It Had To Be You Read Free Page B

love.”
    Just then, the sound of swing music filled the room. Laz’s face lit up. “Ah. Rosa must’ve put in the Glenn Miller CD. We’re trying to get in the mood before our big day.” He laughed. “Get it? ‘In the mood’?”
    D.J.’s bright red cheeks faded to a somewhat lighter color as Laz explained that “In the Mood” was the name of a Glenn Miller song.
    We continued to set up the room for dinner, adding Aunt Rosa’s hand-painted plates from her beloved Napoli, silverware that had been in the family for over fifty years, and beautiful etched glasses Mama had purchased on her last European jaunt. When it was all said and done, D.J. and I stood back and stared at the table. He let out a whistle.
    “Man. Looks like something out of a magazine.”
    “Prettier than a magazine,” I added.
    Rosa entered with a serving dish in hand. Chicken parmesan. The sauce still bubbled, and the melted mozzarella on top was perfectly browned. Yum! I could hardly wait to take my first bite.
    The pungent aroma of garlic now permeated the room. I drew in a long breath, savoring every second. My mouth watered as I looked down at the table. The vibrant colors of the red tomato gravy and the crisp, green Caesar salad drew my eye. These, combined with the steam coming from the buttered garlic twists, made me so hungry I could hardly wait for the others.
    Still, I must wait. Probably wouldn’t be very nice to dive right in ahead of the crowd. No, that sort of thing was left to Armando, who had a habit of beating the rest of us to the punch. When he bothered to show up, anyway.
    By the time Rosa and Laz had the food on the table, the room was full. My brother Joey arrived first with his fiancée. Norah gave me a hug and commented on my new blouse, a silky green number I’d picked up on a recent trip to the Galleria in Houston. My older brother Nick arrived next with his boys, Deany-boy and Frankie.
    “Hey, where’s Marcella?” I asked, looking around.
    “She’s here. Just had to make a pit stop.”
    True enough, Marcella walked into the dining room a couple of minutes later, her protruding belly leading the way. She looked miserably uncomfortable, in spite of her stretchy maternity attire.
    “How’s it going at the florist shop?” I asked. “Did you get all of the flowers ordered for Rosa?”
    “Yes.” She nodded. “I finally found them at that great place in Houston near the medical center.” She released a groan as she took a seat. “Sorry if I seem a little out of sorts. I’ve been on my feet all day, and this baby is giving me fits.”
    “Morning sickness?” I asked.
    “No, that passed ages ago. I’m starting to feel him move now.”
    “Him?” I quirked a brow in Nick’s direction, wondering if he and his wife had been keeping something from us. Marcella and Nick already had two boys. Two hyper, disobedient boys, who had now taken to fighting over where they were going to sit. I was holding out for a girl this time around. Surely her timely arrival would break the evil spell.
    My sister Sophia entered the room moments later with my ex-boyfriend on her heels. I’d known Tony DeLuca for years. He was, as my mother put it, practically perfect in every way. Came from just the right family line in Sicily. Spoke fluent Italian. Was shockingly handsome. Still, I’d never truly fallen for him, and in the end, I’d broken his heart with my rejection of his affections.
    Funny. As he gazed into my sister’s big brown eyes, he didn’t look heartbroken now. Tony had always enjoyed hanging out at the Rossi home. Perhaps he’d had the right address all along, just the wrong girl.
    Not that I minded. Oh no. My gaze shifted to the one person whose heartstrings were looped with my own—D.J. Neeley. The background music changed to a familiar swing number, and I wanted to grab him by the hand and ask for a spin around the dance floor. Only, not now. Those tantalizing garlic twists still called out to me. There would be