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I sat up. “Oh crap. She probably thinks I’m a lazy Italian!” Jumping, I quickly made my way through the bakery and started cleaning up. In a few minutes we would be closing up.
Nic grabbed me by the waist and turned me around. “It’s your day off.”
My brows rose. “Was. I have no idea where Charity is. This is not like her to just vanish and leave the bakery.”
I started chewing on my thumb nail when Nic pulled it from my mouth. “Stop. Now come on, let’s get my mother out of your bakery before she slips something Greek into the display.”
Giggling, I nodded as he took my hand in his. “Mama? You ready to head out? I’m sure Dad is probably withering away with no dinner.”
Katerina rolled her eyes and huffed. She pulled Liza in for a hug then turned to Max. I tried not to laugh when he stiffened up like a board when she hugged him.
As she made her way over to us, I couldn’t help but notice how she looked completely and utterly unfazed by the fact that she just baked all those cakes.
Stopping in front of me, she smiled. “You’re baking skills are there, you just need to get faster. You’re very slow. And your lemon curd needs a bit of work.” Her eyes wandered over me before capturing mine. “If only you were Greek . . . there might be hope.”
My smile dropped and my mouth fell open.
“Oh, shit,” Nic mumbled. “Mama, let’s head on back to my place so you can get your car.”
I stood there stunned. Holy crap. She just insulted me in like three different ways!
Nic stood in front of me. “Gabi?”
My eyes swung up to his. “I’m taking my mother back to my place. Did you want me to come back for you?”
His eyes looked pleading. He had nothing to worry about, the last place I wanted to be was in the car with her again. So she could insult me more.
“Yes, that’s um . . . that sounds good.”
Nic leaned in and kissed me on the lips quickly. He pulled back slightly and said, “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Nodding, I forced a smile. My eyes moved past him to see Katerina standing there with a look I couldn’t read. Was she still bothered by Nic and I, or was she maybe getting used to the idea? No . . . she certainly wasn’t used to the idea. I swallowed hard.
“Thank you so much for helping, Katerina. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
She nodded. “The pleasure was mine, and I enjoyed myself. Nicholaus?”
“I’ll be back soon.”
I lifted my hand and waved as I watched them walk through the back hall and out of sight.
Max walked up to me and stood there, staring down the hall.
“That woman scared the piss out of me.”
“Me too.”
He laughed and I turned to him. “What’s so funny?” I asked.
With a shrug, all he said was, “You’re so screwed.”
My body sank and I let out a sigh. I had a feeling he was right.
WHEN I COULDN’T take the silence any longer, I spoke.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Mama.”
She sighed. “I’m thinking two of my sons are trying to kill their mother.”
I laughed. “Why?”
“One girl is Irish, now the other is Italian. Nicholaus, we can find you a nice Greek girl. Why must you settle on . . . on this one. Italian? That’s worse than Irish!”
The grip on my steering wheel tightened. “Because I like this one. Mama, why is it so damn important for you that I marry a Greek girl? Do you not love Kilyn?”
She huffed.
“Mama?”
“Of course I love Kilyn. She makes your brother very happy, and she has given me a beautiful granddaughter whom I love very, very much.”
“Even though she is half Irish?”
Her head snapped to look at me. “I don’t look at Kira like that!”
“Then why do you look at Kilyn and Gabi that way, Mama?”
Her eyes narrowed at me. “Why can’t you find a Greek woman? Why Italian?”
“Because the first moment I met Gabi, something happened that has never happened to me before. Never, not with a Greek girl, not with any girl.”
Her look of frustration turned to a look of surprise. “What are you saying, Nicholaus?”
I pulled into my parking spot and turned to face my mother. Taking her hand in mine, I kissed the back of it.
“I’m saying that I’ve never felt this way before, and I really want to see where this goes. Please don’t do anything to try to push Gabi away.”
She swallowed hard. “You really care for this girl?”
“I really do. I’m falling in love with her.”
With a gasp, she covered her mouth. Then tears formed in her eyes. “Oh, my baby is falling in love!” She looked up and started rattling off in Greek before she finally glanced back at me.
