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Introductions are made, and I find out she’s Miguel and Tesa’s mother. The woman is a damn spitfire, and I can see how much she adores Roark.
“Roark,mijo, it’s so good to see you! ¡Feliz navidad!Lennon, you’re beautiful as always,” Mama Rodriguez says as she says hello to everyone. She stands in front of me with her hands on her hips and my lips twitch.
“Merry Christmas,” I tell her, amused as she watches me.
“Are you one of Lennon’s other men? God, that woman won the lottery,” she says, shaking her head.
Lennon sputters out a laugh and Miguel groans. “Mama! Please behave, it’s Christmas!” he insists.
I shrug, saying, “She didn’t threaten to poison me, so I figured that was her being nice.”
I heard stories while Miguel was over the other day about the many antics Tesa and his mother get up to.
“Psh,” Mama Rodriguez says, rolling her eyes. “My son is a bit of a drama queen. I’ve never poisoned him, but I have texted Tesa recipes when he doesn’t behave.”
I throw my head back and laugh, something that’s very rare for me. Roark and Turner watch amused, well used to Mama Rodriguez. Lennon comes over and hugs me, and if I squeeze her just a bit more tightly, then that’s my secret.
Mama Rodriguez looks at Lennon and Layla, brows furrowed, and I can tell she’s noticing the resemblance between them. She doesn’t say anything, simply walking away as she mumbles to herself.
Lennon perks up as she drinks in all of the activity, and it makes me glad we came over. The holiday spirit is fierce here, with handmade decorations hung throughout the house. As we step outside, I find that the porch is heated and screened in, and it’s huge. Food is brought out, and the kids run through the trees in the backyard to play.
There’s a huge garden as well that’s fenced off, and I walk down the porch to look at it.
“Are you eying my plants?” Tesa teases me and I nod.
“Some of those are super poisonous,” I tell her, though I’m sure she knows they are.
“Yep, the kids learn at around two years old what’s okay to touch and not,” she explains. “Even then, the babies stay close with us, so it’s not an issue.”
I glance over my shoulder at the twins, who are two, happily playing with Link and Miguel as they throw a ball around. Lennon is roped into the game, and she giggles when she fumbles her catch.
“It sounds like you have things well handled, I just didn’t think people kept these in their gardens,” I explain to her.
“Most people wouldn’t,” Tesa shrugs as she looks over her garden. It’s an impressive sight, and she looks proud of it. “I like to be prepared for every eventuality.”
“So, theoretically if I needed to borrow some oleander flowers instead of sugar from a neighbor,” I tease her.
“Oh, fuck yes, I’m your girl,” Tesa laughs.
“Excuse you?” Griffin asks, hugging her from behind. I guess he’s okay for a cop, if he’s married to Tesa. “Do I need to remind you who you belong to?”
I snort, thoroughly enjoying the mischief in Tesa’s eyes. She giggles, and Griffin throws her over his shoulder, disappearing around the wrap around porch.
Shaking my head, I walk over to Lennon. She’s smiling and appears to be enjoying playing with the kids. Mama Rodriguez comes outside with a piece of paper, and looks a lot like Tesa did, but I bet her mischievous grin is for different reasons.
“Children and adults! I have a game that will require lots of patience and intelligence!” she yells.
The kids stampede over, crowding onto the porch. Jordan’s lips twitch as he watches the chaos, hands shoved in his pockets.
“There are presents hidden all over the backyard. Here is a map showing you where yours is. You will need to find the clues, which will lead you to your prize. Every team will be paired with an adult, and you will have an hour to hunt for your prize,” she explains.
Maps are handed out along with the first clue, and teams are assigned. Griffin and Tesa come running back, rearranging their clothes and Mama Rodriguez mutters under her breath. Apparently this is something that happens often.
I’m paired with a little girl named Melly, who is possibly one of the smartest kids I’ve ever met. We have a blast searching, and find our prize in forty minutes. The prize is an Apple Watch that she’s had her eye on, and didn’t receive under the Christmas tree.
I love that this is how they do Christmas, and apparently this is a tradition reminiscent of something that Tori and the guys did on their first Christmas. This family has so much history, and their kids will have these memories forever.
Watching them all interact makes me wonder if even serial killers get to change their stories. Lennon and Derek have already shown me what love is like, and Tesa and Tori’s families are showing me what life can be like with kids.
