Tangled: A Moreno Brothers novella (8 page)

“Oh, yeah?” Manny asked, pointing behind Sal. “Look at your wife
over there, kissing on that good-looking stud.”

They all turned immediately to where Grace was bending over
hugging and kissing little Sal on the head. Manny burst into wheezing laughter
followed by Max, and then Aida’s snorting started up. Their annoying outburst
at least served a purpose. It got the attention of Izzy and Elliot. Izzy was
watching and smiling, not looking nearly as mortified as she’d pretended to be
last night when Romero reminded her that her boss would be having dinner with
these two. Instead, she turned back and said something to Elliot. Then they
finally made their way back to the table.

About fucking time.

There was only one seat open next to Romero, and he patted it,
making sure he didn’t get stuck next to Elliot. He also didn’t want her to think
for a second he’d be okay if she sat away from him somewhere next this guy to
try to make him feel more comfortable. That wasn’t happening.

Izzy took the seat next to Romero as Elliot walked around the
table to the open seats across from them. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything
else that would have the hair on Romero’s body standing again.

Her explanation as to what they’d been talking about for so long
was vague: something about his daughter who was supposed to have spent the
holiday with her mom. She was a daddy’s girl and had actually called pleading
with him to bring her today. His son, on the other hand, who was in his
rebellious early teens and still angry about the divorce refused to come when
Elliot had invited him too. It all seemed innocent and harmless enough. Yet the
annoyance still lingered.

Minutes later, when they announced the buffet was ready for
everyone to come up and help themselves, Romero waited until Elliot got up to
serve himself. He leaned into Izzy, lowering his voice. “He brought you
flowers?”

As if prepared for the question, she quickly clarified, “It’s a
table arrangement. He said he didn’t want to walk in empty-handed, and since
this is a restaurant, he felt silly bringing a dish or dessert, so he brought
that.” She pointed at the arrangement sitting at the center of the table where Alex
had put it down. “And he brought it for the host, so technically, it’s for the
Morenos, not me.”

Romero pursed his lips, staring at her with no choice but to
accept the explanation. Though admittedly it did make him feel better. He
stopped short of asking why they’d taken so long to get back to the table and
what the hell else they’d been talking about for so long. He knew his unease
with Elliot was unfounded and he had nothing to worry about, but he couldn’t
help feeling irritated regardless. He was, however, determined not to ruin the
holiday over something he knew wasn’t worth it.

“There goes Romeo,” Isabel said, standing up. “I’m gonna go help
him.”

“Babe, leave him. He can serve himself.”

She gave him a look then shook her head. “He’s gonna make a mess.
And that’s a brand new outfit he’s wearing.”

Just then Alex and Angel sat down across from them with loaded
plates, reserving a seat each for Valerie and Sarah. “Where’s Valerie and
Sarah?” Izzy asked.

“Making sure the younger kids don’t make a mess,” Alex said,
placing his satin napkin on his lap.

“You see,” Izzy said to Romero with a smirk. She leaned over and
kissed him. “Aren’t you gonna eat?”

“In a minute when the line dies down,” he said. As soon as she
walked away, he turned back to Alex and Angel. “What I need is a fucking shot.”

Alex’s eyes were immediately filled with humor as he glanced back
at the buffet area where Elliot still was. “That bad?”

“What?” Angel asked, confused.

“Isabel’s boss is here.” Alex chuckled. “A divorced professor.
Isabel’s his assistant and you know this guy.”

“Why’s he here?” Angel asked, looking as irritated by this as
Romero.

“Thank you!” Romero said, standing up. “She invited him.” He
shrugged. “Don’t get me started. I need a beer. You guys want anything?”

They both said, “Yes,” and he was off toward the bar. With all the
employees having the day off, there were no bartenders on duty either, but Eric
and Sof were behind the bar. “Grab me three beers, Eric, yeah?”

“They’re not all for you, right?” Sofie teased, smiling.

Romero smiled. “Nah, your brothers. You guys sitting by us?” he
asked as Eric placed the beers on the bar one by one. “There’s still room.”

“Four o’clock.”

Max’s loud voice in his ear made him jerk his head away, and he
turned to his uncle with a scowl, feeling even more irritated. “
What?
”

Max asked Eric to get him a beer too and a soda for Manny then
repeated, “Four o’clock,” gesturing with his eyes.

Romero turned in the direction Max had gestured and stopped cold
when he saw Izzy and Elliot standing in a corner, chatting again. They were each
holding a full plate in one hand and a drink in the other. Just then Elliot
glanced in their direction then said something to Izzy, who turned to Romero
and smiled. She turned back to Elliot, and in the next second, they both
started back to the table.

Was she kidding him with this shit? Izzy had to know this guy
being here in the first place was already trying his patience. Having to not
only hear but see the admiration in his eyes when he called her amazing was bad
enough, but seeing his wife blush like a school girl about it had just shot
things up a hundred notches. Now this? What the fuck was she doing? He grabbed
the beers without saying another word to anyone and stalked back to the table.

The moment he sat down her hand was on his thigh. “What’s going
on?” he asked, not bothering to lower his voice.

She squeezed his thigh, smiling as she lifted her glass to her
lips. “I’ll tell you later.” Before he could protest, she squeezed again. “Trust
me, please,” she whispered behind her glass. “I can’t say anything here.”

“Then let’s go somewhere else.”

No way was he waiting until later. He glared at Elliot, who
appeared to be avoiding eye contact. If that mother fucker was trying to pull a
fast one right here under his nose, holiday or not, shit was going to blow up.

Isabel wiped her mouth and stood up. “Where you going?” Valerie
asked.

Izzy picked up her glass and smiled. “Refresh.”

Valerie immediately lifted her glass and downed what was left of
hers and held it out to Izzy. “Will you bring me some more wine, please?”

Taking the glass from her, Izzy glanced around. “Anyone else?”

“I’ll take another beer,” Aida said.

Well shit. They were going to be there all night if Izzy took
everyone’s order. Thankfully Aida and Val were the only two takers. The moment
they were far enough away, Romero started, though he did his best to ask as
calmly as he could. “What’s with you and the professor doing all this private
talking?”

“He was asking about one of Alex’s relatives, but he didn’t want
anyone to hear.”

“
Why?
”

They reached the bar that was empty now. Izzy walked around to
the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine but glanced around to make sure
no one was within hearing range. “Don’t look, okay? I don’t know her, but the
girl in the purple dress sitting at the same table with Alex’s parents is
Denver’s ballet teacher. She’s been hitting on Elliot lately and even suggested
they go out for a drink some time.”

She concentrated on pouring the wine in the glass then closed it
and pulled out a bottle of cranberry juice, refilling her own glass.

“So?” Romero asked without the slightest interest in turning
around to see who she was talking about.

This was why the guy had to pull Izzy aside and talk to her
privately? To gossip about his love life? What the hell did Izzy care?

“She’s here with her husband,” she whispered.
Now
Romero
turned around. “Don’t be obvious,” she whispered anxiously.

Romero didn’t know the girl either, but she was pretty hot. And
she was hitting on Elliot? He turned around to look at Izzy suspiciously. “You
sure he’s not making that shit up?”

Izzy practically rolled her eyes. “Why would he? And the worst
thing is I don’t know if that’s one of their cousins or one of their cousins’
wives. I don’t remember ever seeing her before. All we know is she’s wearing a
wedding band and she’s sitting next to a guy who keeps kissing her, but I don’t
recognize him either.”

“What’s her name?” Romero asked curiously now, wondering if her
name would ring a bell.

“Reagan.”

Nope.

After putting the bottle of cranberry juice back in the
refrigerator, Izzy handed him Aida’s beer and lifted the two glasses. They
started back to the table. “But you can’t say anything here. You can ask Alex
about her another time. Don’t open up a can of worms tonight.”

Feeling a bit drained after having gotten himself worked up so
fast for the second time tonight, Romero actually exhaled now. The restraint he’d
shown tonight was impressive even to him. Izzy didn’t know the half of it. If
this had happened a few years back, he would’ve opened up a can of something
else on Elliot’s ass, and things would’ve gotten ugly real fast. Thankful now
that he’d grown up enough to keep his cool at least long enough to get the
facts straight, he caressed Izzy’s back with his free hand. She looked up at
him with a smirk.

Without having to say it, they both knew what had been going
through Romero’s head, and he felt like an ass now. “I’m sorry,” he said
without explaining for what.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said with a playful smile.

While she stopped and checked on the kids, Romero fixed himself a
plate. When they got back to the table, Valerie thanked Isabel for her
refreshed glass of wine and Aida thanked her for the beer.

“Whatcha drinking?” Aida asked, pointing at Izzy’s glass of
cranberry juice.

“Just cranberry juice,” Izzy said then brought a spoonful of
mashed potatoes and turkey to her mouth.

“But we’re celebrating tonight,” Aida said, taking a long swig of
her beer.

Izzy chewed her food slowly before wiping her mouth and looking
up at Aida. “Too many calories,” she said, glancing up at Romero with a smile
then back at Aida. “I’m trying to cut down.”

Romero didn’t think anything of it. Every now and again Izzy
would go on some fad diet. Usually she and Valerie or one of her sisters would
do it with her. It’d last a few weeks, and then she’d be back to eating
whatever she pleased.

Even during the holidays, it wasn’t unusual for Izzy to decide to
cut down on something. She’d never been big on drinking anyway. He wouldn’t
have given it another thought until Elliot said something that made Izzy
noticeably tense.

“Yes, I was just telling Isabel the other day that cutting down
on alcohol alone could make a big difference when trying to shed a few pounds.”

Romero’s eyes immediately went from Izzy’s cranberry juice to
Elliot’s stupid smiling face then back to Izzy. Is that what this was? This
idiot had made a comment about her needing to “shed a few pounds,” so she was
cutting back?

His wife knew him too well because she was already soothing his
instantly sparked annoyance by caressing his inner thigh. “I just decided I
wanted to cut down a little what with Christmas around the corner. You know how
the kids love making all those cookies and gingerbread houses.” She laughed softly,
spearing a piece of turkey with her fork. “I’m not cutting down on any of that
stuff. That’s for sure.”

“Well, that’s smart,” Valerie said. “Because, God, I know what
you mean. As much as I’ve always been able to eat and not worry about gaining
weight, this is the only time of the year I feel like I
need
to get my
ass in the gym, or my jeans start getting unbearably tight.”

“I like them tight.” Alex smirked just as he took a drink of his
beer.

Valerie rolled her eyes, smiling. “Yeah, well I like to be able
to breathe when I wear them.”

Izzy’s hand had begun to caress Romero a little higher up his
thigh now, and as much as he hated to admit he was that easy, she’d managed to
bring him down again—so much so he leaned in and pecked her sweetly in an
attempt to demonstrate how cool he could be about this whole damn professor
thing. He even went as far as smiling at Elliot when he glanced his way and
noticed the somewhat apprehensive look the guy gave him. Romero may’ve been
able to conquer his explosive temper when it came to this stuff and even manage
to snuff the roaring inferno down to frail embers rather quickly, but there was
one thing he’d never be able to mask, nor would he ever try. The hard
expressions Izzy read so well would always be a clear indicator of what he was
feeling. He’d been ready to blow more than once tonight, and Elliot, no doubt,
had picked up on that.

Good.

Just because Romero was being all grown up about this and not
acting on his anger as he would’ve a few years ago, that didn’t mean he couldn’t
send Elliot a message loud and clear without saying a word. Elliot
should
not
get any ideas about trying anything sneaky with Izzy.

For the next hour or so, they all chatted and laughed, and Romero
actually thought it a good thing now that Izzy had invited Elliot. He seemed harmless
enough, and he was kind of cool in a brainy kind of way. And there were no more
instances of irritation. Getting to know Elliot a little better made him feel
like less of a threat.

“So what’s it like working with Isabel,” Valerie asked with a
grin. “I know firsthand what a stickler she can be. Is she driving you crazy
yet?”

Elliot smiled, glancing at Izzy. “No, not at all. As I told your
brother-in-law earlier, I think she’s amazing. I’ve never had such an easy teacher
to mentor before.”

Romero stared him down but kept his cool. After hearing Elliot refer
to Izzy as amazing the first time, Romero heard Elliot also referring to his own
daughter and a few of the dishes and desserts as
amazing
. Romero would chalk
it off now as this probably being one of the words the guy overused. But he
could feel his uncles eyeing him, and he knew what Alex and Angel must be
thinking. So Romero put his arm around his beautiful wife and smiled. “Yeah,
Izzy is pretty amazing.”