“Your sister brought the baby with her, who you haven’t seen in months. It would be nice for Lucas to remember he has an uncle.”

“That does not sound like a woman who takes hints,” Olivia told him, starting to panic. “Why haven’t you seen your sister’s baby?”

“He’s six months old—he doesn’t do anything yet. Besides, I saw him at the baptism in April.”

She dodged when he tried to kiss her. “You cannot kiss me while your mother is here.”

“Why not?” He slid a hand in her hair to hold her still. “She’s seen me kiss people before.”

“None of them were me,” she managed to get out before he caught her mouth. She struggled, trying to worm free, but that only made him laugh. “Cade!”

“So, this is why you can’t come to dinner with your family?”

Olivia froze in horror. “Oh, God.”

“Show no fear,” Cade whispered against her lips, clearly enjoying himself, and she would’ve smacked him if she’d been able to get her arms free.

Then Cade leaned back, and Olivia got her first look at his mother. She was small, barely over five feet, and dressed in a pair of stylish pink capri pants and a fitted white T-shirt. Her hair was golden-brown, like the lighter streaks in Cade’s hair, and long enough for the braid she wore to drape over her shoulder. She wore little makeup save the lipstick that matched her pants, and had the same golden skin and coal-dark eyes as her son.

She stood next to the sofa, arms crossed and foot tapping in disapproval, and what did Cade do? He grinned. “Hi, Mamãe.”

She rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed. “This is how you greet your mother?”

Cade rose and wrapped his arms around her, then pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks in turn. “Better?”

“Better,” she allowed, then slapped a hand on his bare chest. “Why are you lazing around half dressed?”

“It’s hot,” he said, and she rolled her eyes again.

“It’s freezing in here. Look, this poor girl is huddled under a blanket. Go turn the air conditioning down.”

“No,” he said easily. “If I leave, you’ll start interrogating my girlfriend, and I like her too much to let you run her off.”

“Girlfriend, is it?” She turned her dark gaze, speculative now, on Olivia, who barely resisted the urge to pull the blanket over her head. “If she’s your girlfriend, why haven’t I met her?”

“Because you’re scary,” he said bluntly.

“Sem vergonha,” she said, shaking her head at him. “Introduce me before I disown you.”

“Only if you promise to be nice,” he said, and let out a laughing oof when she smacked him again. “Ouch. You’ve been working out.”

“Filho,” she said warningly, and Cade held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.