“Having said that, I'll give the two of you my full blessing and support--provided you're not yanking her around," she advised, addressing Sean."I'm not, I swear.""Good. Because if I find out you are? I'll cut off your balls and use them as Christmas ornaments. We're clear?""Mama!"He nearly choked on a bit of pie. "Crystal."Amelia graced him with the full force of her angelic smile. "Fantastic. More pie?"-Eve's Mama”

“I'm an excellent pastry chef. My pie crust is better than my Zia Rosa's. Come on back to the kitchen. I'll make a chocolate cream pie before your very eyes. I'll feed a piece of it to you by hand. And by the time I'm done, you're not going to be asking me if I'm gay anymore."She cleared her throat, gaze darting down. "Is that so.""It is," he said. "On your feet. Come on back to the kitchen. I mean it. I'm dead serious. It's pie time. And I am so ready for you.”

“She took a breath, exhaled slowly, and then told him, "If you fail me, I'll kill you. I swear it, Keenan. If you fail me, I'll rip your heart out with my own hands.""If I fail you, I'll cut it out for you." He stared up at her.”

“He gave you to me," she said, so low I could hardly hear her. "Now I have to give you back to him, Mama.”

“If I go out there now, I'll freeze my balls off. Not that I'm putting them to any good use whatsoever, but I still like to have them, just in case.”

“I believe I'll be the judge of how much peril you're worth," he said with a smile."You're daft.""Again, besotted." he said, squeezing her hand. "I'll tell you of it in glorious detail if you can stay awake long enough to hear it."She smiled at him, which eased his heart a bit.”