“I’m not going back to Chicago until June,” I said.
We made our way through the Honolulu airport, which was a collection of buildings with covered walkways connecting them, and fo
llowed the stream of people to the baggage area.
For the first time, I heard panic in Joseph’s voice. “Shit, I didn’t adequately prepare you for this.”
“JR?” A deep male voice said. “Over here.”
Conner was the photograph aged twenty years. The cute teenager was now a distinguished man, built like a rock but with the same kind eyes as Joseph.
Had I heard him right? “JR?”
Joseph seemed to grit his teeth. “My father is Joseph Michael. I’m Joseph Robert.” His hand pressed in the small of my back and eased me forward. “Hey,” he said to his older brother.
They embraced in a quick hug and then Conner’s gaze turned my direction. “You finally take my advice and get an assistant?”
“No,” Joseph answered quickly. “This is Noemi. My girlfriend.”
Conner’s shoulders straightened with surprise. A huge smile burst on his face. “Girlfriend? Mom is going to lose her shit over this.”
Joseph hadn’t told anyone who I was, or that I was coming? The sting of disappointment was acute, but his arm was around my shoulders. “It’ll make sense once we get there.”
After I’d properly met Conner and our bags arrived, the Monsato men loaded them into Conner’s Jeep, and we took off for the rental house we’d share for the next few days with his parents who’d come in from Florida.
We chatted during the drive through the city, talking loudly over the wind whipping in through the open windows. Warm, ocean air and palm trees overhead made me want to revise my earlier statement. Maybe I’d never go back to Chicago.
The house was gorgeous. Pink and yellow hibiscus bushes bloomed in the landscaped yard, and the Jeep pulled up to the circle drive, covered by a stone portico. It was after midnight Central time, but only eight here, and although I was tired from the flight, I couldn’t wait to get into shorts and flip-flops, and start my vacation.
His parents were seated on the leather couches in the main room, drinking wine when we came in. They looked relaxed and at home, but when she spotted Joseph, his mother leaped to her feet, her soft face ecstatic.
“You’re here!” She hurried to him and crushed him in her arms, her eyes shining with tears. “We’re so glad you came.”
“Yeah,” Joseph’s voice was uneven, as if his mother’s emotions were getting to him. “Uh, me, too.” He gave her a long moment, extracted himself from her embrace, and reached a hand out to me. “This is my girlfriend Noemi.”
His mother didn’t move a breath. Her eyes didn’t blink. Was she having a stroke?
“Girlfriend?” she whispered.
“That’s what I said.”
Her focus snapped to me, and I felt naked. Her gaze raked down as if seeking every fault and flaw. “My goodness, you’re young!”
“Mom.”
She waved Joseph’s scolding off, and extended a hand to me, giving me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m Carol Monsato.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Monsato. Noemi Rosso.”
Her voice was almost as firm as her handshake. “It’s Carol.” Her tone was exactly the same whenever Joseph had to repeat something he felt he shouldn’t have had to. I pulled my lips back in a pleasant smile that said I understood, and I did. She’d almost lost her son once, so it made sense she would be protective of him.
Joseph’s father had a head of salt and pepper hair and a bit of a beer belly, and introduced himself as Joe. He put a hand around his wife’s waist. “I know your mother already said it, but we were really happy you decided to join us for Conner’s award.”
“You have Noemi to thank for that. She convinced me.”
This time the smile did reach all the way to Carol’s eyes. “Well,” she said, “let me show you the house.” She gestured to the couch. “I think the sofa pulls out into a bed, JR. We would have booked a house with three bedrooms if we’d known Noemi was coming.”
“No need. We’ll stay in the same room, Mom.”