Текст книги "Alien in the Family"

Автор книги: Gini Koch

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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 32 страниц)

CHAPTER 42

“HI, KITTY,” ALFRED SAID with a wide smile. “Nice to see you.”

I had nowhere to run, so went for casual. “Hi, Alfred. How goes the gambling?”

“Not as well as things up here,” he said with a wicked grin. The exact same wicked grin his son had. Martini was a little taller than his father, but otherwise, he was an exact replica, including personality.

“Dad, stop drooling at my fiancée.” Martini shook his head. “Does Mom know you lust after my girl?”

Alfred rolled his eyes. “Always with you it’s the jealousy. I don’t lust after Kitty, Son. I’m just pleased you’re marrying so well.” He winked at me. “Don’t tell him about our trip to Aruba, okay?”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “Secret’s safe with me.” I noticed Alfred had a large clothing bag with hangers in it. “Doing some shopping for Lucinda?” It was from the same store where I’d sort of bought my naked-in-fabric outfit.

Alfred grinned and handed the bag to me. “No. Picked up some things for you.”

“For me?” I took the bag and looked at both of them. “Um, why?”

Martini shrugged. “Why not?”

They both had the exact same expression on their faces: they were pleased with themselves but a little worried about my reaction. I thought about mentioning how exorbitant the prices at this store were, but it dawned on me that if Martini cared about it, he wouldn’t have had his father pick up whatever it was he’d picked up.

“Okay. Um, I’ll just go into the bedroom and take a look.”

I sort of backed away, resisting the urge to look in the bag. Truth be told, there hadn’t been anything in that store that wasn’t sexy and appealing. As I walked past the sofa, there was a mewling and the Poofs put their heads up. They saw me and started purring. I picked Harlie up and petted it. As I did so, it spotted Alfred.

Confirmed the Poofs had hyperspeed, because Harlie gave a huge mewl of what sounded like joy to me, then all the Poofs were all over Alfred, purring and rubbing on him.

“Where did you get these?” he asked me.

“Long story. Jeff, you want to cover it or want me to?”

“Check out the bag. I’ll bring my dad up to speed.” I could tell he was getting worried that I wasn’t going to like whatever was in the bag, so I nodded and trotted into the bedroom.

I resolved to love whatever it was, because even if it was somehow hideous, Martini had clearly gone to some effort, and so had his father. I poured the bag’s contents onto the bed and started to laugh.

Okay, he’d loved the outfit Reader had picked out for me, because there was another one in here. There were also bags from other shops. Alfred had been spending the time since Martini’s phone call cruising the mall.

Lingerie, shoes, a couple more incredibly sheer and sexy outfits, it was all here. The shoes fit and were comfortable, which amazed and relieved me. The lingerie were all my size, fit well, and looked great on me. It also matched the outfits.

In addition to the sheer and shiny short-skirted outfit I now owned two of, I was in possession of a glittery little black dress and some of the sexiest black pumps ever, as well as silver sandals with a lower heel that went with a white Grecian type long dress with a silver belt set right under my breasts. It was extremely complimentary to my rack—I could wear this and fit in at Hooters without a problem. I could wear all of it and fit in just fine in any spot in Vegas. I couldn’t wear any of this at home, but then again, maybe I’d put them on and let Martini rip them off the moment after. They were that sexy.

I was unsure if I was supposed to model each outfit or not. I had no issue modeling them for Martini, but with Alfred in the room it seemed kind of awkward.

“Wear the black one,” Martini called to me.

“Erm, Jeff? How—”

“Empath. Try to keep up.”

“But that was a thought.”

He laughed. “You were confused. Baby, you broadcast your emotions.”

Okay, right, Mister Superempath. I considered suggesting that maybe too much sexual fulfillment made me slow but decided to keep that one to myself. I also considered mentioning that I wasn’t sure I believed him, but I really decided to hold that one for later.

I put the black outfit on, hung the others up in the still ginormous but less empty closet and went out front.

Martini’s expression was worth every penny he’d spent. His eyelids dropped and his mouth curled into the jungle cat snarl. I didn’t have to look down to know my nipples had gone hard, just looking at him looking at me. I decided to love this outfit.

Alfred coughed. “I’ll just leave you two now. You look wonderful, Kitty. Jeffrey, remember, you’re meeting all of us in an hour at that Russian restaurant.”

“Right.” Martini looked like he hadn’t heard a word his father had said.

Alfred grinned. “And then you’re going to pass Kitty around to every man there.”

“Right.” Martini was not paying attention. I tried to remind myself that this outfit was a weapon to be used for good. I’d have been cracking up, but I was too busy trying not to orgasm from Martini’s expression alone.

“And then Mister Reynolds is going to take her to Australia.”

“Right.”

“Kitty, you okay with that plan?” Alfred was trying not to laugh.

“Yep. We’ll see you in an hour at Red Square. I have no idea why you want to go there, it’s a vodka bar.”

“The human side of the family would like to imbibe a bit, and we’re capable of being around alcohol and not drinking it. Your Nana Sadie is looking forward to going there.” I heard the “father chide” in his tone.

“No argument, they have great food.”

Martini hadn’t stopped looking at me. I got the impression he was seeing my mouth move and hearing noises from me and his father, but his brain wasn’t engaged at all. I shifted a little and watched his eyes follow me. It was official; this was an outfit for the ages.

“Yes, so Mister Reynolds said. We have the entire restaurant booked. So, we’ll order what for you?”

Alfred was a great father. I wondered if Martini had managed to realize that yet. “We’ll both start with borscht. Tell Nana Sadie it’s not as good as hers but it’s close. We’ll both take iced tea.”

“Jeffrey, you like borscht?”

“Right.”

Alfred was laughing silently. “Wonderful. Well, see you two in an hour. Or so.” Alfred went to the door. “Son? Jeffrey? I’ll just let myself out.”

“Right.”

Alfred was chuckling as he left. The door shut, and Martini was out of the robe and on me. There were advantages to hyperspeed. We didn’t get to the bed or even leave the room. He had me up against the wall with my legs wrapped around his waist in moments. The lingerie was all easy access and he had it opened and was inside me within another moment.

He was out of control, but it was flattering—and arousing. His thrusts were hard, fast, and frantic, as if he couldn’t get enough of me quickly enough. His mouth ravaged my neck, specifically the spots that made me howl.

His body was moving so fast inside me that my orgasm felt like it came out of nowhere—one moment being pounded by a sex god, the next screaming from sexual fulfillment of the highest order.

I triggered him and he bit my neck, which spiked my orgasm higher. Any time this happened I felt like I would faint, and this time was no exception. The room spun, and I held onto him as our bodies’ spasms continued unabated.

Finally things slowed back to normal, and Martini let me slide down his body and back to the floor. I nuzzled his chest. “So, I should return this?”

He laughed and slung me gently over his shoulder. “Sure.” He nipped my behind, and I giggled as he carried me into the bedroom. “As soon as I’ve made love to you in it for another year, year and a half, why not?”

“I love how you think.”

CHAPTER 43

IN AN HOUR, GIVE OR TAKE, I brushed my hair and marveled at how this dress hid wrinkles. I’d already felt the money spent was more than worth it, but it was nice not to have to change into something else.

Martini had his standard suit on, but because I’d begged, he was just carrying the jacket, and he had the shirt unbuttoned to the middle of his chest and the sleeves rolled up to about midforearm. Wasn’t my fault that this was the second time he’d had to dress. He looked too good to pass up the first time. Only the clock prevented me from insisting he looked too good the second time, too.

I took another look in the mirror. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to go have dinner with your parents dressed like this?”

“Sure, why not?”

“It’s kind of . . .”

“Totally sexy?” Martini was grinning.

“Um, yeah. I mean, it’s a little much for dinner with the folks, isn’t it?”

“My dad picked everything up for me, and he saw you in it before. He didn’t seem to mind, and I can promise you he wasn’t upset, I’d have noticed.”

I doubted that, based on Martini’s reactions when he’d first seen me in it, but I kept this to myself. “Maybe we should stop and find some kind of wrap or something.”

“Nah.” Martini draped his jacket around me. “How’s that?”

It seemed workable; it was black, the dress was black, why not? I really put the jacket on and rolled up the sleeves. “I’m bringing the eighties back, I think. All I need is a fedora.”

“Mmmm, let’s be sure to pick that up sometime soon.”

It didn’t really say, “completing the ensemble,” but under the circumstances, I took my purse along. The hell with a handbag—the last time I’d tried that I’d been chased through the Arizona desert by sociopaths. I took the Poofs along as well. I didn’t know what else to do with them, and I figured they needed to eat.

I was heading for the door when Martini grabbed my arm. “Baby, wait a minute.”

I turned around. He had a funny look on his face. “Jeff, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He drew me over to the couch and sat us down. I took my purse off and put it on the table—it didn’t seem that this was going to be quick. “I just wanted to . . . ask you something.” He looked nervous and worried, so, despite my best efforts, I got nervous and worried.

“Okay. What’s wrong?” My throat felt tight. Had I done something?

He stroked my face. “No, baby, you haven’t done anything wrong.” He closed his eyes. “You’d think it would be easier this time around.”

“What? What would be easier?” I tried not to panic and failed utterly. It was stupid and silly, and I could remember that whenever the logical side of my mind had a say in the matter—but the oldest fear I had about my relationship with Martini was that he really didn’t want to be with me for me but wanted me only because I was a human and so exotic and forbidden. This worry skipped and laughed out of my deeper consciousness where I’d shoved it away for the past six months and danced through my mind. It shared that Martini was breaking up with me, again, and that this time, he meant it.

“Oh, Kitty . . . no, baby, no.” He pulled me into his arms. “Baby, how can you think that? Especially after all this time?”

“What’s wrong? What do you need to tell me? Are you mad at me?” My voice was heading to the dog-only register.

Martini pulled me into his lap and held me tightly. “Shhh, baby. No, nothing’s wrong. I didn’t mean to scare you. Kitty, I love you so much . . . for you, not because you’re a human. Because you’re everything I ever dreamed of and never thought I’d find. I never believed you’d love me or choose me over everyone else.”

I wrapped my arms around him. “Then what do you need to tell me?” I was shaking, and the logical part of my mind mentioned we hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep in the past many hours and maybe I needed some.

“Ask you.” He reached into his pants pocket. “I need to ask you something.” He rocked me. “Baby, please, relax. It’s not bad. At least, I don’t think you’ll think it’s bad.” I heard uncertainty in his voice, faint, but there.

I nodded and sat up in his lap. Be a big girl, calm down and deal. Okay, I could handle that. Hopefully.

Martini stroked my face, then slid his hand to rub the back of my neck. He got a funny smile on his face. “You know what the most flattering thing in the world is? To me, anyway?” I shook my head. “That you’re somehow afraid I’m going to decide some other woman’s better for me than you. I’ve been in love with you since I met you. Baby, we mate for life. We make the commitment, and it stays there. It doesn’t go away.”

“But I can’t wear the necklace anymore because someone hates me.” I started to cry and felt like a moron.

“I know, baby. And it bothers me, but you didn’t take it off because you wanted to. You took it off because you had to.” He kissed my tears away. “Kitty, oh, baby, stop. You’re too tired. I should have let you sleep.”

“I didn’t want to sleep, I wanted to make love to you.”

He laughed softly. “And you wonder why I think you’re the most perfect woman in the universe?” He took my hand and put something into it, something small. “I wanted to do this more romantically, but I think, under the circumstances, let me just say I hope you like it, and if you don’t, the store is open twenty-four/seven and said we could exchange it any time.”

I looked down to see a ring. A diamond ring. Stone not too big, marquis cut, excellent quality from what I could guess, gold setting with an intricate design that enhanced the stone’s beauty.

“I know you like the traditional cut better,” Martini said softly. “But since that’s what Reynolds had for you, can you manage to forgive me for not wanting to give you something exactly like it?”

I couldn’t talk. It was beautiful, and I felt both beyond happy and fairly stupid at the same time. He took the ring out of my palm and slid it onto the ring finger of my left hand. It fit perfectly and looked real, not like paste, which was why I hated large stones.

Brain finally kicked in, and I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him wildly. He wrapped his arms around me. “Can I take that as a yes?” he asked when we finally pulled apart.

“Yes. Jeff, I love it. But why, and why now? You didn’t have to buy this for me.”

“Yes, I did.” He leaned my head against his shoulder. “Your family doesn’t understand our customs, and I know they think you’ve been deluding yourself. No ring means no commitment to humans. I verified that with James, by the way, and Michael. They’re all here, but the moment I realized you couldn’t wear the necklace again, I knew I had to give you something—for your peace of mind, mine, and your family’s.”

“When did you have time to shop for this?”

“I went down to the mall about fifteen minutes after you and James. I figured it was the best time. I’d picked it out when I felt your terror with Moira, told them to hold it, and ran for you. I had my father make sure it was held, and he picked it up when he got the clothes for you. I picked the clothes out while waiting for backup with Moira. Had to do something to fill the time.”

“No complaints. You know, your dad loves you so much, Jeff.”

“Yeah, I’ve picked that up. Finally.”

“Are your blocks down?” I tried not to sound worried. Failed.

“No, they’re all up and functioning. You’ve just helped me . . . filter a little better when it comes to my parents, that’s all.”

I felt pleased for a moment, then I had a horrible thought, and my stomach clenched. “If you’d gone down first, or with me . . . Moira would have gotten you.”

Martini held me tighter. “No more what ifs. At all. It’s bad enough we almost lost James, but I don’t want you living with that kind of worry, especially since it’s based on nothing. ‘What if’ doesn’t help anything, and it changes less.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best. Jeff?”

“Yeah?”

“How are you reading my mind all the time?”

He sighed. “I’m not. I just pay attention to you—because I love you. And, like I said, you broadcast your emotions.” I could hear evasion in his voice.

“And?” He didn’t say anything. “Jeff, I know there’s got to be an ‘and’ in there.”

“Okay, fine. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“About what?”

He took a deep breath. “The drugs the Club Fifty-One people gave me?”

“Yes? The ones that could have killed you and pretty much drove you crazy? Hard to forget those drugs.” I tried not to let the dread take over. Failed.

He hugged me more tightly. “They’re out of my system, but . . . they affected me.”

“How?”

“Remember how I told you they enhanced my powers to where I could feel every emotion you had and almost see you?” I nodded. “Well, I still can, but with even more . . . depth. I can’t read your mind, exactly, but pretty close. Only you, though. With everyone else it’s the same as in the past, maybe a little more enhanced than before. So,” he added dryly, “I knew what the football players were up to. I just decided to trust you on it.”

“I call that personal growth.”

“You okay with it?”

I thought about it. “Yeah, I am. I kind of like it, in a weird way.”

“Sums up our entire relationship.”

“Pretty much. What about your healing?” He’d been amazingly active awfully soon after his beat down from Kyrellis.

Martini grinned. “That’s another positive—my regeneration has sped up. I’m stronger, too, and a little bit faster than I used to be.” His expression changed to quietly upset. “I’d say it was all worth it if I hadn’t come so close to losing you forever.”

I hugged him. “It’s in the past. Everyone’s here and fine, and that’s what matters. And as long as the only aftereffects make you more awesome, I’m good with it.” I looked at the clock. “We’d better get going. We’re late.”

“Dad knew we’d be late.”

“I didn’t think you heard anything he said.”

“He knew I was giving you this tonight.” He leaned back. “What do you mean, what he said?”

“You agreed that I was going to be passed around to every man at the restaurant and then go to Australia with Chuckie.”

“I did not!”

“You did. Your dad will confirm it.” I laughed at his expression. “But, under the circumstances, since you really are planning to marry me, I think I’ll save myself for our wedding night and stay here with you.”

“Thank God you like the ring.”

CHAPTER 44

WE WERE ONLY ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES LATE to the restaurant, which I thought was doing pretty darned well for us.

Our party did have the entire place, but it was small, and there were a lot more of us than I was prepared for, so it was packed. I looked around. “Oh, my God, Jeff. My entire family is here.”

“I don’t see your dad.”

“Everyone else. And I do mean everyone. Oh, my God . . . Uncle Mort’s here. And so is Richard! What is going on?”

Christopher spotted us and shoved through the crowd. “Took you long enough. My dad was getting worried about you.” He gave Martini a meaningful look.

“Yeah, sorry.” Martini put my hand out toward Christopher.

He grinned. “Told you she’d like it.”

Martini shrugged. “Nice to be sure.”

Christopher hugged me. “Congratulations again.”

“Thanks. Why is the world here?”

“Well, on our side, nobody blew up, and we occasionally like to celebrate that kind of success. On your side, they like our side, and the vodka martinis are reputed to be great.” Christopher grinned at my expression. “Seriously. Your mother’s still having a little trouble with Aunt Lucinda, but your grandmothers are getting along with her like they’ve known each other all their lives.” He looked to Martini. “Your sisters and their husbands are here. The kids aren’t.”

Martini sighed. “Pity. I’d like to see them.”

“Yeah, me too. Reynolds is dealing with the guys, though. Amazingly enough, they don’t seem to bother him.”

“He spent junior high and high school being attacked by big jocks. He knows what makes them tick. And how to deflect them.”

“Yes, Reynolds walks on water. Got it. Let’s get in and be seen before we get bawled out for being late.” Martini took my hand and led me through to the back. This didn’t go quickly. Every relative of mine we passed had to have an introduction.

My mother’s sister, Karen, spotted us, and the ring, when we were about halfway in. I loved her, but she had a big voice and used it to share with all that Martini was indeed going to make an honest woman out of me.

We were mobbed. Fortunately, my entire family was aware that I liked smaller stones, but even so, I heard some comments about the size of the diamond. “Big stones look fake on my hands.” I repeated that at least a dozen times before I got a glimpse of my mother.

She was way in the back with a woman I took to be Queen Renata, Martini’s parents, and both sets of my grandparents. Mom looked happy, but I knew her, and she was faking it. I pulled Martini’s head down. “Something’s up with Mom. We need to get over there.”

“I could throw you, but otherwise, I think it’s going to take some time. Yes, sorry, we’ve been engaged for almost six months already.” This to my Aunt Ruth, who was reading Martini the riot act for us sending out wedding invitations before I had a ring. “Look, she’s wearing a ring.” He shoved my hand in Aunt Ruth’s face.

“And not much else. Katherine Sarah Katt, what are you doing wearing next to nothing to your engagement party?” So much for Martini’s jacket providing adequate coverage. Oh, well, it’d been worth a shot.

I opened my mouth to give some sort of reply, but Aunt Ruth barreled right on. “Not that I can tell it’s an engagement party . . . no decorations, no gifts, no engagement cake.” She shook her head. “I’ve never been to an engagement party without a lovely cake.”

“Engagement party?” Christopher was on my other side, and he kicked my foot. “Ow!” Aunt Ruth’s eyebrow lifted, and I scrambled to recover. “Um, sorry about the cake, Aunt Ruth.” I’d never known she was an engagement cake aficionado, but the learning never seemed to stop for me.

She rolled her eyes. “Charles explained it was impromptu, and the chef and staff didn’t have time for something proper. Honestly, I’m more upset by your attire or the lack thereof.”

“Jeff bought this outfit for me.”

She sniffed. “I’ll bet.”

“It’s really expensive.”

Aunt Ruth rolled her eyes. “Charles has money, too.” Oh, hell, there it was, out in the open. “Charles wouldn’t have waited six months to give you a ring. And he wouldn’t have dressed you like this.”

“Wow, gotta get to Mom. Love you, Aunt Ruth, thanks for the stress.” I dragged Martini through the crowd.

“What’s with ‘Charles has money, too’? I thought you said you two never dated!”

“One fling for one week, Jeff, okay? But he’s been my friend since we were thirteen.”

“I’ve been friends with a lot of women no one suggests I would be better off marrying.”

“Aunt Ruth has views.”

“What views are those?”

“Chuckie would convert to Judaism if I asked him to.” Great, religion out in the open, too.

“So? You don’t even go to temple!”

“I don’t go to mass, either. Get ready, here comes Aunt Carla.”

My mother’s other sister descended on us. I didn’t like her as well as Aunt Karen. “What’s this I hear about you two finally getting engaged?” She hugged me and gave Martini an obvious up and down. Then she looked at Christopher, who was still covering our backs. “That one, not this one?” And this was why.

“Aunt Carla, meet Jeff. The man I’m marrying. This is his cousin, Christopher. A man with many excellent qualities whom, however, I am not marrying.”

“Christopher’s more your type. So is Charles.”

Martini started growling, and Christopher winced. “Aunt Carla, Chuckie and I are still good friends. Okay?”

“Your mother told me he proposed and you turned him down. I can’t believe you were willing to throw away years of friendship with a brilliant, successful man who worships you for some good-looking stud.” Aunt Carla made Aunt Ruth seem demure.

“He’s a great-looking stud, Aunt Carla.” I hid behind Martini, dug through my purse, and pulled out my cell. “Daddy?”

“What’s wrong, kitten? Are you all in danger again?” It was so loud in the restaurant I could barely hear him, but he sounded freaked. Of course, I’d called him Daddy, because I was freaked.

“Daddy, we’re at our engagement party I didn’t know we were having, and you’re not here, and James isn’t here, and . . .”

“And you’ve run into your Aunt Ruth?”

“And Aunt Carla.”

My father almost never cursed, but when he did, it was impressive. “I knew it was a mistake to tell them anything. Your mother and I were trying to explain how you’d met Jeff and how he proposed, and of course Charles was involved and . . .” He sighed. “James wants to talk to you.”

“Girlfriend, what’s going on?”

“I’m at our engagement party, and you and my dad aren’t here, and it’s horrible.” I didn’t care if Aunt Carla heard that. She was busy telling Martini and Christopher how great Chuckie was, and how he’d convert to Catholicism if I wanted him to. “My aunts are telling Jeff I should be marrying Chuckie, or Christopher, or anyone else. I love my ring, and people are asking why the stone is so small, and I can’t get to my mother.”

He laughed. “Families are hell. Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.”

“How so?”

“Your dad and I will be there shortly.”

“James, you can’t leave the hospital!” I shouted that out, and both Martini and Christopher spun toward me.

“I’m fine. Clean bill of health.”

“That’s impossible.” There was something in the back of my mind that said it wasn’t impossible, but I couldn’t remember what it would be.

“Yeah, I know. Your dad got here and we’ve been playing cards the whole time. In between worrying about all of you.”

“James, how the hell can you be sitting up?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” He was quiet for a moment. “I think I should know, but . . . well, doesn’t matter. The doctors are a little freaked out, but there’s nothing wrong with me at all any more. Other,” he added, sounding seriously pissed, “than the fact that I’m bald.”

I managed a giggle. “Yeah, Paul said you’d be upset.”

“Can’t wait to hear the comments. Anyway, Kevin stopped by to check on me. He’ll be coming with us.” There was something in his voice.

“James, what aren’t you telling me?”

“You’ll find out when we get there. Don’t tell Paul, unless your shouting alerted him already. I’d like to surprise him.”

“Trust me, it’s packed in here and unbelievably loud. Paul might not even know I’m here, and he sure hasn’t heard any of our conversation. Your surprise is safe.”

“Love you, babe. See you soon, and then your dad and I will fix everything.”

I hung up, dropped my phone back into my purse, patted the Poofs, grabbed Martini and Christopher, and plowed on toward my mother, leaving Aunt Carla in mid-insult.

“This is really fun,” Martini said. “I can’t wait to hear what your grandparents have to say to me.”

“I’m not enjoying being bachelor number three,” Christopher added. “You didn’t tell us your family worshiped Reynolds.”

“I didn’t know.” I thought about it, though. I’d always bragged about him, because I was so proud of him. They all knew him, and while I was apparently the densest girl on the planet sometimes, perhaps they’d realized he was in love with me a lot sooner than I had. Wouldn’t have been hard, since I hadn’t realized it until he’d asked me to marry him. The second time. Guilt and its BFF Stress waved to me. They were loving this party. Me, not as much.

We reached my mother’s table. “Hi, Mom, am I high or is our entire freaking family here?”

“Other than your father, yes, pretty much.” Mom took a deep breath. “Kitty, could you, perhaps, introduce Jeff and Christopher to your grandparents?”

I was still holding both their hands, and as so many people, Chuckie included, had pointed out, Christopher had been more my type when I was in school. My Nona Maria beamed at him. “You must be the lucky boy who’s marrying our Katherine. I told you he’d be decent, Dominic.” This to my Nono Dom, sitting next to her.

Nana Sadie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, we’ve heard so much about you. See, Abraham? He’s a nice-looking boy.” My Papa Abe nodded with a bit less enthusiasm.

I saw Mom put her face in her hands. Alfred was wincing. Even Queen Renata looked shocked and uncomfortable. Christopher and Martini both were stunned into silence. Me, I wanted to die. This was worse than anything I’d ever imagined. I knew it would be bad, but this . . . I was one more word away from bursting into tears and running screaming into the street—and Reader wasn’t here yet to stop me.

For whatever reason—fate, karma, ironic justice—I made eye contact with Lucinda. I didn’t know what to expect to see in her expression—triumph, maybe hatred, disdain, victory. She smiled at me, but it wasn’t a vicious smile at all. It was warm and understanding. Then she winked at me and turned to my grandparents.

“Your Kitty is such a lovely girl, and she had so many suitors, I’ll admit we were wondering if our nephew would win her. That’s our Christopher on Kitty’s right. But our Jeffrey seems to have managed to catch and keep her eye. That’s him on her left. I know he’s a little bulkier than you all seem to think Kitty’s attracted to, but you know, a woman’s tastes change as she gets out of school.”

I could see my mother out of the corner of my eye. She sat back up and looked both shocked and relieved. Renata let out the breath she’d clearly been holding. Alfred looked as though he was finishing a prayer of thanks. I was still afraid to look at Martini.

“Oh!” my grandmothers chorused. They both looked to my left and obviously checked Martini out.

“Handsome boy,” Nana Sadie said.

“Very. Tall, too. Big and strong.” Nona Maria beamed. “Should give our Katherine healthy babies.”

“How many little ones are you planning?” Papa Abe asked. “And can you afford them? A man needs to support his wife and children.”

Nono Dom nodded. “Our little kitten needs a big tomcat to take care of her and keep her under control.” He was serious, and I tried not to die of embarrassment. “You up to that?”

I heard the best sound in the world right about now—Martini laughed. “Yeah, I think so. As for kids, I want a lot, but we figure we’ll take one at a time and see how it goes.”

“How soon for the babies?” Nona Maria asked. Eagerly.

“Um . . .”

“Oh, soon. But, you know, not too soon.” Martini sounded completely at ease. I was still considering the benefits of spontaneous combustion.

“We’re not getting any younger,” Nana Sadie said, rather sternly. “I want to see my great-grandchild before I die.”

“Nana, you’ve been saying that for years. You have tons of great-grandchildren.”