To be precise, she’d kissed him, and then he’d kissed her, and then the whole room sort of wobbled, and…
Shaking off her horny buzz, she watched Xander advance on the Anagnos clan, his brisk stride radiating confidence. Judging by their open-mouthed stares and the teens’ giggles, their kiss hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Hannah trotted after him. Whatever smack-down he was about to lay on his family, she didn’t want to miss a word.
“…and listen good.” Arms crossed, stance wide, he glared at his red-faced parents. “Gus laid out his burial wishes, and we’re going to honor them. He deserves that.” He planted a stiff finger in his gawking father’s chest. “All his life you put him down. But look at all these people who’ve come to celebrate his life. They knew Gus better than you ever did, and they loved him. If you can’t respect that, if you can’t appreciate what a wonderful soul he was, then it’s better if you leave right now.”
Xander’s mother made choking sounds. His father’s face darkened to an alarming shade of maroon. But a forty-something man stepped between the furious couple and Xander, his palms raised. “No one’s gonna make a fuss today.” He flicked a warning glance over his shoulder. “Right, Mama? Baba?”
Moving as stiffly as wooden soldiers, the older couple linked arms and stalked to their seats, trailed by the rest of their crew. As they departed, Hannah overheard one of the younger women mutter, “Check out Xander’s shiny new spine.”
The interceder flashed a smug grin and slugged Xander’s shoulder hard enough to make him wince. “Introduce me to your lady, bro.”
Xander stepped out of range and rubbed the sore spot. “Hannah Leone, meet my brother Dimitrios.”
“Charmed.” She pasted on a bland smile and extended her hand, which Dimitrios grasped in his clammy paw and lifted to his lips for a loud, smacking kiss.
“Cut the crap, Dimitri,” Xander growled and draped his arm over her shoulders, deliciously heavy and warm. “My friend didn’t come here to be pawed by you.”
Dimitrios winked. “Just yanking your chain, bro.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “You know they’ll make me pay for standing up for you.”
Xander narrowed his eyes. “There’s a first time for everything, I guess.”
After a brief stare-down, Dimitrios cracked a wide smile and pulled Xander into a back-slapping hug. When they separated, both swiped at damp eyes. “Uncle Gus, huh?”
“Uncle Gus,” Xander agreed.
Hannah’s eyes prickled as she wrapped her hand around Xander’s biceps and tugged him gently toward the front row of chairs. “Looks like Zora’s ready to start.”
As they took their seats, Hannah whispered in Xander’s ear, “You were magnificent.”
A blush painted his stubbled cheek. He gathered her hand into his and interlaced their fingers. “Thank you for shocking some sense into me.” Leaning in close, he whispered, “Any time you want to lay another motivational kiss on me, be my guest.”
There they went again, those damn butterflies dancing the Macarena in her belly.
Zora began the ceremony, her voice ringing out warm and rich over the borrowed PA system’s static. “Friends, family, welcome visitors, thank you for coming. Today we gather to honor a truly unique soul.”
Murmurs of assent swept through the room. Across the aisle, Xander’s family sat stiff and silent.
“Death is not an end, my dear ones, it’s a passage. Our stay on this beautiful earth may be long or short, comfortable or difficult, but when our time comes, we all must pass through that cosmic portal into the realms beyond.” She patted the metal contraption beside her.
An Anagnos squeaked, then covered it with a phony cough.
Folding her hands over her broad bosom, Zora gazed heavenward. “Augustus Xylon Anagnos lived here among us, but he kept his eyes on the stars.”
“Amen,” rang out in a deep baritone.
Peering over her shoulder, Hannah recognized Colonel Malinowski, one of the UFO investigators from last week’s sale. Arrayed beside him sat at least a dozen people in identical military-style jackets.
Zora continued her sermon, reminding the mourners to follow Gus’s example and never lose sight of the great beyond…or something like that. Hannah lost the thread, too focused on Xander’s hand wrapped around hers, his soft sighs and sniffles.
“And now, let’s hear a few words from Xander Anagnos, Gus’s nephew and the new proprietor of Souvenir Planet.”
Xander squeezed Hannah’s hand. “I could use another kiss,” he whispered out of the side of his mouth.
Stifling an inappropriate giggle, she smooched his cheek.
He rose and strode to the cosmic transmitter, taking the microphone Zora pressed into his hand. Tears gleamed in his eyes as he scanned the faces before him. “Uncle Gus was, uh…” He cleared his throat. “He was a wonderful man. Warm. Accepting. No preconceived notions—” His sharp glance raked over his family, and Mrs. Anagnos developed a sudden fascination with the purse in her lap.