“I’ve never even seen such a big yard.” Rose’s voice brought him back to party and away from his resentful thoughts. “They don’t have homes like this in Chula Vista.” Her eyes looked around the yard.

“You’re from Chula Vista?”

That was a bit of a relief. As far as he knew, Chula Vista was about as ritzy as La Puente was. Maybe Sal hadn’t hooked up with a snooty fellow student like he’d assumed.

Rose nodded, sipping her soda. Vince studied her delicate features openly, holding nothing back just like he always had when he flirted back home. She looked away, blinking several times, making him smile—a shy one. The girls in his neighborhood were anything but. But again maybe she was just too young.

“How old are you, Rose?”

“I’m fifteen,” she smiled lifting an eyebrow, “but I have a birthday coming up soon, too. So I’ll be sixteen in a few months.”

“Oh yeah? When’s your birthday?”

She put her cup down on the table. “July eighth.”

“No, shit? Mine is the tenth.”

Sal turned and gave him a look. Vince pressed his lips together and refrained from rolling his eyes. He knew what that look was about. Watch your mouth! Sal was all about respect, but Vince had seen the way he’d glanced at him a few times earlier. He was already keeping his eye on Vince and his girlfriend’s obviously virginal baby sister. No surprise there. Sal would be watching really close.

“You seen the koi pond yet?”

Her nose crinkled slightly. “Koi pond?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, right around the other side of the house. You wanna check it out?”

She hesitated for a second then nodded. Relieved, Vince stood up, happy about the chance to get away from his cousin breathing down his neck.

Both Sal’s and Grace’s eyes were immediately on them as Rose stood. “Vincent is gonna show me the koi pond on the other side of the house.”

With that same perturbed expression Sal had worn from the moment Vince showed even the tiniest of interest in Rose, he raised an eyebrow. “Best behavior, Vin. I mean it.”

Vince hid his annoyance the only way he knew how—with an evil grin. “You know me.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m worried.” Sal frowned.

This time Vince didn’t hold back rolling his eyes, only he waited until he’d turned his back to them. He’d probably never see this girl again, and it was obvious what Sal would say if he so much as thought of making a move. So why the hell did it bother him that Sal was making sure he pointed out in front of her how much he didn’t trust him? Thankfully she didn’t ask about that.

“Do they have a lot?”

Vince glanced at Rose, not sure what she was talking about. Now that he knew she wasn’t too young or maybe it was the fact that Sal was throwing out blatant don’t-even-think-about-it bombs, her golden-brown eyes were even more impressive in the sunlight.

Walking next to her, trying hard to keep his eyes from going down to those long, sexy legs was becoming increasingly difficult. Normally he wouldn’t bother trying. He’d gape unabashed, and the girls he did this to didn’t ever mind his gaping. In fact, the drill was that if they hadn’t been doing the gaping to begin with, they’d gape right back, and it was on. But it wasn’t just Sal’s flat-out warning that kept him from doing so with Rose. He’d already been witness to her timid demeanor. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

This would probably be a long, boring day with his aunt going through every mind-numbing Mexican baby shower tradition, and they’d have to stay to be part of each one. If nothing else, Rose would be a nice distraction for the day.

“Do they have a lot of what?”

“Fish in the pond.” She looked at him curiously.

“Well, the last time I was here—”

“Vinnie!” his cousin Sofia, Sal’s younger sister, called out as she smiled big, walking toward him. Next to her were his other cousin and Sal’s youngest brother Angel, and his wife Sarah.

“Did you just get here?” she asked, hugging him then looking up at him. He was finally taller than her.

“About a half hour ago,” he said, smiling crooked and motioning back toward his parents.

“How goes it, Vin?” Angel reached out to grab his hand and gave him a hearty handshake. “You staying out of trouble finally?”

Vince felt his smile wane but managed not to frown. He never cared before what any of them thought; in fact, he made it a point to annoy them by shrugging at these kinds of questions with no real answer, acting like the bad seed they thought him to be. Now they were annoying him.

“For the most part,” he said accepting and returning Angel’s wife’s Sarah’s hug.

“You look good,” Sarah said as she pulled away, and Angel took her hand.

“Thanks.” Vince rubbed his hand against his neck feeling a little awkward standing there as they all stared at him inquiringly.

“Where’s Lorenzo?” Angel asked before casually looking in Rose’s direction.

“He didn’t come.”

Vince didn’t offer any further explanation. The last thing he wanted was to get into why he’d been forced to come and his brother hadn’t. They probably already knew, but it wasn’t a subject he felt like talking about. He noticed that both Sofia and Sarah were now looking in Rose’s direction. She must’ve noticed also because she spoke up. “Vincent is going to show me the koi pond.”