Page 17 of Love Above Law

Family, food, and football. That's what Thanksgiving means for the Taylor family. We sit around all day crammed into my parents' house. It's filled with the smells of food cooking and men watching TV before we all gather around the dinner table.

"You dumbass, his knee was down before that ball ever crossed the line," my dad yells leaning toward the TV screen. Hearing the front door open, I look up from the game and see Kai walking in.

"Sorry, it took me so long. Have you noticed it's snowing?" He takes off his jacket and hangs it on the coat rack in the small foyer. I glance out the window.

"Starting to come down good. They said we could get a few inches between now and the weekend, but I wouldn’t worry about it." Getting up from the couch, I lift my chin at Kai. "You want a beer?"

"You know it." Kai follows me into the kitchen. My sisters are gathered around the table chatting amongst themselves until they spot Kai behind me, and magically they all become mute.

"Ladies," Kai grins getting an ego boost from the attention he's gained. Thanks to the perfect mixture of his mother being Peruvian and his father being Native Hawaiian, Kai looks like he could be Keanu Reeves stunt double except with longer hair.

I roll my eyes and head for the refrigerator.

"Smells good," he strides past the table and stops beside my mom, leans over and smells the meatballs simmering in a large pot on top of the stove. "How's it going. You need a hand in here?"

"Kai, I'm so happy you came." My mom hugs his neck. "You and Lex reach up there and grab my good china from the cabinet and hand them to your sisters," she treats him as part of the family.

Doing what we're told, Kai and I start handing down plates. About that time Nonna comes into the kitchen heading straight for the trays of food mom has spread out on the counter. One by one she dips a spoon into every dish. She does it with every meal my mom prepares. "Ma, don't go putting more salt in those meatballs," my mom fusses. Nonna never listens. Even if it's only two dashes of salt, it's just enough for her to make all the difference in the flavor. It makes me chuckle every time.

Thirty minutes later we are all gathered around the table, and the moment my dad finishes with the blessing we begin scooping food onto our plates. I start thinking about Leyna. She was excited about today because she has never celebrated Thanksgiving before. I find myself wishing all her firsts could be with my family and me. Usually, I don't take my phone out at the dinner table but ignoring my own rule, I pull my cell out and send Leyna a quick text.

Me: Happy Thanksgiving, beautiful.

I grin when she texts back.

Leyna: Happy Thanksgiving, Lex.

"What the hell, man?" Kai whispers beside me, and I notice he's looking down at my phone screen. Shit. I shove it back into the pocket of my jeans.

"What?"

"Leyna? Isn't that the chick from Polson—the biker's sister? I knew there was something about that woman that got under your skin. Have you been talking with her this whole time?" he whispers a little too loudly gaining unwanted attention.

My mother lowers her fork full of mashed potatoes. "A woman has gotten under your skin?"

Here we go. I've become the center of attention.

"April snooping around you again like a dog in heat?" Fran looks at me.

"That woman is up to no good. You need to keep a close eye on her," my mom warns.

"This has nothing to do with my ex." I look across the table at my Nonna hoping she will save the day yet again. She smiles at me, and somehow, I think she knows I'm hiding something.

"Her name is Leyna," I break down and confess.

"Leyna is a beautiful name. Tell us more about this woman who might be stealing my Principino's heart," Nonna continues to eat.

"Didn't mean to poke the hornet's nest. Sorry, man," Kai apologizes.

Deciding to leave the fact that Leyna was a part of the Santino case, I give them just a little information about her. "Leyna lives in Montana but is originally from Cuba. I've been getting to know her via text and phone calls for a few weeks now."

"You meet her on one of those dating sites or something?" my dad adds getting in on the interrogation causing my sisters to snicker at my expense.

"No, I met her while on assignment." I try to be as vague as possible. I get a raised brow from my dad.

"Is she pretty?" my Nonno questions with a mouth full of food.

"The most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," I tell him honestly.