the other way around. Charlie would eat anything Pete cooked.
Two of the kids came running in and were quickly intercepted by their father. “I thought I told you to stay outside until the grown-ups are done in here.”
“I’m still hungry,” the littlest one said. Pete and Gianna had three kids. The oldest was a fourteen-year-old boy, the middle girl was eight and the youngest was a five-year-old princess and a carbon copy of her mother. Pete was going to have his hands full in ten years or so.
“Impossible,” Gianna said, coming out of the kitchen with a basket of Italian bread and a dish of olive oil. “You had two helpings of fettuccine.”
“I need a cookie.”
Pete put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around so she was facing the door. “You need to go back outside, Eva. You, too, Mia.”
His son, Sean, poked his head in. “Come back outside, you two! I told you not to bother Mom and Dad.”
“I need a cookie. I’m dying of starvation!” Eva claimed in dramatic fashion. She put a hand on her belly and the other on her forehead.
“Come into the kitchen,” Gianna said, giving in. Who wouldn’t? She was too cute.
“My son is the same way,” Max told Pete. “The world is ending right after I ask him to get ready for bed.”
“Kids,” Pete said with a shake of his head. “You gotta love them or they won’t take care of you when you’re old.”
Gianna and Pete had planned a family-style dinner. Gianna’s Italian heritage was evident in everything they had prepared. There were fresh, homemade pastas and pesto-rubbed chicken. She’d made some swordfish puttanesca and eggplant Parmesan lasagna. The fresh-baked Italian bread was the perfect combination of crusty on the outside and soft and warm inside. Charlie wanted to be invited over for dinner every night.
Dessert was a sampling of cannoli, tiramisu, cookies, mascarpone and dark chocolate mousse in white chocolate cups, and berries in some sort of cream that made Charlie’s taste buds feel as if they had died and gone to heaven.
“Everything you’ve tasted tonight we’d consider our signature dishes, but if you have a particular menu in mind, we can always—”
“You’re hired,” Max said without letting Gianna finish. He glared at Charlie and then Emma. “How’s that for difficult?”
Charlie threw his hands up. “Dude! She was about to suggest we have another tasting. You blew it!”
Everyone at the table chuckled. Even Emma, who had remained quiet for most of the dinner.
“You can come over anytime, Charlie,” Gianna offered. “But is the bride-to-be on the same page here?”
Kendall nodded, her mouth full of one of those chocolate cups. She swallowed it down. “Everything was amazing. We would love you guys to cater our wedding.”
Charlie stole a glance in Emma’s direction. She was busy sneaking another cannoli onto her plate. She hadn’t been sure about hiring Pete and Gianna when he’d first suggested it. He watched her take a bite and close her eyes when the incredible flavors hit her tongue. Looked as though she was also won over.
Charlie’s chest tightened. It felt as if his heart was being squeezed. There was no one prettier in the entire world than Emma. Dr. Not-That-Charming had no idea what a gift he was being given.
Before he had a chance to look away, their eyes met. One corner of Emma’s mouth curled up. She licked some of the cannoli filling off her fingers. Charlie was sure he was going to burst into flames. Thank goodness Pete was a firefighter.
“What about the maid of honor? Is it unanimous?” Pete asked Emma, causing her to break their connection.
“Absolutely. That was the best food I’ve eaten...maybe ever.”
What Charlie wouldn’t give for her to see everything his way. He wished she could see how good they could be together. He didn’t have a perfect smile or a fancy medical degree, but he would give her the world if she asked for it.
“You guys should open your own
Two of the kids came running in and were quickly intercepted by their father. “I thought I told you to stay outside until the grown-ups are done in here.”
“I’m still hungry,” the littlest one said. Pete and Gianna had three kids. The oldest was a fourteen-year-old boy, the middle girl was eight and the youngest was a five-year-old princess and a carbon copy of her mother. Pete was going to have his hands full in ten years or so.
“Impossible,” Gianna said, coming out of the kitchen with a basket of Italian bread and a dish of olive oil. “You had two helpings of fettuccine.”
“I need a cookie.”
Pete put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around so she was facing the door. “You need to go back outside, Eva. You, too, Mia.”
His son, Sean, poked his head in. “Come back outside, you two! I told you not to bother Mom and Dad.”
“I need a cookie. I’m dying of starvation!” Eva claimed in dramatic fashion. She put a hand on her belly and the other on her forehead.
“Come into the kitchen,” Gianna said, giving in. Who wouldn’t? She was too cute.
“My son is the same way,” Max told Pete. “The world is ending right after I ask him to get ready for bed.”
“Kids,” Pete said with a shake of his head. “You gotta love them or they won’t take care of you when you’re old.”
Gianna and Pete had planned a family-style dinner. Gianna’s Italian heritage was evident in everything they had prepared. There were fresh, homemade pastas and pesto-rubbed chicken. She’d made some swordfish puttanesca and eggplant Parmesan lasagna. The fresh-baked Italian bread was the perfect combination of crusty on the outside and soft and warm inside. Charlie wanted to be invited over for dinner every night.
Dessert was a sampling of cannoli, tiramisu, cookies, mascarpone and dark chocolate mousse in white chocolate cups, and berries in some sort of cream that made Charlie’s taste buds feel as if they had died and gone to heaven.
“Everything you’ve tasted tonight we’d consider our signature dishes, but if you have a particular menu in mind, we can always—”
“You’re hired,” Max said without letting Gianna finish. He glared at Charlie and then Emma. “How’s that for difficult?”
Charlie threw his hands up. “Dude! She was about to suggest we have another tasting. You blew it!”
Everyone at the table chuckled. Even Emma, who had remained quiet for most of the dinner.
“You can come over anytime, Charlie,” Gianna offered. “But is the bride-to-be on the same page here?”
Kendall nodded, her mouth full of one of those chocolate cups. She swallowed it down. “Everything was amazing. We would love you guys to cater our wedding.”
Charlie stole a glance in Emma’s direction. She was busy sneaking another cannoli onto her plate. She hadn’t been sure about hiring Pete and Gianna when he’d first suggested it. He watched her take a bite and close her eyes when the incredible flavors hit her tongue. Looked as though she was also won over.
Charlie’s chest tightened. It felt as if his heart was being squeezed. There was no one prettier in the entire world than Emma. Dr. Not-That-Charming had no idea what a gift he was being given.
Before he had a chance to look away, their eyes met. One corner of Emma’s mouth curled up. She licked some of the cannoli filling off her fingers. Charlie was sure he was going to burst into flames. Thank goodness Pete was a firefighter.
“What about the maid of honor? Is it unanimous?” Pete asked Emma, causing her to break their connection.
“Absolutely. That was the best food I’ve eaten...maybe ever.”
What Charlie wouldn’t give for her to see everything his way. He wished she could see how good they could be together. He didn’t have a perfect smile or a fancy medical degree, but he would give her the world if she asked for it.
“You guys should open your own
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