“This time he’s gone too far,” barked a familiar voice.
“Oh, shit,” Riley whispered, ducking behind Jim as Miguel Santiago, Nick’s father, stormed down the street in a plaid bathrobe and house slippers.
“Miguel, you’re making a spectacle of yourself.” Nick’s mother, Marie, dressed in silky black pajamas and a matching robe, followed her husband.
“Huh?” Miguel was hard of hearing and refused to admit it.
“A spectacle!”
“Who’s a spectacle?”
“You are!” Marie shouted.
“Jeez, woman. Stop screaming in the middle of the street. People are looking,” Miguel told her.
Jim shifted to the right, and Riley glued herself to his back. “Don’t move,” she ordered.
“Jimmy, you know what’s going on here?” Miguel demanded.
“Looks like a house fire, Mr. Santiago,” Jim said, stating the obvious.
“I can see that,” Miguel groused. “Who burned it down? It was that punk kid with no manners, wasn’t it?”
“Miguel,” Marie hissed.
“What? You’re the one who said he was a hoodlum destined for an orange jumpsuit,” Miguel said.
“Josie! What are you doing here?” Marie asked, sounding surprised.
Riley went into full cringe mode.
“Hey, Marie. Hey, Miguel. We were hanging out with our friend Jim,” Josie said.
“We who? Is my nephew here?”
“No, Brian’s working tonight. I’m here with Jasmine and— Riley, what are you doing?”
Damn it.
With great reluctance, Riley unglued herself from Jim’s back.
“Oh. It’s you,” Marie said with the same amount of enthusiasm she might have had for a colonoscopy.
“You and Nicky gotta stop by the restaurant and try my new risotto,” Miguel said in lieu of a greeting.
“Uh, sure. That would be great,” Riley said, wishing the house would explode and distract everyone.
“What are you doing with Jim?” Marie demanded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“You know the Santiagos?” Jim asked.
“They’re my boyfriend’s parents,” Riley explained.
To her credit, Marie almost managed to hold back her shudder at the word “boyfriend.”
“Holy cow! You’re the girl who got Nick Santiago to settle down? I heard rumors after the newsletter, but I didn’t believe it,” Jim said. “Good for you.”
“Thanks,” Riley said.
