She was beyond excited about the family coming the following day. I wasn’t looking too forward to the noise, but figured the distraction might be good. Besides, this meant we were just days away from getting married. Tia and my sisters could figure out all that stuff together for a beach ceremony. And there was also the fact that I didn’t need to worry about them if they were under my roof. Not the way I worried about them thousands of miles away, anyways.
She spent the day cooking up a storm and getting another grocery order together, that I gave to the maintenance person, employee of the lady that owned the house.
I spent the day in the boathouse at the shoreline, fixing some boards that looked loose. It was good having something to do, and the maintenance guy told me, somewhat embarrassed, that he just hadn’t gotten to it, that his boss owned seven vacation homes and it kept him hoppin’. The building was nearly empty, looking like it used to be a workshop. Stocked with tools. I decided the dock needed some repairs, too, and figured I’d build a couple new chairs to add for around the fire pot. I gave him a hardware store list, too.
Tia
When the family arrived, they, too, were thrilled with the house. It was big enough for the entire Ferrano Family Experience.
Me, Luc, Tessa, Lisa, and Sarah immediately set about planning. Luc was exploding with excitement to do it and bossed Eddy to take the kids outside immediately to the beach so she could sit down with me and start the planning process.
“We have three days and it’s gonna be tight, but we will make it perfect,” she announced, quickly tying her long blonde hair up into a knot on top of her head and putting pen to paper. “Now---"
“It’s only going to be us, and so it doesn’t need to be fancy. I---"
“But you’ll only get married once,” Luciana cut me off. “I Googled before we came and made an appointment for us with a bridal shop. I told Dare to add a limo to the security detail. We’re driving to San Jose tomorrow to get everything we need. Two photographers and videographers are meeting us at the bridal shop to show their portfolios. And a couple musicians will be here tonight to audition.”
“Now hang on a sec,” Tommy said, arms folded across his chest, standing over us.
Luc looked up at her brother. “All you need to do is show up. Oh, and make sure Tia has your black Amex.”
Tommy’s jaw muscles bulged.
“Tia needs hair, nails, dress, shoes, and we need to get lingerie for the wedding night, and… thought that’d get your attention.” She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled as if Tommy’s tension levels had suddenly plummeted.
They hadn’t. I had to admire her technique though.
This soon degenerated into Tessa standing up, followed by Luc standing up and then the three of them were arguing. In Italian!
“I need to learn Italian,” I said to Sarah. Dario was coming in, shoving his shirtsleeves up to his elbows, revealing corded forearms. My future brother-in-law certainly was gorgeous with his blond hair and olive skin and those blue eyes. He was in chinos and a loose half-unbuttoned button down. More casual than I’d ever seen him.
“No, you don’t,” Sarah said softly into my ear. “Then you can plead ignorance when he gets mad you did something. Tessa and Luc can take the heat because you didn’t know his tirade didn’t end in permission being granted for something.”
I giggled.
Tommy’s eyes moved to me and he ignored his sisters, who were talking over one another, now strangely arguing with one another instead of him.
“Baby?” he called. “Come over here.”
I got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen island where the Ferrano siblings were gathered.
“What do you wannna do?” he asked, eyes studying my face as he took my jaw into both hands and rubbed his thumbs across the apples of my cheeks.
The room hushed.
I smiled. “I’d love to go shopping with your sisters and make our big day beautiful.”
Tommy’s expression was unreadable to me.
“I can take the girls,” Dario offered.
Tommy’s posture instantly relaxed. “Fine. Since Dare’ll be there, go. Whatever my bride wants.”
Luc did an excited girlie dance. Tessa had a big smile on her face, the first one I’d seen since before she lost her husband.
“Yay,” Lisa said and clapped her hands as she exited the room.
“I’ll make lunch,” Sarah announced and squeezed my hand as she passed me to head to the refrigerator.”