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“Okay.” I unbuckle my seatbelt, grab my purse, and flip down the visor to make sure I don’t have any lipstick on my teeth. My eyes move between Easton talking to the valet and the mirror. I say a silent prayer before he’s finished talking. God, if you’re listening, please let tonight go smoothly.
Chapter 6
Easton
“You must be Easton, Noelle’s date.” We’ve barely walked through the banquet room before we come up on her parents, meeting and greeting other guests. Though it seems we’re a bit early, there’s a little girl spinning in circles on the dance floor.
“I am. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes.” My hand slides away from Noelle’s lower back as she moves toward her father to hug him.
“Please call me Sonia, and this is my husband, Ramon.” Noelle hugs her father then her mother while we shake hands. What I’m not expecting is for her to move back to my side, practically gluing herself to me. My hand touches her back. Her dress is backless, and I have a hard time not allowing myself to dip my fingertips any lower.
“How did you two meet?” Sonia asks right away. Done are the pleasantries. She’s diving right in. Unfortunately, I’m a stand-in for Justin and have zero fucking clue how they met.
“A mutual friend introduced us,” Noelle saves me from responding. Her father nods his head, while her mother looks bewildered, like she doesn’t believe a word her daughter said. Interesting. I’m not sure if I should insert myself, but when Noelle starts to fumble her words, I take over.
“Justin, my brother, introduced us.” A stretch of the truth, sure, but it works, especially since Noelle relaxes more into my body.
“Oh, that’s lovely. Well, I hope you enjoy your night. Noelle, please make sure you’re available if Gabriella needs help with Isa.” Ramon shakes his head. From the few words Noelle told me in the car, it’s safe to assume the reason she’s here in the first place is for her niece. I’d guess the relationship Noelle has with her mother is rocky at best. Though, it shows she loves Sonia a lot when she smiled the minute we entered the room and she locked eyes on her parents.
“Of course. We’re heading their way now. I want to dance and play with Isabella before it gets too busy or she gets too tired. Is there anything I can do to help?” I pull her closer to me. Her body is rigid as she waits for a response. She’s the spitting image of her mother—they have the same face shape, nose, hair, and eye color, as well as the same smile. Though, Sonia’s seems to be tight and apprehensive, while Noelle has no problem smiling without a care in the world.
“No, no. It’s all handled. Go enjoy your time,” Sonia says before leaving, probably to say hello to other guests.
“Noelle, don’t worry about Mamá, okay?” Ramon stays back. His wife seems to run the show, or she tries to when it comes to Noelle, and being an onlooker is hard. Especially when suddenly, I’ve got this overwhelming need to scoop Noelle up in my arms, carry her out of here, and hold her tight while she tells me what the deal is with her mom.
“Okay, Papá.” The tips of my fingers lightly massage her lower back, hoping she’ll relax a little bit. It would have been a fuck of a lot better if Justin had given me the slightest bit of a heads-up beside it being a Christmas party with her family. Maybe, I don’t know. Her mom is a bit off-putting and almost as cold as ice toward her daughter. Maybe I wouldn’t have to clench my jaw to the point where I’m grinding my teeth.
“Have a good time. Relax, enjoy the free food and drinks.”
“We will,” she replies.
“Well, not too much for you.” He looks at me. “You’re driving my baby girl home. I don’t want to think about you two in a hotel room. Her brother? Yes. My little girl? Nope, not at all.” Noelle lets lose a laugh. My eyes focus on her, head tipped back. Her laughter is rich and real, exactly like her.
“Papá, you have nothing to worry about,” she replies once her laughter dies down.
“I’m not drinking tonight, Mr. Reyes.” Usually when I’m out by myself, I’ll have one or two drinks max. Tonight is different. I have Noelle with me, and the last thing I want is to do something stupid that would have consequences for both of us.
“I appreciate that, and please, call me Ramon. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing more of you. Please, if you’ll excuse me, I see a few people I need to say hello to.” He winks at her, nods at me, and then puts his hands in his pockets before heading toward his wife. Interesting. It seems Ramon knows what his wife does to his daughter, yet he’s not doing a lot to make things easier on her. Damn, it seems like everyone has family problems. Noelle with her mom, me with my father along with Justin. While I love my brother, he’s the biggest pain in my dick putting me in these situations, even though I’m having a hard time staying upset when I’ve got this beautiful woman standing next to me.
