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"He thinks you're dead, Ria," Drew said, drawing her attention back to him. He placed his hand on her thigh. "There really isn't anything to worry about."
She looked into his eyes and felt reassured by the confidence she saw there. "I hope not."
"So I'd like to treat you to dinner," he said, as he turned on to the freeway.
"I'm starving," Megan immediately put in. "So I'm in."
"What about you, Ria?" he asked.
"I could eat. What did you have in mind?"
"The best spaghetti in the city."
"I like spaghetti," she admitted. "Is it on the way?"
"It is."
There was something about the way he wouldn't look at her that made her think there was something else about to happen besides a meal out. Ten minutes later she knew she was right when he turned into a residential neighborhood.
"Drew?" she questioned.
He parked in front of a two-story house. "It's spaghetti night at the Callaways."
"This is your house?"
"It's my parents' house. We're celebrating Aiden and Sara's big news tonight."
"Then you should go. Megan and I can catch a bus home."
"Don't be silly. I want you to meet my family. And my mom really does make the best spaghetti in town."
"It's a private celebration. Megan and I will be intruding," she protested.
"At the Callaways, it's always the more the merrier."
Ria glanced back at Megan. "What do you think?"
"It sounds good to me," Megan said with a shrug. "Drew's family sounds cool."
Everything having to do with Drew seemed to be cool in Megan's eyes.
"Well, I survived meeting your grandparents, so I guess I can survive this, too," she said with a sigh.
He laughed. "I'm thrilled you're so enthusiastic. You'll have fun. Trust me."
* * *
Midway through the spaghetti feast, Ria realized she was having fun, and so was Megan. The Callaways had welcomed them like family. In fact, Drew's mother and two of his sisters had given her big hugs upon arrival. She'd been so closed off from people the last two years; she'd almost forgotten the pleasure that came from a simple hug.
And Drew was right; there were no strangers in the Callaway house. After an initial round of introductions, in which Drew absentmindedly called her Ria instead of Tory, it was a free for all as far as conversation was concerned. While Ria wasn't happy with his slip on her name, she was pleased that he'd made no mention of their previous encounter on the island and had simply referred to them both as friends.
While Drew got caught up in a conversation with his brothers, Ria was more than happy to sit back and observe. Megan also seemed a bit in awe of the big, loving family, but when Drew's younger cousin asked Megan if she wanted to watch a video upstairs with her, Megan went right along.
Ria glanced up as Sara joined her in a corner of the living room.
"How are you doing?" Sara asked, giving her a warm smile.
"I'm great. Congratulations on the baby."
"Thanks. It still doesn't feel quite real. Actually, I take that back. It feels very real when I'm throwing up in the morning."
"Morning sickness?"
"And afternoon and evening," Sara said. "Just looking at the spaghetti made me queasy. But it was really nice of the Callaways to have a party for us." She paused. "You look a little overwhelmed."
"That's because I am," she admitted. "I come from a very small family."
"Me, too. I grew up next door, and my house was as quiet as a church. I'd come over here to hang out with Emma and feel like I'd landed in the middle of a tornado. But it was nice to have a second family."
"And now you're an official Callaway," Ria commented.
"Another fact I still can't quite believe. I had a mad crush on Aiden as a teenager. He actually broke my heart back then. We didn’t see each other for a decade, and then last fall I came back to see my father, and there was Aiden. It was finally the right time for both of us. And I'm glad that we had our time apart. We both needed to grow up," she added with endearing honesty. "So tell me about you and Drew."
"We're friends."
"Just friends? Because the way Drew looks at you—"
