Page 89 of Lucky Mother Pucker

We turn and see Leo’s dad standing there, frowning at him.

Leo’s smile fades. He aims an identical sharp frown at his dad.

“You’re here,” his dad says.

“I’ve been here for an hour,” Leo says. “Where have you been?”

“Work call. Guys at the network.” Leo’s dad pulls at the sleeve of his tux. He looks at the half-eaten shrimp cocktail in my hand and makes a face.

“Want some?” I offer despite the look of disgust on his face.

Leo stifles a chuckle. I smile at him.

“Dario, the event photographer, wants a family photo of us,” Leo’s dad says. He nods at me. “I assume your friend will be fine waiting here alone while we take care of that?”

Leo’s frown morphs into a glare. “Her name is Lucy. You should introduce yourself properly instead of being so rude.”

I stiffen at the bite in his tone. I appreciate Leo standing up for me, but I hate how quickly he shifts from happy to pissed off around his dad.

His dad’s jaw is tight as he turns to me. “Apologies. I’m Rocco Peretti. You’re Leo’s friend who I saw at the diner the other night, right?”

I offer a polite smile. “That’s me. I’m Lucy Bailey.”

He nods once, then turns back to Leo. “We’re needed. Let’s go.”

He walks off. Leo huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry about him,” he says to me.

I try to smile. “It’s okay. I’ll go grab another appetizer, then I’ll come find you and steal you away.”

His smile is relieved. “Thanks, Luce. You’re the best.”

He walks away, toward the other side of the ballroom, where the photographer is set up.

A server walks by with a tray of what looks like fancy spring rolls. I grab one, then watch from a distance as Leo poses with his parents and sister. I can’t hear since I’m standing far away, but it looks like the photographer is directing them on how to pose.

I notice that the easy smiles that Leo shared with his mom and sister are long gone. Everyone is smiling, but they’re all kind of stiff now.

When he finishes taking a photo, Leo’s family stands around for a moment. I notice his dad doesn’t even look at his mom. She folds her hands in front of her, like she’s waiting for him to acknowledge her. But he never does.

He shakes hands and speaks briefly to a few people who walk up to him. He nods at Leo, pulling him into the conversation. He makes Leo pose for more photos with the people they’re chatting with. The whole time, Leo looks stiff and uncomfortable. He tries to smile at the people his dad speaks to, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

The look in Cora’s eyes turns sad as she watches her son and husband. A second later, Zoey touches her hand. They exchange a look before turning to a small group of people off to the side and joining their conversation.

I let out a sigh, sad and confused at how oblivious Rocco is being. Doesn’t he notice how his wife clearly feels neglected by him? Why doesn’t he care to pay attention to her or Zoey? Doesn’t it bother him how uncomfortable Leo is around him?

I head over to Leo, determined to rescue him from his dad. He’s done enough schmoozing. He deserves a break.

When I’m a dozen feet away, Leo catches eyes with me. His gaze brightens instantly, and he grins. The first genuine grin I’ve seen from him in the last ten minutes. My tummy flips at how happy he is to see me.

I linger off to the side, watching as he makes an exit from the small group of people surrounding him.

He walks over to me, his smile laced with relief.

“I think you deserve a treat after that,” I say.

He quirks an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

“I saw one of the servers with a tray of mini cherry cheesecakes.”