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He’d research her the same way he investigated a company that he was thinking of investing in or taking over. He’d figure her out and that would be the end of it. He’d have some fun over Christmas. Get through the holidays and then in the new year, he’d move on. He’d have The Barrels project up and running and he could move on. She’d be a memory that would fade until she was just another woman he’d known.
He almost had himself believing that until Friday evening at seven when he knocked on the front door of the Rossis’ large Spanish-style ranch house. An older man who looked a lot like Nico answered the door wearing a red Santa hat and genial smile.
“Hello.”
“Hello. I’m Max Parrish, Angelica invited me to dinner and for tree decorating,” he said.
“Come on in, Max. I’m Frank. I’m afraid we’ve already sat down and started eating but we’ll get you a plate. Mama’s made her famous pasta e fagioli, which we always have on tree-decorating night, and Jock brought some bread. Mama’s been into the sherry so she’s going to be flirty but otherwise it’s pretty casual.”
Max handed Frank the bottle of wine he’d brought as a gift, which he took before leading the way down a long wide foyer that led to a hallway. On the walls interspersed with art were photos of the Rossi family. He recognized Nico and Angelica and had seen Jock on television in passing. But he wasn’t familiar with the other brother.
“Angelica, your guest has arrived. Boys, make room and grab another chair while I get his food.”
They were all seated at the kitchen table, which was long and sturdy and easily fit all nine people seated around it. Nico got up and came over to him, holding out his hand.
“It’s good to see you. Angelica didn’t mention she’d met you,” Nico said as he gave him a bro hug.
“She crashed a party I gave last weekend for the project we are starting in The Barrels.”
Nico glanced over at his sister who smiled and shrugged. “It was a bold idea. And we sort of pretended that Logan had sent us.”
“Angelica,madre de dio, you tempt a saint.” The woman who spoke had salt-and-pepper hair and looked a lot like Angelica. Max assumed she was Mama.
“She does, ma’am. But honestly it was fine and I’m glad she did. The idea that she and Cosima proposed is really innovative and should bring a lot of good energy and opportunity to The Barrels.”
Angelica blushed but smiled over at him as the brother he didn’t know brought a chair and she scooted hers over to make room for him.
*
She was surprisedto see him and she could tell that he wasn’t sure what kind of reception he was going to get. She introduced him to Jock and his wife Delilah, a local chef who ran the Dragonfly restaurant over in Last Stand. Then Ollie and Colby who met while they’d been in the rodeo but now had a farm near Georgetown where Colby trained young barrel racers and Ollie painted. Nico’s wife Cressida had met Max before. Angelica’s mom was looking at Max and sizing him up as a potential mate for her daughter. She was all that was charming while trying to be discreet as she observed him.
Angelica was glad when dinner ended and they all moved into the living room to decorate the tree. Her dad put on his favorite Christmas album—Dean Martin’s Christmas—and sang along with it, pulling her mom into his arms to dance.
Jock and Delilah went into the kitchen to make their boozy hot chocolate. Ollie and Nico had drafted Max to help lug all of the Christmas tubs into the room.
“So spill,” Colby said. “Why haven’t we heard anything about Max?”
Angelica sort of shrugged at her sisters-in-law. Her family was close and the women who’d married into it were like sisters to her. “There isn’t much to tell. I mean I told him about this and asked if he wanted to come but he didn’t respond.”
“Oh,” Cressida said. “I wonder why he showed up then.”
Cressida was her practical sister-in-law. The blunt one who always spoke the truth and never hesitated to tell you if you were out of bounds. Colby was more of a dreamer. She’d been her brother’s fake fiancée over the summer until they had both realized that there was nothing pretend between them.
“Angelica is why he’s here. Seems to me like you have that man rattled,” Colby said. “And your papa knows it—that’s why he’s keeping Mama Rosa occupied. Otherwise she would be giving Max the third degree.”
“And probably sending him running from the house with me hot on his heels,” Angelica said. “All joking aside, I like him but I’m still a mess and probably nothing will come from it, but I thought…well I wanted to see what he’d be like with all of you guys.”
“Sort of trial by fire. I like it,” Cressida said. “I remember last year when y’all showed up on my date with Nico.”
“He was ready to kill us,” Angelica said remembering that night under the stars with her brother and Cressida.
“But I loved it. Your family…it’s special. Y’all don’t recognize it because you’ve always had it but there is something about the way y’all care and respect each other.”
Angelica wasn’t sure she agreed but the men had brought the last box in and she decided it was time to find out exactly why Max was here. She looped her arm through his and tugged him with her.
“Max and I will unbox the ornaments,” she said.
He followed her to the long table that her father had brought in from the garage earlier that was lined with trays for the ornaments. She opened one of the tubs and reached in to start unwrapping some of the ornaments inside.
