by Chelle Bliss
“Oh God,” Jo gasps. “Did they hurt you?”
“No. Thomas got to me in time and rescued me. He was and always has been my personal hero.”
“Like father, like son,” Jo whispers at my side, her gaze flickering between my father and me. “Was it love at first sight?” she goes on to ask, but I already know the answer is probably going to blow her mind.
My mother laughs. “It was lust at first sight, for sure. The way he looked at me…” Mom fans herself. “I knew I wanted a piece of him.”
“Baby, you make me sound like a piece of meat. I should be offended.”
Mom slaps Dad playfully, and I turn, seeing Jo’s smile and ease around my parents.
Jo loves them. She loves their sweetness, something I took for granted growing up in a household filled with love. She, on the other hand, never knew and would never know what that was like for a kid and how it shaped my views.
“I’m pretty sure I was the prey, sweetie,” Mom tells him, gently pressing her lips against his cheek. “And I was okay with that.”
Jo leans over, placing her mouth next to my ear. “I love your parents,” she whispers.
There’s a knock at the door, and every head in the room turns to face it.
“It’s James and Izzy. I invited them for dinner tonight.” Mom springs up from Dad’s lap and heads toward the door.
“My aunt and uncle,” I tell Jo.
“I remember,” she replies, smiling at me. “I love that there are always a lot of people. Years of being alone was awful, and it’s nice to be surrounded by so many.”
“Sometimes togetherness is overrated, babe.”
She swats at me. “Stop with the lies, Nicholas. You love being around your family.”
I lean over this time with my lips touching her ear. “Sometimes being alone is better,” I say, speaking slow and low. “Especially when you’re naked in my bed.”
Jo blushes. “Stop talking about being naked with your immaculate body.”
“Don’t forget my pierced cock, babe.” I smile against her skin.
She turns to face me until our lips are lined up. “You play so dirty,” she whispers, her eyes dilated and breathing slower.
Although I love my family, I’d much rather be at home, naked wrestling with my girl in our bed. It’s weird to think it’s not my bed anymore, but ours. The first time ever I’ve had a woman living with me, and so far, it hasn’t been bad. For as spoiled as she was growing up, she’s pretty damn easygoing with most things…except her clothes and shoes, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. My aunts and girl cousins are no different, and I know better than to even try to change Jo.
“Well, look at you two lovebirds,” Aunt Izzy says as she steps into the living room, with James right behind her.
Her brown hair is swept up in a loose bun, makeup done perfectly as always because she never leaves the house without putting her “face on”…whatever that means.
Mom grabs Izzy’s arm, staring at Jo and me like we’re a circus attraction. “Aren’t they adorable?”
“They’re going to make beautiful babies.” Those words come from my aunt.
“Oh, well… It’s a bit early for that,” Jo replies. “I plan to enjoy Nick as much as possible before we even talk about babies.”
Izzy twists her lips and then bursts into laughter. “You’re too cute. I wasn’t ready for a baby either, but bam, Rocco and Carmello happened.”
James wraps his arms around my aunt in that strong, possessive way he always does. “It was all part of my plan.”
She glances over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes. “I love my boys, but I wasn’t ready.”
“No one ever is, baby.”
“That’s the truth.” She lifts her shoulders, moving into his touch as James kisses her neck. “But I love our boys more than life itself.”
“More than me?” James asks, pretending to be offended.
“Don’t be silly,” she teases, turning in his arms and tipping her head toward his face as he slides his hands to her ass. “Of course, I love them more.”
He swats one of her cheeks, causing her to laugh. “Well, you asked, and I’m always truthful.”
“God, they’re so dreamy, too,” Jo breathes. “They’re like every perfect Hollywood story I always thought was only possible in movies, but never real life.”
“He’s a complete pain in the ass,” Izzy says without turning around to face us and overhearing Jo. “No man is easy.”
“The same could be said about you, love,” James replies, staring down at his wife with nothing but love and admiration.
“Was it love at first sight for you, too?” Jo asks, so curious about my family and the depth and easiness with which they love.
Izzy throws her head back and laughs loudly. “I hated James.”
“Baby, you slept with me the first night. You didn’t hate me all that much.”
“I was drunk.”
“Easy out.”
“You were a cocky prick.”
“Still am, but that’s why you love me so much.”
“You slept with your best friend’s sister. You clearly had no morals or boundaries,” she adds.
James smirks. “The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I had to make you mine. I didn’t care that Thomas was my best friend. I spent years listening to him talk about his little sister and how great she was. I couldn’t help that he already had you in my head before I ever met you. The other stuff, after we first met, that was the icing on the cake. I love a woman with some bite to her.”
“Dinner’s ready. Who’s hungry?” Mom asks, back at the stove, missing out on another trip down memory lane.
“I’ll pour the wine,” Izzy announces, sliding out of James’s grip.
“I really do love the women in this family,” Jo says, moving away from me too and following behind Izzy.
“You’re shot,” James tells me as I stare at Jo, not missing the sway of her hips or the grace with which she carries herself across the room.
My eyes slide to him, and I furrow my forehead. “Excuse me?”
“You’re in love, kid. You may think you’re only playing house, but she’s deep in you. Part of you now. There’s no getting away from that.”
“I wasn’t planning on getting away.”
“You going to marry her?” Dad asks me, speaking quietly so the women don’t overhear.
“One step at a time,” I lie. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
I very much plan to put a ring on her finger. And the sooner, the better.
“Whatever lie you need to tell yourself, son.”
25
Jo
It’s Sunday, which means great food, the entire family, and tons of love.
The women are gathered in the living room at Nick’s grandparents’ house as the men head outside to watch the game on the television hanging on the lanai.
That’s a new word I learned since moving to Florida. In California, we said patio or terrace, but here, it’s all about the lanai. Most of them are screened-in, including the pool, and with the numbers of critters around here, it’s absolutely perfect.
“What’s your best advice for us, Nana?” Gigi asks, sitting on the floor near her grandmother’s feet, one arm resting on the edge of the cushion. “How have you and Grandpa stayed married and together for so long?”
Her grandmother touches Gigi’s brown hair, staring down at her granddaughter like she’s the most precious thing in the world. “There’s no one thing, baby. It’s a mixture of many things, depending on the situation or level of anger.”
“But you don’t get angry with Grandpa,” Lily adds, sitting on the couch across the room with her legs folded underneath her. “At least, I’ve never seen it.”
Their grandmother laughs. She’s so beautiful with her silver-white hair and beautiful clothes. But the most beautiful thing of all is the way she is devoted to and loves her family. “Baby, I get mad at him daily, b
ut after being together over fifty years, you learn how to handle a person.”
Tamara snickers. “I can’t believe you’re saying you handle Grandpa.”
Mrs. Gallo tips her nose upward, looking very regal in her high-back chair made for a queen. “Well, I do. Sometimes the truth hurts or is hard to believe, but I do, in fact, handle the man, as I do each of my children.”
“That’s no shit,” Izzy mumbles behind me. “She’s still the boss.”
“As women, we’re the thread that holds the fabric of this family together. Without us, the entire thing would unravel. No one would be here today. We wouldn’t be sitting around like this, sharing a meal, and enjoying one another’s company. Someday, when I’m gone—”
“Nana, you aren’t going anywhere,” Tamara interrupts, shaking her head. “Stop that right now.”
Her grandmother gives her a sad yet sweet smile. “Not right now, but someday, I won’t be here. Many years from now, you’ll be sitting in this chair, surrounded by your children and grandchildren, hopefully handing down the same advice I am giving to you, child.”
“I’m not ready for that.” Tamara pulls her knees against her chest and rests her chin on top. “I need you here. We all do.”
“I’m here, sweetie.” Mrs. Gallo smiles, but she rarely doesn’t, at least not in the few weeks I’ve known her. “But I need to pass down my words of wisdom, so when I do leave this earth, I know y’all won’t be walking around clueless.”
“Oh dear God,” Fran, Mrs. Gallo’s sister-in-law, mutters. “Get on with it, Marie. You’re talking in circles, repeating yourself. I may literally take my last breath before you dole out this wisdom.”
Everyone chuckles, and Mrs. Gallo, in a surprising move, at least to me, holds up her middle finger. “Have another drink, Fran. Do something constructive with that mouth instead of giving me sass.”
Fran scoots forward and holds up her hand too, but not her middle finger. “Let me give my advice first. I have words of wisdom too, especially after two very different husbands.”
“Go ahead, Fran. You have the floor,” Mrs. Gallo offers, waving her hand toward her sister-in-law. “I’m waiting with bated breath for this special knowledge you’re going to impart to the younger generation.”
Fran quickly rolls her eyes before sitting forward, crossing her legs, and placing her hands on her knees. “First, exhaust him in the sack.”
“Oh Jesus,” Mrs. Gallo mutters, covering her face with her hands. “Here we go.”
I chuckle, loving the dynamic of the entire family. I wonder how I’d be different if I’d grown up surrounded by loving, strong women and equally strong and devoted men. Being surrounded instead by people hired to care for you leaves marks that can’t be seen on the surface but are permanently etched under my skin.
“Don’t act like Mother Teresa, Marie, and don’t pretend you haven’t used your sex skills to get exactly what you want from Sal.”
There’s a collective groan, but I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face.
“I still remember the French maid outfit incident. I do believe that happened because you were trying to make Sal more agreeable.”
“Drop it,” Mrs. Gallo tells her.
“Please don’t remind me about that day,” Izzy says. “I’ve never been more embarrassed and horrified at the same time.”
“Says the girl with the collar,” Max, her sister-in-law, mutters. “I’m pretty sure you’ve been in more embarrassing situations.” Izzy elbows Max in the ribs, causing her to jerk sideways and wince. “Fuck, I was kidding, bitch. Calm down.”
“Sal’s mother gave us the best advice when we were young like you kids,” Mrs. Gallo says, taking the conversation away.
“I loved my mom, but she was old-school,” Fran tells Marie. “God rest her soul.” Fran taps her forehead, her chest, and then each shoulder. “She was an amazing woman, but she believed in subservience and would probably disown us if she could see us today.”
Mrs. Gallo nods, laughing. “She was a little over the top. I mean, she wore nothing but black for two decades after your father passed.”
“Twenty years wasted. If Bear dies, I’ll allow myself one year to mourn before I go back on the prowl.”
As if on cue, her husband, Bear, pokes his head into the room. “You talkin’ about me, woman?”
Fran’s head snaps to the side, and the biggest smile covers her face. “Just sayin’ how much I love you, babe.”
He studies her, his eyes sweeping across her face. “You’re lying.”
She touches her chest and gasps, keeping her eyes trained on him. “How dare you? I never lie.”
Those words get a grunt out of him, followed by a muttered bullshit, before he vanishes as quickly as he arrived.
“Aunt Fran,” Tamara says when we’re all alone again. “Can I ask you something?”
Fran nods, still laughing at what happened with Bear. “Of course, dear.”
“Why do you always feel up every man who walks into this house? I mean, we expect it. We accept it, but why? Uncle Bear is pretty damn hot, especially for his age.”
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Gallo mutters.
Fran laughs harder. “Babe, we may be older, but we’re not dead. You make Bear sound like he’s ready for the old-age home.”
“Well…” Tamara shrugs. “He’s not young.”
“You’re right, Tam. We’re older, but we’re not old. Age is a number, but youth is a frame of mind.”
“Okay,” Tam whispers. “I’ll give you that, but what’s with the dudes?”
Fran sits back, relaxing with a smile still planted on her face. “There are some good things that come with age. When I was younger, I couldn’t get away with half the shit I do now. But people tend to let older people get away with more things. If I were your age and touched every man, I’d never hear the end of it.”
“You’d probably get arrested,” Mrs. Gallo tells her, shaking her head in judgment.
“Maybe.” Fran shrugs. “Wouldn’t be my first time in jail.”
“What?” Izzy says quickly, turning to face her aunt. “Why haven’t I heard this story?”
“Some things are meant to be private,” Fran tells her, wagging her finger toward her niece. “Anyway,” she continues, skating right by the arrest, “I love men.”
“Shocking,” Suzy teases from the other side of the room.
Fran shoots her a glare, and Suzy quickly quiets, something I’ve noticed since the moment I met her. She’s the quietest of all the women. Still strong, but easily swayed or silenced when pushed. It’s not hard with the number of strong and overly vocal females in this family.
“Besides being an admirer of the male form, nothing gets Bear more worked up than him finding me touching another man. Bear has a nasty, yet sexy as hell, jealous streak. So, when he finds me touching someone else, I know I’m going to—”
“Don’t finish that statement,” Izzy tells her, holding up a hand. “We got it.”
“So, you feel up every man to get Uncle Bear worked up?” Tamara asks for clarification.
“Yes, but chick, the men are so damn fine, I’d be a moron not to at least get one touch in when I first meet them, before they become someone’s husbands. I’m old, not stupid.”
“Jealousy is a great motivator,” Mrs. Gallo says, agreeing with her sister-in-law. “I’ve used it a time or two on Sal, but never by groping other men.”
“You’ve missed a lot of muscles, Marie. Your loss, not mine.”
“This is the most ridiculous conversation ever,” Max scoffs, shaking her head and finally standing. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I have a man to check on.”
“You carry his balls around in your purse?” Izzy asks her before she even takes a step. “Or do you give them back every once in a while?”
Max swivels around, placing her hand on her hip and dropping a shoulder. “You know your brother. Do you think he could handle having them all the time?”
&nbs
p; Izzy instantly laughs. “Nope. No, he could not. He was nothing but trouble before you walked into his life.”
“He walked into mine,” Max corrects her. “Implanted himself there and then wouldn’t leave.”
Izzy waves her hand. “Oh, stop. You loved being chased.”
Max twists her lips and slowly shakes her head. “He wore me down.”
“You okay?” Gigi asks me, leaning over as I watch the two aunts going back and forth, something I see often with this family.
“I love them all so much,” I tell her, giving her my full attention. “Do you know how lucky you are to have them all?”
She smiles, nodding. “I do, and I remind myself of that every day when they get on my nerves.”
“Hey, babe,” Nick says, sliding behind me, almost making me jump out of my skin. I’d been so focused on Gigi, I hadn’t noticed him enter the room. “You okay in here?”
I lean back, giving him my weight. “I couldn’t be better. I love your family, Nicky.”
“They’re pretty great,” he whispers in my ear, holding me tight, nuzzling his face in my hair.
“The best,” I correct him, turning my face until our lips meet. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asks, his blue eyes searching mine.
“For not only loving me, but for making me feel like I have a family for the first time in my life.”
“It’s nothing about making you feel, Jo. They are your family now, too. What’s mine is yours.”
“We’re crazy. You know that, right?” I ask him, resting my forehead against his.
“Why?”
“We’ve known each other for like five weeks, and I’m completely and utterly stupid in love with you. It’s insane.”
“Love isn’t sane, babe. It’s wild. It can’t be forced or contained.” He reaches down, lifting my hand up. “But once you find it, you do whatever you can in order to keep it. Josephine Carmichael, will you marry me?” Something cold touches my finger as he moves it down toward my palm.
My mouth drops open and my heart sputters, almost stopping. I blink, my eyes moving from his face to my finger and back to his face. My hands start to shake, followed by the rest of me. “Nick, are you…”