It Had To Be You Read Free

is. She wants us to be happy, and if that means changing the color of her dress, she’s willing to do it.”
    “Aw.” I grinned. Earline Neeley, my soon-to-be mother-in-law, was about the sweetest person I’d ever met. She and her church friends from Splendora would likely make our wedding unforgettable. They’d already impacted our lives in so many fun and quirky ways.
    “I wish you could have heard me trying to talk my dad out of wearing his motorcycle jacket to the ceremony.” D.J. laughed. “He suggested we have a motorcycle-themed ceremony. He even went into detail about how we could accomplish that. I’ll spare you the details.”
    I couldn’t help but laugh at that one. “Did you tell him we’re going with a traditional Valentine’s wedding instead? No gimmicks?”
    “Yeah, but he’s determined to sneak a Harley or two in there. If I tell him our wedding colors, he’ll probably have seat covers made to match. Oh, and by the way, he specifically asked if Guido was invited to the ceremony.”
    I groaned as D.J. mentioned our family’s adopted parrot. “No. We left him off the guest list on purpose. Remember what happened the last time he showed up at a wedding?”
    “How could I forget?” D.J. chuckled. “He stole my dad’s toupee.”
    I shook my head, trying to push the image out of my brain. Oh, what chaos had transpired that horrible, wacky night! “Guido is a reformed bird now,” I said. “Well, sort of, anyway. I still don’t trust him in public arenas, so I’m going to have to put my foot down on this one. No birds at the wedding.”
    “Except the lovebirds that happen to be flying overhead at the time.” D.J. winked, and my heart jolted. Oy, what this cowboy could do to me!
    I gazed into his eyes and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You hungry?” I asked.
    “Mmm.” He quirked a brow, and his blue eyes twinkled. “You have to ask?”
    “Laz made his famous Caesar salad tonight, and Rosa’s cooking chicken parmesan.”
    “With her garlic twists?” D.J. asked, his eyebrows elevating.
    “Of course!” My aunt’s garlic twists were famous, not just on the island, but across the country. She’d recently been featured on a Food Network special, Italian Chefs from Coast to Coast. The fine folks at the network had offered her a show of her very own, but she’d turned them down after Laz declared his intentions. To her way of thinking, love trumped fame. I had to agree. Not that I’d ever been offered fame. Still, I had to believe I’d pick love any day.
    “What’s for dessert?” D.J. asked.
    “White chocolate raspberry cheesecake.”
    At this announcement, we both closed our eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying a spiritual moment. Aunt Rosa’s cheesecake was nothing short of heavenly, after all.
    After a moment, D.J. kissed my closed eyelids. “What are we doing standing out here then?” he asked.
    As we walked in the front door, the pungent aroma of garlic and other spices caused us both to stop and draw in another lingering breath. Rosa’s cooking could do that to you.
    “I’m learning to love that smell,” D.J. said with a nod.
    “It ain’t chicken-fried steak,” I responded with a laugh. “Not exactly Texas fare. But you have to admit, Rosa’s the best cook on the island, and Laz comes in a close second.”
    “Yeah, I don’t know what everyone is going to do without them once they get married.”
    I shook my head, unwilling to think about that. We’d all secretly wondered if we would starve to death once Rosa and Laz found their own place to live. Rosa had always resided in the room next to mine, with Laz’s room just on the other side of hers. For as long as I’d remembered, she’d been a permanent fixture in both our home and our kitchen, where the magic took place. How would we make it without her? I had no idea.
    “Looks like we’ll be visiting them often.” D.J. offered up a wink, once again melting my heart.
    At this point, my Yorkie-Poo,