Oh yeah, don't mind my ribs, I just forget to feed myself ever since I lost the two loves of my life in one fell swoop. Thanks for calling me skinny, though!
A loaded plate plopped onto the island beside her as three sets of eyes landed on it, and then swished to Milo.
“Enchilada casserole,” he said, shrugging and handing her a fork. “And I’ll take that.” He reached for the glass of wine heading Hanna’s way in the hand of one of Sara’s aunts.
She glared, but picked up the fork all the same.
Fuck, she’d forgotten how good real food tasted.
“Where’s Matty?” Hanna asked around her third bite. What she really wanted to ask was, “Is his brother here? Has he mentioned me? Has New York’s water made him uglier?”
“He’s helping Dad out back with the grill. Logan isn’t here yet,” Sara said, her tone decidedly neutral.
“I wasn’t asking?—”
“Just giving you the lay of the land,” Sara said, moving a plate of burgers to the side. Her movements were identical to Cami’s, as if they’d choreographed it.
“Milo, honey, could you take Berto that plate?” Cami asked, pointing a spoon at the burgers. He'd barely gotten out of the room before she turned her amber gaze toward Hanna. "Now you listen to me, little girl. If you don't sleep with that man, I will."
“Camila!” Sara gasped as Hanna pressed her hand to her chest, instantly sober. A scarlet flush climbed her throat as she laughed through her casserole.
“Cami, oh my god!”
“I’m serious, Hanna. I know you’ve been through hell and back, sweetheart, but you deserve those arms. Those eyes! Just think about it,” Cami said.
Hanna reached for the casserole again.
“Okay, you two, I don’t want to hear it this weekend. He lives in San Francisco! You think I’d ever be tempted to do long distance again?”
Cami leaned over the island. “You don’t have to marry the man, Hanna! I just want to hear about anything you may or may not do with him, that’s all.” She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows as Sara’s dad, Berto, burst into the room.
"Have you seen my sunglasses, mi amor?" Berto clicked the tongs in his hand and swept through the kitchen. "Well, would you look who's here!"
He set the tongs down and squeezed Hanna as she continued eating, his cologne drowning her senses. He pulled back and beamed.
"My second daughter has finally returned!"
“Hi, Berto,” Hanna mumbled, fixing the collar on his fancy button-down—the one he wore for their college graduation, high school graduation, Lisa’s funeral…
There it was again, that simmering panic just waiting for someone to crank the heat one notch higher.
“We don’t see you enough, kiddo,” Berto said, patting her shoulder. “You know, just because my daughter abandoned us for the West Coast Elite, doesn’t mean you can’t come by any time.”
Sara glared. “Dad, Hanna doesn’t want to hang out with a bunch of boomers.”
“That’s not true!” Hanna protested around a mouthful of tortilla. “I hear you and Cami are hanging out at the casino lately. My invite get lost in the mail?” She finished another bite, finally feeling like the alcohol in her system was evaporating.
“Lone Butte next weekend!” Berto tossed over his shoulder as he grabbed another set of tongs and placed a kiss on Cami’s cheek. “You stay away from that groomsman.”
Cami laughed, resting her hand on his cheek. “No promises.”
“I used to have a jawline like that, believe it or not, girls!” Berto snapped his tongs once more and disappeared into the backyard.
A knock at the front door sent Sara and Hanna both into shades of pink. Sara started for the foyer as Hanna darted out of the kitchen and into the backyard, unwilling to see if a tall, lanky blonde stood behind the door.
She knew she couldn’t put it off forever, but she could put it off for a few more minutes, and that was enough.
Hanna cut across the yard, passing the turquoise pool, and headed toward the fire pit. Twinkling patio lights crisscrossed overhead, glowing a warm amber as the sun dipped lower behind the Ahwatukee foothills.
