Free Hook Me by Chelle Bliss Page B

weeks, but I knew the truth about my brother. He was just as big of a softy as me. He swept Suzy off her feet and she described him as a Casanova.
    “I’m not a walking hard-on. I can date someone without fucking them.” I looked at my ma, surprised she hadn’t yelled at us for our language, but she was wrapped up in grandbaby world.
    The couch shook with his laughter. “We’re all walking hard-ons, but I’m proud of you, brother. When are you seeing her again?”
    Before I could answer, Izzy walked in and stretched out on the floor with her head perched in her hands as she stared at the television.
    “Today.” Looking at my watch I said, “One hour in fact.”
    “What’s today?” she asked, turning around.
    “Nothing, Iz. Why do you always have to be so damn nosey?” I sounded like a dick and I might as well have put a billboard above my head with my response.
    She giggled like she did when she was a little girl watching her favorite television show, Fraggle Rock. “God, you boys are so easy to read. Don’t come crying to me when this one wants your name tattooed on her body. You sure know how to pick’em, Mikey.”
    I swiped my hands across my face, shaking my head. “Where’s your man, Iz? We’ve been dying to meet him,” I said looking down at her.
    “Hell no, I’m not bring him around you baboons for a long time. When I do, you’ll know he’s the one, until then he’s only for me. Learned my lesson long ago with you boys.”
    “We’re not the same. We’ve grown up,” Joe said before grabbing Suzy hand and kissing it.
    “In some ways,” she said over her shoulder, turning her attention back to the game.
    “Anyway,” I murmured, changing he subject and looked at my ma. “Hey Ma, can we have dessert now? I have an appointment.”
    “On a Sunday?” she asked putting down the needles.
    “He has a date, Mom. A hot one I’d say for him to be rushing out of here on a Sunday.” Izzy smiled at my mom before looking at me with a shitty smirk.
    I grabbed the pillow from the side of the couch and threw it at her. “I have a date, Ma. I have to leave in thirty minutes. Forgive me?”
    One thing you didn’t mess with is the Sunday Gallo dinner. Days like today, they seemed like torture.
    “Anything for love, Michael.” She smiled.
    She didn’t have to say it, but I knew my mother well enough that she’d do anything for love, even hand out dessert a little early. The visions of babies danced around in her head too much for her to deny any of us a pass on family time for the chance of love and that elusive grandchild.

 

    Chapter 9
    My palms felt slick and my heart felt like it would burst as I put on the harness. “I can’t believe you talked me into this shit,” I said, my hands shaking so badly I couldn’t snap the latch between my legs.
    “I thought you liked an adrenaline rush and I know you love the ocean. Couldn’t think of a better thing to do. Two for one deal,” he smiled at me, fastening his harness without a problem.
    “Just my fucking luck. Yay,” I said sarcastically and clapped. “But you forgot one thing.” I held up my finger and waved it in the air.
    “What?” he asked as he stepped closer, grabbing my finger.
    “I’m afraid of heights.”
    “Shit, I didn’t know. Probably the one thing we didn’t talk about this week. It’s safe and I’ll be with you. It’s the most amazing view from up there. We have to do it, I promise you’ll love it.”
    “And if I don’t?” I asked as I titled my head and smirked.
    “Then I’ll do anything you want, but I know you will. Plus, you can just hold on to me and scream. I won’t think any less of you, well, not much at least.”
    I can’t believe I was going to follow through and let myself be pulled over the ocean by a thin rope. “Fine, but I can’t get this damn thing on,” I said frustrated and scared as I threw up my hands in defeat.
    “Let me. It would be my pleasure.” He kneeled before me, brushing