I forced a smile.

I mean, what else could I do?

“We’ve met your lovely family.” She turned and held out a hand. “Meet Lorenzo’s sisters. Giovanna and Concetta.”

At their mother’s unspoken command, both women were approaching me, hands raised.

When I took her hand, the taller one muttered, “Jeannie.”

And when I took her hand, the one with the longer hair muttered, “Connie.”

They were uncomfortable. Then again, it would be impossible not to be.

We all stepped back but stayed in a loose huddle as I felt Indy and Roxie close to my back, and I tried to figure out a way to break the tension. Alas, my usual ways to do something like that were things you didn’t do when you first meet your man’s family.

I decided on, “It’s nice to finally meet you. Ren talks about you and it’s all good.”

It was lame but at least it was polite.

“Then he’s lying,” Jeannie stated. “At least about Connie.”

I blinked.

Connie glared at her sister. “Hardly. If he’s lying, it’s about you.”

Holy crap.

“Connie works his nerves,” Jeannie told me.

“He actually disowned Jeannie once,” Connie told me.

“Pfft,” Jeannie made a noise with her mouth. “He was eight.”

“He wasn’t eight, and I can’t repeat what he said the last time you crashed your car, called him and told him you’d forgotten to re-up your AAA and you needed a loan to get another car,” Connie retorted then looked at me in order to share, “She crashes her car a lot.”

“Is three times in three years a lot?” Jeannie asked me.

I thought it was, but luckily Connie saved me from replying by snapping, “Yes.”

“Girls,” Amalea said quietly, and they both clamped their mouths shut.

Yowza.

Impressive.

And evidence was suggesting I’d like Ren’s sisters.

“While we wait for that situation outside to sort itself, I’ll get my daughter a drink,” Dad announced, getting close and leaning in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Beer? Margarita? Something else?” he asked.

I did a quick scan and knew from what I saw that Mom had a pitcher filled with margs, so I put in my order, biting back my real order, which was a tequila shooter with a valium chaser.

Then I did the rounds, greeting everybody.

Lee and Hank also seemed pissed but holding it back.

Sissy whispered in my ear, “Sorry.”

“It’s cool,” I whispered back. “How’s the baby?” I asked.

“Light of my life,” she said on a big smile.

He would have to be for her to smile that big during this disaster.

Dad brought me a marg. I took a healthy slug, trying not to appear like I was taking a healthy slug, and I was pleased when I was done and it seemed I accomplished this feat.

The door opened and Ren, Dom and Vito walked through.

The minute Vito hit the family room, he looked at Dad and announced, “Lorenzo just reminded me I have some business to see to tonight. Unfortunately, Angela and I can’t stay for dinner.”

“Holy crap,” Indy breathed beside me.

I just stared.

Vito was not a man to back down.

This was a mini-miracle.

“I’ll need Dom with me, so he and Sissy will also be leaving,” Vito went on.

I moved my stare to Ren, at this point wondering if I should contact the Pope to report this miracle.

Ren was scowling at his uncle.

“You’re more than welcome to stay,” Mom said courteously.

“It’s urgent,” Ren bit out.

Mom shut her mouth and nodded.

Vito glowered at his nephew.

The room grew tenser.

Sissy made a move to her husband.

“Again, Vito, it’s urgent,” Ren said when Vito made no move.

Vito kept scowling at his nephew for a few beats before he rearranged his face and looked at me in order to declare, “Just want to say before we go, you with my boy Lorenzo, it’s a good thing. I’ve always liked you and I see a happy future. Much love. Big family. And I know I speak for Amalea and Angela as well when I say we’re extremely pleased you’re turnin’ Catholic.”

Oh shit.

The room went wired, and even just with my family, this was bad. Add a bunch of Italian hotheads, this was very bad.

As for me, I avoided Mom and Dad’s eyes. It wasn’t like he was a deacon and she led a Sunday school class, but they went to church on Sundays (mostly). So me staying in the faith I was raised in was probably important to them.

Crap.

“Vito,” Ren gritted.

“What?” Vito asked him, fake innocently.

“What?” Ren asked back, not-fake sarcastically and turning fully to his uncle. “You think maybe Ally wanted to discuss that with her family? And furthermore, she’s not turning Catholic. She’s considering it. For me. Which is what I told you outside. But either way, it was not up to you to share it now since she hasn’t discussed it with her family.”

“Turning. Considering. Same thing,” Vito retorted.

“It isn’t,” Ren returned. “Reflecting and deciding are two different things. And my woman is gonna do her reflecting with no pressure, say, like the shit you just piled on her. And whatever she decides, she’ll have the backing of this family.”

“If she decides Catholic,” Vito stated.

“If she decides Scientology,” Ren shot back, and I heard Roxie and Connie giggle and Hank clear his throat to disguise a chuckle.

“I’m uncertain how the Pope feels about Scientology, Lorenzo,” Vito replied.

“The Pope doesn’t make my woman breakfast,” Ren countered.

God.

Seriously.

Was my man awesome or what?

I pressed my lips together and felt Indy’s hand curl around my elbow, her body getting close and it was shaking.

“How about we give this some time, see how things go,” Angela suggested, moving toward her husband and bravely entering the fray.

“I know how it’s gonna go,” Vito stated, sliding his arm around his wife’s waist.

“I do, too,” Ren returned immediately. “And if it doesn’t go the way I want it to go, the issues we already got get bigger.”

Thus another staredown commenced, which lasted until Sissy began the process of saying her farewells, adding more excuses about how she wanted to get back to her baby and dragging Dom with her.