Authors: Janice Thompson
“Mmm.” I took another bite, savoring the delicious flavors. This was always my favorite part. Those first few moments after a pizza arrives at the table are the very best. The gooey, melted cheese is just the right texture and taste, and the fragrant aroma of the meat as it sizzles on top of the pizza pie only adds to the adventure. Add to that Laz’s spicy tomato sauce dolloped atop the best thick crust on Galveston Island, and you had a pizza lover’s delight. Unless you happened to be lactose intolerant.
I heard Mama whisper, “Cosmo, take your pill!” and my pop reached into his pocket, coming up with his daily stash of tablets. Poor guy. Still, he was the only one who paused, even for a second.
All around the table, I could hear my family members voicing their enjoyment. Not in words, but in guttural sounds—the kind no one usually pays much attention to. Those “mmms” and “wows” echoed in my ears, a positive endorsement for all of the work my uncle had done over the years. He’d taken a tiny dream of a business and morphed it into the greatest pizza biz in south Texas. How could I do any less with our family’s wedding facility?
You can do this, Bella … with the Lord’s help. Deep breath,
girl.
Surely another piece of pizza would help. I reached for a small one but then changed my mind, opting for a big slice. I still had plenty of time to watch my diet before my wedding. My dress could be altered to fit whatever size I happened to be at the time, right?
I’d just finished my second slice when Laz’s voice rang out. “Attention, everyone. Attention!”
We all stopped chewing and looked his way.
“Another announcement?” Nick asked, approaching the table to refill drinks.
“Yes,” Rosa said with a smile. “I think you’re going to like this one.”
We gave them our undivided attention.
Laz’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he spoke. “I know everyone has been asking us where we’re going to live after we get married.”
“Ah.” I sat up straight for this one. Finally! An answer to the ongoing question.
D.J. reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. I turned to him, wondering what he was up to.
Do you know something
I don’t?
“We’ve looked at houses all over the island,” Rosa said, drawing my attention back to the head of the table. “Found a really pretty one on the west end.”
“So that’s it!” I whispered to D.J. “They’re buying a house!”
“But it’s in a low-lying area,” Laz continued, oblivious to my thoughts. “And too far away from the family.”
Ah. Maybe not.
“Then we found a great condo near the seawall,” Rosa said.
Aha. A condo would be just right for the two of them.
Not too big, not too small …
“But it’s on the third floor, and I just don’t think I can make the trip up and down all those stairs,” Laz said.
“We even looked at a retirement community,” Rosa said.
Whoa. Never figured they would go that route.
“Filled with great people and lots of planned activities, so it was a temptation,” Laz said, “but it was pretty expensive. I hate to fritter away my retirement money. I’d rather spend it on my bride. And on traveling.” He gave Rosa a kiss, and she responded with a flutter of eyelashes.
“So, what’s the answer?” Joey asked. “Gonna stick around at our place awhile?”
“Actually, yes.” Laz beamed ear to ear, and all the more when we broke out in wild, celebratory applause, which caused several of the restaurant’s patrons to turn our way.
Uncle Laz looked at Pop, who grinned. “Cosmo has agreed that we should stay. And it just makes sense. We’re so at home in that big house, and we need all of our family close by.”
“We need you too,” Mama said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It broke my heart to think Rosa might be moving away. And you too, of course, Laz.”
Everyone chuckled.
“Well, here’s what we’ve decided,” Pop interjected. “There’s just one wall separating Rosa’s room from Laz’s. It’s not a support wall. I know, because D.J. already checked it out for me.”
I turned to him, stunned. “You did? When?”
“I have my ways.” He gave my hand another squeeze. So he
did
have inside information! Not that I minded. This was fabulous news!
“Anyway, that wall is coming down,” Pop said. “Once and for all.” He gave Rosa a wink.
“We see it as a symbolic move, anyway,” Laz threw in. “After years of the walls Rosa and I had put up …” He reached to take her hand. “The walls have all crumbled to the ground. No more barriers between us.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And with so much space, we can turn the room into a suite with a nice living area and a bath. I’ve always wanted my own bath.” She giggled, clearly as tickled as if she’d won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. “Laz says I can have a garden tub.”
Her cheeks flushed pink, and Laz nodded. “Nothing is too much for my girl.”
“Fabulous!” Bianca and Bertina said in tandem.
I felt compelled to throw in something. Turning to Rosa, I smiled. “Rosa, if anyone deserves a nice space to kick back in, you do. You work harder than anyone I know.”
“Thank you, Bella.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m so thrilled.”
“Oh, I can hardly wait to get started!” Mama said. “When should we begin?”
“I’ve already got the building permits,” D.J. said. “So I can have a crew at your place as soon as you say the word.”
“Just need to get past the wedding first,” Pop said. “Much of the work can be done while Rosa and Laz are on their monthlong honeymoon to Italy.”
Now it all made perfect sense. No wonder my aunt and uncle wanted an extended honeymoon on the opposite side of the globe—so they could be away from the mess.
Hmm. One major problem with this plan. D.J. and I were still planning a wedding too. If this construction went on too long …
No, I wouldn’t think about it. I forced a smile and rose to make a toast. “To Laz and Rosa! And to many more family dinners together in the Rossi home!”
“To many more dinners together!” Mama echoed, lifting her glass.
Out of the corner of my eye, I happened to catch a glimpse of Sal Lucci. His expression seemed tight. Maybe he was put off by our family’s boisterous behavior in public. Or maybe … I watched his gaze shift to Rosa and wondered what he might be thinking. Hmm. Might be worth keeping an eye on him.
Everyone began to talk at once, and I turned to D.J. with a grin. “You’re full of surprises.”
“I am.” He winked. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
“A very good thing.” I leaned in to whisper, “Why don’t you surprise me with a night out when this is all over with? I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” He kissed the top of my head and drew me close.
“Rosa’s planning a picnic for Wednesday afternoon at Galveston State Park. Can you take a long lunch and meet us there?” I gave him a little pout, hoping it would help convince him.
“What time?”
“Noon.”
He nodded. “For you, anything. Just promise me we’ll have a few minutes alone to take a walk on the beach. I want to talk to you about something.”
“O-oh?” For whatever reason, my fear antennae shot straight up in the air. “Everything okay?”
“More than okay.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Don’t fret, Bella Bambina. All is well.”
“Okay.” I did my best to relax. Didn’t need any extra stress right now, anyway. Surely whatever he had to talk with me about would be good. It was probably about the honeymoon. Maybe D.J. was finally going to come clean and tell me where we were going. The suspense was killing me, though I’d nearly figured it out. Someplace with the prettiest water in the world. I’d already narrowed the list of possibilities to Cancun or Grand Cayman. Either way, I could hardly wait!
After we finished our pizzas, the cappuccino and espresso flowed freely from the coffee bar. My family—though loud and crazy at times—eventually grew quiet as stomachs and hearts were filled. I even saw a couple of them yawn and realized the ladies would soon be heading home to nap. Oh, if only I had that luxury! But no. I had work to do—work that would not wait.
“Men, are you ready to leave for the tuxedo shop?” Laz asked, rising.
“Mm-hmm.” Emilio stretched and rose, giving his wife a peck on the top of the head. “Come on, Cosmo. We’ve got to look dashing for our ladies.”
My father stood up and gave my mother a kiss. My heart flip-flopped as I watched them. How wonderful to be so in love after thirty-plus years together. And how fabulous it was going to be to see them walking arm in arm down the aisle as groomsman and bridesmaid on Laz and Rosa’s big day.
Thinking about Rosa and Laz reminded me of all the work I still had to do. Thinking of my workload got me to thinking of Jenna. My gaze instinctively went to the register where she usually stood, and I felt my pulse begin to quicken as I gazed at the empty spot.
Lord, where is my friend?
I had a feeling in my gut the answer would be a long time in coming.
As soon as the meal ended, the men headed off to the tuxedo shop and Mama drove the women home in her car. Deanna opted to stay with me, though she knew I had work to do. With everyone else out of the picture, she turned to me. “What do we do first?”
“You sure you want to hang out with the wedding planner?” I asked. “It’s going to be all work and no play. I’ve got to go to the florist shop, then make a few calls. I’m double-checking a couple of things with Joey before we leave the restaurant, though. He’s our photographer.”
“I want to hang out with you. Of course.” She gave me a funny look. Suspicious, even.
“What?”
“Well, actually …” Deanna smiled. “Mama and Bianca and I have been thinking of opening a wedding facility in Napoli, so they’ve sent me on a mission to learn all I can from you. Good, bad, and otherwise.”
“W-what?” I couldn’t believe it. “Really?”
“Yes. And Emilio heard us talking about it on the plane and wants to help fund it. Even Francesca liked the idea. There are no wedding facilities in our area. Most people get married at church and then celebrate after in their homes or restaurants. But we think it would be wonderful to have another Club Wed in Italy. What do you think?”
“Deanna, this is fabulous!” I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m happy to share what I know about the business. And Club Wed in Italy! Oh, how wonderful that sounds!”
“I have a lot to learn, though,” she said. “So, one step at a time. I especially want to hear about these themed weddings you’ve been doing.” She laughed. “I’ve been trying to imagine how a Texas-themed wedding would go over in Napoli.”
“Pretty well, I’d imagine.” I giggled. “You have Italian cowboys too, right? Oh, but there’s so much more to it than just the Texas theme. Think of the possibilities! Medieval. Tropical. Garden party. Victorian. You name it, brides want it. You’ll be surprised at the response, I promise.”
“Only one problem.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“What is it, honey?”
“My boyfriend and I …” She shook her head and brushed away the tears. “From the moment Mama and I started talking about this wedding facility idea, we both imagined that I would be the first client. That Rocco and I would get married there and use the photos to help market the facility. But now …” She sighed. “Well, anyway, that’s not going to happen. Rocco has cold feet and is clearly not interested in marriage.”
“Ah.” I could see the dilemma she now faced. Must be tough thinking of weddings when the one person you wanted more than anything else in the world seemed allergic to the process.
Deanna’s conversation shifted to Italian, where she began to share her passionate feelings about men. I did my best not to add fuel to her fire. I was, after all, happily in love. Not all men were reluctant to commit. Take D.J., for instance. He’d made it plain from the start that he wanted a wife and family.
I made a move toward the counter where Joey stood talking to a customer. When he finished, he looked my way.
“Ready to get to work?”
“Yes.” We shifted to the office in back, where we spent the next half hour talking through every phase of the wedding and reception.
“I still think it’s odd that they’re not getting married at St. Patrick’s,” Joey said. “Did you ever figure out why they changed their minds on that?”
“Yeah. The church idea was kaput the minute Father Michael found out there was a swing band involved. Rosa wants the band to play during the ceremony, and Father Michael didn’t think there would be enough room for them in the church. Plus he wasn’t sure it would go over very well with the bishop.”
Joey laughed. “Funny, considering Father Michael’s the best trumpet player on the island.”
“True. But on top of everything else, St. Patrick’s is having a Christmas party that same night in the fellowship hall, so that would’ve been tricky, juggling things—and people— around.”
“I see.”
I shrugged. “Besides, with it being so close to Christmas, Rosa wants to do full-out Christmas decor, and the wedding facility is perfect for that. We’re going to have lots of Christmas trees and twinkling white lights—that sort of thing. So during both the ceremony and the reception, we’ll turn down the overhead chandeliers, and the tiny lights from the trees will really stand out.”
“This is going to be a tough one, Bella,” Joey said. “Having the lights down, I mean. Makes it rough on the photographer.” “I know, but they want it to look and feel like an old swing band hall. We’ll have plenty of ambient lighting from candles and Christmas lights to make up for the big lights overhead. Is that going to be a problem?”
“I just need everything set the night before, if possible. That way I can get the right settings on my camera. Don’t want to be guessing on the night of the wedding.”
“Hmm.” I paused a moment. “I guess I could have everything done the night of the rehearsal.” I sighed, and Joey smiled.
“It’s okay, Bella. Look at all of the people you have to help. You won’t be working alone, I’m sure.” He gestured to Deanna, who grinned in response.