that. She closed her eyes. “I can’t believe I love you. You’re an idiot.”
“I have to say that I agree with the young lady,” a strong female voice said from behind her.
Kaitlin opened her eyes and turned. She found a woman close to her mother’s age smiling at her. A large man, who bore a striking resemblance to Brando, stood behind her.
“Aunt Joey,” Brando said, love and embarrassment filling his voice. “I didn’t know they called you.”
She looked past Kaitlin to Brando. “I’m your emergency contact here. Your mother would never forgive me if I didn’t check in on you.”
Oh, god, this was horrible. Brando had told her more than one story about Joey Santini, the matriarch of the Santini clan. She had just called her nephew an idiot in front of her.
She waited for Joey to say something horrible to her, but she just offered her a kind smile.
“Since Brando has forgotten all the manners I know his mother taught him, I will do the introductions.”
“Sorry. I have a concussion, you know.”
She gave him a quelling look. “No excuse.”
He opened his mouth, but Joey narrowed her eyes. Then, she turned to Kaitlin with a smile. “I’m Joey Santini, and this is my husband Stewart Santini.”
“Just call me Papa,” he said with a smile. “You must be Kaitlin.”
She nodded. “And these are my idiot brothers, Emmet, Declan, and Aeden.”
Joey smiled at them. “I take it you had something to do with this?”
“Yeah, we took him to a rugby match.”
“Aunt Joey, it isn’t their fault,” Brando said.
Kaitlin opened her mouth to refute him, but Joey took over.
“No, it is all of your faults. Never fails when you get a bunch of men together, they do idiot things.”
“Aunt Joey…”
“Son, I would just nod and keep your mouth shut,” Papa said from the corner.
“Here two days and you do this? Your mother is going to have a fit when I tell her.”
“You don’t have to tell her, do you?”
The look she gave Brando almost made Kaitlin giggle. It was so mean Kaitlin knew for sure she would have started crying on the spot.
“Are you suggesting that I lie to your mother?”
“Again, just shut up and nod, Brand,” Papa said, amusement threading his voice.
“Now, I think Kaitlin and I need a moment alone together.”
Kaitlin shook her head. “Oh—”
“Let’s get you some water,” Joey said, as she slipped an arm around Kaitlin. She led her out of the room as she heard Brando say something and his uncle’s deep voice responding. It did not sound good for him.
When they were alone in the hallway, Joey said, “Go ahead.”
“What?”
“Cry. I know you want to, but you couldn’t do it in front of them.”
She opened her mouth to refute Joey. Instead, a sob came out. A shudder ran through her body, and the terror she had held at bay broke loose. Joey took her into her arms and let her cry. When she was finally done, she sniffled and straightened.
“Sorry about that,” she mumbled.
“Don’t be. Strong women need to let it go sometimes,” Joey said as she offered Kaitlin a tissue.
She smiled as she took it, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks.
When Kaitlin finally had herself under control, Joey gave her one last squeeze. “Time to go back in there and face the idiot man.”
“I just want to go home.”
Joey nodded. “Yes, but you have to clean house.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s important that a Santini man learns the art of groveling. If not, he will become an insufferable ass. It’s your job as his soon to be wife to get him to do that.”
“I didn’t say I was marrying him.”
Joey shook her head as a smile curved her lips. “Honey, you don’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face.”
She shook her head. “He’s a bully.”
“He’s pushy. They all tend to get that way from time to time.”
“Why do you put up with it?”
She grinned. “I can assure you, they are worth every bit of irritation they
“I have to say that I agree with the young lady,” a strong female voice said from behind her.
Kaitlin opened her eyes and turned. She found a woman close to her mother’s age smiling at her. A large man, who bore a striking resemblance to Brando, stood behind her.
“Aunt Joey,” Brando said, love and embarrassment filling his voice. “I didn’t know they called you.”
She looked past Kaitlin to Brando. “I’m your emergency contact here. Your mother would never forgive me if I didn’t check in on you.”
Oh, god, this was horrible. Brando had told her more than one story about Joey Santini, the matriarch of the Santini clan. She had just called her nephew an idiot in front of her.
She waited for Joey to say something horrible to her, but she just offered her a kind smile.
“Since Brando has forgotten all the manners I know his mother taught him, I will do the introductions.”
“Sorry. I have a concussion, you know.”
She gave him a quelling look. “No excuse.”
He opened his mouth, but Joey narrowed her eyes. Then, she turned to Kaitlin with a smile. “I’m Joey Santini, and this is my husband Stewart Santini.”
“Just call me Papa,” he said with a smile. “You must be Kaitlin.”
She nodded. “And these are my idiot brothers, Emmet, Declan, and Aeden.”
Joey smiled at them. “I take it you had something to do with this?”
“Yeah, we took him to a rugby match.”
“Aunt Joey, it isn’t their fault,” Brando said.
Kaitlin opened her mouth to refute him, but Joey took over.
“No, it is all of your faults. Never fails when you get a bunch of men together, they do idiot things.”
“Aunt Joey…”
“Son, I would just nod and keep your mouth shut,” Papa said from the corner.
“Here two days and you do this? Your mother is going to have a fit when I tell her.”
“You don’t have to tell her, do you?”
The look she gave Brando almost made Kaitlin giggle. It was so mean Kaitlin knew for sure she would have started crying on the spot.
“Are you suggesting that I lie to your mother?”
“Again, just shut up and nod, Brand,” Papa said, amusement threading his voice.
“Now, I think Kaitlin and I need a moment alone together.”
Kaitlin shook her head. “Oh—”
“Let’s get you some water,” Joey said, as she slipped an arm around Kaitlin. She led her out of the room as she heard Brando say something and his uncle’s deep voice responding. It did not sound good for him.
When they were alone in the hallway, Joey said, “Go ahead.”
“What?”
“Cry. I know you want to, but you couldn’t do it in front of them.”
She opened her mouth to refute Joey. Instead, a sob came out. A shudder ran through her body, and the terror she had held at bay broke loose. Joey took her into her arms and let her cry. When she was finally done, she sniffled and straightened.
“Sorry about that,” she mumbled.
“Don’t be. Strong women need to let it go sometimes,” Joey said as she offered Kaitlin a tissue.
She smiled as she took it, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks.
When Kaitlin finally had herself under control, Joey gave her one last squeeze. “Time to go back in there and face the idiot man.”
“I just want to go home.”
Joey nodded. “Yes, but you have to clean house.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s important that a Santini man learns the art of groveling. If not, he will become an insufferable ass. It’s your job as his soon to be wife to get him to do that.”
“I didn’t say I was marrying him.”
Joey shook her head as a smile curved her lips. “Honey, you don’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face.”
She shook her head. “He’s a bully.”
“He’s pushy. They all tend to get that way from time to time.”
“Why do you put up with it?”
She grinned. “I can assure you, they are worth every bit of irritation they
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