“Okay. I want that stuff. Like you,” Leo said.
“Is that okay with you, Mama?” Ronan asked, grinning at Giada.
“Yes, that’s fine,” Giada said, her heart lurching a little at the display of Leo already trying to be like Ronan.
“What would you like?” Ronan asked.
“I can get it myself.”
“Giada?” Ronan asked, waiting for her to look up at him where he stood beside their table.
She’d been making sure the boys were well seated before going to get their plates. She looked up at Ronan when he said her name.
“Please let me take care of you just a little bit by bringing your food to you. It’s ten feet away. It’s not that big of a deal. Please?”
Giada looked at her boys, both sitting there with smiles on their faces as they waited for her to let Ronan get her food, too. She visibly swallowed before she nodded and sat down between the boys. “I’ll take the shrimp, please.”
“I’ll be right back, with drinks, too!” Ronan said happily.
“Coke!” Leo shouted.
“Me, too!” Matteo said.
“You don’t need any soft drinks! Milk is just fine,” Giada said.
“Don’t have to tell me twice. I’m having a huge glass of milk, with ice in it to make it ice cold. It’s my favorite!” Ronan said. “All I drink is milk or water. Well, I have coffee in the mornings, too,” Ronan said as he walked away.
“I want ice milk!” Leo called out.
“Me, too!” Matteo added.
Chapter 5
“You all kinds of wrong for that,” Maverik said as Valerie placed a plate loaded with panee’ meat, mashed potatoes and peas in front of him.
“No, I’m not. I went to go help Avaleigh. And we got two delicious meals cooked — enough for everybody — and some chicken tenders, too. I was thinking for the kids, but I’m sure there are people who just prefer simpler fare.”
“Mmhmm. I know why you went over there. You went to check out that Giada girl.”
“Of course, I did. And she’s lovely.”
“Why did you do that? You know when he finds out he’s going to blame me. And now I’m gonna have to find a more creative way of talking to her since you went and jumped the gun.”
“You don’t have to talk to her. I did it. And I did a better job of it than you did. She’s none the wiser about my true reason to be there, because she’s seen me there before helping out, so it wasn’t suspicious. And he already knows I was there.”
“Great. He’s gonna be a joy to be around when he gets home.”
“He didn’t seem upset. In fact, he seemed grateful.”
“Grateful? I’m pretty sure that’s not at all what he was feeling.”
“No, really! She was on the verge of shutting him down when I came upon them. I listened long enough to figure out what their conversation was about, then I just said hi to him. She didn’t know him and was suspicious. Once she knew he was my son, and not just some random man trying to get to knowher and her kids, she relaxed. I could feel it. I’m pretty sure he’s having dinner with them right now.”
“Dinner? What’d you cook over there?”
“Catfish couvillion, and shrimp creole with white rice, fried okra and potato salad.”
Maverik looked down at his plate, thought about it, then shook his head. “Mine’s better. I’ll take this any day over all that.”
