“We don’t have any alcohol in the house.”

She’d already spoken to her mother about the situation. Tuesday knew they’d find out easily about the heroin and rehab so she preempted all that by getting it all out in the open. She’d also told her mother Ezra wouldn’t care if anyone had a beer, though they didn’t drink much except for a glass of champagne at New Year’s Eve and the occasional glass of wine from that box that’d been in the fridge at least five years, probably more.

But there was no use saying anything else about it. “Okay. I’m hanging up now so I can give Ezra directions. See you soon.” Ezra had GPS of course, but her mother didn’t need to know that.

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Waiting.

“So when I was a kid growing up my family had a band. Nothing like what you guys have obviously.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

“It’s a silly thing my family did on weekends for about a decade when I was growing up. When we all spend holidays together there’s singing. But they don’t have a piano—my mom plays the rhythm guitar.”

“Did you think I’d mock it?” She’d hurt his feelings, damn it.

“No. Not like that at all.” She turned to him. They didn’t have much time because her dad was going to want to get judging Ezra right away. “I’m telling you now because this is the first time you’re meeting them and my mother brought it up right now on the phone. I’d never think you would mock my family. That’s my job anyway.”

He nodded. “I think it’s awesome. My dad loves listening to music but he isn’t musical. My great-grandmother was a torch singer apparently. She and her sister and brother had a three-piece band and they played all over the South for like twenty years in bars and small theaters. But nothing else after that until our generation.”

Aww, man those Hurleys were adorable. Good lord.

Still Tuesday winced as she told him the rest. “She’s going to ask you to jam. I’m just warning you. I’m going to try to head her off, but, well you’ll meet her.”

Ezra’s features lit with delight as he grinned. “Tuesday, I’d love to jam with your mom. You have no idea.”

“She’s going to make you play Alabama Shakes. It’s her favorite right now.”

“Works for me. What do you play then?”

“Do we have to? I’m really not very good.”

“I beg to differ. You’re very, very good.”

When he dropped his guard and teased like that—intimate stuff he’d only say to her—it made her crazy for him. The way she needed him hit her hard, crawled over her skin until she itched to touch, to nibble, to be held down and loved the way he did it.

“You still have to tell me, though.”

She sighed. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t figure it out when her mother herded them all into the garage and she got behind the drums.

“Drums. Turn left up here at the light.”

He did and she kept looking at him. “A word of warning about Di Easton. She’s sneaky. My dad is a typical dad. He’s going to look you over and be scary for a few minutes. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Stop being nervous. I won’t fart or pick my nose in front of them. I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “She’s a master. I’m just saying.”

“Sounds like she and Sharon will get along just fine.”

“Probably. They’d either love each other immediately or hate each other on sight. They’re both women like that.” She blew out a breath. “Up there on the left.”

He whipped around and parked at the curb. “Doesn’t look like Paddy and Nat are here yet.”

“She said she wanted to stop in downtown for something first. Plus she’ll want me to get all the attention and they haven’t seen her in months.”

He leaned over and kissed her quick. “You have good taste in friends.”

“I really do. Paddy is very lucky Natalie loves him. Though he does seem to make her really happy, which is why I haven’t maimed him for making her cry those few times.”

“He was scared. But they’ll get through it all. He loves her to his bones. He made mistakes and acted like a dick. But he figured it out and now that he’s truly chosen her, he’ll be about her happiness always. Once they fall for real, Hurleys don’t play around.”

They looked at one another in the dying light filtered through his windshield. He laid himself bare for her in that moment, even if he didn’t know he’d done it. He was scared, too. Like Paddy had been.

Between Ezra and Tuesday lay a twisty, complicated road full of potential hazards. The two of them carried a lot of baggage. So much it would get in the way at times. If the other person was also having a rough time they’d butt heads when they were both vulnerable.

The power of that, the ability to either open your heart a little more and dig a little deep for patience to ride something out and get to the other side stronger. Or the circumstances leaving you worn out and agitated at the worst possible point.

That’s what a relationship was. An agreement to navigate all that twisty bullshit that could sink everything.

“This is going to be fine,” he said, kissing her fingertips.

She had to hope so because she was in love with him. “It will. You’ll like them. They’ll like you.”