He nodded. “I’m glad she’s okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” I turned and walked on my wet socks through the house to my childhood bedroom so I could rummage through a drawer and find yoga pants, dry socks, and a sweatshirt. I found a hair tie and pulled back my now wet and curling brown hair.
While my sister Donna looked like the Italian side of our family with her dark hair and eyes, and Tessa looked like the Irish half with her reddish-blond hair and green eyes, I didn’t look like anybody. My hair was a plain brown, and my eyes were a greenish gray. It had always been the family joke that we should look at the mailman.
I did, however, have my mom’s nose, so I was fairly confident I was really hers. Now warm, I headed toward the kitchen, where my mom was already pouring thick mugs of hot chocolate.
“That smells delicious,” I said.
She turned and stared at me. She looked a lot like Tessa with her blondish-red hair and green eyes. I’d always considered her the young Irish actress type, but sometimes she was all business, and nobody messed with her. Especially our dad. “Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”
“No, I’m fine. Nick said he’d have Ricky pull my car out, and we’ll see. I’ll go over the pass with Nick tonight.”
Mom sat at our family table, and I followed suit. “I’m sure Nick will be happy to give you ride home,” she said.
“Nick looked like he was about to swallow his tongue.” I laughed.
Her eyes sparkled. “He’s in talking to your dad right now.”
“Isn’t that sweet?” I took a deep drink of the heavy cocoa. “I hope she says yes.”
My mom chuckled. “I know your sister. She’ll say yes.”
“Are you worried that it’s too fast?” I wrapped both of my still-chilled hands around the mug.
My mom lifted a shoulder. “It was that way with your dad and me, and it was that way with you and Aiden. I think the people in our family fall fast and hard and know when it feels right.”
“Yeah, I think so.” I believed in love at first sight, too. “Do you think they’ll have a June wedding?”
She frowned. “I don’t know. I can see both of them wanting to have a longer engagement because they think they should—which is just silly. I have a feeling I’m not going to get grandbabies until they get married.”
“Probably not,” I said, chuckling. “Maybe August would be a good time for a wedding.”
She looked out at the darkened night beyond the sliding glass door. “August would be gorgeous. Maybe something in the backyard here along the river.”
“Oh,” I said dreamily. “That would be perfect.”
She sipped her hot chocolate. “What are you doing on this side of the pass?”
“I was meeting with Yara and Violet about the adoption hearing on Monday.”
“Good,” my mom said. “We’re going to have a surprise party here that night. I’ve been meaning to tell you. Sorry, I’ve been busy.”
My shivers finally subsided. “A surprise party?”
“Yeah, for Violet. We have Violet Albertini signs made up to welcome her to the family.”
“Mom, that’s sweet,” I said. “There’s a chance the adoption might be extended a bit, but a party is always good. I would’ve helped.”
She waved a hand. “You’ve been so busy with court and Aiden and everything. I took care of it. Donna’s bringing the decorations over.”
Donna really was the organized one, and she rarely got shot at, so sometimes I thought my mom believed her to be a bit more responsible. Donna planned a great party. As a realtor, she knew how to fix up a space.
I took a drink and let the chocolate decadence warm me even more. “I’ll see if Aiden’s free. If he is, we’ll definitely come. Let me bring something.”
My mom pursed her lips. “You don’t have any huckleberry pies still made, do you?”
“No, but I’d be happy to make a couple,” I said quickly. I could do that tomorrow since it was Sunday. I was caught up with all my cases and really didn’t have anything crazy going on. “I’d be happy to help.”
