“Oh,dios mio, Chase. Where the hell have you been? Child, I have been worried sick about you!”
“They never told you?” he asked, still hugging her.
“No! They said you left and that was it. No one said anything about you after that.” She held him away from her, and studied him, pushing his hair out of his face. “Ay, child, you’re grown.”
“I’ve been living in New York,” he said. “I can’t believe they didn’t tell you anything.”
“My son is a stubborn ass,” she said. She studied him. “Did they tell you…”
“Rider came to get me, and hoped I wouldn’t come.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “And so you did. That’s the Chase I know.” She glanced over at me. “And who is that?”
I had to bite my lip. She was eyeballing me like other people eyeballed a prime cut of meat. Chase shook his head, but I saw him take a deep breath at the same time. “Abuelita, this is Marcus. My boyfriend.”
“Mmm,” was all she said. She stepped back from Chase and circled me like she was sizing up some livestock for sale. I bit my lip again, and choked on the laugh.
Her eyes slipped over to Chase, and he sighed. She walked over to him, took his hand and gave him an enormous grin. “Nicely done, Grandson. This gentleman is a fine specimen.”
“Wait…what…” The confusion on his face was comical.
She shook her finger at him. “Your parents and your brother’s prejudices are the tiny thoughts of tiny minds in this tiny town. I didn’t live here growing up. I grew up in a huge colony of Spaniards who fled from Franco’s rule. Artists, musicians, artisans. A man and man having an affair? Feh! Nothing! My uncle—he was married to a woman, yes, but they shared a lover, a man. Who even knows if my cousin Maria Alina is actually my blood cousin? Doesn’t matter. Hildago made them happy.”
Chase and I stared at each other. His great uncle had been in a poly relationship? Holy crap.
“So, you and this handsome man? Whatever. As long as you care about each other and have fun. In bed, out of bed, doesn’t matter.”
Turning bright red, Chase ran a hand over his face. “Abuelita…”
“Would you like to come in for some coffee before you walk into Hell?” she asked sweetly.
“Abuelita… Hell?”
She looked around the two of us to the driveway. “Ah, Rider isn’t here. Perhaps you should go talk to them now. Rider hasn’t exactly been the most supportive of your father trying to talk to you.”
“Mom sent him to find me?”
“Your father.” She nodded. She leaned in. “I had to explain Hildago to him as well before he got it. I didn’t enjoy explaining what a three-way was to my own son.”
Chase pinched the bridge of his nose, and I just did what I could to keep from busting out laughing. “What do you think? Is it smarter for me to go in without Rider?”
“I do,” she said. “Leave the boy toy here with me. I’ll feed him and water him, and when you’re ready for him to come join you or rescue you, I’ll send him over.”
Shaking his head, it was clear Chase wasn’t going to be happy with that. “No. I want him with me. I am not going in there alone. I can’t, Abuelita. I got kicked out of there on my ass, and I’m not sure coming back was the right thing to do…”
“Phone?” She held her hand out.
Chase held it out, and she took it from him. Like anyone who was used to handling a cell, she had her contact information in there in a flash. She motioned for mine next and inputted the contact there. Handing it back, I took a quick look at the screen.Maria Felicia (Abuelita)was typed in there—at least now I knew her name.
“You have one hour to text me, Chase. Or I’m texting your man to tell me to come drag you out.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek. “And then you’re going to come over and we can have dinner and catch up.”
“Don’t worry, Abuelita. I’m not letting your contact in my phone get cold.” He laughed.
“Bueno.” She nodded. “Go. Deal with my idiot son and his wife.” She rolled her eyes to the sky and shook her head.
He took my hand and we headed back toward the car.
“The female of the species is in mourning for the loss of you, Marcus!”
