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“Riley stocked the table with enough food to feed an army.”
Ryder, Clint and Vince glanced in the direction of the snacks hungrily.
Yvonne took the key from the box and cupped it in her fist. She was going to love cooking for four hungry guys. They’d lived on their own long enough that she figured they’d probably appreciate her efforts on their behalf for years to come.
“After we eat, can we ask Darcy to sing that song again?” Clint asked. “It was funny!”
Yvonne didn’t have to look around to know that her entire family was watching them. The collective whole took nosiness to new levels. The room, which had been loud as hell a few minutes earlier, was now quieter, their voices lowered. No doubt everyone was struggling to hear what was being said without making it look like they were trying to eavesdrop.
Leo noticed as well. “Do you think we could slip away somewhere for a few minutes to talk?” he murmured.
She nodded, then glanced around at Colm, Padraig and Kelli. “We’re going to head upstairs for a few. Don’t cut the cake without me.”
Kelli and Padraig laughed and promised, but Colm, who had a sweet tooth as big as New York, grumbled, “Don’t take too long.”
Kelli slapped him on the back of the head. “Jeez, Colm. It’s her birthday and the guy she loves just showed up and—”
Colm rubbed the back of his head. “It’s Riley’s red velvet, Kell.”
“Oh.” Kelli looked back at Yvonne and Leo. “Yeah. Hurry.”
Leo took her hand and the two of them walked up to the Collins Dorm. She started to lead him straight back to her bedroom, but he stopped her, dragging her to the couch instead. “You heard Colm and Kelli. We don’t have that much time.”
“I know, but—”
“We go to your bedroom and this party is over for you. We can’t do that to your family. Besides, Vince is down there too.”
Yvonne pouted, but sat down with Leo, the key to his house still clutched in her hand. “What happened with Vince?”
Leo gave her a guilty look. “We misread the whole damn thing. He never saw us kissing at the fair.”
“But he looked so angry after we got off the Ferris wheel.”
“He saw Delaney there.”
“Love letter Delaney?” Yvonne asked.
Leo nodded. “She was walking around with another boy.”
Yvonne gasped indignantly. “How could she do that? Vince is a great guy. What a little tramp!”
“Um, she’s twelve.”
Yvonne crossed her arms. “I don’t care. How could she trample on that poor boy’s heart? There’s no way this other boy could be better than Vince.”
Leo placed a kiss on her cheek. “The other boy’s name is Valentino.”
“Oh,” Yvonne said, slowing her roll. “That is a pretty hot name.”
Leo laughed. “I love your defense of my son. In fact, given your intense feelings about his current and future relationships, I nominate you to have the sex talk with him.”
Yvonne shook her head. Then she punched him on the shoulder. “You still haven’t done that yet?”
“I’ve been building up to it.”
Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Sure you have. Anyway…even if he didn’t see us at the fair, you saw his reaction when he found me at the house after his camping trip. He lost his shit, Leo.”
“That was Josh’s fault.”
