Wildflower Wedding (11 page)

“That was a good way to go about it.” Gabby felt instant relief. She was starting to like Trish and didn't want to hold her review against her even though she realized she was only doing her job.

“So you think he will?” Maggie persisted.

“Forgive me?” Trish shrugged. “The man might be gorgeous but he's got a hard head. I guess I'll see. I have a couple more things up my sleeve that may sway him too. But he refuses to stay off his sprained ankle.”

“So, have you been playing nurse?” Joy asked.

Trish rolled her eyes. “I've tried but he's been so grumpy.”

“You could get a naughty little nurse's outfit and sashay over there.” Joy stood up, put a hand on her hip, and demonstrated, bringing all to laughter. “I just bet that would cheer him up.”

“He's a tough nut to crack,” Trish admitted. “But hey, I don't blame him. After divorce the romantic rug gets pulled out from beneath you so to speak. I sure am struggling.”

“Oh . . . wait. So this is the uncle that Reese lived with in Brooklyn?” Joy looked over to Gabby for confirmation.

Gabby nodded. “Reese and I grew up together until he left for New York.”

Trish's eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. I thought you looked familiar. You were at the restaurant helping out, weren't you?”

“Yes, I walked over to get lunch and entered chaos. I knew I had to try to pitch in,” Gabby replied.

“Thanks for being so understanding about the review and not tossing me over the side of the deck.”

Gabby poured more wine in her glass and offered the bottle to Trish. “I grew up being judged and so I try to keep an open mind. Like you explained, you were just writing an honest piece.”

Trish sighed. “I love to write but I'm not so sure I'm cut out to be a critic. I was horrified when I realized Anthony and Reese owned River Row Pizza and Pasta.”

Maggie shook her head. “I know it had to be horrible, but I would like to have been a fly on the wall when Tony found out.”

“Oh, I defended my position to him, but in truth I wanted the ground to swallow me up. Plus, he found out I'd been unlocking his door and letting his dog out on a daily basis. He was steaming,” Trish said, but grinned.

“You fancy him, don't you?” Joy asked.

Trish stabbed a cube of cheese with a toothpick. “That arrogant, mule-headed Italian?” she scoffed.

“A very sexy Italian,” Maggie pointed out. “And so is his nephew.” She arched an eyebrow at Gabby, who tried to hide her blush by taking a sip of her wine.

“So that's a yes,” Addison said to Trish, and they all laughed. “What about you, Gabby? I know you had fun at the dance with the younger arrogant, mule-headed, sexy Italian. Any news there? Now that I'm married I have to live vicariously through you single ladies.”

“Ha!” Joy slapped her knee. “We all feel so sorry for you being married to Reid Greenfield,” she said in a singsong voice.

“Thank you. I'll admit it's tough,” Addison answered with a laugh. “But speaking of mule-headed, I had to take
that
whole situation into my own two hands or we wouldn't be married. The days are done when women have to wait for the man to make the move.” She gave Gabby a pointed look. “So, Gabby? Have you been seeing Reese since the dance?”

“He's always working,” Gabby answered with a shrug. “Especially since Tony sprained his ankle.” She left out getting the flirty text messages that made her smile throughout the day and dream of Reese at night.

“So, in other words, not nearly enough,” Addison pointed out.

Gabby bit her bottom lip but nodded her admission. He always seemed to be on her mind.

“Well, now,” Joy said. “Addison has the right idea. Sounds like these men need a nudge in the right direction. Sometimes you do have to take the situation into your own hands, if you know what I mean.”

Maggie nodded and raised her glass. “I'll drink to that. Cheers!”

They tapped their glasses together and laughed.

“I suddenly feel like pizza. Anyone want to join me at River Row Pizza and Pasta?” Joy asked with a grin.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Maggie said with a firm nod. “Let's go, girls!”

“I'm in!” Gabby joined in the laughter, feeling more carefree than she'd felt in a long time.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

“U
NCLE TONY, YOU SHOULD GET OFF THAT FOOT AND ICE IT
down,” Reese suggested when he noticed the grimace of pain on his uncle's face.

“I've got to mix the veal into the ground beef.”

“I'll take over,” Reese insisted.

“You've got desserts to bake.”

“You know what? I'm thinking about heading up to Grammar's Bakery in the morning. Cheat a little bit so I can do the prep work for you. They'll still be homemade desserts.”

“No way.”

Reese raised his hands in the air. “You need to stop being so damned stubborn. At this rate you'll be hobbling around for the rest of your life. Sit your ass down and I'll grab you a beer. I'm capable of making meatballs.”

“You are a meatball,” Tony answered with a dark scowl. “You know I can take you even with the bum ankle.”

“In your dreams.”

“You wanna go?” Tony asked, but the fight was gone from his voice as he hobbled over to a metal folding chair and sat down.

Reese brought a bag of ice over and handed him a Bourbon Barrel Ale.

“This is some good stuff.”

“I'm always looking out for ya.” Reese had stocked up on his uncle's new favorite beer. He scooted another chair over so Tony could prop his foot up. “Chill for a few minutes, okay? I told you we should have had Ryan stay and help out.”

“We need to cut back on costs until we're in the black. Besides, the kid worked his ass off and it's Friday night. We're likely to get some delivery orders soon or I'd get the hell out of here myself.”

“At least the dinner rush is over,” Reese said.

A moment later Tessa hurried through the door. “You'll never guess who stopped in for a late dinner.”

Reese and Tony looked at her, waiting.

“This is where you guess,” she said, clearly excited.

“Mom, just tell us. I'm not in the mood for guessing.”

“You're no fun. It's Gabby, Trish, Addison, Joy, and Maggie! They ordered a large pepperoni with mushrooms and bell peppers and an order of cheese sticks.”

“I'll get on it.” Reese tried not to appear as though the news made his heart pound. He hated that he'd been so busy all week and hoped that douche bag Drew wasn't making a move on Gabby, but he was fairly certain that he was.

Tessa chuckled. “You know that both of you can stand there looking all big and bad but you're both so transparent.”

“I'm sitting,” Tony corrected, and glared down at his ankle.

“You like Trish, Tony. Just admit it.”

“Are you kiddin' me?” Tony growled. “Are you forgetting Trish trashed our food? She might be out there to do 'nother story for all we know.”

“You're so full of it, Tony, and you know it. She's out there laughing and cutting it up with her friends. I think they've been drinking a little bit,” she added in a stage whisper. “Joy, the older one, just got up and started dancing to Sinatra. She's a card.”

Reese watched the sudden wistful look pass over his mom's face. When was the last time she had a girls' night out? “Mom, why don't you take a bottle of wine out there, on the house, sit down, and have a drink with them?”

Tessa put a hand on her chest. “We're too busy. I need to start the prep for tomorrow.”

“Have Cara roll the silverware and fill saltshakers. She's not busy right now.”

Tessa looked at Reese for a second. She swallowed hard but then nodded. “You know what? I think I will!”

Reese felt emotion fill his throat. His mother was such a good person. She deserved to have some fun once in a while. “Go! I'll bring the pizza out when it's done.”

When she walked out into the dining room with the wine, Reese heard the ladies cheer.

“You're a good kid, Reese.”

Reese shrugged. “I love her so much, ya know?”

“I do know.”

Reese watched the play of emotion on his uncle's face. “I know you love her too.”

“We all got handed a raw deal in some ways, but we're luckier than most. We have each other's back. That's what families do.”

“Always,” Reese said, and then cleared his throat. “By the way, I'm not a kid, you big oaf.”

Tony laughed and then tipped his beer bottle up to his lips. “Get your ass to work.”

Grumbling under his breath, Reese started making the pizza, but when he heard the sound of his mother's laughter drift back into the kitchen he smiled. He'd never be happy about Uncle Tony having to shut down Marino Pizza, but he sure was glad to be back in Cricket Creek near his mother.

“Make sure the pizza is perfect for Miss Critic out there,” Tony grumbled.

Reese shot him a look. “Was Mom right? Do you have a thing for her?”

“Hell no! Trish Daniels is a thorn in my side and gonna stay that way. She squirted my ass with water from a hose last week.”

“I like her already.”

“You would. She's even stolen the affection of my dog!” he grumbled.

“Ah . . . so you do have a thing for her.”

Tony set the beer bottle down with a thump. “Now, how do you figure that?”

“Because you're protesting way too damned much.”

Tony's answer was a grunt. “Right. Like I want another woman to screw me up even more than I already am. Not gonna happen. I'm done, Reese. You can stick a fork in me.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have that piss-poor attitude.” Reese hesitated because he and his uncle hadn't really discussed this before. “I mean, it's been two years now.”

“Two years of struggling to get back on my feet, financially . . . emotionally. You were there, Reese. Man, I don't know if I could ever put myself out there again.”

Reese slid the pizza in the oven and turned around. “Well, I carried that damned chip on my shoulder for a long time. You'd be surprised how much better you feel when you let the anger go. It's like a big-ass weight lifted, ya know?”

“I know you're right. I just can't shake the anger.”

Reese angled his head toward the crutches. “Why don't you hobble out there and say hi?”

Tony glanced toward the double doors. “No, let Tessa have center stage.”

Reese nodded his agreement, but something flicked in his uncle's eyes and he knew it was an excuse. Gloria had done a serious number on him. But it wasn't right for Uncle Tony to live the rest of his life looking back. Somehow they all three needed to break free of the past in order to move forward.

“Hey, Reese, don't look at me like that. I need to get this restaurant up and making money. The last thing I need is to get tangled up with a woman.” He tipped his bottle up and took a long pull of his beer.

“Really? Because I think it's exactly what you
do
need.”

Tony grimaced and then rearranged the ice pack on his ankle. “Like I said but you don't seem to hear me: not gonna happen.”

Reese put the cheese sticks on a serving plate and poured some of their homemade marinara into a small bowl. “Keep an eye on the pizza while I take this out there, okay?”

Uncle Tony gave him a grumpy nod. “Whatever.”

Reese pushed through the doors with the food. His gaze immediately fell on Gabby. She tossed her head back and laughed at something that Joy said, but when she looked his way her laughter stopped and she swallowed hard. Was she nervous? Excited to see him? He sure as hell wished he knew. “Here you go, ladies. Your pizza will be out in just a few minutes.”

“Do you need me in the kitchen?” his mother wanted to know.

“No, Mom, Uncle Tony and I have it under control. You just sit and relax.”

“Is he staying off that ankle?” Trish asked.

“Of course not, unless you count right this minute,” Reese replied. To his surprise Trish pushed back from the table.

“Pardon me while I go give him a piece of my mind,” Trish said firmly.

“Good luck with that one,” Reese said with a surprised shake of his head. He suspected that the wine they'd been consuming had given her a bit of liquid courage. Good thing. She was going to need it.

A moment later Reese heard raised voices. “I'd better get back there and run interference,” he said with a shake of his head. “I'll bring your pizza if I come out of there alive. If I'm not out in five minutes, come looking for me.”

The ladies all laughed and just as he imagined when he entered the kitchen, Uncle Tony and Trish were nose to nose arguing.

“No, I didn't take the anti-inflammatory because it upsets my stomach.”

“You have to eat in order for that not to happen,” Trish argued.

“I don't feel like eating with my damned ankle throbbing.”

“That's why you need to stay off it, Anthony!”

“You're my landlord, not my mother. Don't call me that.”

“Then I'll call you what you really are.”

“And what would that be?”

“A jackass.”

Reese stood there wondering what to do. Neither one of them realized he'd entered the kitchen.

“Is that right?” Tony crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. He picked up his beer and then frowned when he realized the bottle was empty. “Why don't you do something useful and get me a beer?”

Trish fisted her hands on her hips. “When hell freezes over.”

“You're just full of charm, aren't you?”

“And you're full of—”

Reese cleared his throat, deciding it was time to put an end to this heated exchange. “Um, I came back here to get the pizza,” he explained, and headed over to the oven.

“Hope it's perfect so Trish doesn't turn her nose up and write something mean.”

Reese watched her eyes flash. “You know what? I'm out of here. Pardon me for caring.” She turned on her heel and stormed out.

“Um, that went well,” Reese said, and shook his head at his uncle. “Don't you think you were a little bit harsh? She did come back here to see how you were doing.”

“I don't need her mothering me.”

“I don't really think that's what she has in mind,” Reese said. “You know you might be screwing up what could be a good thing?”

“Haven't we had this conversation already?”

Reese slid pizza onto a metal tray and then turned to face his uncle. “Cut her some slack, Uncle Tony. She seems pretty sweet.”

“You call that piece of work sweet?”

“Yeah, and you were a complete dick. Get your sorry ass out of here and take her some dessert.”

“I don't want to get involved with the woman. Any woman. But especially
her
.” He angled his head toward the door.

“Then you're dumber than you look.”

Reese picked up the pizza and walked out into the dining room. He noticed that Trish had left and felt sorry for her. “So Trish went home?”

When Gabby nodded Reese shook his head.

“Why don't you sit down and have a slice of pizza?” Without waiting for an answer, his mother stood up and vacated the spot next to Gabby. “The dining room is closed and we don't have any deliveries. I'll go back and help clean up the kitchen with Mr. Grump,” she added with a nod toward the kitchen.

While Reese wanted to argue, the temptation to sit next to Gabby was too strong and so he agreed. “Let me know if you need me back there,” he called over his shoulder.

A few minutes later his mother sent him a text message saying all was under control and that he should offer to walk Gabby home. He smiled, liking the idea.

“This pizza is so good,” Joy said. “I can't wait to try some other items on your menu too.”

“I agree wholeheartedly,” Addison added.

“Thanks.” Reese felt a measure of pride and smiled.

“Of course pretty soon my butt is going to be the size of a Buick,” Joy added, making them all laugh. “Especially with those delectable desserts.”

A moment later Clyde Camden walked into the restaurant. Reese remembered him from the dance. At least he thought it was Clyde. It could have been his twin.

“Oh, I'm sorry but the dining room is closed,” Cara told him. “Would you like to order carryout?”

Clyde glanced over at Joy. “No, thank you. I've found what I'm looking for.”

Reese saw Gabby give Joy a discreet little nudge and had to hide his grin. Clyde was one smooth operator. When he looked at the pink color in Joy's cheeks, he thought he should start taking notes.

“You were looking for me?” Joy put a hand on her chest.

“I knew you were working late and didn't want you to walk home in the dark. I passed Trish and she let me know you were here.”

“There are streetlights along the way, Clyde. And it's not far to Whisper's Edge. Not much crime happens in Cricket Creek.”

“I think that's a lovely gesture,” Gabby piped up, and this time Joy nudged her back. “Don't you think so, Addison?” Gabby persisted.

“Absolutely,” Addison agreed. “I'm about ready to leave too. She motioned to Cara. “Could we have the check, sweetie?”

“This is on the house,” Reese offered.

“No way,” Addison argued when Cara handed her the tab. “And this one is on me. I had such a great time tonight,” she said as she slid her credit card into the plastic slot. “Let's do this more often.”

“I agree,” Gabby said, and Reese was glad to see that she was fitting into the community. There was a new confidence about her that he found appealing . . . and very sexy.

“Me too,” Joy added, but then frowned. “Will y'all check on Trish? She seemed a little bit upset.”

“Uncle Tony is going to bring her a peace offering,” Reese promised. “He's just in a crummy mood with his sprained ankle.” And other things. . . .

“Those two just seem to be dancing around their mutual attraction,” Joy said.