Paretti, John’s older brother, approach. He carried ice cream sundaes and handed one to her when he was close enough.
“Thanks,” she said, flicking a glance toward the house. “But I should really be going in. See to Jordan.”
He chuckled and sat down beside her. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, and dipped up a spoonful of whipped cream. “Jordan’s being passed around like a football in there.”
Her eyes went wide, and her fingers tightened on the ice cream bowl.
“It’s okay,” he said, correctly reading her expression. “The baby’s loving the attention, and Gina’s mom is in hog heaven.”
Maryann Santini Mazzeo, she thought, the older woman’s warmth and wide smile rising up in her mind. So different from her own mother, Annie thought with an inward sigh.
“There’s nothing Maryann likes better than babies,” he was saying, and Annie’s attention shifted back to him. “You’d think being a fairly new bride herself, she’d want some time alone with Sal. But then Sal’s as bad as she is about the kids.”
“It must be nice,” Annie said, before she could stop herself.
“What?” He took a bite of the sundae and waited.
“This,” she said, waving one hand at the toy-laden yard and the crowded house beyond. “Family. A close family.”
“Yeah,” he said after a long pause. “Yeah, it is. Though there are times…”
“What times are those, General?” his wife asked as she slipped up behind him, then plopped onto his lap, narrowly missing upsetting his ice cream.
He laughed and gave Annie a “see what I mean?” look. But to Gina, he said only, “Times when I want you all to myself.”
“Oh,” she retorted, planting a quick kiss on his mouth. “Good answer.” Then she turned on his lap and smiled at Annie. “So, when are you and John gonna get married?”
Annie choked on a mouthful of ice cream, and when she had her breath back, she heard Nick saying, “Geez, Gina. Real subtle.”
“Who needs subtle?” she asked. “You never find out anything being subtle.”
Annie looked around the yard, hoping for a reprieve, but when none came, shifted her gaze back to John’s sister-in-law. “We’re just friends,” she said, and congratulated herself on her quick thinking.
“Uh-huh,” Gina said, apparently not convinced. Hergaze still locked on Annie, she said, “Tell me something, Nick, how many women has John brought home to meet the family?”
“None. Gina…”
“Shh…” she said, then leaned forward, smiling at Annie. “Look, I know it’s none of my business—”
“But,” her husband provided, knowing more was coming.
She ignored him. “ But anyone can see you’re nuts about him.”
“You know,” Annie said, desperately reaching for a way out of this, “I’d better go check on Jordan and—”
“And John’s crazy about you,” Gina finished and Annie shut right up and looked at her.
“Gina,” Nick said, “keep out of this.”
“This is family business and Mama always says, ‘Family comes first’.” Then, focusing on Annie again, she lowered her voice and said, “I just wanted to put in a good word for the Paretti men, that’s all. They make good husbands, and they’re really cute.”
Well, duh, Annie thought but didn’t say. Of course they were cute. Gorgeous, even. But she wasn’t in the market for a husband, and John hadn’t exactly applied for the job.
“Oh for—” Nick stood up, dragging his buttinski wife with him. “Annie, pay no attention to her. She’s studying for finals, and the pressure’s getting to her.”
The screen door swung open, and John stepped onto the porch, with Jeremy Mahoney, Angela’s son, and Gina’s nephew, right behind him. Nick took a moment to set his ice cream down on the picnic table, then picked up his wife and swung her over his shoulder. Giving her behind a sharp smack with the palm of his hand,he ignored her outraged shriek and said, “We’re leaving now. Say goodbye,
“Thanks,” she said, flicking a glance toward the house. “But I should really be going in. See to Jordan.”
He chuckled and sat down beside her. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, and dipped up a spoonful of whipped cream. “Jordan’s being passed around like a football in there.”
Her eyes went wide, and her fingers tightened on the ice cream bowl.
“It’s okay,” he said, correctly reading her expression. “The baby’s loving the attention, and Gina’s mom is in hog heaven.”
Maryann Santini Mazzeo, she thought, the older woman’s warmth and wide smile rising up in her mind. So different from her own mother, Annie thought with an inward sigh.
“There’s nothing Maryann likes better than babies,” he was saying, and Annie’s attention shifted back to him. “You’d think being a fairly new bride herself, she’d want some time alone with Sal. But then Sal’s as bad as she is about the kids.”
“It must be nice,” Annie said, before she could stop herself.
“What?” He took a bite of the sundae and waited.
“This,” she said, waving one hand at the toy-laden yard and the crowded house beyond. “Family. A close family.”
“Yeah,” he said after a long pause. “Yeah, it is. Though there are times…”
“What times are those, General?” his wife asked as she slipped up behind him, then plopped onto his lap, narrowly missing upsetting his ice cream.
He laughed and gave Annie a “see what I mean?” look. But to Gina, he said only, “Times when I want you all to myself.”
“Oh,” she retorted, planting a quick kiss on his mouth. “Good answer.” Then she turned on his lap and smiled at Annie. “So, when are you and John gonna get married?”
Annie choked on a mouthful of ice cream, and when she had her breath back, she heard Nick saying, “Geez, Gina. Real subtle.”
“Who needs subtle?” she asked. “You never find out anything being subtle.”
Annie looked around the yard, hoping for a reprieve, but when none came, shifted her gaze back to John’s sister-in-law. “We’re just friends,” she said, and congratulated herself on her quick thinking.
“Uh-huh,” Gina said, apparently not convinced. Hergaze still locked on Annie, she said, “Tell me something, Nick, how many women has John brought home to meet the family?”
“None. Gina…”
“Shh…” she said, then leaned forward, smiling at Annie. “Look, I know it’s none of my business—”
“But,” her husband provided, knowing more was coming.
She ignored him. “ But anyone can see you’re nuts about him.”
“You know,” Annie said, desperately reaching for a way out of this, “I’d better go check on Jordan and—”
“And John’s crazy about you,” Gina finished and Annie shut right up and looked at her.
“Gina,” Nick said, “keep out of this.”
“This is family business and Mama always says, ‘Family comes first’.” Then, focusing on Annie again, she lowered her voice and said, “I just wanted to put in a good word for the Paretti men, that’s all. They make good husbands, and they’re really cute.”
Well, duh, Annie thought but didn’t say. Of course they were cute. Gorgeous, even. But she wasn’t in the market for a husband, and John hadn’t exactly applied for the job.
“Oh for—” Nick stood up, dragging his buttinski wife with him. “Annie, pay no attention to her. She’s studying for finals, and the pressure’s getting to her.”
The screen door swung open, and John stepped onto the porch, with Jeremy Mahoney, Angela’s son, and Gina’s nephew, right behind him. Nick took a moment to set his ice cream down on the picnic table, then picked up his wife and swung her over his shoulder. Giving her behind a sharp smack with the palm of his hand,he ignored her outraged shriek and said, “We’re leaving now. Say goodbye,
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