Still, as I caught a glimpse of Mama, I had to admit, she still looked a bit worried. “How long will you and Laz stay in Europe?” she asked Aunt Rosa. “Will you be gone during the Christmas holidays?”
“We arrive home on the 18th of December, in plenty of time to prepare for Christmas.” Rosa clasped her hands together at her ample chest. “But we’ve given ourselves plenty of time to see all of the sights in Europe. We’re starting in Italy of course, and will go from there.”
“Oh, and Paris. Don’t forget Paris.” Laz stabbed the manicotti with his fork, then dropped it onto his plate.
“But, what about your show?” my mother asked. “Do the people at The Food Network know you’re going to be gone for so long?”
“That’s the best part.” Rosa reached across the table and snagged the butter. “We’re not filming for the entire month of December, so the timing couldn’t be better.”
Maybe. Or maybe not. Concern overtook me as I thought of one complication. “But Rosa, what about the Collins’ wedding?”
From the moment I’d taken over management of Club Wed, our family’s premiere wedding facility at the old Victorian home next door to my parents’ house, Rosa and Laz had participated in every event, catering, baking, serving and wowing guests with their culinary skills. How could I manage without them, especially with such a busy season ahead? Ack.
Crinkles formed around Rosa’s tired eyes. “Which wedding is that, again, Bella?” she asked. “I don’t recognize the name.”
“Justine Collins. Remember? The meteorologist from Channel Eleven? She’s marrying the scientist guy? The one with the PBS show for kids? The guy who likes stars? You were going to make the star-shaped pasta for their wedding on the 19th of December.”
“Wait. A man who likes stars?” Pop wrinkled his nose as he loaded his fork with pasta. “What kind of a man likes stars? Is this one of those Hollywood-types? Some friend of Brock Benson’s?” The mound of linguini disappeared into his mouth in one bite.
“Not movie stars, Cosmo.” Mama rolled her eyes. “The kind in the sky. He studies them or some such thing.”
Pop swallowed and took a swig of water. “Still sounds like a weird job for a man, if you ask me.”
“Harold is very famous,” I explained. “He’s got his own show on PBS. It’s an astronomy show for kids. And we’ve been working on this celestial themed wedding for months now. They’re getting married on December 19th because—supposedly—there’s a full moon and the stars are going to put on a show. Oh, and the weather is supposed to be absolutely ideal that day, according to Justine.”
“Put on a show?” Armando looked perplexed by this idea.
“From what I can gather, they’re going to be more visible and appear in greater number than before. Not that I’m one to stargaze. I’m usually too busy to look up.” I took a sip of water and tried to still my heart. “My point is, the sky is going to be pretty amazing that night. This, according to the meteorologist bride.”
She’s got pretty clear vision to see all the way from now until then,” Pop said.
“Sounds like we’re going to be even busier than ever with this wedding.” Mama sighed. “With Rosa gone, we’ll be at a loss.”
We all turned once again to look at Rosa and Laz, who didn’t seem the least bit concerned, judging from the mouthfuls of food the continued to consume.
“Now don’t fret!” Rosa paused to take a drink. “We’re coming home on the 18th, as I said, so I will be here just in time to help with the wedding. No worries!”
Relief flooded over me. “Really? Oh, that’s perfect.”
“I plan to sleep for days after I get home.” Laz stretched and his extended belly and patted it with his palms, making a drum sound. “So don’t wake me to help with this wedding.”
Rosa gave him a knowing look and he sighed. “Okay, okay. Wake me up. But don’t expect me to help. Much.”
“But you promised to make the sauce—er, gravy—Laz,” I said. “No one can do it like you, Laz.”
“True.” My uncle pushed his chair back and stood—slowly, his arthritis making the move difficult—and then leaned down to kiss Rosa on the cheek. Everyone at the table stopped eating long enough to watch the two of them. . .and sigh. Just a few years back, Rosa and Laz couldn’t stand each another. Now they were happily married and headed back to Italy for a second honeymoon. Who were we to stop them?
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my father, who was strangely silent. No doubt he struggled with the idea of Rosa and Laz leaving, and not just because of the food. My parents shared a home with my aunt and uncle, after all. They did everything together. With Rosa and Laz away, nothing would be the same for my Mama and Pop.
I shifted my gaze to my hubby. D.J. seemed oblivious as he took a bite of the steaming manicotti. Oh well. At least we wouldn’t go hungry at the Neeley house. I’d acquired a few of Rosa’s cooking skills, after all. Not that I had much time to spend in the kitchen, not with the big Collins wedding coming up. Still, I wouldn’t waste time fretting over the future. I wasn’t a weather forecaster like Justine. I couldn’t see into tomorrow. Clear skies or cloudy, I couldn’t predict. So, instead, I would simply settle in and enjoy the blue skies that hovered over me at this very moment as I ate the food I loved, surrounded by the people I adored. Really, could life get any finer?
Thanks for reading these sample chapters! Want to read more? Buy Once Upon a Moonlight Night today!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Janice Thompson got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over 100 books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life.
Janice lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. When she’s not busy writing or playing with her eight grandchildren, she can be found in the kitchen, baking specialty cakes and cookies for friends and loved ones. No matter what Janice is cooking up—books, cakes, cookies or mischief—she does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all. You can find out more about this wacky author at www.janiceathompson.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m so grateful to the following:
My Dream Team: What an amazing group of readers and friends you are! I could never publish a book without you! (Truly!)
My Cover Designer, Shar (from landofawes): Wow, girl! You have worked so hard on my behalf and I’m grateful, grateful. You truly captured the “Tea for Two” essence in the lovely cover design and I’m tickled pink.
My Private Facebook Indie Group: You guys are the wheels on my bus.
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