by Beth Shriver
“But this is the way I want you to start thinking. Don’t assume it’s nothing. Assume it’s something until this stops.”
“I’m not a cop, Alex. I just want to put the pieces together so I can help my clients.”
Alex continued, keeping his tone even and steady. “But this time our jobs are intertwined, and we need to work together.”
She nodded. “But I think this cat and mouse stuff is a waste of time.”
“Unless he goes too far, but I think you’re probably right. If it is Pirelli, he’s just trying to scare you to reach Scotty.”
“What is that going to get him?”
“In his illogical mind, the money. I’m sure he has somebody riding him about it, maybe even threatening his life, causing him to take extreme and unreasonable measures out of desperation.” He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe he’s following you to see if you make a visit to Scotty. I’m just speculating, like you should be. You never know how a criminal’s mind works.”
“I hadn’t put it together like that. I’ll start taking it more seriously, for Scotty’s sake.” Liz let out a breath. Alex leaned back again and relaxed.
She actually felt better now that she’d gotten all that off her mind. Liz somehow felt safer just knowing he knew, even if it meant he would be her shadow because of it. “Want to come over for some lunch that you make me?”
“Why am I making lunch?” he asked and gave her a playful look.
“Because it always tastes better when someone else makes it.” She tilted her head to try and look persuasive.
“Right, so it would taste better for me if you made it.”
They continued their debate once they met at the grocery store to buy a rotisserie chicken and called a truce to anyone making anything. Then they met back at her place.
Alex made a fire, and Liz changed into some comfy jeans and a sweatshirt.
“How about a picnic?” Liz picked up the chicken and potatoes.
“It’s a little cold isn’t it?” Alex followed her with the drinks and plates.
“Not in front of the fire.” The smell of the gravy and cornbread filled the air and made her stomach rumble. They stuffed themselves then lay back on the blanket they had put down on the floor in front of the fire.
“I ate too much,” she said as she put a hand on her stomach.
“That makes two of us.” He rolled over on his side and pushed himself up on an elbow.
“Do you spend all of the holidays with your parents?”
He shifted his weight and leaned closer to her. “We all live within an hour or so of my parents’ house, so we get together every weekend.”
“That would be tonight.”
“Yep, Sunday dinner, and everyone will be there. It would be a great chance for you to meet everyone. Do you want to come with me?”
“Everyone as in how many?” A sense of panic washed over her as she thought about his last word everyone . Her full stomach turned into an upset stomach thinking of meeting his family. She looked into his twinkling blue eyes and saw how much he wanted her to go. How could she say no? His parents were only a drive across town, and hers were a half day’s drive.
He looked down for a moment in thought. “My five brothers and sisters, and all the nieces and nephews. My aunt and uncle might be there too.”
She slowly reached up and found a wisp of hair and started to twirl. “Okay, but you have to prepare me.” She rolled over on her full stomach, noticing his eyes light up.
He lifted a brow. “How can I do that?”
“Tell me about what everybody’s like so I know what to expect and talk about with them. Kids’ names, all that.”
His stroked her arm, sending tingles down her spine. “Are you nervous?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she scoffed, trying to keep her mind off the caress. “I’m going over to a house full of a dozen adults and their children who are all related to you.” She screwed her lips to the side and nodded vigorously. “Yes.”
He laughed and went through a list of each of his siblings and their children. He was the only one not married, and all but one brother had children.
“Does your family give you a hard time about not being married?” It was always good to hear when somebody else was pestered about the same thing.
“All the time. My brothers figure I won’t get married. My sisters are still working on me.”
“Why don’t your brothers think you’ll get married?”
“They say I’m too particular and not looking for a serious relationship.”
That got her attention, because she’d thought the same thing when she first met him. “That’s interesting. What do you think about that assessment?”
“I think they’re right about the not getting serious part. But I haven’t met anyone I wanted to get serious with, not for a while anyway.”
She sensed some history in that statement and waited, but when he didn’t continue, she asked, “So you’re too particular?”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that. Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half shut after.’ That makes perfect sense to me.” He paused and reached for her, interlacing his fingers with hers. “What’s your story?”
This conversation had been very enlightening. But she didn’t like the shift to her. Liz didn’t know the answers herself, let alone how to explain it to someone else.
“It’s complicated.” She moved her hand away.
He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
“I haven’t met the right guy I guess.”
“That’s not complicated.”
“No, I guess I am.”
“That’s a fact.” He lifted his hand to stroke his fingers across her cheek.
She couldn’t handle any more stimulation. Her nerves started acting up the minute he asked her to go with him. His touch caused another kind of sensation. She rolled over onto her back and started thinking about what she should wear which only added more stress. She grabbed a piece of hair and twirled.
“Are you okay?” He moved up into a chair, leaning over her.
“No. A bath would be good and some chocolate.”
He hitched a thumb onto her twirling finger and chuckled. “Whatever it takes to get you there. I’ll be back to pick you up after you get ready.”
Then he stood and called his parents.
Chapter Eighteen
When the doorbell rang, she had just finished her hair. The hot curlers had out performed themselves. The usually long straight strands that hung down her back now sat on her shoulders in perfect twists and curls of brown, touched with gold.
She had spent far too much time trying to figure out what to wear for an informal get-together with Alex’s family. She’d finally settled on some dark jeans and a fitted blouse with brown boots.
As she opened the door to let Alex in, she looked him up and down to see if she had dressed appropriately. A black long-sleeved shirt covered his broad shoulders and looked good with his dark Levis and black boots. She took him in bit by bit and then enjoyed the whole package.
He grabbed her coat, and they walked out onto the porch. He stopped, holding her by the waist and tucked a russet strand behind her ear. “Did you get your hair cut?” He leaned back to get a better look.
“No. I just went a little too far with the hot curlers.”
“You look cute,” he said as he continued to look her over.
She smiled, happy that he noticed, and took his arm to keep from slipping on the partially iced over sidewalk.
The drive was relaxing, and Liz enjoyed every minute. Although she was nervous to meet his family, it was good to be with Alex. But he was silent and hadn’t taken his eyes off the road.
“It will be interesting meeting your parents. Being a social worker, you know I’ll be analyzing them all night. And I’ll have you all figured out before the night’s over.” She chuckled. He didn’t.
His expression was serious as he spoke. He kept his eyes straight ahead of him watching the road. “I have only taken one other woman to meet my family. This isn’t a small thing for me. Not to mention my family. They were in complete shock when I told them you were coming tonight.”
Liz looked at him in surprise, feeling the tension in his voice. “I think you’re more nervous than I am.”
“Isn’t meeting someone’s parents somewhat important, as in a turning point in the relationship?”
The last serious relationship Liz had was full of tension. He was so controlling, and she spent more and more time at work to avoid him. This was a common pattern for her with her love life, and it had driven her to swear off anything serious.
She didn’t answer but turned toward the window, watching the cars clip down the street beside them. She wanted to tell him how much she loved being with him, even more than she always thought she would. The trip back home wasn’t what was important. What mattered was if she could have a relationship with him. But did she dare play with the thought that they could ever have more than just this? To have a relationship that would last? No, she was setting herself up for a big hurt if she let herself think that way.
“I don’t have everything figured out like you do.”
He let out a breath and stopped for a red light. “I guess we still have some things we need to figure out together.”
Their eyes met and held briefly. He moved closer, their lips almost touching. She took hold of his arm but pulled back as an impatient driver honked, unpleasantly telling them the light had turned green.
They had just started again when Alex turned the wheel to the right, her body suddenly jerked to the side. She pulled in tighter to him as she saw the car in front of them slipping and weaving on the ice.
Alex turned the wheel back to avoid a collision. They barreled into a drift on the side of the road, left by snowplows from the previous night’s storm. After catching their breath and adjusting from the jolt to their necks, they stared at each other.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, are you?”
Alex chuckled, then started to laugh.
Not understanding what could possibly be funny at the moment Liz frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m never going to get that kiss.”
She chuckled a little too. “Can we still drive?”
“Oh yeah, this pickup has been through a lot worse than that.” He put the stick shift in gear and they were off again.
For the rest of the drive, she was somewhat of a chatterbox due to her nerves. Liz plagued him with childhood stories and managed to get a few out of him as well. By the time they got to his parents she felt as if she knew at least a little bit about each of his siblings.
The Demas house was in an older well-kept neighborhood. The yards were of good size with matured landscaping. Their home was a white stucco ranch, crowned with a red tile roof. The little one-car garage didn’t suffice the Demas clan. Cars filled the driveway and overflowed halfway down the block.
As they walked inside, the smells of food engulfed them. Bread, cake and a roast of lamb were cooking in the oven or sitting on countertops.
Old furniture ornamented the home, leaving little room for people. Most of the furnishings were worn and needed repair. Alex told Liz the house hadn’t changed much since he was a kid, except for the accumulation of a few more items.
The adults gathered in the family room and kitchen, and the kids traipsed in and out of the snow-filled backyard. One of the dark-haired blue-eyed brothers welcomed them. Liz could have seen any of his brothers on the street and noticed their resemblance to Alex. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she thought would be a stressful evening.
He hugged Alex and then Liz. “Wow, what a beauty. Liz right?”
Her cheeks heated. She could see that charm ran in the Demas family. “Yes, and you are Colin, Damon, or Chris?”
“Hey, you know the whole crew already. I’m Chris. Just remember I’m the good-looking brother.” He winked. “I’m also the only one without kids to chase after. Well, except for little brother here, of course.” He slapped Alex on the back.
Alex just smiled and took her coat then walked back to the entry closet. He got caught up in a tangle of nieces and nephews coming in to attack him.
He fell on the floor amidst shrieks and giggles, letting them bounce on him and sit on his stomach while he tickled them. She couldn’t help thinking that he would be a good father. It wasn’t the first time she had the thought, and it was always something she’d appreciated when they were on calls together. Kids always warmed up to him.
Chris introduced Liz to the entire family, nieces and nephews included. And it was no surprise that all Alex’s brothers were very charming. The spouses felt at ease and were very much included. Most of them had dark hair and blended in with the rest of the family. The exception was Alyssa’s husband, who stood out like a beacon with his blond hair and green eyes.
Alex showed up in time for Liz to meet his parents. His mother, a petite woman with olive-toned skin and long gray hair braided down her back, was delightful. “Welcome to our home, Liz. We’re so glad that you’ve come.” She hugged her once, then again.
“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Demas.” Liz couldn’t tell if this was her normal hospitality, or if she was just really happy that Alex had someone with him.
After meeting his father, there was no doubt where the boys acquired their debonair traits. He was handsome and gracious but not a tall man, making her wonder where Alex acquired his height. He went out of his way to make her feel at home.
He brought Liz into his den and showed her pictures of himself and his sons together, all in their police uniforms. The four sons stood from eldest to youngest with their father standing in the middle of them. Alex, of course, was the most handsome.
Liz went into the kitchen to help with the meal, which she hesitated over due to her lack of cooking skills, but Alex’s mother patted her cheek and put her to work. His sisters were talkative and busy bustling around after children and helping with the food.
They both held the Demas characteristics. Alyssa, the shorter of the two, chatted incessantly, while Barbara, the oldest of the bunch, worked side by side with her mother to get things done.
The energy that came from the dining room as they entered was refreshing. They each found a place next to their significant others at a long oak table made for eight, but today it squeezed in fourteen. The children’s table was set up in the kitchen.
They had a wonderful meal and lots of conversation, many all going on at the same time. Alex and his brothers were loud talkers, trying to outdo each other with their stories and jokes.
Her eyes scanned the faces of everyone seated at the table and stopped when her eyes met with his mother’s. She gave Liz a thoughtful smile. Liz felt it was a good opportunity to praise her cooking. “You’re a wonderful cook, Mrs. Demas.”
Mrs. Demas held her napkin up to her mouth and smiled warmly. The rest of the family chimed in with their compliments, then the conversations continued.
Alex nudged Liz and winked. “You’re doing very well with this craziness. But don’t worry, we won’t stay long after we eat.”
“I’m fine, really. We don’t have to rush off.”
Alex stared at her in disbelief, his knife and fork frozen in his hands. “Really?”
She shrugged. “You’ll understand when you go to my parents’ house.”
“You’re scaring me.” He tried to look scared but couldn’t pull it off. She laughed and took another bite of chocolate cake.
Alyssa leaned over closer to Liz. “You can stay awhile, can’t you Liz?”
Liz nodded, wondering if they didn’t usually have visitors stay around very often. Liz felt Alex’s stare on her and wondered if he wanted her attention or was just observing as she talked with Alyssa. He kept tabs on her throughout the rest of the evening to make sure she was
comfortable.
The guys settled in to watch a game on TV. Alex started to walk in the room with them but then stopped and caught her eye. He pointed and lifted his brows in question to get her approval to join them. She nodded and continued to visit with the women in the kitchen as they finished the dishes. The kids had quieted and taken over their grandparents’ TV in the bedroom watching cartoons.
It felt good to be a part of this big, happy family, and Alex was so glad to have her here, they all were. The importance of her being there made her wonder just how serious Alex thought their relationship was. Maybe the ride home would be a good time to find out.
Alex came up behind Liz a few minutes later and whispered in her ear, “Ready to go?”
Goose bumps tickled down her neck.
Liz turned to him as she dried a platter and placed it on the counter. “Let me finish up here first.”
He grabbed a towel and helped her dry. His mother glanced over at him. The corners of her mouth curved, and then she looked at Liz and gave her the same gentle smile. Alex didn’t see the tender gesture. Liz was glad that she had. And returned it with a smile of her own.
“So you know my Alex from work?” His mother handed a clean plate to Barbara.
“Yes, we’ve been working on a case together. We make a pretty good team.” She grinned at Alex who chuckled his response.
“She makes me tired, Ma.”
His mother shook her head. “Ahh, she makes you work...that’s good for you.”
Liz laughed and handed Alex a platter to dry. “Yeah, here get to work.”
He scowled at her and took the platter.
As they were leaving, all of his family came up to them to say goodbye. Liz went to Alyssa. “You give the best hugs.”
“Thanks for coming, Liz. And come back, okay.”
There is was again. The pleading for Alex to come with a girl. “I’m counting on it.”
She gave more hugs as she made her way back to Alex and thanked everyone
When they got to Alex’s truck, he backed Liz up against it and gently grabbed her by the collar of her coat with both hands. His eyes searched hers as he moved forward.