Kele Moon - Crossing the line

Wyatt nodded. “Lobster ain’t bad. Melody’s bringing turkey.”

“I heard.” Jules peeled back the foil on the ham before she turned and handed Charlie over. “Go see Uncle Wy Wy.”

He took his nephew, who grinned, showing off two white teeth on the bottom. The twins were fraternal, but they looked almost identical. The only difference was Charlie’s eyes were more blue than Freddy’s that had a tint of Romeo’s green gaze, and it made telling them apart easy for family.

“Lemme see those teeth.” Wyatt showed his own in a mock fighter grimace that made Charlie laugh.

“Don’t stick your fingers in his mouth.” Jules helped herself to a small piece of the ham. “He bites now.”

Wyatt laughed. “Just like his mama.”

“Hush.” Jules scowled at him before she raised her eyebrows. “This is very good.”

“Tab can make anything taste good.”

“Where is she?”

“Last I saw she was in the doorway being molested by your brother-in-law.”

“Oh hell.” Jules grabbed another piece of ham and walked out of the kitchen, obviously intent on saving Tabitha. “Tino!”

Wyatt walked over to the stove, seeing that Romeo was frying something.

“What is it?” he asked as he eyed the pan that was bubbling and crackling.

Romeo turned to give him a look of horror. “Man, you dunno what calamari is?”

“Nah, I don’t.” Wyatt scowled at the plate of little fried rings. “I’m scared to ask.”

“Why don’t you just try it?” Romeo turned around and grabbed a bowl. He dished some red sauce into it and set it on the counter. “There. Dip them in that.”

Wyatt picked one up cautiously, seeing that they were still very hot. If he hadn’t been on a low-cholesterol diet for so damn long, he wouldn’t have risked it. “Is it like fried cheese?”

Romeo gave him another annoyed look before he said, “Don’t give it to the baby. He could choke on it.”

“What?” Wyatt dipped it and popped it into his mouth. It actually tasted really good, amazingly so, but still he had to ask, “Why’s it so chewy?”

“Look at you, eating squid after all that fucking bitching last year about the octopus.”

Wyatt turned around to greet Nova, who was holding Freddy. “Squid?”

“Nova, you can’t swear in front of the twins.” Romeo glared at his brother. “Last thing I need is for them to go around talking like you.”

“Tino lives in this house.” Nova laughed. “They know plenty of creative words already, I promise you.”

Romeo didn’t argue that as he turned back to Wyatt. “Good, right?”

“Less good now that I know it’s squid.” Wyatt picked up another piece anyway. He dipped it and put it in his mouth, trying to let himself appreciate the flavor rather than think about what it was. “Yeah, it ain’t bad.”

Wyatt took another one.

Tabitha came in and set the green beans on the counter. “What’re you eating?”

“Squid.” Wyatt dipped his fourth piece into the sauce. “I like it.”

“It’s fried. You can’t have it.”

“I’m supposed to eat it.” Wyatt raised his eyebrows at Tabitha. “It’s good luck or something.”

“Well, you ate it.” Tabitha reached around him, her large stomach bumping into his back as she pushed the plate back. “Come help me get the presents out of the car.”

Romeo laughed next to him, whispering, “Whipped,” under his breath.

“Boy, I wouldn’t even talk.” Wyatt gave him a look. “You married my sister. I know who wears the pants.”

“Lemme see this handsome boy.” Tabitha took Charlie from Wyatt.

“Tabby, he’s really heavy.” Wyatt frowned.

“Yes, he is.” Tabitha’s smile lit up her whole face as she studied Charlie, whose hair was still black as midnight. “Look at those pretty blue eyes. They get brighter every day. They’re just like your Uncle Wy Wy’s.”

“Wy!” Charlie grinned broadly.

“He’s talking more.” Tabitha held him close and smiled at Romeo. “Merry Christmas.”

“Buon Natale.” Romeo turned away from the stove and kissed Tabitha’s cheek. “How’re you feeling?”

“Huge.”

“What’re you talking about?” Romeo snorted. “Juliet was twice as big as you, easy.”

Tabitha hit his shoulder. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”

“What? She knows it.” Romeo held up his hand to the living room. “And she’s back to her old size now. She teaches more classes at the Cellar than I do.”

Wyatt snorted. “It was probably all the fucking ice cream Tino was getting for her. In my house all we eat is salad.”

“Hey, same rules apply.” Romeo scowled at Wyatt. “You can’t say that crap in front of Freddy and Charlie. They’re trying to talk. Last thing I need is to be at the store and have them blurt it out. It’s so friggin’ backward in this town.”

“So, you’re a house husband who gives me shit ’bout being whipped?” Wyatt laughed again.

Romeo reached over and punched Wyatt hard enough in the arm that it would likely leave a bruise. “Say another swear word, and we’re having it out the next time we’re both at the Cellar.”

“You think I can’t take you?”

“I know you can’t take me.” Romeo growled. “I got twenty pounds on you.”

“We’ll just teach them to swear in Italian,” Nova said in a very practical voice as he reached past Wyatt and helped himself to some calamari. “Then the hicks won’t have anything to bitch about.”

“Casanova, I swear to God, if they start swearing in Italian after you leave, I’m coming to New York to bury you.”

Nova laughed as he stood there chewing. His dark eyebrows were raised as if Romeo had just challenged him.

“You need any help with the cooking?” Tabitha asked, obviously trying to come to Nova’s rescue.

“From an eight-months-pregnant woman?” Romeo snorted. “No, I make it a point not to ask pregnant women to do anything. You should get off your feet.”

“But I’m fine.”

Romeo looked at her stomach and then said, “You’re our guest. Go sit down.”

“There is not enough therapy for you.” Nova laughed. “Jules’s pregnancy fucked you up for life.”

Romeo put a hand to his face and took a deep breath. “Madonn’, Nova, you say ‘fuck’ one more time—”

“You just said it.”

“Okay, everyone get outta my kitchen.” Romeo gestured to the living room. “Nova, help Wyatt get the presents out of his car. Tabitha, go relax. I got this.”

Wyatt ate too much.

It made him tired and lazy.

He was sprawled out over Jules’s leather sofa with his head on Tabitha’s thigh and Freddy sitting on his chest while he watched Tino help Charlie tear into the presents Wyatt and Tabitha had gotten him. Freddy was chewing on the tag hanging off the ear of a teddy bear. Jules jumped up from her seat on Romeo’s lap and yanked the bear out of his hand. She tore the tag off with the quick reflexes of a natural athlete, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Freddy was frozen with a silent scream now that his hands were empty. Even when Jules handed it back to him, he wasn’t interested anymore. The wail that burst out of him made Wyatt’s ears ring.

“Oh hell.” Wyatt laughed as he looked at his nephew. “Your mama’s mean.” He lifted him up, holding him over his head. “Come on, Freddy boy.” He was still howling, and Wyatt gave up. He handed him back to Jules. “You did it, Ju Ju. Now you got to fix it.”

“Man, they got lungs. You can hear them down the block.” Clay shook his head as he pulled Melody tighter against him. “That’s one thing I ain’t looking forward to.”

“Nah, that boy’s gonna be quiet as can be. He’ll just scowl at everyone.” Wyatt waved off the concern. “Ours too. She’s got half Tabby Cat in her. She’ll be nothing but sweet. These two wail ’cause they’re like their mama.”