“Good.”
They drove to his parents’ house in silence, the only sound the radio playing in the background. He pulled into the driveway and turned to her. “Let’s go make ravioli.”
She nodded, her expression grim, and got out of the car.
~ ~ ~
Vinny greeted Zoe at the door with a hug, making her feel a little better after that tense car ride with Gabe. She understood that Gabe didn’t like the idea of her going away, but how could she turn down the big break she’d been waiting for her whole life?
Vinny rubbed his hands together. “Ready to cook?”
“Ready!” Zoe said.
“Zoe’s going on a European tour,” Gabe said.
“It’s not definite,” Zoe said, giving Gabe a look.
“European tour?” Vinny exclaimed. “Come in here, sweetheart.” He gestured toward the kitchen. “I want to hear all about it.”
Vinny led them to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of Chianti. “Salute,” Vinny said. “To your health and big congrats.”
“Salute,” Gabe and Zoe said, clinking glasses. Zoe took a sip of wine and set it down because it tasted sour.
“Speaking of health…” Gabe started.
Vinny cut him off. “We’re speaking of Zoe’s European tour.”
Zoe filled him in on Hep Six and her band while Gabe just stood there glowering, which made her babble on and on. When she finished, Gabe turned to Vinny. “I’m hoping she’ll marry me when she returns.”
Zoe stiffened. What was Gabe doing telling his stepdad something like that before they’d even had a chance to really talk about it? They still hadn’t made it past eight weeks.
“A daughter who can sing.” Vinny’s eyes watered. “Now all I need is some grandchildren, and I can die a happy man.”
“Don’t talk about dying,” Gabe said tightly.
“It’s a figure of speech,” Vinny said. “I told you I’m fine.” He rubbed his hands together. “All right, let’s get started. I made the dough ahead of time, so all we have to do is the fun part.”
He sprinkled the counter with flour and had Zoe help him press it into a rectangle.
“It’s nice to have someone to pass this knowledge onto,” Vinny said. “Angel’s the only one who’s shown any interest.”
“Now Gabe will learn too,” Zoe said.
“I’ll try my best,” Gabe said, his voice rough and gravelly. Zoe knew he was thinking again of Vinny’s illness.
Vinny expertly ran the dough through the pasta machine, making thin sheets. He had her try too. “Pull and stretch it a bit when it comes out. Not too much.”
“This is fun,” Zoe said, smiling at Gabe. He didn’t smile back.
“We have to do it a few more times,” Vinny said. “Until it’s so thin you can see your hand through it. You want to take a crack at it, Gabe?”
“I’ll just watch,” Gabe said.
Vinny lay out the long sheet of pasta on the counter. “Next is the egg wash,” he said as he quickly beat an egg with some water. He brushed the wash over the pasta. “It works like glue. Then the filling.” He went to the refrigerator for the ingredients. “Very important that you get everything fresh.”
He mixed up the filling quickly, not measuring anything.
“Wait,” Gabe said. “How do we know how much to put in of each thing?”
“Just eyeball it,” Vinny said. “Get the right proportions.”
“Like two parts ricotta to one part basil?” Gabe asked.
Vinny held up the bowl. “Like that.”
“That’s clear as mud,” Gabe muttered.
Vinny showed them how much filling to put on half the sheet of dough, and Zoe helped him add it.
“Now we cover it,” Vinny said. He folded the other half of the dough on top of the filling. “Press out the air pockets around the filling.” Zoe joined him. “Good, Zoe, you’re a natural.”
When they’d finished, Vinny pulled out a couple of knives to cut the ravioli into squares and demonstrated how to cut. “You take over,” he told Zoe.
Zoe quickly cut squares of ravioli. She was really looking forward to eating this. She hadn’t had homemade ravioli in forever.
“How’re you feeling?” Gabe asked Vinny.
“Fine, fine,” Vinny said.
“Did you get the test results?” Gabe asked.
“Bah. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
A long silence followed. Zoe looked up from her cutting. Gabe was scowling.
“You’re good at hiding the truth, huh, Vinny?” Gabe asked.
Zoe froze at the tone in Gabe’s voice.
Vinny narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re acting like you’re fine when you’re not. You’re hiding a big secret. But you don’t let on. Not at all.”
“I don’t like your tone,” Vinny said. “I don’t want you to worry. That’s all there is to it.”
A beat passed before Gabe finally said, “I found the letters. I know about your other secret.”
“What are you talking about?” Vinny asked.
“The letters you wrote to Mom when she was still married to my father.”
“That’s private,” Vinny snapped. “Did you read them?”
The two men glared at each other, and Zoe wished Gabe wouldn’t have brought this up when she was caught in the middle.
“I read one,” Gabe said. “That told me enough to know about the three-year affair.”
Vinny’s eyes were hard and direct. “It’s none of your business.”
“You made it my business when you destroyed my family,” Gabe fired back.
“What are you doing?” Zoe asked Gabe.
Vinny scoffed. “Is that what you think I did? Baloney. Your mother was miserable. I made her happy. End of story.”
“And you destroyed a marriage,” Gabe said.
“That marriage was dead for years. Everything worked out.”
“For you. My father died alone.”
Vinny took a deep breath. “Gabe, I’m sorry about that, but that has nothing to do with me and your mother.”
“I think it has a hell of a lot to do with you two.”
Vinny glanced at Zoe. “Maybe we should talk about this another time.”
“Zoe already knows how things went down.”
“Drop it,” Vinny said.
Gabe put his hands up. “Forget I said anything. This family loves secrets.”
“So this is a fun Saturday making ravioli, huh?” Vinny asked, planting his hands on his hips. “Well, not to me.” He left.
Gabe stormed out of the house. Zoe stood there for a moment before she set down the knife and followed Gabe out the door.
~ ~ ~
“Let’s go,” Gabe said, already getting into his car. He had to get out of there and fast. He felt like his world was caving in on him. People he loved were slipping away from him no matter how much he tried to hang on. He knew Vinny was hiding the truth—he was dying. And Zoe was leaving. He’d finally found peace and now everything was going to hell again.
Zoe got in. “I know you’re worried about your stepdad. Why’re you getting so mad at him?”
Gabe clenched his jaw. He couldn’t talk about it without breaking down.
She let out a long breath. “I’m sorry about Vinny. Maybe it won’t be as bad as you’re imagining it—”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. Obviously it’s bad or he would’ve told us what the test results said. He’s hiding it. Just like before.”
“Gabe—”
“You’re leaving, he’s dying. I can’t take anymore.”
“I’m sure he’s not dying—”
“You don’t know that,” he barked.
She got quiet.
When they pulled into the driveway, Gabe turned off the car and just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. Everything hurt, and he just wanted it to stop.
She touched his ar
m. “Gabe?”
He stared straight ahead. “If you go on tour, I think it would be easier just to say goodbye.” But what he really wanted to say was don’t go.
“Easier?” she asked in a shaky voice. He turned, and her expression went from incredulous to furious in a flash. “You’re breaking up with me? From ‘wear my ring’ to dumping me?” She smacked his arm hard. “You suck,” she said in a choked voice. “Don’t talk to me ever again!”
She got out of the car, and he quickly followed. “Zoe, wait! I said if you go—”
“Don’t talk to me!” She stalked off.
He stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. Had they really just broken up? He’d said if. The tour wasn’t even definite. She’d find out on Monday. What if she didn’t even get the gig, and they broke up for nothing? Should he fake support the possibility of the gig? Nah, she’d just get madder if it turned out she did get it.
Maybe he could still reason with her. He shouldn’t have said that.
Bam! The door to her apartment slammed closed. There was no way he could reason with her now.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. How had he gone from making her dreams come true to broken up?
Chapter Fifteen
Gabe went home for another mandatory family dinner the next night in a foul mood. Zoe wasn’t speaking to him. His stepdad was likely dying, and he was still mad about the affair that broke up his family. He’d tried to talk to Zoe again today, hoping she’d had a chance to calm down. She’d refused to have a reasonable conversation.
He’d stopped by her place earlier. “Tell me if you hear any news tomorrow.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why? So we can pick up where we left off if I didn’t get the gig?”
That sounded excellent. “Yes.”
She slammed the door in his face. Apparently that had been the wrong answer.
Now he walked in the front door of his parents’ house, bracing himself for long faces and an even longer night. Lucky for him, Angel met him in the small foyer.
“Hey,” Angel said with a smile. “How’re you? Did you bring Zoe?”
“She’s not speaking to me.”
Angel winced. “Sorry. She seemed nice.” He looked down and then met his eyes. “What’d you do?”
“Nothing!” Gabe barked.
Angel shifted uneasily. “Eh. It’s probably for the best. Tonight could get emotional with Dad’s big news. I’m praying it’s good news.”
Gabe lowered his voice. “You know it’s cancer. The only question is how bad.”
Angel crossed his arms. “We don’t know that for sure.”
“Why else would he be so secretive and wait until Sunday dinner? He’s trying to break the bad news when we’re all together to help each other through it. You know, have someone to lean on.”
“Maybe he got good test results.” Angel’s chin jutted out. “Ever think of that?”
“No.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to put a little positive energy out there.”
Gabe thumped Angel on the back. “That’s what we have you for.”
“Hey, Beast, where’s Beauty?” Nico called from where he was sitting on the sofa in the living room.
“I don’t know,” Gabe muttered.
“Giving him the silent treatment,” Angel answered for Gabe.
“Wanna beer?” Nico asked.
“Hell yeah,” Gabe replied.
The three of them headed to the kitchen. After they’d each popped the cap off one of Vinny’s Sierra Nevada pale ales, Nico turned to Gabe. “Did you apologize?”
“Why do you automatically assume I’m the one who has to apologize?” Gabe asked.
Nico gave him a pitying look. “The man always has to apologize. Women one-oh-one.”
“He’s right,” Angel put in.
Gabe shoved a hand in his hair. “She’s going on a three-month European tour with a guy who’s in love with her. All I asked was that she wear my ring.”
“What ring?” Nico asked.
Gabe’s lips formed a flat line. “The diamond ring I wanted to buy her.”
Nico held up a hand. “Whoa, back it up. You proposed to her?”
Angel cocked his head. “After just meeting her?”
“I didn’t just meet her, dope,” Gabe said. He didn’t mention it had only been five weeks. A man had to do what a man had to do.
“Lady troubles, Gabe?” Vince boomed as he went straight to the fridge for his own beer.
Great. Now he’d butt his nose in.
Vince snagged the bottle opener off the counter and popped off the top. “Let me guess. You want her to wear the ring to scare away other men.”
“Fuck you all,” Gabe muttered, taking a long swallow of beer.
“You know nothing about women,” Vince said.
“Like you know so much,” Gabe shot back. “You never have anyone sticking around.”
“Maybe I don’t want anyone sticking around.” Vince smiled and took a pull on his beer. “Maybe I like being a play-uh.”
Nico snickered.
“That’s really not safe,” Angel put in. He lowered his voice. “I hope you’re using protection.”
Vince snorted. “Yes, Father Marino. I’m using protection. When are you gonna get laid?”
“Who’s getting laid?” Jared asked, arriving in the kitchen with Luke on his heels.
“Beer time, eh?” Luke said, snagging two beers and handing one to Jared.
“Who’s not getting laid is the better question,” Nico said, pointing his beer bottle toward Gabe and Angel.
“Angel’s got to get his hands dirty,” Jared said, elbowing Angel.
“Stop polishing that halo,” Luke said.
“He’s polishing something all right,” Vince said. “And, Gabe, I can’t believe you screwed things up with Zoe so fast. She is fine. Mm-mm-mm. Some sweet—”
Gabe grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him up close. “Don’t say one more word about her.”
Vince swiped his arm off him in one quick block. Gabe and Vince glared at each other.
“What’s this?” their dad said, coming into the room. “You guys finished off my six-pack before I even got one?”
“Shoulda got two six-packs,” Jared said.
“Here, you can have mine,” Angel offered.
“Bah. I don’t want yours,” their dad said. “Backwash.”
Angel wiped it off with the bottom of his shirt and offered it again.
Their dad looked around, nodding and smiling. “It’s nice to see my boys getting along, sharing a brewski. Ah. Gimme a sip.” He gestured for Angel’s beer. “Don’t tell your mother. She doesn’t want me drinking now that I’ve got this health thing.”
The men went silent. Guilt swamped Gabe. Why had he brought up that stupid letter with his stepdad? He was just mad at him for being sick, which wasn’t his fault. He’d apologize as soon as he could get a moment alone with him.
“So what were we talking about?” their dad asked. “Sports, politics, women?”
“Gabe screwed up with Zoe,” Angel supplied helpfully.
“We were talking about the Knicks,” Gabe said.
“Let me guess,” Luke said. “She’s too argumentative. You lawyer types don’t want to argue once you get home.”
“Not at all,” Gabe said quietly. She was perfect, and he’d screwed up. But he could never tell his brothers that. They’d just razz him and give him a hard time and none of them knew shit about women beyond how to seduce them. Except Angel. He was devoted to one woman, a widow he would never touch out of respect for his dead best friend.
“All right,” their dad said. “I’m gonna get dinner started. If you’re not helping, get out. You can help out your mom. She’s in our room going through all our clothes to make a donation to the St. Francis clothing drive. Make sure she doesn’t throw out my lucky bowling shirt.”
Everyone left the kitchen but Angel. An hour
and a half later, they were all seated around the table. His stepdad had made homemade manicotti, which was delicious, but Gabe couldn’t help thinking of Zoe and how she’d helped make that ravioli. She didn’t even get to eat it, thanks to him. Damn, everything made him think of her. He glared at his plate, wishing he could have a do-over with Zoe. Just have Saturday take two, where he kept it all about her and making her dreams come true.
And then his stepdad finally dropped the big news, and all Gabe could think about was how much he wanted Zoe at his side, holding his hand to help him get through the pain.
“It’s stage two,” his stepdad said. “That’s not too bad, I guess. The doc gives me an eighty-seven percent chance of survival.”
The family went absolutely silent. Gabe broke into a cold sweat. Even though he’d been expecting bad news, actually hearing it still shook him up.
Jared finally spoke up. “What’s the doctor recommending for treatment?”
“Surgery,” his stepdad said. “He wants to take out the section with the tumor, reconnect everything, test some of the nearby lymph nodes. Maybe chemo. We don’t know yet.”
“This is bullshit,” Vince said, throwing his napkin down.
“Please, boys, er, men,” his stepdad said, putting a hand up. “It’ll be okay. And don’t be like me. Get your colonoscopy at age fifty. I shouldn’t have waited so long.”
His mom stood. “You know what’s bullshit?”
The room fell into shocked silence. His mom never cursed and rarely got angry.
“That reaction,” she said, pointing at Vince, who immediately looked contrite. “I expect better from the rest of you. When your dad shares news like…” Her voice got choked, and then her lip wobbled. His stepdad reached for her hand.
“Ma,” Angel said.
She burst into tears and ran from the room.
“Excuse me,” his stepdad said, following her.
The room went silent again. Gabe wiped the sweat off his face and took a long drink of water before he asked, “What’s it mean, Jare? How bad is it?”
“Is he going to die?” Angel asked.
“We’re all gonna die,” Luke said.
“Shut up, moron,” Vince snapped.
Jared told them what he knew. That chemo wasn’t always needed for stage two. “I’m going to find another doctor for a second opinion before we go that route. I’ll talk to Dad.”
Restless Harmony Page 17