“I’m a Bellini, of course I brought a suit.”
The food had finally started making its way, in a clockwise rotation, around the table. Jamie handed the bowl of mashed potatoes to Ben. “Dad, you want some potatoes?” He’d said as he handed the bowl to Ben, but what he wanted to do was dump them over Ben’s head.
Dad, when had Jamie started calling Ben “Dad”? Oh, that’s right last month he’d said he was going to call Ben “Dad” after the wedding. Phillip had gotten mom pregnant the night he walked out on them. At least, that was what they’d always believed, but if Jess’s eyes weren’t deceiving her, Ben and her mother had met long before the Parker family moved to Kansas and the now infamous church garage sale.
How had she not seen this before, and how was she going to get DNA from Jamie and Ben without them knowing it?
They finished dinner, and Jake and Jamie had clean-up duty. Ben said he was taking Joey home with him so they could change. He looked at Jamie and at Jake. “Jamie, you have your suit? Jake do you need to go home and change?” Then looked at Jess. “You’re in charge of getting everyone to the church.” Then he kissed Lane. “I’ll see you soon, I love you.”
In the SUV, Joey looked at Ben. “Do Mama and Papa know?”
“About the wedding tonight, yes. They’ll meet us at the church, as will Tony and the Lucianos. We’ll send out announcements and have a big reception at Papa’s later.”
He looked at Joey. “About the baby, I thought I’d wait and tell Mama in a week or two. I know she’ll do the math eventually, but I really don’t want to hear it tonight.” Ben looked at his brother. “I love Lane. By not realizing it sooner, I’ve wasted the last three years. I had talked her into a quick wedding a few weeks ago, and then Jess was called back for the audition.”
Joey looked skeptically at Ben. “Your new sons didn’t look too happy.”
Ben laughed. “Each of them had made it clear that I was to keep it in my pants until after the wedding. They’re pissed that I didn’t listen. They’re good kids. They know I love their Mother. They’ll adjust.”
“How’d you get Fr. Palmert to go along with this?”
Ben grinned. “A big donation, a promise to coach little league until hell freezes over, and we already had all of the paperwork done from before.”
Joey laughed.
“Okay, now about your daughter. You know the paparazzi being here means that the crazed fan is going to know where she is. How are we going to keep her safe? Although I’ll tell you, I’m not convinced she needs to be protected. I have a bruise the size of a grapefruit where she shot me yesterday.”
Ben pulled into his garage. And turned to look at Joey. “Watch yourself. That one is five feet four inches of intense, like a triple shot of nitrous oxide. She called me after I started dating her mother and told me if I did anything to hurt her mother, she’d castrate me. Not hurt me. Not make me pay. Castrate me.” Ben shook his head and laughed. “I have no doubt that she could do it too. I had Lane enroll her in self-defense classes a few years ago. And I’ve been taking the three of them to the range and we’ve been playing paint ball and laser tag. She can handle herself. It’s not that.” Ben shook his head. “She sniffled when I talked to her yesterday. You have to understand, there are certain things that Jess Parker doesn’t do unless they’re written in a script. Crying is one of them. It ripped my heart out.”
They walked into the house, each into his bedroom and came out in their Brioni suits and Berluti shoes.
“A couple of months ago, I kept Lane here with me to keep her safe.” Ben looked at his brother. “Jess may not be a Bellini by birth, but she’s my daughter just the same. Sometimes I think she’s more Italian than we are. She understands the concept of protecting the family by whatever means necessary. She called in a favor from Uncle Vinnie last month to protect Jake’s girlfriend.”
“She called in a favor from Uncle Vinnie? What did she do that Uncle Vinnie owed her?”
“No one has told me, but I gather Uncle Sal still owes her.”
Joey shook his head and laughed. “And I’m here to protect her?”
Chapter 15
the bells are ringing
The Bellinis and Lucianos were in the church. All except Pauli, who was still in St. Louis; and Ben’s sister Marie Terese, who was in Italy managing the family’s vineyard. Lane’s only family were her children. Ben and Joey stood at the front of the church with Fr. Palmert, as Jess walked down the aisle carrying a small bouquet of ivory rosebuds. Joey couldn’t take his eyes off her. She wore a long sleeved, floor length, cream colored, jersey dress. She could have been the bride herself. She stood at the front of the church. When the Wedding March began to play, she looked toward the back of the church, as both of her bothers escorted their mother down the aisle.
Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of Lane. He’d never seen anything or anyone so beautiful. She wore a long sleeved, blush colored, floor length dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, emphasizing her beautiful figure. She too, carried a bouquet of ivory rosebuds. He needed to send a healthy tip to his florist. Once again, she’d come through on short notice.
Fr. Palmert asked, “Who gives this woman?”
The three Parker kids in unison said, “We do.”
The wedding ceremony, from procession to “you may kiss the bride”, lasted only about 20 minutes.
Papa Bellini kissed his new daughter on each cheek. “Bella, benvenuti in famiglia. Welcome to the family.”
Mama Bellini kissed Lane on both cheeks. “Bella sposa, non ho mai visto Benito così felice. I’ve never seen my Benito so happy.”
Ben, Lane, Jess and Joey signed the marriage license, and Joey put it in his pocket. Joey’s dilemma had been whether to sign his own name or Pauli’s. The press thought he was Pauli, but Mama knew he was Joey. The document was public record and if the press got hold of it, they’d be all over that he wasn’t Pauli. In the end, he’d signed his own name, knowing that it was a legal document and he didn’t want anything to invalidate his brother’s marriage. He also knew they had a few days before it needed to be filed.
Joey took Uncle Sal aside. He’d really like to know what Jess had done that the uncles owed her a favor. “Zio Sal, la bambina è in difficoltà.”
They stepped away from the rest of the family. “Lei è sotto la mia protezione. UN pazzo si sta insinuando la sua.” Joey told his uncle.
He explained about the notes that had been left in her condo. He told Sal that Ben had someone in L.A. looking into it. He explained that his biggest concern was the paparazzi following them right now; because the crazed fan would most likely be in Kansas soon, if he wasn’t there already. They might need to stay at Uncle Sal’s acreage near Parkville, Missouri.
Uncle Sal nodded, “Si, Io mi occuperò di esso.”
Joey looked at his uncle, “È questo per me, non per lei.” He wanted to make it clear that Jess wasn’t calling in her favor. He would owe Uncle Sal for this. Italians were all about keeping score, at least his family was, and they took their obligations very seriously.
The Parkers had just eaten, but when Papa Bellini announced that there was wedding cake in the Board Room, everyone went to their cars and drove to Bellini’s.
As they walked out of the church, the paparazzi began taking pictures of everyone. Immediately, Joey put his hand protectively at Jess’s back and guided her into Lane’s Escalade, which he commandeered again. He opened the driver’s door, got in and looked at Jess. She was trying hard to hide it, but this was taking a toll. When was this going to be over?
“Mom was a pretty bride, don’t you think?”
“I’ll take your word for it. I don’t make a habit of ogling other men’s girlfriends and wives.” Hell, as far as he was concerned, there was only one woman in the church; and according to her, she wasn’t anyone’s girlfriend.