The hand that snaked out and closed around her wrist surprised them both. He stared down at his fingers wrapped around her soft skin, wondering what in the hell possessed him to grab her like that.

“I just want to be left alone,” he said quietly. Standing there, looking into the eyes of the woman he had some serious feelings for, Aldo realized exactly how Luke felt with Harper in his home. Conflicted.

Gloria tugged her hand free. “Welcome home, Aldo,” she snapped. Her tone indicating anything but welcome. “You’re welcome for watering your damn plants and baking you a damn pie and cleaning your damn house. Rest assured it won’t happen again.”

She opened his front door and glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, and you can pick up your own damn vacuum cleaner.”

The slam of the front door had Aldo hanging his head. Alone. It was what he wanted. What he needed. And the sooner everyone else got used to it, the better.

His mind was an ugly place these days, and it was better for everyone if he kept to himself.

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Why the hell did you tell Gloria I was moving back this weekend?” Aldo demanded.

“Why? Was she there when you got there? Did you talk to her? Did you apologize for being a big, stupid asshole?” his mother demanded.

“You set this up!” He was going to have to either murder her or pack her shit and send her to Boca. Whatever it took to get this woman out of his life.

“Well, someone has to have your best interests at heart! If you don’t snap out of this poor me funk, you’re going to stay there, and then no one will want to marry you, and I’ll never get a grandchild.”

Aldo swiped a hand through his hair. “Since when the hell do you want grandkids?” A family now was so far down his priority list it was almost laughable. He’d deployed with the intent of coming home and settling down. Now that he was home, the only thing he wanted was to be left the fuck alone.

“Since I thought you were finally settling down with a nice, smart girl that I don’t hate. She brings me cookies, Aldo! Cookies!”

Leave it to his mother to play matchmaker over baked goods. “Stop interfering with my life!” he shouted into the phone.

“Stop interfering with my cookies!” she shouted back.

“I want to be left alone, Ma,” Aldo enunciated slowly.

“Well, tough shit. Until you get right in the head, I’m going to make it my life’s mission to guide you in the right direction.”

“Stay out of it, Ma!”

“Make me, dumbass!”

34