Examining it one last time, because she knew he’d be waking soon from their long, exhausting, but beautiful night. She was determined to just go through with it and give it to him. She whispered the engraved words one last time. “Be still my heart.”
“Hey.”
Vannah gasped, spinning around to see Byron peering at her as she held the bracelet behind her back and clutched her chest with her other hand. His expression went a little harder as his eyes took her in, and he obviously noticed she was hiding something behind her back. “You on your phone?” She shook her head as he tilted his. “Who were you talking to?”
“Myself,” she said feeling stupid.
“Yourself?”
Clutching the bracelet Vannah willed the courage to just do it. What was the big deal? His eyes bore into her and she was pretty sure what he was thinking. From day one, Byron hadn’t been one to hold back his misgivings and she could see it in his eyes now. He thought she’d snuck out of the room to go whisper on the phone where he wouldn’t hear her.
“Why do you look so—”
“I made you something,” she said before she chickened out like she had yesterday.
The suspicion in his eyes eased up a bit, but he still stared at her confused, so she went on quickly. Holding out the bracelet now for him to see, she explained. “My sister and me. We make these. Well.” She cleared her throat. “I haven’t in a while, but she still does. Anyway, our viewers really liked them, and I think they’re sexy on men.”
His brows leapt up and she laughed, mostly out of apprehension. He reached out and took the bracelet examining it closely then read the engravement out loud. “Be still my heart.” He glanced up at her, his earlier hardened expression now replaced with a smile. “Is that a date?” Vannah nodded, praying he wouldn’t think her nuts. “Of when we met? Frat Row Friday?”
Feeling her heart speed up, she shook her head. “No. Of that day I first laid eyes on you. The day I witnessed that smile for the first time ever and that phrase was the first thing that came to mind.”
When his eyes furrowed in question, she decided to just say it. Xochitl had agreed that even though technically she hadn’t formally met him until weeks later, that moment had been significant.
“The day of the signing at the gym.” His eyes went wide, and she braced herself before adding in a near whisper. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
Taking a step forward he cupped her face smiling sweetly. “Savannah, I know I’ll never forget that day either.”
He kissed her softly before pulling away to gaze at her, even as the emotion begun to outweigh the enormous relief that he hadn’t thought this too much, too soon. Waiting just long enough for her to help get the bracelet on and declare it looked perfect on him, he scooped her into his arms. Within minutes they were back in his bed, ready for round two of an entire day of love making.
Twenty-Two
Surprise
Byron
The two-hour drive to La Jolla was as pleasant as could be expected. There was no shortage of cheery conversation, laughter and Byron’s lips on Savannah’s hand and lips every chance he got. At his request, she filled him in on as much as he needed to know to better prepare him to meet the rest of her family. They’d be arriving before check-in at their hotel, so they were going straight to her grandparents’ home where she said everyone was gathering for a barbeque brunch.
“Their anniversary is actually today,” she explained. “But everyone was in agreement the big party should take place on a Saturday when most had the day off from work and school. My younger cousins and brothers still have school today. Except a lot of the family members from out of town are arriving today. It’s why my grandparents decided to have a little something over their place.”
The growing knot in Byron’s gut had gradually tightened the closer they got there. By the time they arrived he was wiping his clammy hands against his pants. He knew he’d be doing a lot of hand shaking and he didn’t want to embarrass himself. Sienna ran out to meet them with a screech as they got out of the car. The two sisters hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years. Then laughed at their own silliness.
“Hi, Byron,” Sienna said in a teasing tone. “You’re just a part of the family now, aren’t you?”
Savannah nudged her sister before he could respond to that. “Stop, he’s nervous enough.” She held out her hand for Byron who wiped his hand against his pants again before taking her hand in his. “Anybody here yet?”
“Well, this is the . . .” Sienna lifted her hands and did air quotes. “Smaller of the two gatherings this weekend.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “But it’s basically all of daddy’s family. So, you can imagine how small it is. Everyone except for the cousins still in school are here. Oh, and . . .” Sienna paused glancing at Byron then gave Savannah a strange look. “Chavita’s here. He doesn’t have classes on Friday.”
“Oh, good I haven’t seen him in forever.” Savannah glanced back at Byron with a smile as they entered the big house. “He’s my smarty pants cousin. He should still be in high school, but he skipped a grade, then finished high school early.”
“All the others are still in school.” Sienna’s eyes met Byron’s again with that odd look before glancing away. “But Chavita brought friends.”
They walked into the front room where the endless introductions commenced. First her grandparents who sat in the front room with her parents and a couple of other older relatives who’d come in from Mexico for the occasion. Aside from a few lighthearted jabs from her grandfather warning Byron not to make him come after him, it was fairly painless. Though the telling looks the teddy bear gave Byron as her grandfather issued said warnings, weren’t missed.
“Foods out back,” her grandmother said. “And you know this family, there’s plenty so go help yourselves.”
They continued through the house and he met the first of her uncles as they walked through the kitchen. He was getting a salad bowl out of the fridge. “Hi, uncle Angel.”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
Savannah let go of Byron’s hand to hug and kiss her uncle. Byron already knew he was the younger of her dad’s brothers. The man was a slightly smaller version of her dad who turned and gave Byron an equally uncompromising once over when he was done greeting his niece.
“This is Byron.” Savannah touched Byron’s bicep as her uncle blatantly continued looking him over. “This is my uncle Angel. One of Daddy’s brothers.”
As her uncle put the salad down on the kitchen’s center island, Byron reached his hand out to him, her uncle took it and gave it a firm shake. “Nice to me you, sir.”
“Good to meet you, too.” He turned to Savannah then back to face Byron. “Your dad tells me you two haven’t known each other too long.”
Clearing his throat, Byron nodded and answered before Savannah could. “Over a month now.”
Nodding, her uncle glanced down as Savannah slipped her hand back into Byron’s. It was the first time since he’d met her that Byron actually wished she’d keep her hands to herself. At least while in the presence of her menacing uncles.