Mateo’s lips brush my cheek next to my ear. “She’s right, you know. I’m glad I have a spouse I enjoy kissing.”
Goosebumps erupt along my arms as his fingertips trail from my elbowdown to my hand. He interlocks our fingers and places our clasped hands in his lap. He leans back in his chair, watching his sisters chat, and his parents laugh at an inside joke, then looks at me with a twinkle in his eye.
“Do you want to help me refill drinks?”
My eyes widen at his casual reference to the prank he’s about to pull. No way am I going to jeopardize my relationship with his sisters by pulling a prank on them. I shake my head vehemently, which only makes him smile more.
“That’s fine.” He scoots his chair back before standing. “I’m refilling drinks. Girls, do you want anything?”
Cruz holds out her cup. “I want Sprite, please.”
Mateo grabs her cup, and Nadia’s as she asks for the same beverage.
“Two Sprites. Holly, do you want anything?”
I’m afraid to say anything for fear of giggling at the impending havoc or leaking out his secret, so I just shake my head no. He winks at me before turning to the kitchen.
Canela draws me into conversation, and we chat about my favorite foods, which I have a feeling will somehow make their way into the menu for tomorrow’s party. Mateo walks back in and I track his movements as he places two red solo cups in front of his sisters.
He casually walks back to his seat and scoots close to me, his thigh pressing against mine.
“Don’t stare, or else they’ll know something is up,” he whispers.
My eyes widen. “Well, what am I supposed to do?”
Mateo leans in closer, his voice a conspiring whisper. “Keep talking to my mom. Ask her about her favorite salad. She’ll go on a rant about things that are called salad that aren’t actually salads.”
What does he mean, not salads? “Isn’t salad just lettuce and toppings and stuff?”
Mateo shakes his head as he smiles. We’re quietly talking, our faces inches apart, and honestly, I’m so distracted by how close we are that I’veforgotten why we started whispering in the first place.
Mateo smirks. “Oh, I know, but I like to tease my mom and tell her I’m bringing Snickers salad when she asks me to make a salad for family dinner.”
It’s my turn to shake my head. “Those aren’t salads.”
Mateo’s laughter threads through his voice. “You need to go to more church potlucks, because your life obviously hasn’t been changed by the candy bar salad, Snickers salad, or Jell-o salad.”
The mention of church potluck has my mind dwelling on a topic we haven’t really talked about yet: church. “Is there going to be a potluck after church on Sunday?”
Mateo shrugs. “Probably. Want to come with me?”
I nod. “Yes, please. I’ve wanted to attend church in California after attending a service here with Alex. I just don’t know where to start.”
Mateo’s smile is soft. “When we get back to California, come to church with me. I think you’ll love it.”
Once again, coming to Bolt feels like a breath of fresh air, and I want to soak it in.
“I would love that. I’ve been reading my scriptures and studying on my own.”
Mateo’s eyebrows raise. “I thought you and Alex didn’t go to church and weren’t religious.”
I shrug. “We didn’t, and I wasn’t. But I’ve seen the peace in Alex since he started attending church and believing in Jesus. I want that. He’s changed so much, and has healed from our past. I don’t think I’ve healed all the way yet. Therapy has only gotten me so far. So I thought, why not try Jesus?”
The look in his eyes has me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. “Trying Jesus will definitely help you, Holly. If you ever want to talk about it, I’m all ears.”
“Thanks, Mateo.” I close the small distance between us and kiss his cheek. It doesn’t feel like enough with all the warm fuzzies bubbling insideof me. But I don’t have his parents' courage.
We fall silent, and I watch as Mateo looks over at his sisters. “Don’t be too obvious about it, but I think Cruz is about to find my surprise.”
