A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10) by Melissa Schroeder

that to me when we spent some time together.”
    “That’s Anthony’s wife, right?”
    She nodded. “I’m glad you decided on the white dress. It’s going to look perfect with Carlos’ tux.”
    There was the little warning buzzer going off in her head. Again. More than once during the shopping, Marcella had said something that made Tia uncomfortable. She seemed to have linked up Tia and Carlos in her head as romantic partners. Truth, she wanted that herself, but Tia wasn’t sure if she would take that step. The added pressure from Marcella wasn’t helping.
    “You know we aren’t going on a date.”
    She smiled, and most people would look at Marcella and see an airhead. She knew better. Tia knew that Marcella used it to fool people.
    “Mrs. Santini.”
    “Marcella.”
    “Marcella, Carlos and I are not dating. We are not an item.”
    “Yes, as you have said.”
    She threw her hands up in the air. “I sort of understand the stories now.”
    “What stories?”
    Damn. “The ones Carlos tells about you.”
    “Like what?”
    “He said that you ran a tight ship. That’s the way he described it.”
    “I had to. Six kids, and five of them boys. Of course, Elena was sometimes the worst of the bunch. She’s smarter than all of them, other than Brando. I always had to keep an eye on her.”
    “Yeah?”
    Marcella laughed. “Yes. She would get her brothers to do things, and then watch them get in trouble. She’s evil.”
    “Yeah, Carlos has said she is the worst.”
    “Now, back to my son. You are attracted to him?”
    “He’s a Santini.”
    “That much is true. All very pretty, they are.”
    “I think a big part of his beauty comes from you.”
    Her smile broadened into a grin. “See. The women are always smarter.”
    The waiter returned with their salads. Marcella waited to say anything else until they were alone.
    “I’m assuming you haven’t slept together?”
    Tia choked on her sip of water.
    “Are you all right?”
    Tia took a long time wiping off her mouth.
    “Yes.”
    “So?”
    She watched Marcella as she nibbled on her salad.
    “You seriously want to know if I’ve had sex with your son?”
    “Oh, you’re like them.”
    “Like who?”
    “My children. I really don’t know how I raised such a group of prudes.”
    Tia had the urge to laugh, but not from humor. It was from nerves. She felt as if she had fallen into another dimension. Who asked questions like that? Marcella Santini, that’s who.
    “And apparently you’re one too.”
    “No. I just don’t know how to talk to a man’s mother about having sex with said man.”
    “Oh, so you do want to have sex with Carlos.”
    She covered her face with her hands. “Good lord.”
    “I just don’t understand the problem.”
    Tia dropped her hands. “I’ve never...”
    “Had sex?”
    Marcella asked the question loud enough to gain attention from the table next to theirs. The teen girls giggled. Tia couldn’t remember a time when she was so embarrassed. Tia leaned forward.
    “What I mean is that I’ve never really had any kind of relationship with the mother of a man I’ve dated. So, this is all somewhat new to me. But, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t normal.”
    Marcella shrugged. “I’ve never liked the idea of being considered normal.”
    “I don’t think you are ever going to have to worry about that,” she muttered.
    Marcella sighed. “I’ll let it go, for now.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    Marcella threw back her head and laughed.
    “Oh, you will do just fine. I knew when you gave Carlos back to me, you were a strong woman.”
    “I—”
    “No, don’t say you didn’t do it. He isn’t the same as when he left. No one who comes back from war is the same, especially considering what Carlos went through. None of us could reach him. Not even Brando, and of course being twins, they are especially close.”
    “He was just mad at the world.”
    “And you allowed that mad to be directed toward you.”
    Her mouth twitched.