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Mesa laughs so hard, he has to lean on his cane while Vale wipes an actual, fucking tear from the corner of his eye.
Alejandro drops his head forward, his entire body shaking in silent laughter, and Glen slaps his dad on the back when Montana starts coughing from his laughter.
I fidget with the loose change in my pocket, and wait while they compose themselves.
Finally, Montana manages to straighten his face and respond.
“What did Terra have to say about this?"
Dropping my gaze to the bottle I'm holding in my hand before looking back up to meet the amused, dark eyes of the man I hope will be my father-in-law someday, I humbly confess.
"I haven't spoken to Terra yet, sir. I wanted to speak with you first."
The guys howl again. Montana visibly bites the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to join his sons in their amusement.
"Hawk!" Glen gasps out his words from laughing so hard, "What the hell are you thinking, man?"
"Are we talking about my baby sister? That's the Terra you want to date?" Vale's not at all mad, he's still laughing.
"You know Tee does not respond well to authority, right?" Mesa cautions through a smile, "She gives the delivery guy attitude when he asks her to sign for a package. There is no way you are getting near her with that Dudley Do-Right thing you have going on there."
"Your whiskers just barely came in, man," Glen adds-- they've been teasing me about the new beard since I arrived. "You arenotready for a Diaz woman."
"Hawkins," Montana manages to pull himself together and I appreciate hearing his voice take the stoic tone so I know he's taking my request seriously. "You know we like you. You are always welcome here and I'd be proud to welcome you into the family. But my boys are right… Neither of my girls are much for tradition--"
"Gets it from her abuela," Alex mutters with a combination of frustration and reverence.
"It's not my place to give permission to date my daughter, but I do wish you luck, son."
The laughter starts up again.
“You're a brave man, Hawkins. I'm gonna miss you when Tee buries your ass in the woods.” Vale gets to his feet and pats me on the back as if he's genuinely concerned for my safety.
Business concluded; unfinished beers are poured out, bottles dropped into the bin, pool cues returned to their rack and the game forgotten.
These men all have wives and families that they're eager to get home to so I follow them back out into the night, laughing easily among them even though it's at my own expense.
My gut gnaws with the fear that they're right, but I feel lighter knowing I won't have to fight the men I hope to call kin in order to claim my woman.
3
TERRA
As soon asI hear the men laughing outside the back door, I jump off the kitchen stool I've been perched on while I watch Abu making cookies.
"Night, ‘lita." I head for the door as grandmother shoots me a curious look at my sudden exit.
"You leaving, Mija?" Papa asks as he passes me outside the door.
"Yeah, I have to get up early to open the center." I give my grandfather a hug and let him kiss me on the cheek.
"Okay, Tee, you have a good night."
He gives me a weird look and a vague smile but he doesn't say anything else before disappearing into the house.
The sound of engines starting drowns out the murmur of men's voices and I hover just behind the garage, hoping to get a better view of the guy I saw earlier.
Lights go on and then the rumble of diesel engines fades as trucks head out to the main road. Vale and his friend are the only ones left, standing beside Vale's truck which is running with the lights on, ready to go.
