Page 79 of Easy Reunion

My heart sighs with happiness. I lean my head forward to rest it against his.

The moment is perfect until Luis declares, “Now see? Ry’s got the kind of game to get a woman like Kelsey.”

“Shut up, Luis!” is shouted from several different locations, the loudest being Maria as she smacks her youngest child upside the head.

I feel Ry shaking. Pulling back just a little, he grins before pointing a thumb at himself and saying, “I’ve got game, all right.”

It’s a measure of how far we’ve come that instead of stirring up our painful past, all I do is toss my head back and laugh—right before I slug him in the arm for his arrogance.

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way our lives seem to be blending seamlessly.

* * *

We’re driving backto Ry’s place after delicious chili, jalapeño cornbread, and flan for dessert. Maria went all out with my favorite dishes when she found out I was bringing someone with me. “I’m stuffed,” I declare.

“So am I,” Ry groans. Lifting my hand to his lips, he rubs them back and forth before letting it go to return his hand to the wheel. “So, I see Angel came about her special brand of crazy naturally?”

“You have no idea.” Twisting in the seat slightly, I begin to regale Ry with tales of a much younger Angel when my cell phone rings. Pulling it out of my purse, I grin. “Oh! It’s my grandfather.” Twisting away, I answer. “Hey, Pop-pop! What’s up?” I smile happily over at Ry only to find his hands tense on the steering wheel. My smile dims a little, but I don’t have time to cover the phone to ask what’s wrong.

“Nothing, sugar. Nana and I just wanted to check in on how you’re doin’.” My Pop-pop’s sweet voice rings through my ear.

“Well, I’m stuffed with all kinds of Riviera deliciousness,” I tease him.

He groans in agony and delight. “Save me, child. I don’t think this stomach of mine can handle that kind of spice anymore.”

I chuckle. “It was one time that Angel cooked for you, Pop-pop. Once, and she toned it down. Maybe it was the fact you went back for thirds that caused indigestion, not the spice level.” When Nana and Pop-pop visited us in California, Angel made her family’s recipe for chile con quiles and cornbread. I smack my lips in my grandfather’s ear to remind him just how good it was when I say, “There was cornbread today.”

He groans. “I don’t s’pose it can be mailed?”

“You’ve asked me that before, Pop-pop.” I hazard a glance over at Ry, whose lips are twitching at my end of the conversation. “And I’ll remind you once again, the last time I brought some home, you tried to hide it from Nana. That was just wrong.”

“Your Nana was trying to ration it out…”

“And you tried to lock it in your safe!” I exclaim. Ry barks out a laugh before he controls himself. He shakes his head in disbelief at the antics.

“Unbelievable,” Ry says softly. Turning his head briefly, he gives me a wicked grin. “Now I understand where you get your sass from.”

“I’m sorry, Kelsey,” Pop-pop says contritely. “I didn’t realize you were out with a gentleman caller.”

I love how my grandfather refers to any date I’ve ever been on like that. “Actually, it’s someone I’ve reconnected with since the reunion.” To my shock, Ry begins immediately shaking his head vehemently.

“Oh? Was it someone you met at the hotel? Someone on the plane?” Confusion fills my grandfather’s voice.

“Kelsey,” Ry warns. But there’s an underlying note of sadness in his voice I don’t quite understand.

“Ry?” I wonder aloud. I didn’t expect the reaction I got on the phone.

“Ry? Ry? Do you mean to tell me you and that boy who hurt you…no! I won’t have it, Kelsey Isabelle Kennedy!” Pop-pop shouts so loudly.

Ry flinches. I know he heard.

“No, what I won’t have is you talkin’ without understandin’!” My Southern accent, normally smoother, picks up on the nuances in his in force. “You just stop!”

“Remember to respect your elders, Miss Thing,” he retorts in my ear.

“I will when they show some for the people I care for. What happened back then is between Rierson and me, Pop-pop. He explained and I accepted.”

“I don’t know how you could.”