He watched as Sal, his girlfriend, and the younger girl continued to zigzag their way through the crowded backyard, stopping at just about every table.

“Let’s get a table before there are none left.” His mother hurried in the same direction Sal and his girlfriend headed.

Just as Sal and the two girls got to one of the last empty tables available, Vince’s mom reached and claimed the remaining seats at the same table. Perfect.

CHAPTER TWO

Vince’s ever perfect cousin, Sal, turned just as they reached the table and smiled. “Tia Letty, how are you?”

“Hi, mijo. Oh, I’m hanging in there.” She gave him a knowing look then turned around searching the crowd. “There he is. I swear that man gets caught up so quickly. I knew he was right behind me.”

Sal looked up and smiled at Vince’s dad as he approached, greeted him, then turned to his girl. “This is my girlfriend, Grace Zendejas, and her baby sister, Rose.”

Both of Vince’s parents reached out to shake the two girls’ hands as they smiled politely. Rose. Vince couldn’t think of a more fitting name as his eyes took her in at this closer range.

“Hey, Vinnie,” Sal patted him on the shoulder, “damn, you get taller every time I see you. What are you fifteen now?

“Sixteen,” Vince said, adding as his eyes met Rose’s shy but sweet golden-brown eyes, “seventeen in a couple of months.”

“Wow that was fast!” Sal smirked then turned to Grace. “This is my cousin Vinnie from La Puente.”

Vince rolled his eyes at the tag added to his name, but the near frown dissipated as his and Rose’s eyes met again. There was something so delicate about her features. Everything from her lashes to the curve on her lips seemed so well defined, and he noted how much younger she looked up close. Maybe she wasn’t his age.

Wiping his hand quickly on his jeans, Vince dried his suddenly sweaty palms before reaching out and shaking Grace’s hand first then smiling at Rose as he shook her soft hand, “Nice to meet you.”

“How was that two-hour drive?” Sal asked Vince’s parents as they all sat down.

After a few minutes of small talk, Sal excused himself, saying he’d be right back. Vince was now having a hard time keeping his eyes off Rose. She was far more interesting than all the baby shower crap, and he was trying to figure out just how old she was. She was as tall as her sister, who was obviously old enough to be with his twenty-something-year-old cousin’s girlfriend, but minus the makeup—any makeup. Was she not old enough to wear any? He knew thirteen-year-olds that wore full-on makeup back home.

Rose leaned into Grace and whispered but not hushed enough. “They hired waiters for a baby shower?”

“They hire waiters for everything.” Vince smirked trying to overcompensate for the irritation the very thought caused him. “My aunt’s known for outdoing everyone in the family with her parties.”

His mom nudged his leg under the table and gave him a look which Vincent ignored.

“We’ve never attended any of the Moreno’s parties,” Grace explained, glancing back at him then looking around again.

Vince had to chuckle at that. “Well if you’re with Sal now, get used to it. It’s like this every time.”

Rose lifted an eyebrow. Even something as simple as her eyebrows said “young” to him. It wasn’t bushy, and it arched nicely, but it wasn’t anything like the ones on some of the girls he knew. Vince could tell it was naturally thin. Most of the girls in his neighborhood and school had been plucking their eyebrows for so long that they had to pencil them back on. It looked so stupid, too. Many of them even sported that permanently surprised look.

Before Grace could respond to his comment, Rose tilted her head and her light-brown eyes stared at him curiously. “Where is La Puente?”

He hadn’t really noticed earlier when she first made the waiter comment that her voice was a bit husky. But unlike her sister’s noticeable accent, Rose’s husky voice was accent free. She may look young, but that voice sounded older. Unexplainable hope crept in him, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Why the hell did he care? She lived two hours away, and he didn’t even own a car. Not to mention over the years his mom had often talked about how incredibly protective his cousins were over their own younger sister. If he had to guess, Sal was probably the same way over his girlfriend’s baby sister. Vincent wouldn’t dream of trying anything here. So why would he hope even for a second that they were in any way compatible?

He explained it was a half hour before Los Angeles and near the LA county fair. But since Rose had never been, she still had no idea. Sal came back just then with a tray of drinks for everyone. After giving the girls and Vince’s mom their drinks, Sal handed a beer to Vince’s dad and finally a soda to Vince.

“Where’s my beer?” Vince smirked.

Sal lifted an eyebrow as he sat down next to Grace, taking her hand. “You’re funny, Vin.”

Even though Sal smiled, Vince didn’t miss the hint of contempt in his eyes. Vince knew what his cousins thought of him—what everyone in the family thought. He’d been anything but an angel the last few years, and his father often turned to his older brother, Sal’s dad, for guidance.

None of them could know he was actually trying to better himself now, but he didn’t have to prove a thing to them. The only ones he’d be proving anything to were his parents. He owed them after all the shit he’d put them through.