“Stop thinking about what you can’t change and get dressed, dummy.” She worked into pantyhose—ridiculous things—and buttoned the blouse. The skirt came with a lining, and a moment later she was 95 percent ready.
“Lipstick.” She borrowed a trick from the actors at Cottonwood’s Marquee Theater and dusted her lips with powder when she dusted the rest of her makeup. “There. Not too nondescript.”
Between the bathroom and the bedroom it came to her: If relative strangers think I blend in, I can keep using this unwelcome attribute plus that lovely beige uniform to my advantage at the resort. The vague sadness that had glued itself to her shoulders slid off. Katie mattered. Whatever it took to get Katie back, and Giulia Falcone’s self-image would be sacrificed gladly on the altar of Whatever It Took.
She knotted a glittery silver lace scarf just below her left shoulder and chose crystal angel earrings because they were too short to catch on the scarf.
“Gotta change my purse. Argh—no time—at least it’s black. Where’s a shoe bag for these heels—”
The doorbell rang.
“Forget it. I’ll carry them.” She turned off the bedroom lights, yelled “Coming,” grabbed her phone, and skated on the linoleum to the door.
“Hey, Frank. Come in for a second. I just have to shut off the CD.”
He took her by the waist and pulled her close. “You look beautiful.”
She let herself become still in his arms, the warmth of his compliment spreading through her. Her eyes closed when he kissed her—that is, until Old Man Krieger wolf-whistled from across the hall.
Giulia jumped backward. Krieger’s shaggy-bearded head appeared leaning against his own apartment door, eternal bottle of St. Pauli Girl in hand.
“Good evening, Mr. Krieger.” Giulia closed the door.
Frank was laughing. “You get stuck with the nosiest neighbors.”
She stuck out the tip of her tongue. “He’ll lurk for the next week hoping to see something else.”
“I volunteer to kiss you with the door open every night.”
What switch did you flip to go from all-work to all-boyfriend, Frank? “Thank you, no. I’m not Krieger’s personal entertainment. Or yours.”
“Spoilsport. Come on, before the car gets cold.”
Giulia turned off the CD and got into her coat. I do prefer this Frank, although I’m not sure how we’d conduct business Monday through Friday. “All set.” She picked up her purse and shoes.
“It’s only ten minutes to my folks’ house.” Frank talked faster than usual as they walked down the hall. “Mom and Dad are really Catholic, but they won’t badger you about the convent. Grandma’s the one who’ll ask you for insider stories.”
“Shall we tell her about my old nemesis, Sister Mary Stephen, fondling my lacy underthings on my October trip in the Wayback Machine?”
He held open the vestibule door, then the outside door before he answered. “Grandma would love it. My brother Pat would, too.”
“He’s been the soul of patience with Sidney’s RCIA classes.” She got into the passenger side of Frank’s Camry. When Frank had buckled himself in, she added, “I plan to thank him profusely at Sidney’s wedding. He must have the gift of making the Catechism interesting, because Sidney has learned heaps of it in record time.”
“He uses that gift against me when we argue dogma.” Frank pulled into traffic.
“Wait. You said, ‘Grandma.’ I thought you said this was dinner with your parents.”
He turned onto Oak. “My grandparents live there, too. Mom’s father and Dad’s mother. Sorry. I’m so used to them being there that I automatically include them in ‘dinner with the folks.’ It’s a big house.”
Giulia tapped her feet on the car mat. Okay. Parents and grandparents. I can handle this. Grandparents are usually indulgent, and Frank’s the youngest. In a perfect world, the indulgence will extend to the youngest’s date … um … girlfriend … um …
“Am I being introduced as your partner or as your date?”
The light changed. The car was halfway down Walnut before he answered. “I’ve told them about you. They know you used to be my admin and now you’re my partner-in-training.”
That answered that. “Fine. Just want to know where I stand.”
They turned onto Crabapple. Houses lined both sides of the street: multi-storied, graceful, and all at least a hundred years old. Christmas lights glowed on most of them, perfect outlines of ice-white or many colors, smaller trees blending in with every sign of excellent decorating taste. As they drove past, Giulia saw huge Christmas trees in many windows, lights on their branches appearing just as symmetrical as the ones outlining the houses.
“I’m not dressed up enough.”
“Of course you are.” His voice sounded distracted as his head turned from one side of the street to the other. “That spot’s too small. There’s one—damn. A fire hydrant.”
“Someone’s hosting their annual Christmas party.” Giulia pointed two spots up and left. “There?”
“Excellent.” He parallel parked in three efficient moves.
“That was impressive.”
He shrugged. “Years of city driving.”
They walked back toward a wide, two-story brick Colonial with three cars in its narrow driveway. An ornament-studded wreath took up half the front door; a Father Christmas with a sack over his shoulder smiled at them from the front porch.
Frank rang the doorbell. It was flung open by a broad-shouldered silhouette as soon as his finger left it.
“Frank! It’s about time.”
“Nobody left me a spot, as usual, Sean. Let us in.”
“Ma! Frank’s here.” Sean stepped aside. “Everyone’s been dying to meet your partner.”
Giulia looked up from the boot mat, one boot still on. An older man and woman who looked enough like Frank to be his parents waited in the room beyond. Behind them, at least a dozen more people talked or sipped drinks. Two grade-school-sized children chased each other up garlanded stairs. One of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CDs played loud enough to mask the conversations.
The woman stepped forward. “Sean, let the poor girl get her shoes on. Welcome to the Annual Driscoll Christmas Chaos Party, my dear.”
SIXTEEN
GIULIA SHOT HER TEACHER’S Glare of Death at Frank. “I’m going to kill you,” she whispered.
His grin became a fraction less cocky, but only for a moment. “Would you have come if I’d told you the truth?”
“Of course not. It’d be like I’m on display. I hate that.” She slipped on her right shoe. “Oh, yeah—just like I am now.”
Frank took her coat. “Stop whining. Take it like a man.”
“The hearts of men are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. As illustrated by the man standing in front of me this moment.”
Sean yelled into the room, “Frank’s girl just quoted the Bible to trash-talk him.”
Several voices laughed, “Woot!” “Serves you right, Frank!” “You tell him!”
The older woman gave Sean a gentle push. “Get out of the way, firstborn, or I shall dote on my youngest in front of your face all evening.”
“Aw. Ma.” Sean retreated to the living room.
“I’m Fiona, and you’re Giulia. We’ve heard so much about you from Frank. Frank, why haven’t you taken Giulia’s coat and purse?”
“I’m on it, Ma, soon as I get out of my overshoes.” Frank helped Giulia off with her coat and took her purse. “Master bedroom?”
“Yes, dear. Come in and meet everyone, Giulia.”
Frank deserted her and Giulia went into the gauntlet with a smile. Fiona—tall, graceful, silver bob framing a still-freckled face—smiled back at Giulia.
My mother used to smile at me like that right before grade-school dance recitals. Half of the massive weight of intimidation fell away from Giulia.
“Did Frank ambush you into coming to this party?” Fiona sent a formidable glare upst
airs in Frank’s direction.
“He said it was dinner with his parents.”
“Brat. I will chastise him for you. Don’t worry; no one bites, except my youngest grandchild, but we have teething rings at the ready.” She took Giulia’s arm and led her around the crowded living room. “You’ve already met Sean, and this is his wife, Tina.”
Sean resembled a blond linebacker whose name Giulia couldn’t remember. His wife, a foot shorter, had skin the color of Sidney’s, and she was quite pregnant.
“Pleased to meet you, and I hope you’re not one of those people who touch pregnant women’s bellies.”
“Tina!” Sean poked her.
Tina’s smile became forced. “Sorry. Sean’s office party happened today, and only our need for health insurance kept me from stabbing half the women there.”
Giulia infused extra warmth into her smile. “I could steal one of my old habits for you to wear. People would give a supposedly pregnant nun a wide berth.”
Sean guffawed and Tina laughed. “God, that would be hysterical. I wish we’d met two days ago.”
Fiona steered Giulia toward a group of four next to a mantelpiece supporting a miniature Irish village decorated for Christmas. “You’re the first person to get her to smile tonight. She’s had a dreadful pregnancy—twins, and she’s borderline diabetic.” She raised her voice over “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” “Patrick, Michael, Darlene, this is Giulia. The one who keeps trying to eat my ceramic village is Helen.” She tickled the baby’s tummy, causing a giggle eruption.
Giulia held out her hand to Father Patrick. “Finally.”
He shook it. “Always happy to welcome a fellow Franciscan into the family.”
Giulia lost her grip on Patrick’s hand. What? What has Frank led them to believe about us?
“Pat, you’re going to give her a heart attack.” Frank appeared on Giulia’s other side. “He’s been trying to marry me off for years. Thinks it’s a blot on his priestly reputation that he hasn’t officiated at every Driscoll wedding.”
Father Pat released Giulia’s hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything more than friendship. Sidney raves about your clear way of explaining abstruse points in the Catechism for her.”
Giulia’s heart rate returned to near-normal. “She says the same thing about you.”
He chuckled. “Between the two of us, we’ll get her through the RCIA program by Easter.”
Michael saluted Giulia with a glass half-full of amber liquid and ice. “Nice to meet you.”
Red-headed Darlene carried herself like an athlete and could have been Michael’s twin. She shifted the baby to her shoulder and hugged Giulia. “I remember my first Driscoll party. You’ll stop feeling overwhelmed soon, I promise.”
“Thanks.” Giulia felt instant camaraderie with her. “It’s kind of intimidating.”
Fiona tickled the baby again. “There will be no quiz at the end of the evening; don’t worry.”
“Mom! Mom! Joey spit at me!” A miniature Darlene shoved into the circle, one finger locked onto a wet circle in her green velvet party dress.
“Tattletale!” A blond, freckled ten-year-old pushed in next to her. “Mom, Gwen said you were taking her ice skating tomorrow and I couldn’t go! Then she said I was a brat and that’s why you’re not taking me!”
Darlene cuffed Gwen—lightly—on her curled updo. “Serves you right. You’ll wash that dress by hand tomorrow morning, miss.” She stared down at Joey. “And you know very well why you’re not coming. Shiro’s birthday party is tomorrow, remember?”
Joey’s air of wounded innocence vanished. “Oh, yeah. Duh. We’re playing laser tag tomorrow and you’re not invited. Neener!” He ran away, grabbing the arm of a tall boy with Clark Kent glasses, and they both pelted upstairs.
“Our other offspring,” Darlene said. “Christmas is such a calm season for kids, isn’t it?”
Giulia smiled. “I used to be a teacher. The entire month of December was torture for them and us.”
Michael said, “Excellent. Next time they misbehave, can we threaten them with quizzes in—what did you teach?”
“English, Religion, and Sex Ed.”
His eyes widened. “That’d scare ’em straight. Dar, make sure we tell those two that Frank’s girl is a teacher and she’s got standing orders from Sister Maureen to quiz them whenever she wants.”
Giulia grinned. “I’ll be sure to look severe whenever you give me the signal. You can put a ruler by my place at the table if you’d like.”
Darlene nuzzled the baby. “Perfect! I’ll go find one. Fiona, where’s Giulia sitting?”
“Four seats from the end nearest the credenza on the right.”
“Got it.” She headed into the hall.
Fiona looked around. “Where’s Danny?”
“Eva dragged him into the kitchen to check the stuffed mushrooms, last I saw,” Michael said.
“Ew, mushrooms.”
Giulia looked down. A dark-haired boy built for football was appraising her and Frank. He stared at Giulia’s midsection for a moment.
“Are you going to have a baby?”
Giulia’s mouth fell open.
Fiona gasped. “Joshua Anselm Driscoll, you apologize this minute!”
Michael put his head on the mantelpiece and laughed so hard, the fake snow on it scattered all over the hearth.
Joshua looked genuinely puzzled. “But my friend’s sister has a boyfriend and my friend said his sister’s gonna have a baby.” He put both hands on Giulia’s stomach. “It must be a pretty small baby.”
Fiona took him by one arm. “I beg your pardon, Giulia. Josh, we are going to find your father.”
Frank didn’t laugh until Fiona marched Josh out of the room. “Christ preserve us. If he’s like this when he’s nine, he’ll be a terror when he hits puberty.”
Michael’s entire body still shook with laughter. Pat pounded his back till he slowed down. He un-propped himself from the mantel and turned, his face tomato-red. “That was even better than the first time Colin—he’s our oldest, Giulia—met Tina. His first words to her were, ‘It’s about time we got some color in this pasty-white family.’ ”
Giulia tried to stifle her laughter, but it burst through her covering hands. “How old was he? Was he able to sit down for the rest of the day?”
“He was eleven and considered himself the family comedian. Tina thought he was cute, thank God.”
“I thought Josh was funny, too. However, I guess I need to hit the gym more often,” Giulia said.
A short, dark, plump woman stalked over to the group. “You do not. I’d kill for your figure. You have boobs that don’t take a back seat to your butt.” She shook her head, rattling her dangly snowman earrings. “I’d like to apologize for my son, who will be apologizing in person when his father finishes swatting his backside. I’m Eva.”
Giulia hugged her. “Please don’t worry about it. I used to be a teacher. I know the age where their mouths move faster than their brains.”
“You are so sweet. Frank, keep this one, please.” She turned her head toward the hall. “I believe I hear repentant footsteps.”
Another Driscoll—Giulia could have picked them out anywhere now, despite slight differences in hair color and muscle mass—entered the room, leading a sniffling Josh toward the mantelpiece.
“I’m”—sniff—“sorry I was rude, Miss Falcone.” He wiped the back of his hand under his nose.
“I accept your apology.” Giulia held out her hand.
Josh looked at it, then up at her before he shook her hand in a half-child, half-adult way.
“All right, get out of here,” his father said.
Josh dashed upstairs.
“So much for teaching them manners. I’m Danny. Nice to meet you, and sorry about the Blurter’s mouth.”
Giulia smiled. “Nice to meet you. Please don’t worry. It’s better than being called ‘nondescript’ by a well-meaning adult.”
Eva boggled. “D
on’t tell me Frank said that?”
“No, someone else entirely.”
“Good. Glad to see his eyes are working. You are the furthest thing from nondescript. Your hair, your smile, the way you carry yourself. I think you’d stand out in any crowd.”
Danny patted Eva’s rump. “Babe, Giulia’s good-looking, but you are gorgeous. No offense, Giulia.”
“None taken.” Eva’s compliments didn’t reassure her. If a complete stranger thinks my looks are easy to remember, then I can’t stay undercover looking like this. What if the kidnappers saw me at the soup kitchen while they were tracking Laurel and Anya’s movements?
SEVENTEEN
AN HOUR LATER, EVERYONE was just about done with a dinner that would’ve made both of Giulia’s grandmothers proud. Baby Helen chose that moment to make a six-month-old’s version of the raspberry with her mouthful of mashed potatoes. Giulia helped Darlene clean it up.
Frank’s family is almost as easy to fall in love with as Frank is. Oh, no, I just put together “love” and “Frank” in the same sentence. I have to be careful, or I’ll let this warm, loving group of people seduce the sensible right out from under me.
Eva and Daniel started to gather plates. Giulia stacked the plates on her end of the table, glad when Fiona didn’t protest at her helping with the work. Then again, it’s another symptom of how accepting they are—and how easily I’m fitting in here. Should I be worried?
“Giulia, could you keep an eye on Helen while I help with clean-up?” Darlene wiped a stray dot of mashed potato from the baby’s face.
“Sure.”
Darlene lifted Helen out of the highchair and handed her over. “Here, use this napkin for a burp cloth. You never know. And watch out for your earrings. She’s into shiny things.”
Helen was warm and cuddly. She clung to Giulia’s left arm and looked over her shoulder, cooing at everyone. Giulia stood to get them both out of the way of the cleaning crew. She walked her into the living room, singing to the carols playing from the iDock under the tree. Helen grabbed Giulia’s nose, and Giulia laughed and kissed the plump little hand.
“Darlene soft-soap you into babysitting?” Frank tickled Helen’s chin.
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