“Spanish rice and enchiladas.”
“New recipe?” he asked his mother and caught her laugh. She’d made Spanish rice before but never enchiladas. Even the Spanish rice looked different.
“I thought maybe you’d like it. Or are getting used to some spicy food?”
“I haven’t had any lately. If it’s in reference to Adriana and her heritage, we haven’t eaten anything Mexican or Spanish yet. She claims there isn’t anything authentic enough around here.”
“Maggie says that Jose is always complaining about that too. She tries new things but has some misses. These are both her recipes I figured I’d try.”
“So you told Maggie that Adriana and I are friends? That she was here this past weekend?” He better forewarn Adriana that if she didn’t tell her family. The last thing he needed was her ticked at him for something else.
“No. I got this recipe weeks ago when we were sharing them. We do that at work. Swap recipes and she talked about how these are two of her husband’s favorite dishes. I said your father liked spicy food and I wanted to give it a try. I just hadn’t had a chance yet.”
He looked at his father to see him shrug his shoulders. “I do like spicy foods and she hasn’t made it yet. Guess she was waiting for you too. Consider it your lucky night.”
He moved to the table and took a seat since his mother put the two dishes on the table along with a salad and a loaf of bread. “It does look good. Smells awesome.”
“Help yourself,” she said.
They all started to dish up their food. “This is great,” he said. He was never a fussy eater. “So my name with Adriana’s hasn’t come up with Maggie?” he asked.
“Just that once,” she said. “Why?”
“I don’t want her mad at me if you said something and it got back to her. I suspect she likes to tell her family things on her own.”
He caught his parents eying each other. “And what is it that she’d have to tell them?” his father asked.
“Nothing.”
“Wyatt Joseph,” his mother said. “You’re almost dancing in the seat. What is going on?”
He supposed it wasn’t that big of a deal to say something. It’s not like everyone didn’t witness her here this weekend and she got along with the family. And when was the last time he’d brought a friend to a family gathering? Never.
Now that he thought of it, he rarely brought a woman to one.
“Nothing. We’re just dating.”
“And?” his mother asked.
He looked at her. “It’s new. It’s been just friends in her eyes.”
His father laughed. “I don’t think anyone thought that after this weekend.”
“That’s what I figured. What do you think of her?” he asked his parents.
They looked at each other again. “She’s very nice. But I told you that. Or that Maggie always said she was. She definitely likes to move around and have a good time.”
“Yeah. She’s competitive but not completely in your face about it. I mean she has been with me but not in a bad way. It’s all in good fun.”
“And that is always what you’ve been looking for,” his father said. “You don’t take too much to heart other than work and family.”
Which he didn’t like hearing again. “It’s early yet,” he said, thinking of the conversation he’d had with Sam earlier.
“Yes, it is,” his mother said.
“She’s a little skittish right now,” he said.
“Because of her breakup?” his mother asked.
“Yeah. I don’t know anything about it,” he said. “Do you?” It’d be nice to get information without having to ask Adriana.
“Not a word. Maggie isn’t the type to gossip. Though we talk about things, it’s never rumors or anything bad or something her family might not want anyone to know. I only know she wanted to leave and just start over and Jose encouraged her to come here.”
“I get the feeling she is really close to her father,” he said. He wasn’t going to say much more. There was no reason to at this point.
“That is what Maggie said too.” His mother went back to eating, then lifted her head. “Garrett, did you hear Payton was expanding some of her food options at the deli? You’ll have to let me know when you have her cater the office lunch next time.”
His parents were going back and forth talking about other things and he knew he couldn’t return the conversation to Adriana without raising suspicion.
He never talked much about his personal life and his mother rarely asked. They’d talked more about Adriana tonight than he had anyone else he dated but wasn’t shocked she easily switched to another topic.
When he was helping his mother clean up the dishes his cell phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket hoping it was Adriana, but it was the hospital telling him to come in for a surgery.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “Work calls.”
“Do you want some leftovers? There is plenty,” his mother said.
“I’d love some, but it’d just sit in my car while I was at work and go bad.”
“Or I can put it in a cooler for you. No, your father can take me for ice cream tonight. I’m dying for it. We can swing by and drop it at your place if you want.”
“That’d be great,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. “I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for dinner. It was great.”
* * *
“How did you do it?” Garrett asked her. “I didn’t think you had it in you to change the subject like that when I know you were dying to pry some more.”
“It was hard, let me tell you. But I could see it in his eyes he wanted to know things and I didn’t have the information anyway. I had to find a balance. I don’t want him onto us. Not now with Jade questioning everything. Has she said anything to you at work?”
“Not a word. Maybe she believes we had nothing to do with it.”
“If you believe that,
