I pushed down my panic and said, “We wouldn’t be able to join them in the terminal. They only let people with boarding passes past the security checkpoint.”
“I know. That’s why they’re going to wait for us in the lobby, or whatever that public part is called before you go through security.”
I nodded, even though my stomach was in knots. This was my fault. I’d put off talking to Arie for too long. Why had I cut it this close?
He gave our cab driver new instructions, and then he turned to me and took my hand. “You look nervous,” he said. So much for my poker face. “But there’s no need to be. Kit and Devon are going to love you.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
It took a few minutes to reach the departures terminal, since we had to exit the airport and loop back around to it. After the cab driver dropped us off, Arie slung his bag over his shoulder and linked his arm with mine. The terminal was extremely busy, so he kept a tight hold on me. He probably found this pretty overwhelming, since he hated crowds even more than I did.
He craned his neck and looked for his son once we got inside, but I spotted him first. Besides the fact that I’d seen pictures of him, it would have been easy to recognize Kit Cortez. He looked a hell of a lot like his dad with his thick, black, slightly overgrown hair and wide-set dark eyes. The only real difference was that hewas several inches shorter. They even looked like they were close to the same age, much more like brothers than father and son.
When I pointed him out to Arie, he whooped with happiness and ran across the concourse. As soon as Kit spotted him, he did the same thing. They met in the middle, grabbing each other in a huge embrace. I would have thought they hadn’t seen each other in years judging by their reaction, but it had only been two and a half months since Kit’s wedding.
It took Kit’s husband and me a few moments to catch up to them. Devon was a tall, good-looking brunet with a friendly smile. He shook my hand as we introduced ourselves, and I said, “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. Is she alright?”
“She’ll be okay, thanks for asking. She slipped and fell down the brick steps in the backyard and broke her leg in two places. It was just this freak accident. They need to operate to reset the bones, and my dad is beside himself with worry, because there were complications the last time she had to have surgery. We want to be there for both of them during the operation, and afterwards while she recovers.”
Kit eyed me cautiously as we shook hands and exchanged introductions. Then he said, “You’rereallytall.” I fought the urge to apologize. I must seem like a giant to him, since he was about five-six or so.
Before I could think of something to say, Armando swayed on his feet. I put my arm around his shoulders and asked, “Are you alright, Arie?”
“I’m fine. I just got light-headed for a second.”
“That might be because you skipped breakfast. Come sit down, and I’ll get you something to eat.”
“You don’t need to fuss over me, Tory.”
“I’m not fussing. I’m just making sure you’re okay.”
“I am.”
I caressed his cheek and said, “I know. But you’ll be even better after you eat something.”
I took his bag from him and guided him to a nearby seating area. Kit and Devon sat down beside him, and I tucked our bags under his seat as I told him, “I’ll be right back. You’re not allowed to pass out while I’m gone.” He smiled at me, and I kissed his forehead before hurrying to a coffee stand across the concourse.
Five minutes later, I returned with a drink carrier loaded with four cups, along with a bulging paper bag. “I brought coffee and tea, so you can pick whichever sounds better to you. I also got one of every baked good they had, because I wasn’t sure which one you’d want,” I told Arie as I crouched down in front of him.
After he selected the hot tea and a blueberry muffin, I took a cup for myself. Then I passed the other two coffees and the bag to Kit. His expression was still guarded, but there was curiosity there too as he studied me.
“We’re sorry about missing dinner tonight,” Devon said. “We’re probably going to stay in Baltimore for a few weeks, since it sounds like my mom is going to need help for a while. But right after that, we want to visit you in San Diego.”
“That’ll be great,” Arie said. “Wait until you see the diner. The remodel has really come together.”
I’d almost forgotten that his son-in-law had invested in the diner sometime in the last year or so. The two of them started a detailed discussion about kitchen equipment, but it came to an abrupt halt when Kit turned to me and asked, “Can I talk to you for a minute, in private?”
Arie frowned at that. “What don’t you want to say in front of me?”
Kit got up and told his dad, with a perfectly serious expression, “I’m going to threaten to maim Salvatore if he hurtsyou. I don’t want to make you mad, so I’m going to do it over by the coffee stand, where you won’t hear me.” He turned to me and asked, “Are you coming?”
I got up and tried not to grin. I had almost a foot and maybe a hundred pounds of muscle on this guy, so it felt like being threatened by a tiny, fluffy kitten.
Arie started to protest, but I said, “It’s fine. We’ll be right back.”
Kit led the way to the counter next to the coffee vendor, and as he added milk and two sugars to his cup, he said, “I really will hunt you down if you hurt my dad.”
“As you should.”
