We all sat and got ordering out of the way. Saoirse stared at her menu blindly, so I helped her pick out a burger I thought she’d like. I ordered her a beer too. She needed something to take the edge off, or she’d burst.
“So…” Lily folded her hands on the table, her gaze trailing from me to Saoirse, “I’d like to know why I had to read about your marriage in the Denver Times. Cora sent me the clipping, and I thought it was some sort of practical joke.”
I found Saoirse’s hand under the table and brought it to my thigh. She wove her fingers between mine and squeezed.
“Obviously, I’d planned to tell you, but the news got out before we expected it to. I’m sorry for that. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Your mother was very hurt,” Peter chimed in.
Lock glared at him. “Why is he here?”
Lily straightened her shoulders. “I don’t like traveling alone. Peter volunteered to come with me.”
“That doesn’t answer why he’s sitting here at this table. This doesn’t involve him. Saoirse shouldn’t have to reveal personal information in front of your employee,” Lock stated, his thick arms folded over his chest.
“Peter knows everything. In his position, he has to,” Lily answered.
“Bullshit,” Lock uttered.
“Peter isn’t family, Mother. He’s nothing more than a clinger,” Saoirse said.
Peter went crimson from his collar to his receding hairline. “Show some respect, young lady. I know that’s a foreign concept to you. All that matters is ‘living free’ or whatever you call your irresponsible life—”
I slammed my hand down on the table, possibly drawing more attention than any of us wanted, but I was past caring. This piece of shit thought he could sit here, disparaging Saoirse, and get away with it? He had a lot to learn about me if he really believed that.
“That’s enough. I will not sit here and allow you to speak to my wife that way.” I flicked my gaze to her mother. “This ends now, or I am taking my wife out of here, and in the future, you’ll have to go through me to speak to her. No one will ever disrespect her that way. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Saoirse slipped her hand from mine to press on my chest, the other curling around the back of my shoulders. “It’s okay,” she whispered next to my ear. “I’m okay.”
I turned to her, our noses grazing. “It’s not okay. You don’t have to accept that.”
She nodded. “I know, I know, it’s just easier—”
“No.”
Lily murmured something to Peter, who then shoved back from the table with a deep scowl on his face. He marched over to the bar on the other side of the room, planting himself where he could watch our table.
Asshole. I knew it at first sight.
“You have to fire that guy,” Lock gritted out. “He’s a piece of shit.”
“He’s good at his job,” Lily said softly. “But you’re right, I shouldn’t have brought him to dinner. I’m sorry, Saoirse. What he said was rooted in truth, but the cruel way he said it was unacceptable.”
“Rooted in truth?” It took a lot for my anger to rise, but these people had pressed all the right buttons. I was riled. “Excuse me for being blunt, but are you fucking kidding me, Lily? You’re telling me you think your daughter is irresponsible…why? Does she live off your dime? Beg for help from anyone? Get herself in trouble? Or does she simply make choices you wouldn’t?”
Lock grunted, which I took as agreement. Saoirse remained stiff and silent beside me.
Lily sighed. “I’m sorry this is the first time we’re meeting each other, Luca. Neither of us is being cast in the best light—”
“Neither of you?” Lock interjected. “Sorry, Mom, but that’s on you. As far as I’ve seen, all Luca has done is stand up for his wife, as he should. If you want this to continue, you’ll have to start over. Otherwise, we’re leaving.”
“You can’t leave. I flew out here for this.” She rubbed her lips together. “I’d like to see my grandchildren while I’m here.”
Lock chuffed. “We’ll see. As of right now, that’s not going to happen.”
“Oh. Well…” Lily patted her cheek, her gaze flitting over the three of us. “I think Lachlan is right. Let’s start fresh. I admit to being upset I’m the last to know about your marriage and started this meeting off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry for the way Peter spoke to you, Saoirse, and even more so, that I implied anything he said was correct.”
“It isn’t a surprise,” Saoirse said.
Her mother’s lashes lowered. “That’s incredibly unfortunate, but I know it’s my fault.” She gave us both a tentative smile. “Would you be willing to tell me about your engagement and wedding?”
Saoirse was still leaning against me, so I touched my lips to her temple and murmured next to her ear, “Anything you want, pretty girl.”
She exhaled and slipped her hand back into mine before facing her mother. “Luca has pictures. The wedding was just us, but it was beautiful.”
Saoirse went on to describe the ceremony, and I found myself listening, hanging on her every word. She wasn’t embellishing anything. She took her time explaining the little details, like the color of my suit, how she’d picked her dress, the flowers she’d carried. The setting was the highlight of her story. I passed my phone to Lily for her to scroll through the pictures the judge had taken.
She smiled as she looked. “This is very you, Sersh. You were never a poofy dress kind of girl—and never one for tradition.”
“The idea of a poofy dress makes me itchy,” Saoirse said. “We just wanted to be married. The ceremony wasn’t the important part.”
Lily passed the phone back to me and turned to her daughter. “A lot of people lose sight of that. They place too much emphasis on one day and not enough on the lifetime they’ll be spending with the other person. I’m hoping the two of you spent enough time together to really agree on what you want your life to look like.”
“We did,” I assured her. “Saoirse and I are still discovering each other. I hope that never ends. But as far as what our marriage will be, we’re in complete agreement.”
Lily squared her shoulders, looking back and forth between us. “You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, Luca. And while I’m certain you didn’t come here needing my approval, I have to say I like the way you are with my daughter.” She gave Lock a soft smile. “And having my son sit beside you tells me he likes the way you are too. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t.”
Lock made a low sound, which I took as agreement.
“You’re right. I didn’t come here seeking your approval.” I leaned forward, ensuring I had Lily’s full attention. “It would be nice for my wife to have an easier relationship with you without the constant pressure of having her choices questioned. I hope your worries ease, knowing she has my unwavering support. If they don’t, I hope you find a way to keep them to yourself.”