Page 135 of The Catch

"Thank you." A tenuous smile appears on Maribel's face. "We love making the board. It means Saint has to think of us while he's away."

"Something tells me he would think of you even without the board," I say.

We're in a tight group, the field is so full of people. Someone walks past us and we come a little closer.

"Are you his girlfriend?" Maribel asks.

"Mari!" Aixa exclaims. "We shouldn't ask that!"

"But it's the first time we meet anyone he's kissing out in public like this!" Mari fake whispers.

I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. No one can take the grin off me, though.

Saint glances at Pablo, then his parents.

"Yep." He presses his lips together, but his dimples show deep and sweet. "Ames is my girlfriend."

Pablo's eyes grow wide, but he still says nothing.

Saint's mom opens her arms. "Can I hug you? It's the first time I meet— tú sabes. A girlfriend."

She seems flummoxed.

"Mom—" Saint tries, but I step into her arms.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I automatically kiss her on the cheek like we do in Uruguay.

"Will you come visit us with him?" She puts her hands on my shoulders. "I have so many questions."

"Oookay." Saint calls for his dad. "We're not pressuring her into that right now. Papá? This is Ames. Ames, this is Patricio."

"Call me Pat." He shakes my hand. "I didn't know my son knew the wordgirlfriendexisted."

I laugh.

"Oh, and I'm Juliana," his mom says. "You can call me Julie. And whether or not Gael is prepared to bring his girlfriend to our home, I am inviting you now. You can come without him."

"Mamá," Saint says while I laugh again.

Logan shows up with Bear on his tail. He makes a head gesture I don't understand, but Saint nods.

I gaze around us. Evie and Pen stand a few yards away. They wave at me excitedly, smiles plastered to their face and eyebrows wiggling wildly. I grin back and wave at them. With a small series of gestures, I tell them I'll find them soon.

"A sec," Saint says to Logan.

Pat and Julie continue like nothing happened.

"We waited too long for this!" Julie says. "Pat— Gael tiene novia!"

"I have to go for a bit," Saint says, "but first…"

His eyes lock on my brother. Pablo stares right back, mouth pursed.

"I have to say I'm shocked too," Pablo says in an unreadable tone. "Is this for real?"

Julie and Pat gaze at each other, then at my brother. My eyes narrow. Saint sighs.

"You guys wait here." Saint tells his family. "The stage is that way. If you see action up there, watch it. If not, you plan how else you're going to tease me now that you've met Ames. I'll come back for you guys in a bit. Pablo? Come with us?"