Resigned to his fate, Smitty smiled. “No, no, ’course not.”

“Then give your momma a hug.”

He did, enjoying her warmth. No matter how tough she was on the rest of the world, she always took good care of her boys.

Sissy Mae, however, was another matter altogether.

“Look at you,” she said when she finally pulled back. “So handsome.”

“Momma, come on.”

She hugged Jessie Ann before raising an eyebrow at her. “Don’t you look well tended, my little wild dog.”

Jessie’s cheeks reddened a bit and she shrugged.

“Now y’all come on.” She took his hand and Jessie’s and led them to the elevator.

“What’s going on, Momma?”

“Don’t you trust me?”

Smitty shook his head. “Trick question. I’m not answering that.”

“Smart boy.”

A quick elevator ride to the top floor of the hotel and the five-star restaurant it held. When they walked in, the room erupted into applause and whoops. They were all there—his Pack, much of his Daddy’s who’d come with them on their trip, and Jessie Ann’s. And all of them applauded and yelled out congratulations.

“Took you long enough!” one of his Daddy’s cousins yelled from the back of the room.

For the first time since he’d met her again, Jessie looked like she’d give anything to have some bleachers to hide under.

“Momma,” Smitty said, taking Jessie’s hand with his own, “you didn’t have to do all this.”

“Of course I did. Your daddy’s family did it for us. It was downright humiliating. Now it’s y’all’s turn.” She slapped Smitty’s hand and he let Jessie loose. “Now, Jessie Ann, you go on down to that end of the table and sit with me and Bubba.”

Smitty reached for Jessie when he saw the panic in her eyes, but his daddy caught hold of her arm and pulled her away.

“And you’ll sit down here with some of Jessie’s people.” Jessie’s people? Sure enough, his momma led him over to sit beside Phil and Sabina, as well as Sissy Mae and, oddly enough, Mitch Shaw.

As they walked Smitty said under his breath, “What about Wilson?”

“Oh,” his momma waved her hand dismissively, “don’t y’all worry about him no more.”

Smitty didn’t understand. “He’s family.”

She stopped at the end of the table and looked up at her son. She ran her hand down his cheek, her smile warm. “Yes, and your Jessie Ann is the mother of my grandbabies. Who do you think really wins that pissing contest, darlin’?”

He kissed his mother’s hand, knowing exactly what she’d done for them. “And what if we decided not tohave any kids?”

“Don’t even play, Robert Ray Smith. Lord knows, if I have to wait for this one”—she shoved Sissy Mae’s chair with her knee, knocking his baby sister’s chest into the table—“I’ll be in my grave before I see my grandbabies.”

“One can only hope,” Sissy muttered, getting herself a nice slap to the back of the head.

Fangs bared, his momma snarled, “Watch your mouth, little girl.” When she turned back to Smitty, her warm smile had returned. “Now you sit right on down and enjoy your meal. And I’ll go and get to know my baby’s mate.”

Smitty sat down and Sissy glared at him from between Sabina and Dez. “‘And I’ll get to know my baby’s mate,’” she mimicked with a sneer.

“Now, now, Sissy Mae. Don’t be jealous ’cause you’re barren and lonely.”

Mitch laughed until that basket of hot dinner rolls hit him right in the head.

“I guess my question is, why a pretty little thing like you would want anything to do with my big-headed boy?”

Jess snorted as Miss Janie glared across the table at her mate. “Look who’s throwing stones from that glass house.”

“My head ain’t that big.”

The older woman held her hands up at least two feet apart. “Huge,” she mouthed at her, making Jess laugh harder.

Smitty would probably never forgive her, but she found his parents thoroughly entertaining. At first, she’d admit, she thought she was being set up Mafia style. Lull her into a false sense of security with a wonderful dinner and champagne until someone took a baseball bat to the back of her head. But the more she talked to them, the more she realized Walt Wilson was out of the picture—permanently. She looked around the room filled with her people and Smitty’s. They all enjoyed their meal while talking and laughing. Even the cats were invited and, seemingly, accepted. Only one full-human made the cut, but they all seemed to love Dez.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Bubba reminded her.

“Oh. Um... I guess ’cause I love him.”

“Why?”

Slamming her fork down, Miss Janie snarled, “Bubba Ray Smith!”

“It’s a simple question. Don’t yell at me, woman.”

In order to head off what could be an interesting fight, Jess answered quickly, “Because Bobby Ray made me smile—when I had nothing to smile about.”

Miss Janie put her hand to her more-than-ample chest. “That is the most darlin’ thing I’ve ever heard.” She smiled. Not one of her scary sorta-smiles either, but a real one. Nice and warm and caring. “So... when can I expect some grandbabies?”