thought we should do it sooner rather than later. What do you think?”

“I think,” she bit out, “you should have asked me first.”

“He did ask you,” Jace volunteered.

“Well, he steamrolled you,” George clarified.

I looked at Gus and we laughed. Lord, Vander was perfect for Ruby, and the energy the four of them emanated was warm and fun. Gus looked at me tenderly and I dropped my gaze. I went to move my legs, but he tightened his lips and refused to move, sending me a dark look.

This Gus was familiar also, but in a way that made my panties wet.

I tuned back into the conversation going on around me, anything to avoid looking at Gus. He would see my feelings on my face, and I was not ready for that. Not ready? I thought I decided it wasn’t a good idea to go there.

I relaxed my legs. Approval rolled off him in waves, shortening my breath.

“Ruby-mine, I’m not a patient man. The whole family is here, it’s a good opportunity to talk about the changes that are coming. Do you agree?”

Ruby turned to Yiayia. “Vander wants us to move in together.”

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