Chapter Twenty-Six
On Saturday night,Muerto arrived at his mother’s birthday party with Raven in tow. He’d wanted to ride over on his Harley with her pressed close to him, but she refused to meet his mother and sisters with windblown hair and dust on her face. When he relented, he knew she had his heart in addition to his dick.
“How beautiful,” Raven exclaimed when they walked into the backyard for the party. Strings of colorful lanterns lined the fences and hung from the trees. High above on a tightrope, a bull made of papier-mâché and tissue paper in bold colors of blue, yellow, red, and purple dangled, waiting to be suspended at the appropriate time. “Thepiñata’sfilled with candy, right?” she asked, her head tilted back.
“And small toys. It’s for the kids. I used to love it when it was my birthday and I got first swing at it. I’d beat the shit out of it.”
She quirked her lips. “I’m sure you did. You were a little hoodlum in the making. And I bet you had all the little girls cheering you on.” She squeezed his hand.
“Actually, I did.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “If you were one of them in your cute party dress, I would’ve given my candy to you, hands-down.”
“Uncle M!” Carlos said as he ran toward Muerto.
“Hey, buddy.” Muerto let go of Raven’s hand and gave the boy a bear hug. “You eyeing thepiñata?”
The boy’s eyes rolled up. “Uh-huh. It’s a real big one. I bet there’s lots of good stuff inside it.”
Muerto laughed. “I want you to meet Raven.” He gripped her wrist and moved her next to him. “This derelict is Carlos. He’s my sister Laura’s kid.”
“Are you Uncle M’s girlfriend?” Carlos squinted at her.
A light pink colored her cheeks. “I’m… uh….”
“Yeah, she is,” Muerto said, winking at her as her eyes widened.
“Hi, Mateo,” Laura said as she came over, her gaze drifting over to Raven.
“Hey. I want you to meet Raven.” The two women sized each other up, and Muerto knew Raven was in for a long night with all his relatives. He gripped her hand. “Where’s Ma?”
“She’s in the tent. You did good. Everything is so beautiful.”
He nodded. “I’ll catch you later. We’re going to get a drink.”
As he walked past her, she grabbed his arm and whispered, “She’s beautiful, and you look so happy. I love it.” He flashed her a quick smile, then walked toward the tent.
Inside, a burst of color welcomed them. The decorations, place settings, and lighting lent a festive air. Strings of tiny white lights twinkled everywhere, and wrought iron chandeliers with colored crystals hung around the room, creating an elegant ambiance. On white tablecloths, brightly colored dinner plates in green, yellow, red, and purple gleamed under the tiny lights.
“This is stunning. I love all the colors and textures used in the decorations. Simply lovely.” Raven clutched his bicep. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“I’m glad you’re with me. Let’s go meet my mom and then get a drink.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to need several drinks before the night’s over. I didn’t know you had such a big family.”
Muerto laughed. “Yeah. Tons of uncles, aunts, and cousins. Don’t worry about remembering everyone’s name. I can’t remember half of my cousins’ names,” he joked as he steered her toward a big table.
A woman with dark brown hair pulled up in a chignon stood talking with a tall man who had salt-and-pepper hair. She craned her neck and her dark eyes sparkled, the lines around them crinkled. “Mijo.” She pulled Muerto into a loving embrace. “It’s too long since I’ve seen you.” She pretended to be upset, but her eyes shone like frost in the moonlight. “Is this the woman Laura told me about?” Her gaze shifted to Raven.
“This is Raven,” he said.
“Very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Ruiz,” she said, extending her hand.
Shaking her head, she said, “Call me Cecilia.” Brushing Raven’s hand aside, she gathered her in a strong embrace. “You don’t know how happy I am to meet you.”
“It’s nice meeting you. Muerto speaks very fondly about you.”
Cecilia glanced at Muerto and smiled. “That’s good to know. Do you know how to cook?”
“Ma,” he chided.
