How to Love Her: McCullough Mountain (McCullough Mountain Prequel)

  At one-thirty he decided he’d waited long enough.

  “I’m going to pick up Kate,” he told his mother, searching the counter for his keys. “Did someone move my keys?”

  The kitchen smelled fabulous, but there was shit everywhere. He lifted cutting boards, moved bowls, and searched the table, which was covered with drying pasta.

  “You mind? I’m workin’ here,” Maria snapped.

  “Who moved my keys?”

  “Say a prayer to St. Anthony,” his mother suggested like she did whenever anything was lost and he rolled his eyes.

  “I left them right here on the counter.”

  “Did your father eat this cheese?” his mother barked. “I told him it was for dinner.”

  Lord help him. He was never getting out of there. “Where the fuck are my keys?”

  His mother slammed the fridge and turned, her eyes narrowing. “The mouth on you.” She snatched his keys off the windowsill behind the sink and held them in front of his face. “Don’t speed.”

  “I won’t.”

  She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek, slapping him twice, but with affection. “And be a gentleman. Hold the door for her.”

  “I will, Ma. I gotta go.”

  When he made it to his car he was in a sweat. Anxious to get to Kate, he took the back roads so there would be less traffic. When he pulled up to her house there were two unfamiliar cars parked in her driveway. Thinking about the invitation her mother made the night before, he got out and knocked on the front door. Voices traveled through the open windows but no one answered the front door.

  He followed the wrap around porch and the voices grew louder. When he reached a screen door to the kitchen he knocked again and the noise silenced. Three women sat at the long kitchen table staring at him. One was older, but the other two looked about Mrs. McCullough’s age.

  “There’s a man at your door, Maureen,” the blond woman said.

  Mrs. McCullough came to the screen door and pushed it open. “Anthony, come in.” He stepped into the kitchen, the weight of each woman’s scrutinizing stare making him itch under his shirt. “This is Katherine’s boyfriend, Anthony.”

  Not her boyfriend. “Hello.” He waved and they all suddenly started talking at once.

  “When did she get a boyfriend?”

  “I didn’t know she was dating?”

  “How come you didn’t tell us, Maureen?”

  “That tan skin. He’s no Irishman.”

  Startled by their unfiltered inspection, he hitched a thumb toward the hall. “Is Kate here?”

  “Of course, love. Katherine! Anthony’s here!”

  He winced as Mrs. McCullough’s voice pierced the sound barrier. She sure had a set of lungs. He wasn’t sure who would win in a screaming match, his mother or Kate’s. Hopefully, they never found out.

  Kate came into the kitchen and all thoughts of mothers fled. Her hair was down and she wore a fitted tank top with a pair of jeans and a thick belt. His chest tightened as he drew in a breath, his eyes taking in every dip and curve. “You ready?”

  “Yup.” She tucked a thick hank of hair behind her ear, flashing a tiny green stone on her lobe. For some reason that little earring was significant. Kate didn’t usually wear jewelry, but today she wore earrings. That had to mean something and he hoped it meant she wore them for him.

  “Where are you off to,” the blonde woman asked. “You look pretty, Katherine.”

  Kate flushed. “Just to dinner.”

  “Dinner? We just had brunch.”

  “It’s an early dinner.” Kate met him at the door. “Let’s go,” she whispered quickly then went to kiss the older women on the cheek.

  Once they were in the car he asked, “Were they your aunts?”

  “Yeah. They’re a little nosy. Did they talk to you?”

  He shook his head. “Not really.” More like they talked at him.

  Her hands fidgeted in her lap. He tried to think of something to say, but he was strangely nervous about bringing her to his house. Every time he drew in a breath to talk, he chickened out and stayed silent. Before he came up with anything to say they were sitting in his driveway.

  Kate looked at her hands as her thumb spun the ring on her finger.

  “We don’t have to stay long,” he said, hoping to put them both at ease.

  She peeked at him from under her hair, her eyes a definite shade of blue today. God, he wanted to kiss her.

  “It’s fine. I just…” She glanced at his house, which was a quarter the size of hers. “Is anyone else going to be there?”

  “Just my parents, my sisters, and my Nonna.”

  She nodded and opened the car door. He wasn’t sure why this felt weird. It shouldn’t, but it did. He walked her through the garage and opened the door that led directly to the kitchen. Voices shouted before anyone heard them come in and then everything went quiet.

  His mother beamed and tossed the spoon on the stove. “Come in. Come in.” She took both Kate’s hands and led her to the table, shoving her into a seat. “I’m Anthony’s mom. You can call me Loretta. These are Anthony’s sisters, Maria, Nicky, and Angela. Ange, put the cheese tray on the table. Maria, get that crap out of the way. You hungry, Katherine? I got some nice peppers and a fresh loaf of bread all cut up. Anthony, where’s your father?”

  Any normal person would have been intimidated by the bombardment of questions and introductions, but Kate just smiled. “Thank you. It smells delicious.”

  If his mother smiled any harder she’d crack a tooth. “So, Anthony tells me your father’s gonna give him a job. That’s wonderful. My Ant’s a hard worker. Smart too!”

  His sister snorted and his mother, without breaking eye contact with Kate, smacked her in the back of the head. “Go find your father. You two, set the table. There’s soda in the garage.”

  As his sisters left, he sat beside Kate and stuffed a slice of prosciutto in his mouth. Kate picked at a slice of bread and his mother continued to talk. “Do you have plans after graduation?”

  “Just to work,” Kate said.

  “Good,” his mother nodded. “You know who I talked to, Anthony? Your cousin Gianni. He’s workin’ in the bar now.” She shook her head. “Marlene’s always talkin’ about how smart he is, but he’s not goin’ to school next fall. He’s gonna be workin’. I don’t know what their thinkin’. Like my brother doesn’t have the money to send him. He’ll be makin’ drinks for the rest of his life.”

  “You don’t know that, Ma.”

  “We’ll see.” She gave him her all-knowing glare. “So Katherine, are you going to school in the fall?”

  Her lips pursed. “Probably not this year. There are nine of us, so I have to save some money first.”

  “Nine?” His mom made the sign of the cross. “God bless your mother.” His sisters returned and she immediately put them back to work.

  “Nicky, stir the gravy. See if it’s about done.” Glancing back at Ant, she grumbled, “I told them to get those meatballs in by eleven, but no one listens to me. Eat some more, Katherine.”

  When the dining room table was set they moved to the other room. His father waited at the head of the table in his white undershirt. “Pop, this is Kate.”

  His dad put down his glass of wine and stood. “Welcome. Did you eat? Loretta, where’s the bread?” he shouted.

  They sat at the side of the table across from his sister’s empty chairs. His father filled Ant’s glass with red wine and held the bottle up to Kate. “You?”

  “Oh, no thank you.”

  His sisters, ceaselessly bickering, carried out steaming dishes of pasta braciole, homemade meatballs, and a boat of extra gravy. His mother followed with a tray of cutlets. Glancing at Kate, he smiled. “Told you there’d be lots of food.”

  “Oh my gawd, Ange, shut up,” Maria argued as she jerked a chair out from the table, huffing as she sat. “I was only teasin’.”

  “Angela, stop arguing with your sister. We have company
,” his father barked, filling his plate and passing the pasta to Ant.

  He passed Kate each bowl as they came around and she took a small sampling of everything. When she bit into the braciole she hummed pleasantly—almost sexually—and Ant’s body took full notice.

  “You like?” his mother asked, still not in her seat. “Here, have some more.” She spooned another helping onto Kate’s plate.

  “It’s delicious.”

  “Good. Eat up. You’re too skinny. Anthony, do you have enough gravy?”

  “I’m good, Ma.”

  His family talked all through dinner, not putting on airs for Kate and though he was nervous about bringing her to meet them, she never appeared overwhelmed or offended by anything they said. After dinner, his mother set the coffee pot on the table and his sisters took care of the dishes. His father reached to unbutton his pants, but Ant gave a shake of his head and he abstained.

  “That’s what you call a good meal. What did you think, Katherine?” his dad asked.

  “It was amazing.”

  Ant smiled at her and whispered, “My mom’s a good cook.”

  “She reminds me of my mother.”

  He could see that. “They’d probably get along.”

  After dinner they went out back and sat on the patio furniture. “This is my dad’s favorite place,” he told her, as he pulled his chair closer to hers. “He has an obsession with grass.”

  “I guess there wasn’t a whole lot of that in the city.”

  “We had a small patch of lawn. He kept it pristine. It was his pride and joy. He’d sit out there on his lawn chair every Saturday—people watching.”

  Her smile tightened and she gave a soft laugh. “Well, there’s plenty of land here. Do you miss the city?”

  “Yes and no. It can get boring here, but it’s much prettier.” When she glanced at him from under her lashes, he touched her earring. “These are nice.”

  She self-consciously pulled at her earlobe. “They’re my mom’s. I borrowed them.”

  His stomach tightened with satisfaction. That meant she purposely put them on to see him. “I like them.”

  Since he’d already touched her he pushed his luck, catching her fingers in his and admiring her ring. “I like this too.”

  Her shoulders tightened but she didn’t pull her hand from his. “I won’t be in school tomorrow.”

  It was amazing how much that disappointed him. “How come?”

  “I have a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Will I see you tomorrow night? I have to meet your dad after school, but maybe after that?”

  Her fingers pulled away. “Tomorrow might not be a great night. I have to see how tonight goes.”

  “Tonight?”

  She folded her hands in her lap and eased back from the table. “I have to talk to my parents about some stuff. It might not go so well.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded, but the tightness in her brow told a different story.

  “You can talk to me, Kate.” He wanted her to confide in him more than he wanted his next breath.

  “Things are just complicated right now.”

  “Okay. But if you need an ear, I got two of them.” Sensing she wasn’t ready to open up, he changed the subject to something lighter. “So…prom tickets go on sale tomorrow. You going?”

  “No. I have to save money.”

  He frowned. He would have paid for her ticket. “I was thinking about it, but I need a date.” When she looked at him, he arched a brow.

  “Ant.”

  “You should go. It’s our last hurrah.”

  Her smile turned sad. “I can’t. I’d have to get a dress and the tickets are fifty dollars.”

  “Go with me. I’ll buy the tickets.” And his sisters had dresses. She could maybe borrow one of theirs.

  She shook her head and it was difficult not to get discouraged. “Sorry. I can’t. But you should go. I’m sure there are plenty of girls who would want to go with you.”

  “Nah. I have my heart set on one girl and if she’s not going, neither am I.”

  She glanced at him. “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” He eased closer, giving her his most cajoling smile. “Go to the prom with me, Katie.”

  “Ant, we aren’t like that. We’re just friends. Proms are for girlfriends and boyfriends.”

  His jaw twitched and he eased back. He was getting nowhere. Every time he thought he made some headway she was back to shutting him down. “All right. Then how about a movie? My treat.”

  She’d told his mother she had to work to pay for college and he knew how expensive that was. She was clearly taking the task seriously, being that she’d pass up prom, something he thought all girls were into.

  “I can’t.”

  Irritated, he sat back in his chair and stared at the house, trying to think of another way to get close to her. He was running out of ideas. “What if we went out with a group of friends?” He understood she needed time and he really wanted to give her that, but he also didn’t want to extinguish any chance of showing her he was a decent guy.

  “I’m not into hanging out with people lately.”

  “How about your brothers? We could go bowling. Luke and Finn would probably be into that.” If they could manage that he might be able to get one of her brothers to act as a buffer and take a senior to prom, but that was pushing it. “Is Colin going to prom?”

  She shook her head. “He’s not even going to junior prom. I know what you’re trying to do, Anthony, and it’s sweet, but I’m not going.”

  Relenting, his shoulders drooped. He picked at the rubber of his shoe. “Is it me?”

  “What? No.”

  “I don’t understand. I want to take you out, Kate. We don’t have to do anything. Why won’t you give me a shot?”

  “Because we’re friends.”

  Inwardly, he growled. “You know I like you. Would it be so bad letting me take you out one time?” It wasn’t like he couldn’t be alone with her and resist the urge to kiss her, although it was getting tougher.

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then what? Is it because of your ex?” If he ever found out what guy hurt her he’d have a hard time resisting the urge to knock him out. “You can’t stay single for the rest of your life because of one jerk.”

  “I just can’t, okay?”

  This wasn’t going the way he hoped and he didn’t mean to piss her off. He was just trying to understand her reluctance. “Do you want me to take you home?”

  She reached for his wrist and checked his watch. “Yeah.”

  Disappointed, he stood. “I’ll get my keys.”

  On the drive home she was quiet. He didn’t understand why she wouldn’t talk to him or at least give him a chance. Maybe he was wrong and the connection he felt was one-sided after all.

  It was probably for the best she was missing school tomorrow. The more he saw her, the more he liked her, and she continued not to budge. He should probably put some distance between them until he got his emotions in check, because the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel cornered. Some asshole had already pressured her enough.

  When they pulled up to her house the other cars were gone. He waited. This would be the time to kiss her, but there was no opening as she sat with her hands folded in her lap and her face was turned to the window. Plus the whole her not being interested thing. This sucked.

  “Can I call you?” he asked.

  She nodded so he gave her a piece of paper and a pen to write down her number. When she slid the paper back into his hand she said, “I might not be able to hang out for a while.”

  “Why?” Damn it. He should have never tried to pressure her about a date. He was screwing this all up and all he wanted to do was prove he could be patient, but he wanted her so much his head was a mess. Even if he couldn’t have her, he wanted her friendship and if he didn’t chill he was going to blow that too.

  Rather than explain, she
said, “Call me tomorrow night and I’ll let you know how things are.”

  Frowning, he nodded. “Okay.”

  He watched her slowly take the steps up to the porch. When she got to the door, she turned back and raised her hand in a wave. Something was off and he didn’t have a clue what it could be, which meant it was most likely him. He’d thought they had a nice day. She liked his family. They laughed all throughout dinner. She wore earrings. He was at a loss.

  Pursing his lips, he backed out of her drive and decided he’d call her tomorrow night after he hopefully landed a job with her father. McCulloughs were definitely a tough bunch to impress.

  Chapter Eight

  Kate entered the house and watched Ant’s car pull away. She’d never wanted to kiss someone as desperately as she wanted to kiss him today. If they hadn’t left when they had, she might have agreed to let him take her to prom. She could have borrowed a dress, but that would have complicated everything even more. It took everything she had not to give in, but she liked him enough to know he didn’t deserve being caught up in a problematic situation.

  “Katie,” her mother’s voice softly called.

  She turned and sighed. Time to face the music. “Is Daddy here?”

  Her mother nodded and untied her apron. “He’s in the den. Are you ready?”

  No. But there was no preparing for this. “Should we talk in the kitchen?”

  “That’s probably best. I made some rice pudding. Why don’t you have a bowl and I’ll go get your father.”

  “Where’s everyone else?”

  “I sent them to Rosemarie’s for a while.”

  “Do the aunts know?”

  Her mother’s smile was apologetic. “I told them, but only so they could tell your uncles. Your father will need some sense talked into him and I’m hoping they might be some help.”

  Kate went to the kitchen, but didn’t have the stomach for pudding. She sat at the table and her entire body trembled as her stomach churned. She tried to imagine how her father looked at her, the way his eyes lit when he saw her. She locked those images away in her mind for safekeeping. Her greatest fear was that he’d never look at her like that again.