“HOLY CRAP,” Anthony says, shaking his head. “You’re James Callahan’s brothers.”
“Yep.” I shift my weight as I take another sip of beer. Fortunately for me and Cooper, the first thing Anthony did when we walked over to the grill was take the sodas out of our hands and give us beers instead. Mia’s dad is in a deep conversation with a couple of the older guys, but Anthony welcomed us right in; I think he was happy to point his kids in the direction of the pool. “You see him play in person yet?”
“Haven’t had time,” he says, shaking his head slightly. “Kids, man. They fuck with your whole life. Hey, Rick, come here. Mia’s boyfriend is James Callahan’s brother.”
The guy who must be Rick—one of Mia’s cousins—ambles over. “The Eagles QB?”
“Yeah. Both of them. Sebastian and—what’s your name again, man?”
“Cooper,” Cooper says, a note of dryness in his tone.
Anthony either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care because he just claps Cooper on the shoulder. “Cooper, right. The hockey player. And Sebastian here plays baseball. Isn’t that insane?”
“Your dad was Jake Miller,” Rick says, snapping his fingers and pointing at me. “I remember reading something about the Callahans adopting you.”
“Yep,” I say, because I’m not sure what else to say about it at this point. It’s always weird when someone points out a fact of your life like they expect it to be news to you, too. “We brought along some jerseys he signed. Figured it could be a good—”
“This guy,” Anthony says, pounding me on the back. “This guy knows what’s up. You any good at football, or is it just baseball for you? We’re going to play touch in a bit.”
“Little Mia finally did something right,” Rick says. “The bar was pretty low for you, though, man—at least you’re not a chick.”
He laughs, and Anthony laughs with him.
“What do you mean?” I say, fighting to keep my voice neutral as the back of my neck prickles. Cooper gives me a warning look, but I ignore him.
“She went through this phase a while back where she kept saying she was into girls,” Anthony says. “That she was queer, or whatever. I don’t know the specifics of that shit. Obviously she isn’t, if she’s with you.”
Anger moves through me with the force of a wave. If this is the sort of shit Mia gets when she comes home, it’s no wonder she doesn’t want to be here. “It wasn’t a phase.”
“Huh?”
“It wasn’t a phase,” I say, my voice slipping lower. “She’s bisexual. So yeah, she could be with a girl right now, or a person who identifies some other way. But she’s not. She’s with me, and I’m fucking grateful for it.”
“Jesus,” Rick says. “We were just joking around.”
“Cut it out.” I take a step closer, grateful that my bulk backs up my words. “It’s not funny. She’s your family, you should respect her, no matter who she’s dating.”
To his credit, Anthony looks chastised. “We’re just surprised,” he says. “She barely talks to us, and suddenly she’s here with you. Is it serious? You’re with my little sister?”
“Yes,” I say shortly. “She’s—”
“Sebastian,” Mia’s father says. “You grill at all, son?”
I pause, looking over my shoulder. “Pretty good at it, sir.”
“He’s being modest,” Cooper says. “He’s fantastic.”
“Come help me with this sausage,” he says. “Anthony, get some more burgers from the fridge, we’re nearly out already.”
I wonder if he heard us, and if so, what he thinks. I know Mia’s parents are aware she’s bisexual, but knowing it is different from accepting it, and I wouldn’t want to make things worse for her. Regardless, it can’t hurt to talk to him and keep up my good impression. We might end up being family one day, after all. I really hope so.
“Of course, sir.” I turn back to Mia’s brother and cousin. “She’s my girlfriend. It’s serious. Watch your mouths around me.”
I stare at them for a beat longer before walking over to the grill. Mia’s father—also named Anthony, although most people seem to be calling him Tony—is a big man, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. I wonder if he played football in his day. He pokes at the sausage with a pair of tongs, glancing at me and grunting before concentrating on the grill again. I stand up a little straighter. Mia’s idiot brother was one thing. Tony di Angelo is a different beast entirely.
“So. You’re dating Mia, huh?” he says eventually. “She’s never brought home anyone.”
“Yes, sir,” I say.
He glances at me again. “Baseball player, you said?”
“Yes, sir.” I swallow, glancing at Cooper. He’s talking to a couple of Mia’s uncles; one of them laughs heartily at something he just said. “I’m on the McKee baseball team right now.”
“Going pro, like your old man?”
“Thinking about it,” I say, because there’s no way I’m going to get into the whole situation with a stranger, especially not with my brother four feet away.
“I’ve heard you mentioned often enough lately,” he says. “On the radio and everything. You’re more than thinking about it. That’s good. Good for Mia to be with someone like you, someone who can take care of her.”
“Of course.”
He turns the sausages over with a careful hand. The smoke billows, and he covers the grill. “Is that what you’re doing? Taking care of her?”
“I’m trying my best.”
He nods, apparently needing a moment to consider that. “If you’re going to be with her, you make sure it’s serious. I know how much time athletes spend on the road. Baseball especially.”
The thought of cheating on her is so ridiculous I almost laugh, but I school my face into a neutral expression. “It is serious, sir. I love her. I’d never hurt her like that, I wouldn’t even think about it.”
He grunts again. “Mia’s always been a special girl.”
I nearly sigh with relief. Finally, someone who recognizes that. “Yes, she’s amazing. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, I swear she runs—”
“She’s always resisted what’s best for her,” he interrupts. His brown eyes, the same shade as hers, sear into me like a brand. “Things have never been easy where she’s concerned. A good kid like you, keeping her in line—she needs that. I’m glad she finally has it, so don’t fuck it up.”
For a moment, I just stare at him. If I thought Mia’s brother and asshole cousin got me pissed off, it’s nothing compared to this. By his tone, he’s completely serious.
He thinks she needs to be controlled.
He thinks that’s part of my duties as her boyfriend.
I stuff my hands into my pockets, so I don’t clench them and clear my throat. Part of me wants to rush inside, grab Mia, and leave right fucking now, but I can’t. Her family is important to her, even if they clearly don’t know a thing about her or what’s truly best for her. If I have to get through this with a smile on my face, I will, but I can’t let it slide completely.
“Respectfully, sir,” I say, “it’s not my job to keep her in line. I love her, I support her, but I’m not her keeper.”
He slaps me on the back, startling me, and bursts into laughter as he points at me with the tongs. “I like you, kid. Fire in your belly.”
I blink. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn’t that. “I just—”
“I’m sure she’d try to bite your head off. She’s as crazy as her mother sometimes.” He shakes his head, gesturing with the tongs. “I love that woman, but she’s goddamn stubborn. Mia’s sister, she takes after my side of the family. A softer touch, you know? Mia, though? Mia’s all Pancheri.”
“Hey,” someone half-shouts. I think he’s one of Mia’s uncles on her mother’s side; he has graying hair at his temples and more crow’s feet than I can count. “What did you say about us Pancheris?”
“Enough for him to understand the situation with Miss Mia Pancheri,” Tony calls with another bark of laughter. “Come here, you old bastard, meet her little boyfriend. He’s Jake Miller’s kid.”
“The Reds player?”
I swallow down my sigh and raise my hand in a wave. If I’m anything, it’s not little or a kid, but I have a feeling that no matter what I say, it’ll get twisted, so the best thing to do is ride the current. I don’t understand all the dynamics at play in this family, clearly. “Yep. How’s it going, sir?”
