Noah laughed. “Whatever. She’s never even had to try.” He turned to Bianca. “Speaking of, dinner is gonna be few more minutes but Roni asked me to send you in, Bianca. She’s in there finishing up and she wanted to meet you.”
Bianca stood up smiling. Felix stood with her. “I wanna say hi to Roni, too.” They both followed Noah back in the house. Gio barely waited for them to be out of earshot before looking back at Abel. “Look, I hear where you’re coming from but don’t even go there with him. It will not go over well. I’m telling you” Abel frowned, making Gio shake his head again. “All right, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Gio always knew Abel had his reservations about Noah dating someone so much older than him but he’d kept it to himself for the most part. This is why it surprised him that Abel was being such a hard ass about it now. Gio knew Abel just had Noah’s best interest at heart, but Abel couldn’t be that blind. Noah wasn’t changing his mind about Roni—not now, not ever.
A top-of-the-line SUV pulled up in front of Noah’s house, distracting them all momentarily. Gio continued to take sips of his beer as the girl in the SUV stepped out and walked around to the passenger side of the truck. She wore all black—a black sweater dress, black tights and black heels. Even her hair that she wore in a sophisticated sleek bob looked black in the evening light. She leaned into the passenger side door to get something giving them all a clear view of a very nice ass.
Hector, who’d been leaning back on the stairs sat up. “Who’s that?”
Both Gio and Abel shook their heads. Unlike Abel, who seemed just as interested as his brother, Gio was curious more than anything. Neither Noah nor Roni had any family that he knew of. As she walked up the walkway and Gio got closer a look, his jaw dropped. “Nellie?”
Abel’s head literally jerked back to Gio and was back on Nellie in an instant—Roni’s best friend. She’d done a complete one-eighty since the last time they’d seen her. “Hey, guys,” she said walking up the stairs.
Gio got up to hug her. “Wow, Nel. You look so different.”
Abel and Hector weren’t as affectionate they both just smiled nodding their heads to greet her.
“Yeah, I finally put the weight back on that I lost last year.” Gio tried not to stare too hard as he took all of her in. She was the epitome of sophistication. Her nails were perfectly manicured, she was draped in expensive jewelry and her makeup was as flawless as the times Bianca said she’d had hers done. “It was a rough year for me but I’m better now.”
Gio smiled in agreement. “Well, you certainly look all better.” Neither Hector nor Abel said much but Gio caught the way Abel checked her out several times. Gio couldn’t help but smirk as he got the door for Nellie. “Roni’s inside. They said dinner is almost ready.”
Gio watched her walk all the way in, then turned to Abel. “Damn!” He chuckled. “Too bad she’s eight f**king big ones older than us, huh?”
Abel rolled his eyes leaning back on the railing. “Even if she wasn’t she’s not my type.”
“Bullshit!” Gio laughed. “I saw the way you were eatin’ her up with your eyes.”
Abel shrugged with a smirk. “I didn’t say she didn’t look good. I’m just saying she’s not my type. I’ve talked to her before and on top of being too old for my taste I heard she’s got tons of drama going on in her life. No thanks. I’ll pass.”
Noah opened the door. “Perfect timing.” The guys all turned to look behind them at whoever he was talking to and saw Jack walking up the walkway. “I was about to tell these guys dinner is ready. So you’re just in time, Jack.”
“Good ‘cause I’m starved.” He held a paper bag with a bottle of some kind of booze in it.
Gio smiled, reaching out to hug him as he stepped onto the porch. “How’s it going, old man?”
“I’m still kicking.”
“And punching,” Hector added laughing. “You should’ve seen him take a swing me at me the other day.”
Jack pretended to swing at him now and Hector dodged out of the way. “I’ll swing at you again if your brother tells me you’re still gettin’ in trouble at school, you wise ass.”
Gio turned to Hector. “You still getting in trouble?” Hector shrugged, glancing at Abel who wasn’t smiling. “What’s your problem?”
“His problem is he needs to stop wasting that brain he’s got on bullshit.” Abel shook his head, glaring down at Hector. “He can ace his AP stats class but he can’t figure out how to stay out of trouble.”
Hector rushed by Abel and into the house before Abel who looked ready to take a swing at him got a chance.
Gio laughed as they all walked in together. Roni looked as adorable as ever with her long tight ringlets hanging down around her face and as expected their announcement wasn’t much of a surprise. Nellie still stood up and hugged Roni with a squeal. Then she hugged Noah. “I already knew but still. I’m so excited for you guys!”
Noah rolled his eyes but laughed. “I figured that much. She swore me to secrecy but she told you?”
“I had to tell someone!” Roni explained.
Watching them as they talked about babies and marriage and their future there was no doubt in Gio’s mind Noah was not making a mistake. Abel’s mom was just old school but to Abel she could do or say no wrong. Whatever the woman said was golden as far as he was concerned. As much as Abel could kick some ass for the most part he stayed cool unless provoked. But the one thing that would light his fuse faster than anything was saying something bad about that boy’s momma. You couldn’t even mess around with Yo Momma jokes with him unless you wanted your ass handed to you.