Starstruck (18 page)

She dressed in her best pair of black jeans—the only pair
without holes—and slipped on a bohemian-style blouse of purple, jade green and
black that fell to just above her hips. She found her amethyst beaded necklace
and matching earrings, pinned her hair up and walked through a spritz of her
favorite perfume. The only makeup she added was a little black mascara.

She was pulling on her comfortable old black boots when
Jesse poked his head through the doorway.

“I’m sorry, darlin’, but he’s being
fuckin’ insistent
!”
he yelled as Rick barged underneath Jesse’s outstretched arm.

“Well, hello there! Fuck yeah, Jess, you weren’t kiddin’.
How the hell are ya, sweet cheeks?”

He almost bowled her over with his embrace, picking her up
and wrapping her in a bear hug. She couldn’t help giggling at Jesse’s happy
friend, even though he teetered off balance and reeked of alcohol.

She’d seen pictures of Ricky Bradshaw, of course. He was
Charli’s second favorite and much sexier in real life. None of the photos did
his handsome, perfectly structured face justice, and his laugh was hilarious.
If his deep sparkling brown eyes hadn’t sucked her in, his cheeky dimples would
have.

“You’re drunk,” she smiled as he staggered and flopped onto
the bed, swaying where he sat.

“Yeah he’s drunk, all right. Never could handle his liquor,”
Jesse piped up from the doorway, smirking at his friend. “I found him out in
the front garden just having fallen out of a tree. What the hell were you doin’
anyway, Rick?”

“What? Can’t a fella climb a tree anymore? I’m not
that
old.” He looked stunned for a few seconds before rubbing his stomach.
“Ohhh…Jess, I need some of your magic juice. I don’t feel so good all of a
sudden.”

“If he throws up, he’s all yours.” She stepped back and
raised her hands.

Rick slowly blinked before dragging himself off the bed. He
hiccupped. “I promise, I won’t be sick…hic…darlin’, ’cause my boy has a secret
ju-juice.” He walked to the door, grinning like a fool. “Come on, Mello, make
us some ple-e-ease?”

Jesse slung an arm around his shoulders and steered him into
the hall. Rick planted a sloppy kiss on Jesse’s head. “Tanks, bro. You’re too
good to me, you know that?” As their tall frames descended the stairs, Rick
complained, “This place needs an effalator, Jess. You have too many fuckin’
stairs.”

She decided it was best to give the boys some space and lay
across Jesse’s bed with one of the two romance novels she’d packed. The blender
buzzed downstairs a few minutes later.

She was five chapters in when a loud crash came from
downstairs. She closed the paperback and checked herself in the mirror before
joining the boys in the kitchen.

Jesse swept up the remnants of a broken mug as Rick gulped
down a glass of something dark green and thick in consistency, a second dirtied
glass sitting in front of him. He burped, rubbing his belly appreciatively.
Jesse poured a cup of herbal tea and placed it in his outstretched hands. He
sipped, groaning.

“Sorry, Sam. I guess I make a great first impression, huh?”
He stood and shook her hand.

“Well, you
are
a drummer. You don’t make any
impression at all really.” She ambled to the counter to retrieve the glass of
wine Jesse had poured for her. It took all her will to keep a straight face as
Rick’s smile wilted.

Jesse spurted the red wine he’d just gulped and it
splattered across the floor. That did her in. She held onto Jesse as they both
bent over, him bellowing loud guffaws while she giggled uncontrollably and
fought to catch her breath.

“Yeah, hardy-har-har. Laugh it up. You know, you had me
goin’ there for a second. Hmmm… Actually, this could get interesting.” Rick
rubbed his chin with an evil glint in his eyes. “You do realize you declared a
war you cannot win. Though I do love a pay-out challenge. So you think you’re
up to playin’ with the big boys, do ya, sister?”

“Careful there, Rickster. She’s got wit.” Jesse cleaned the
mess he’d made on the floor, still smiling.

“So how was
my
first impression, Ricky?”

A slow smile spread across his face before he opened his
arms wide. “Awww… Come here, gorgeous, and give us a proper hello.”

He rose from his stool and grabbed her by the hand, drew her
close and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. He withdrew for just a moment, and
then pulled her in for huge hug. He squeezed tightly, his arms enveloping her,
her face smothered by his chest. She gasped for air when he squeezed tighter
still.

He chuckled. “Get used to it, sweet cheeks. We give big hugs
in
this
family.” He released her and tapped her nose playfully with his
finger.

He patted Jesse once on the back before sitting again. “So
Jess tells me you’re an artist, Sam. How long you stickin’ around these parts?”

“Um, I’m not really sure yet. Probably until the end of the
week.”

“Hey, Rick, you got any plans for dinner tonight? We’re
going to Pop’s. Wanna come?”

“You sure you two want me hangin’ around? Three, you
know…crowd and all.”

“Don’t be silly. More the merrier.” She winked at him.

He cocked his eyebrow and smirked at Jesse. “You luc-ky
bastard.”

She topped off her wine while Jesse excused himself to take
a quick shower.

Rick made a fresh cup of tea and he and Sam chatted with
ease while they waited.

They laughed a lot and she sensed he shared an irrevocable
bond with Jesse she’d only ever seen in twins. They may not have been brothers
in blood, but they definitely were on a spiritual level.

She suspected part of the way to Jesse’s heart was through
Rick. If Rick disapproved, no woman stood a fighting chance of winning Jesse’s
love.

* * * * *

The three caught a taxi into the city. Family dinners at
Maurello’s were usually long and relaxing—a time for everyone to reconnect.
Jesse’s family leisured between talking, eating and sometimes singing if the
mood fit. They had always treated Rick like one of their own and Jesse’s
father, Dino Maurello, was a top chef who made the best Italian food in the
city. Rick never knocked back an invite if he could help it—his belly knew
better.

Jesse paid the fare and they headed inside the huge
stained-glass doors of Maurello’s Family Restaurant.

His mother was the first to lock eyes with him across the
room. She stood centered in the large cut-out in the kitchen wall where not
only the chefs could share in the activity of the dining room, but the
customers could watch their food being prepared.

“Dino!” she called over the din of the kitchen. “We have
guests. Jesse and Ricardo just walked in.”

His father shuffled pasta and sauces on the industrial
stoves, cooking several dishes at once like a well-oiled machine. He was a very
fit man, about to turn sixty, and he absolutely adored his wife—more every day,
if that were possible.

His mom whisked off her apron and rushed to greet her two
sons. She gave Sam a quick once-over with interest before moving in for the
kill.

“Jesse! How long have you been back? Why haven’t you called
your mama? What, no phones in England?” She pinched his cheek before enveloping
him in her arms.

She turned to Rick with the same affectionate welcome, only
she was much gentler with him. She also held onto him a little longer,
pretending to glare at Jesse though she smiled.

“My fourth son visits more often than you do.” She patted
Rick on the chest with the palm of her hand.

“That’s ’cause I’m your
good
son, Lia.” Rick laughed,
kissing her cheek as if she were a porcelain doll.

“I’m so happy. All my boys together in the one place.
Gianni, Leo and the rest of the family will be here soon.” Smiling, she looked
at Rick, then to Sam, waiting for an introduction.

Jesse practically saw the wheels turning inside her head. He
put his arm around Sam’s waist, claiming her. “Ma, I’d like you to meet
Samantha Raven. Sam, this is my mom, Lia.”

Sam held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Maurello. You
have a beautiful place here. I can’t wait to eat. Something smells divine. What
is it?” She glanced over the nearby tables.

“That would be my husband and please, dear, call me Lia.”
Dino joined her side, kissing her cheek, hugging his wife’s waist tightly until
she laughed and swatted his hands away.

“Okay, get a room, you two. Next you’ll be scarin’ the
customers away,” Jesse said in jest, though the admiration he held for his
parents’ relationship was boundless.

“You should be so lucky, Jess, to find a woman as beautiful
as your mama.” Dino encased Jesse in a manly hug, patting his back. “It’s good
to see you, son.”

He looked into his father’s eyes and felt grounded, home.
“You too, Pop.”

He introduced Sam to his father and they were rushed off to
the large table near the kitchen permanently reserved for family and friends.

His mom opened a few bottles of wine to serve with their
first course as Leo and his wife Maggie came through the door and quickly
joined their table. Gianni and his wife Allegra soon followed with their three
young boys and new baby girl Aldabella.

Jesse had been in London when she was born so he hadn’t met
the tiny newcomer yet. He waited until they were all seated before introducing
Sam to his brothers and their wives.

The kids took to her like candy, and three-year-old Gianni
Jr. refused to get off her lap when dinner was served. Sam didn’t seem to mind.

“Looks like someone has a crush on you.” Lia laughed as
Allegra tried to pry the little fingers from around Sam’s neck so she could eat
in peace.

His mother shot Jesse an approving glance. She liked Sam
already.

She was fitting in with his family better than he’d even
hoped. His father kept winking at him from across the table, a silly grin on
his face, and his mother only stopped chatting with Sam long enough to feed
herself between the steady flow of conversation.

“So, Sam, tell me. What do you do for a living?” Dino asked
from the head of the table.

“I’m a graphic designer for a large firm in Sydney. I’m here
on business at the moment.” She reached for another piece of garlic bread.

Jesse looked at his mother. She beamed as his father grinned
from ear to ear. He knew what they were thinking. He’d finally brought someone
home who ate like a normal person.

* * * * *

“That’s
it
!” Lia screamed, jumping from her seat.
“It’s been bugging me all night. Sam, come with me, honey.” She quickly rounded
the table and grabbed Sam’s wrist, yanking her out of her seat.

Lia rushed them to the opposite side of the room—the side
Sam had her back to all evening—and stopped at a large set of oil paintings
that proudly hung on the main wall of the restaurant.

Sam stared at three pieces she’d done as a junior when she’d
been at Murphy Graphics for only a year or so. She’d submitted several
paintings to a local exhibition and they had all sold for a good price, much to
her surprise. Saving to buy her house, the proceeds had really helped her along
at the time. The three oils were her favorites from the ones she’d exhibited
that summer. She’d never found out who’d bought them—the buyer wished to remain
anonymous.

She often painted things from her dreams and this set was
just that—a dream. The canvases were of an intricate coastal scene and each
were their own work of art, but when placed together they formed a much larger
picture.

The first was a close-up of a European-style outdoor patio,
raised high on a mountain of rock with magenta bougainvillea aplenty. The frame
in the center detailed the fishing village below. Tall pastel buildings covered
the point—three, four and five stories high. Abodes were built to the edge of
the mountain’s sheer drop. Townsfolk busied the narrow streets and small boats
lined the alleys outside front doors. The last painting ventured off into the
ocean, fishermen returning after a hard day’s work, the red sun on the horizon
prepared to set.

She must have been around nineteen when she’d dreamed of
that place. In her dream, she’d sat on the patio looking down at the small
village below, and after waking that night in a heated sweat the image had
stayed with her for days on end. The only way to scrub it from her mind was to
put it on canvas. Once she did, the pictures had faded from memory…until now.

“Aha! I knew I recognized your name from somewhere. S. M.
Raven. This is you, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, ’fraid so,” she answered meekly. She was floored and
maybe even a little embarrassed. “W-where did you get them? I can’t believe it.
What are the odds I’d find them here?”

Lia’s smile was wide and she bounced on her feet before
wrapping her arms around Sam and hugging her fiercely, kissing both cheeks
twice. “This is a sign. I just know it.”

Sam was slightly taken aback. That was the last thing she’d
expected Jesse’s mom to say to her tonight.

“Sam! Oh this is wonderful! Odds indeed, but I think
everything happens for a reason, don’t you?” Lia turned toward the paintings
though she kept glancing back at Sam. The beautiful older woman had a
mischievous smile on her face and Sam couldn’t help but return it.

“Jesse gave these to us for our anniversary years ago. Dino
and I absolutely
love
them. We had them hanging in our home at first,
but we spend more time here so this is where they live now.”

“What’s wonderful?” Jesse appeared behind her.

* * * * *

Intrigued by his mother squealing like a schoolgirl and
elated to see her embrace Sam like she was part of the family, he’d left the
table to see what she was up to. Little Gianni Jr. was close at his heels and
went straight to Sam’s side, wriggling in front of Jesse, trying to push him
out of the way.