Even if when she was annoyed, she was adorable, and somehow, we ended up with our mouths connected.
I knocked on the door, smiling down at the little old lady that opened it.
“You must be Mrs. Scott.”
“And you have to be Stefano—or, as Gabby refers to you, the PITA,” she announced, crossing her arms and gazing up at me, not at all worried over the vast difference in our sizes.
She barely came up to my chest, her snow-white hair gleaming in the sunlight. Despite her frosty tone, her blue eyes danced with humor and her face was kind. A multitude of laugh lines crossed her face, like a delicate spider web of etched merriment embedded in her skin.
“Guilty as charged,” I admitted. I bent my knees, lowering myself to her level. “But she gives as good as she gets, you know.”
She sniffed. “I wouldn’t expect otherwise. You gonna do right by her?”
“I’ll try,” I replied honestly. “If she lets me.”
She tapped her foot. “How are you at changing lightbulbs?”
I blinked at the abrupt shift in conversation. “An expert.”
“Come in.”
For the next ten minutes, I followed the tiny woman around and swapped out some burned-out bulbs. Then she mentioned a clogged drain in the kitchen and a loose cupboard door. I promised to return soon with some tools to take care of both.
Appearing satisfied, she nodded. “Gabby’s upstairs. The steps are to the right, behind the door you came in.”
I tried not to laugh. The old fox knew exactly what she was doing, waylaying me. I bent and kissed her downy cheek. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“See that you are.”
I climbed the steps, pausing outside the door at the top. I knocked, grinning when Theo opened it, beaming up at me. He wore his red shirt and hat. “Stefo!”
“Hey, little man.”
Gabby appeared, looking upset. “Theo, you never open the door without Mommy,” she scolded.
“But I heard him. I knew it was Stefo!”
“You should listen to your mom. She knows best,” I advised.
“Why?”
I crouched down. “Moms are special. They. Know. Everything,” I whispered, unfurling my fingers in a ta-da fashion.
His eyes went wide. “Like when I say I brushed my teeth but didn’t?”
I looked up at Gabby and winked. “Yep. Exactly like that.”
“Whoa,” he breathed.
“Get your backpack,” Gabby instructed, tenderly running her hand over his head. “We have to get going.”
He disappeared down the hall, and I stepped into her place. She watched me warily as I moved closer, capturing her waist and pulling her close. I kissed her full mouth.
“Hello, Tesoro.”
“Um, hi,” she replied, looking nervous and quite adorable. Her wild curls were loose, and she wore a frilly, girly blouse and skirt. She was pretty, feminine, and very sexy.
“You look lovely.”
“Oh.” She swallowed, seemingly at a loss for what to say. “I have lots of errands.”
I chuckled and kissed the end of her nose. “Get your stuff and we’ll go.”
“How’s my SUV?”
“Charly has all the numbers. She’ll talk to you when we get there.” I recited exactly what Charly told me to say.
“Oh God, it’s that bad.”
I had to be honest. “It was more than I thought it would be.”
She went pale, and I stepped forward to give her a hug. She came into my arms easily, which I liked, and she accepted my embrace. In fact, she wrapped her arms around my waist and held on tight. She sighed, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her.
“I’m not sure how much more I can take.”
I held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. “It’s gonna be fine. I promise.” I stepped back and cupped her cheek, dropping a kiss to her mouth. “Get your stuff.”
Theo came down the hall. “Wanna see my room, Stefo?”
“Sure, bud.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me to his doorway. His twin bed was against the wall, and the large room was painted a light blue. He had toys and puzzles, games, trucks, and cars scattered everywhere. He held up one of his small treasures.
“This is my favorite,” he confided. “I love cars.”
I hunched down and took it from him. “Good choice.” I lowered my voice. “I have a real one just like this. Maybe one day I can take you for a ride.”
His eyes grew big. “Really?” he whispered.
“We’ll have to ask your mom. But not today.”
“Okay.”
I stood and followed him back down the hall. There was a small eat-in kitchen, a compact TV room, and another bedroom. Gabby had obviously given Theo the largest room so he could spread out his toys. Her room held a double bed, a night table, and a dresser. That was it. The TV room contained a love seat and a chair, plus the TV and a couple of small tables. It was neat, tidy, but very sparse. The only room that showed any extras belonged to Theo. I had no doubt that Gabby made sure he came first in everything.