My Best Friend's Bride (31 page)

Angie’s athletic twin
Haley
is a baker on the move. Mountain biker Peter grooves with her.

World traveler
Bev
craves adventure. Photojournalist Will has a passport, too.

Jane
is a serious-minded thinker. Dry-witted Richard makes her laugh—and sigh.

Feisty
Tiny
has
loved Jimmy for decades. Now, they’re building a future together.

Tiny’s artist sister
Zoe
has a secret wish. Does sexy Dillon share it?

Bev’s sister
Lena
sings for her supper. Unconventional Randy digs her act.

Only child
Trish
speaks her mind. Laid-back Leo knows how to listen.

Jane’s shy sister
Susan
is a lonely knitter… Then handsome Kyle smiles her way.

Rachel
is the baby and a dreamer. Kindly, older Tom wants to give her the moon.

Lucia
vowed to marry
Luigi
at fourteen
.
He still waits for her in Italy. It’s never too late for love!

Chapter One

The D’Amato Women

Nona leaned forward over the photo album, pointing out another grainy picture. “And that one was Elbert, the one that got away.”

Claire fanned her hand over her heart and sighed sympathetically. Her hair was feathered about her face in a feminine style, and she always wore it long. “What happened to him?”

Nona flipped her wrist. “Married a Spanish girl. Not that it matters. Men are like buses, you know.”

Her granddaughters laughed, then sang in a chorus:
“When one leaves, another one comes along.”
The older woman looked around the room at their cheery faces. Well, most of them were cheery. Jane still wore that perpetual scowl, and Trish set her chin. Why were those girls so serious?

“I think you’re right, Nona,” Rachel sweetly chimed in. “Certainly happened to me.” She extended her left hand, exposing a glistening solitaire, and her cousins squealed with delight.

Nona smiled. “Congratulations! Who’s the lucky groom?”

Rachel ran a hand through her curls, then proudly proclaimed, “Tom Delaney.”

Across the room, Bev sucked in a gasp. She still wore that scarf she’d bought in Paris. Not that it really went with her blouse, although it did complement her angled bob and art deco earrings. “No way!”

“Way,” Jane quipped from the sofa. Susan sat beside her, furiously knitting something. It looked oddly like a baby’s cap, but Susan wasn’t married. Susan spoke softly without looking up. “Time heals all wounds.”

“Hmm, maybe,” Tiny judged from nearby. She stood just over five feet and had a short, sassy haircut to match her small frame. She was also the sole granddaughter close to Nona in size, although she ate like a horse. Nona secretly feared that might catch up with her some day, but had never been rude enough to say so. She was eating now, in fact. Munching on something she kept hidden in a paper bag that looked suspiciously like fast food.

“That’s awesome, Rachel!” Haley leaned into her tennis racket and grinned. Then she dipped low, flexing her knees and leg muscles. Nona had never seen a girl so fit. It was a blessing she’d found Peter, someone who could keep up with her. Haley squatted a few more times, then broke into a lunge, using her racket for leverage. “When’s the wedding?”

“We haven’t decided,” Rachel answered.

“Might be good to take your time,” Trish advised. Trish had red hair and freckles, which made her stand out among her more darkly complected cousins. Nona knew this was on account of her father marrying an Irish woman. “You’ll want to build your career first.”

“My job’s going fine!” Rachel spouted defensively.

“I thought you watered people’s plants?” Trish replied. Trish was very self-assured as an accountant, but seemed bent on summing other people up.

“Be nice,” Susan warned from behind her knitting and purling.

Lena spoke gently from the corner, wispy tresses lightly framing her face. She’d had it highlighted lately with what looked like streaks of blonde. She’d said it was to
let the sunshine in,
whatever that meant. Nona had no idea. “She does have a point,” she said referencing Trish. “There’s nothing wrong with taking your time, Rachel. Getting settled first.”

Rachel’s cheeks tinged red. “I
am
settled. That’s what I’m trying to tell you! Business is going great. I picked up five new clients this week!”

Trish held up her hands and shook her head.

“Leave her alone,” Zoe said from the floor. She lay on her back doing some kind of yoga. Whoa! Now she was arching up skyward, stomach first. Nona wondered what it took to be that limber, and whether she was too old to achieve it. “It’s not like she’s seventeen anymore.”

A hush fell over the room at Zoe mentioning what should have gone unspoken. Zoe collapsed to the rug, then righted herself, arms wrapped around her knees. She addressed Rachel, red-faced, straight dark hair grazing her chin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

Angie, who’d stood by silently this whole time, strode toward Rachel, her ponytail bouncing. She was Haley’s twin, and the main difference between them was that Angie wore bangs. Since she’d had her first baby, Nona had never seen her in anything other than workout clothes, even though she never actually exercised. She had three kids now, each born within a year of the other. Nona supposed Angie stayed trim simply chasing after them. Angie wrapped her arm around Rachel and pulled her into a hug. “The truth is, we’re
all
happy for you.” She combatively eyed her cousins. “Aren’t we, girls?”

“Of course… Yes… Uh-huh!” all agreed, their words overlapping.

“I’m glad to see everyone’s getting along.” Nona flipped shut her photo album. “Because there’s more good news.
I
have something to tell you.”

“Knock, knock! Where’s the party?” Emma peered into the room with a happy grin. She cradled a pudgy puppy in her arms that lapped at her face with a big, wet tongue.
 

“I thought we were missing someone,” Nona chirped.

“Emma! He’s adorable,” Rachel said. “Where did you get him?”

“Well, first of all he’s a
she
.” Emma set down the little yellow lab, who bounded toward her grandmother in happy leaps.

Nona chuckled warmly as the dog wiggled to and fro before her, wagging its whole body with its tail. She stroked the pup’s head with one hand while holding her champagne flute high in the other. “Very cute, Emma! Did you buy her for Bobby?” Bobby was Emma’s nephew on her husband Donny’s side.

“No,” Emma said with apparent surprise at the thought. “Donny bought her for me!” She adjusted a barrette in her short brown hair, then shared a glowing smile. “Anniversary gift. Can you believe?” Her eyes darted around the room, then settled on the champagne bucket on the table. Although, rather than champagne, it held a bottle of prosecco, a D’Amato family favorite. “How come nobody invited me?” she asked with a play pout.

“We
did
invite you,” Claire assured.

“You know you’re always invited,” Jane deadpanned before Susan elbowed her.

Zoe sat on the floor with her legs in a pretzel knot. She managed to drink in that position just the same. “You’ve missed some big news,” she said, sipping from her bubbly.

“Bigger than big,” Haley reinforced from nearby.

“Well, come on! What’s going on?” Emma impatiently glanced around the room.

Lena smiled, her highlights glowing in the natural light of the window. Maybe they
did
let the sunshine in. “It all started with Rachel!”

Susan set her knitting aside to cradle her champagne flute. “And, it’s not over yet.”

Emma turned toward her cousin with the short, springy curls. “Rachel?”

Rachel held out her hand, and Emma embraced her. “Oh, Rachel! That’s wonderful!” She pulled back, meeting Rachel’s gaze. “Tom?”

Bev sighed. “Did everyone know but me?”

“Not everyone,” Trish responded. “Angie seemed to miss it.”

“Hey!” Angie retorted, “Can I help it if Zoe called during Parent Zumba time?”

“You Zumba?” Nona asked with surprise.

Bev met Zoe’s eyes. “
Et tu, Brute
?”

“No one wanted to hurt you.” Tiny surreptitiously rolled up her paper bag and tucked it between the sofa cushions. “You know, given the history you had with—”

“
History’s
the word, hey.” Bev surveyed their faces. “I can’t believe that none of you thought I could handle it.”

“There’s more good news!” Lena said, changing the subject.

Emma expectantly eyed her grandmother, who glowed.

“Shall we pop the second bottle?” Rachel asked.

Nona brought her hands together in a happy clap. “Let’s!”

Of Nona’s six sons, all had produced only daughters. World traveler Bev and singer Lena were sisters. Artsy Zoe and the insatiable Tiny were sisters, too, as were the trio Nona had dubbed
the romantics:
Emma, Claire, and Rachel. Genuinely athletic Haley and aspiring Zumba queen Angie were twins. Quick-witted Jane was shy knitter Susan’s big sister, while outspoken redhead Trish was an only child. Nona smiled at them all, delighted to have them here. Their gathering once a month for Sunday Prosecco had become a tradition—whether or not anyone had anything to celebrate. The girls took turns bringing the booze and delectable chocolates. Sometimes someone baked cookies. Tiny often brought her own bag, besides. Nobody ever knew what was in there, and everyone—particularly vegetarian Zoe—was frightened to ask. So all pretended not to notice, and Nona always took care to check between the sofa cushions once all of her granddaughters had gone.
 

She loved them each dearly and felt blessed to have bonded with them all in different ways. While she’d doted on her sons and had tried to be a good mom to them when they were growing up, she’d never quite understood the joy of having girls. Being blessed by a plethora of granddaughters had taught her a lesson: how vastly she could love, and how deep her well of affection could run. The girls called her “Nona” after
nonna
, the Italian word for grandmother. Emma, as the oldest, had been the first to speak and write. Unfortunately, Emma had never been a very good speller. When she’d presented her Nona with that first card made in kindergarten, Nona had been charmed by her efforts and wasn’t about to offer any sort of reprimand. So the grandmotherly nickname had stuck and was still used by the girls to this day.

Once Emma had settled in with her wine, Nona pointed to the photo album. Emma’s puppy snoozed at her feet, exhausted from the previous attention. “Angie, be a dear and hand that over.”

Angie grinned, looking perkier than normal. Perhaps she really
was
doing Zumba. “Another rundown of the men in your life?”

Nona took the book and settled it in her lap. “Did I ever tell you girls about my previous engagements?”

“All four of them,” Rachel answered with a giggle. She perched on the arm of the sofa beside Jane and Susan.

“There were five, counting Grandpa,” Jane corrected.

“I hardly see how that counts,” Nona said with a wink. “I married him!”

The others watched as she opened the book and flipped through its glossy pages. Most of the photos were old, and in black and white.

“You really were a heartbreaker,” Zoe said.

“Worldwide,” Bev added.

Nona’s lips took a downward turn. “Yes,” she said a bit sadly. “But that’s not how I planned it.” For a moment she appeared wistful.

Claire reached out and gently touched her arm. “What do you mean?”

Nona’s eyes brimmed at the bittersweet memory. “That’s not how I planned it with Luigi.”

“He was your first love,” Susan commented from the sofa. She’d put down her glass and had taken to knitting again.

“Susan,” Nona asked suddenly, “is someone you know having a baby?”

Susan glanced around the room with a rapid blush. “Um…no. Not really.”

The others shrugged and turned their attention back on their grandmother. Susan was always knitting crazy things, like the time she made that tiny sweater for her neighbor’s cat. Nona thought it was some sort of latent nesting instinct, itching to burst forward at just the right moment. But before she could nest, Susan had to find a man. It would help if she started looking.

“That’s right,” Tiny said, “back in Sicily. You dated when you were fifteen.”

“Fourteen,” Nona said.

“Wow,” Trish remarked. “That’s young.”

Nona shared a soft smile. “It didn’t feel young then.”

“When your family moved to the States, you had to leave him behind,” Claire said, remembering.

Nona nodded sadly. “There wasn’t really any choice.”

“For either of you,” Claire said softly.

“No.”

“Which one was he?” Haley asked, leaning over her shoulder.
 

Nona turned to the second page in the book. There were several old photos neatly arranged, most of them taken on a beach. While her face and figure had changed quite a bit, the girls could recognize their Nona at once from her big, dark eyes. She stood with a handsome young man, who looked about her age—maybe a little older. In a few of the pictures, they embraced.

“Looks like something out of a movie,” Lena sighed.

“Who was the photographer?” Jane asked.

“My brother, Giovanni. He was Luigi’s age; they were best friends.”

“So Luigi was older?” Jane surmised.

“By just a year.”

Claire noted the melancholy in her Nona’s eyes. “Whatever became of him?”

“Of Luigi?” Nona shrugged mysteriously, and avoided her granddaughters’ gazes. “Now,
that’s
an intriguing question.”

Jane sat up with interest and Susan dropped her knitting. “Are you saying that you’ve heard from him?” Rachel asked, her jaw dropping.

Nona glanced around the room with an impish grin. “The Internet is a marvelous thing.”

None of them could believe it! Their Nona had been carrying on an online affair. “When did this start?” Tiny asked.