I smiled, tearing my eyes away from his. “It’s nice to meet you, Isabella.”
“Oh, please. Call me Isa. Everyone does,” she said, smiling and tossing a towel onto the countertop. “Can I get you something? Water? Wine?”
“I’m alright, thank you.”
“I made Max tamales. Are you hungry?”
“You know I’ll never turn down those,” Max grinned at her.
“Y’all go sit down and I’ll grab it out of the oven.”
Pierce and Max headed to the table, Joselyn grabbing at Max’s nose. He laughed, pulling her hand away while she used her other to grab his hat again.
I watched Isa work around the kitchen, feeling a little out of place. She moved effortlessly around the room and looking like a million bucks while doing it. She wore a pair of black pants with a purple sleeveless shirt, showcasing her toned arms. Her hair was glossy, almost out-sparkling the diamonds in both ears.
“Can I help?” I asked, not sure what to do. Besides spaghetti, kitchens weren’t really my friend.
“Absolutely,” she smiled.
Joselyn squealed from the table and Isa went to take her from Max. Instead, he swirled her around.
“Jos wants to stay with me, right? Tell her. Say, ‘Max’,” he instructed the baby.
“Mwax!”
“Yes, that’s right. Max.”
I watched Max and the baby. He looked so natural, so perfect holding her.
It broke my heart.
“There really isn’t much to do,” Isa said, coming back into the kitchen. “I already put plates and utensils on the table. Do you want to get us drinks?”
“Sure. What would you like?” I asked.
“I’ll have water. Pierce will have a beer. There’s bottled water and Coronas in the fridge. We have tons of stuff, so just get whatever you and Max want. I sent Pierce to Costco yesterday and he came back with everything they had,” she laughed. “There are red plastic cups in the pantry if Max is still crazy about those.”
I laughed, grabbing the drinks. “So the plastic cups have been around for a while then?”
She nodded, pushing a set of gold bangles up her arm. “As long as I’ve known him. Pierce is the same way, unless it’s a Corona out of a bottle. I don’t get it, but it’s an easy way to make him happy, right?”
“Exactly. If I get an extra point for having those stupid cups around—good for me.”
Isa laughed as she took a pan out of the oven. “Men are simple creatures, really.”
“Is that recipe simple? Because that smellssogood,” I noted, taking in the spicy goodness floating through the air.
She smiled wide. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe. One of those old-fashioned ones that you can’t find anymore. I’m so glad I was able to get it written down before she passed away. Her cookbook is one of the first things I’d grab if my house caught on fire.”
“Do you like to cook?”
“I do. But I make Pierce take me out to dinner once a week. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean he is gonna get out of wooing me,” she raised her eyebrows. “Gotta keep them working for it, you know what I mean?”
I laughed nervously. “Well, Max and I aren’t serious like that. But I see what you’re saying.”
She pulled back the foil, steam billowing out of the pan. “How long have you two been together?”
“Oh, a year or so, I guess.”
