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I find them in the living room, huddled around Luna’s blanket on the floor. She’s lying on her back, carelessly looking around with swollen eyes and an unhappy grimace, while Jacinta is kneeling next to her with a no less unhappy expression on her face. Well, apparently, Gerardo has managed to piss off both of them.
He’s standing next to Jacinta with his arms crossed and an overly serious frown on his face, looking as annoying as ever, and I clench my jaw. He knew I wouldn’t be at home, didn’t he? That’s why that moron showed up today.
“Another visit without a warning?” I tell him instead of a greeting, entering the living room, and as soon as Gerardo turns to me his expression shifts into one of mocking politeness.
As you can probably guess, my relationship with my father-in-law isn’t the best, to say the least.
“Paolo! Finally. We’ve been waiting for the diapers, did you bring them?”
“Youhave been waiting?” I quirk an eyebrow before turning away to kneel next to Jacinta and press a kiss to her cheek, squeezing her shoulder. She smiles at me and presses her forehead to mine. “How are you, princess?”
“I’m fine, just tired.” Jacinta pointedly glances at her father with a grimace of displeasure, and I squeeze her shoulder tighter. Damn it. Gerardo is always so noisy and overwhelming, I should’ve been here to keep him away.
“Don’t you know that you should beinvitedbefore barging in?” I say in a low voice and turn to look at Gerardo, but as always, he plays innocent.
“Ah, but it was just a surprise! Besides, I don’t think I have to wait for an invitation to be able to see my daughter.” He looks me in the eyes with a silent reminder, and I purse my lips and turn away.
Yeah, it was a part of the truce—that Gerardo would be able to see Jacinta at least twice a month. I guess today is the second one for August—but that means that we’ll be free of his presence for the next ten days.
But as soon as I hear Luna whimpering, I leave all of my frustrations behind and focus on her. She has the cutest cheeks and the prettiest brown eyes that concentrate on my face for a second before her face distorts into a cry. She must be tired of her granddad’s endless complaining—or she just needs a fresh diaper.
“Hi, cutie,” I murmur and lean down to press a kiss to her belly. Luna immediately kicks her legs and arms, but at least it stops her from crying. She looks unsure now, and I can’t help a chuckle. “Do you want to cry? Do you want to complain about the grumpy old man in our house? Daddy’s ready to listen.”
“Is that how you are going to raise her?”
“Oh, Louis, hi!” Jacinta finally notices him and, completely ignoring Gerardo’s comment, gets up to greet him. “How are you?”
“I’m good. Still alive.” Louis chuckles at his favorite joke, and I roll my eyes without turning to him. “I’ve brought you diapers, hot chocolate, and a bunch of fruit. You like strawberries, right?”
“I love them! Thank you. Paolo, do you—”
But Luna interrupts her with a cry. Yeah, she made up her mind, and now she goes all out. I pick her up and try to sway her a little, but it doesn’t help. It breaks my heart to hear her cry like this even though I know it’s probably nothing important. Or is it? Wait, what if she’s in pain? Did something happen?
“Sorry, it’s time to feed her.” Jacinta appears next to me a moment later and, still chewing on a strawberry, takes Luna out of my hands. “Yes, baby? Yes? Oh, I know, I know, let’s go to the kitchen. Mommy has plenty of milk for you, so let’s try again without a bottle, okay?”
With cooing and funny faces, Jacinta goes past Gerardo to the kitchen, and I follow her only to stop next to him. He knows that now, without his daughter nearby, there’s nothing keeping me from kicking him out of here. So as soon as I turn to him, Gerardo straightens his shoulders and gives me a fake smile.
“I guess it’s time to go.”
“You bet,” Louis grumbles, leaning on the wall in the hallway.
“It was nice to visit you.” He waves a hand and moves to the door, but then, as if remembering something, he sharply turns around. “Oh, and Jacinta showed me your photos from Europe. Looks like you had fun there, huh?”
“We did.” I nod, still frowning. What does it matter to him?
“Well, good for you. Hope you understand that you put your wife and my daughter in danger whenever you—”
“She’s always safe with me,” I growl and step toward him, getting more and more aggravated by his presence in my house. “I take care of Jacinta the way she deserves. Something she never had when you kept her locked in your goddamn prison.”
Suddenly, I feel Louis’ hand on my shoulder, and it makes me stop and breathe out. There’s no point in arguing now. Jacinta will be upset if we start fighting again, so I look Gerardo in the eye and gesture at the door.
“I think you’ve used enough of our hospitality, Señor Escarra. See you next month.”
“Very well.” He smiles and tilts his head, but I can see that his jaw is clenched and his shoulders are tense. Of course, Gerardo hates me just as much as I hate him. “Give my regards to your family.”
Since when does he care about them? I frown harder, watching through the glass door as he walks down to his car. Everything about him is nothing but a farce! But he is my damn father-in-law and the guarantee of the truce between our families, so I have to put up with his weird-ass manners. Which doesn’t mean I’m happy with it.
God, how much I wish I could just punch him. I breathe out sharply and turn away—only to see a frown on Louis’ face. What?
