That's Amore (Weddings by Bella Book #4): A Novel

  “But why?”

  Twila’s gaze shifted to the door and then back to me. “I, um . . . well, let’s just say he’s not fond of D.J.’s family and leave it at that.” I could tell that Twila knew more than she was saying, but she did not elaborate. “That Mayor Deets is so full of himself.” She paced back and forth across the room, her face getting redder by the moment. “He could break his arm patting himself on the back.”

  “Yeah?” Jolene put her hands on her hips. “Well, he’s so ugly his mama takes him everywhere she goes so she doesn’t have to kiss him goodbye.”

  “Jolene!” Bonnie Sue looked mortified by that last little dig.

  “He might not be ugly on the outside, but his heart is as black as coal.” Jolene stood her ground, her expression firm. “I don’t care how many times he sits through a Sunday service, that man needs an authentic come-to-Jesus meeting.”

  “Not sure it would help.” Twila released a little sigh. “He’s so crooked, if he swallowed a nail he’d spit up a corkscrew.”

  “Yeah, and this little plan of his to drive folks out of town has more twists and turns than a pretzel in a factory,” Jolene added. “It’s just ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculous is exactly the word I was looking for.” Twila shook her head. “And we’ve put up with it for far too long. I’m sick to death of folks standing around with their feet stuck in the mud because they’re afraid to move forward or backward.” She shrugged. “You know what? I might just have to run for mayor myself to put everyone out of their misery.”

  What? Surely she was just joking. Right?

  “Oh, Twila!” Bonnie Sue grabbed her arm. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. Why, you’re one of the most loved people in town.”

  Okay, maybe she wasn’t joking.

  “It’s true,” Jolene said. “Everyone adores you.”

  “Except for the handful of folks who happen to adore the mayor.” Twila pursed her lips.

  “No one adores him,” Bonnie Sue said. “They’re all just scared of him. He’s even got his nephew wrapped around his finger.”

  “True.” Twila nodded. “Sad, if you think about it. I mean, family is everything. The mayor’s own sister and brother-in-law hardly speak to him. A’course, they live in California, so that might have something to do with it. But I do feel sorry for that nephew of his. He’s a nice boy. Sure would hate to see him hurt.”

  “You can run on a family-friendly campaign.” Bonnie Sue reached to grab Twila’s hand. “That’s perfect!”

  “But how would you announce your campaign?” Jolene’s nose wrinkled. “It’d be tricky, for sure.”

  “I’ll have to think about that. He’s been in office a long time. We’d have to beat him at his own game, but without any smear tactics.” Twila looked back and forth between Bonnie Sue and Jolene. “You hear me, ladies? There might be some scuttlebutt going round about the mayor’s past, but that’s not common knowledge and doesn’t need to be. I would run on godly principles, plain and simple. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “It’s all settled then!” Bonnie Sue clasped her hands together. “Ooh, I can’t wait. This is going to be the best campaign the town of Splendora has ever seen. And the cleanest!”

  “When is the next election?” Jolene asked.

  “I don’t know.” Twila shrugged. “Don’t know anything about it, to be honest.”

  “Well, we’ll figure it out.” Bonnie Sue giggled. “It’s going to be fun learning how to be a politician.”

  “I don’t rightly care when the election is,” Jolene said, “whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall. I’m going to go ahead and get started winning the people over. Then when the time comes, they’ll know you’ve thrown your hat in the ring.”

  This led to an odd conversation about a straw hat she’d purchased back in 1984.

  “So you’re saying that you’re going to start her campaign now?” I asked. “Even though you don’t know when the elections are held?”

  Jolene nodded. “It’s never too early to start winning the love of the people, at least to my way of thinking. I’ll order up some ‘Honk if you love Twila’ bumper stickers. The whole town of Splendora will be honking day and night.”

  “Well, won’t that just put everyone in a splendid mood.” Twila rolled her eyes.

  “When election season hits, I’ll pay for a billboard,” Bonnie Sue said. “It’ll say, ‘If Mayor Deets is the answer, the question must be ridiculous.’”

  “That doesn’t even make sense, Bonnie Sue.” Twila slapped herself on the forehead. “Ladies, stop.”

  “I know!” Jolene snapped her fingers. “I’ll take out an ad in the Gazette. It’s gonna read, ‘Making Splendora a better place since 1948. Twila.’”

  Twila looked mortified by this idea. “Over my dead body. And just so we’re on the same page, I was born in ’49.”

  “Well, that still makes you a year older than me, Twila.” Jolene looked upset. “So don’t get your knickers in a knot. Ooh, how about this one: ‘Vote for Twila. She won’t try to get one by ya.’”

  “That’s just dumb, Jolene.”

  “Well, see if I ever try to help you win an election then.” Jolene huffed off.

  “That’s one vote down.” I laughed. “But seriously, Twila, you would make a great mayor.” I hesitated. “When would you have to start campaigning? Before or after the wedding facility opens?”

  “I see your point, sweet girl.” Twila patted my arm. “Maybe Jolene’s got something with her idea to put my name out there sooner rather than later.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt,” I said.

  “Well, we certainly have plenty of time to discuss all of this later.”

  “‘Twila for mayor’!” Bonnie Sue giggled. “Sounds peachy!”

  Sounded peachy to me too, except for one small problem: I needed these ladies to stay focused on marketing the wedding facility. Hadn’t they agreed to help me get the word out so that potential brides would want to get married here? How would they have time to do promotional stuff and run a political campaign at the same time? Sounded overwhelming. Sounded a lot like . . . well, like my life.

  I didn’t have much time to chat with them about it, though. Twila announced that she had to leave to have her hair done at the Cut ’n Strut beauty salon and then took off with Bonnie Sue on her heels. Jolene lingered behind for a moment, chatting up a storm about Twila’s decision to run for mayor, but she eventually headed off as well.

  I went to fetch D.J. to bring him up to speed, but he appeared to be in the middle of his own crisis in the men’s restroom, discussing a potential structural problem with Cecil. Great. I’d have to wait until later tonight to tell him about the mayor. Right now I had to get going to Jasmine and Lily’s house for our first official managerial meeting. Surely things would be looking up shortly. The day certainly couldn’t get any stranger, now could it?

  9

  Here You Come Again

  I may look fake but I’m real where it counts.

  Dolly Parton

  I left the wedding facility, my emotions in a whirl. All the way to the Rigas home I pondered the mayor’s strange visit. Nothing he’d said made any sense. Surely D.J. didn’t know about any of the new requirements from the city council. If he did, he would have told me. And why did the odd little man stress the Neeley name as if it were some kind of disease? Did he have a particular problem with the Neeleys, or just with me? Inquiring minds wanted to know.

  I ushered up a prayer, asking for the Lord to intervene in the situation. The Almighty had handled much bigger problems than this. Surely meeting Splendora’s bylaws was no big deal for the one who had created, well, everything. I would leave it in his hands and do the only thing required of me right now: pray.

  So that’s what I did. I asked the Lord to help me put all of this out of my mind and leave it in his care. My thoughts needed to be clear for my meeting with Lily and Jasmine. Today we would put together a solid plan of action c
larifying the various roles we would all play. Together we would manage the new facility and watch it grow into a thing of beauty that would—I hoped—one day rival our Galveston wedding facility. If we ever got it renovated, of course. Right now, without those bylaws in hand, I didn’t have a clue about what was required of us.

  Just as I pulled up to the Rigas home, my cell phone rang. I turned off the truck and reached for it, happy to see my mother’s number on the screen.

  I answered with a jovial, “Hi, Mama.”

  “How’s my country girl doing?” she asked.

  The sound of her beautiful voice made everything that had happened today completely worthwhile. I could handle just about anything with my mother’s precious voice lingering over me.

  “I’m doing fine, but I miss Galveston. Tell me everything.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tell me what I’m missing. Don’t leave out a thing.”

  “Well, let’s see . . . You might be interested to hear that Brock Benson and his wife got into town a couple of days ago. They’re staying at the Tremont until their rental house is ready, and then the meetings begin for the new sitcom.”

  “That’s so cool.” I sighed. “I can’t believe I wasn’t there to greet them.”

  “They’re missing you, for sure. But don’t worry. We took great care of them. Rosa and Laz cooked up a feast and we ate like kings.”

  Just what I wanted to hear to make me feel better. Not.

  “They’re going to start filming the new sitcom in a couple of weeks. That producer guy, the one who does Stars Collide, arrives tomorrow. I think they’ve agreed to film some of the scenes at Parma John’s and Super-Gyros and some in a sound studio back in Hollywood.”

  “Right. Brock and I talked about that awhile back.”

  “I think they’re already building the set at the studio. Can’t wait to see pictures.”

  “Ooh, me either.” No doubt it would be great.

  Mama released a sigh. “Anyway, they’re going to come and go from the island quite a bit. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see them on one of your trips down. You are coming home soon, aren’t you? For a visit, I mean?”

  My heart twisted. “Yes. I miss all of you. And I hate that I’m missing the action with Brock and Erin. I don’t want to admit it, but I think I’m going to have to bow out of the advisory position the producer offered. Do you know anyone else who’d like to take on that role?”

  “Do I?” Mama’s voice grew more animated. “Oh, Bella, you know how much I love this island. And there’s not a committee I’m not a member of, from the Grand Opera Society to the Island Beautification Society. I’d love nothing more than to help the producer with whatever he needs.”

  “Mama, that’s perfect. I don’t know why I didn’t think of you in the first place. You’re just the person for this. You know more about the island than anyone else in the family.”

  “And it doesn’t hurt that I’m part of the family, since the sitcom focuses on the feud between our restaurant and the Pappases’. I know all of the characters firsthand.” She laughed. “So, you think the producer will be okay with me helping out?”

  “I’ll call him later today to make sure. In the meantime, how are things going with Laz and Mr. Pappas? They getting along okay?”

  “This show has really drawn them together. And Laz is eating this up. So is Cassia’s father.”

  “No doubt. Who else has a sitcom patterned after their real-life feuding?”

  “No feuding anymore,” she said. “Laz and Rosa looked after Super-Gyros while the Pappases were out of the country on holiday. Since then they’re best buds. It does the heart good to see them getting along, after all of the drama just a couple months ago.”

  “I’m sure the show brought them together.”

  “Speaking of people coming together, how are those twins getting along? Jasmine and Lily, I mean. Fill me in.”

  “I might need to wait until after our meeting today, Mama,” I said. “I’m actually headed inside their house now and I’m running a little late.”

  “Poor timing on my part, I guess.”

  “Nah. It’s just life. I’m always working.”

  “Right. Looks like nothing’s changed then.” She sounded a bit wistful. “I understand, Bella-bambina. You go now. Have a good meeting with the twins. I’ll see you next time you come down to the island.”

  We said our goodbyes and I ended the call. Then I checked my appearance in the rearview mirror, swiped on some lipstick, and climbed out of the truck. Before I reached the front door, I stumbled across Lily, who was kneeling along the pathway, plucking weeds out of the front garden. As I drew near, I heard sniffles coming from the young woman. Then more sniffles. Uh-oh. She must be crying.

  “Lily?”

  She looked up from her work, and I noticed her red-rimmed eyes flooding over with tears. “B-Bella!”

  I knelt beside her, almost dropping my purse in the process. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”

  “N-no.” She went back to work, plucking weeds with a vengeance. “I’m not. I’ll never be okay again.” Her hands worked easily in the dirt, tug-tug-tugging at the weeds, as if they’d done something to offend her personally. Someone had, for sure.

  “Please, Lily. Tell me what’s happened.” I rested my hand on her arm, hoping to bring her some sort of comfort. “How can I help?”

  “You can’t help. And surely you know what’s going on. Everyone knows the good news. It’s made the headlines in the Gazette.”

  “What headlines?”

  She turned to face me head-on, the spade in her hand trembling. “It’s Jasmine. Practically-perfect-in-every-way Jasmine.”

  I didn’t comment on that last part but simply asked the obvious. “What about Jasmine?”

  “She’s engaged.” Lily slammed the little spade into the dirt and glared at me.

  “Well, that’s awesome news. Right?”

  “Wrong!” Lily rose and paced back and forth along the pathway, tears now dribbling down her cheeks. “She’s engaged to Fred.”

  Ah. The fella who’d jilted Lily. It all made sense now.

  “Fred Granger.” Lily crossed her arms at her chest. “My former boyfriend.”

  “Oh.” I took a seat on a lovely little bench near the edge of the garden and watched as she continued to pace. “I see.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, Bella, but you can’t possibly see. You have a wonderful husband, a great home, two beautiful children. I’m . . . an old maid.” She spit out the last two words, then plopped onto the bench beside me, her face awash with tears.

  What are you, twenty-four? C’mon, kid. Get a grip.

  I put my hand on her back in an attempt to console her, but she was right, at least as it related to me. I’d never been jilted before. On the other hand, my sister had married my former boyfriend. Maybe that story would help?

  Hmm. Maybe I’d save it until Lily got her tears under control.

  “Do you think you can still work with your sister at the facility?” I said. “I mean, if she and Fred get married?”

  “Oh, they’re getting married, all right. I heard all about it. They want to have the first official ceremony—after your vow renewal, I mean. Jasmine wants a candy-themed event. It’s ridiculous. A Willy Wonka wedding.”

  “Willy Wonka?”

  Lily rose and walked back to the garden, where she knelt and started digging again. “Well, she didn’t call it that, but what else comes to mind? A candy-themed wedding? It’s so stupid. And childish. But hey, that’s just like Jasmine. The little dreamer. The practically-perfect-in-every-way dreamer who gets the guy and the wedding, while I get . . .” An uncomfortable silence rose up between us. “Nothing.”

  I waited until I felt confident about how I should respond. “But that’s not true, Lily. God has the perfect person out there for you. Be grateful it wasn’t Fred. If he wasn’t God’s best for you, then you would’ve been misera
ble with him.”

  “Humph.” She continued to dig, her eyes on the ground.

  “One of these days the perfect guy will come along . . . and probably when you least expect it. That’s how it happened with D.J. and me.” I lit into the story of the day we’d first met. I told her all about how I’d thought he was a deejay, not a D.J. How I tried to hire him to work at a country-western themed wedding. Before long I got a chuckle out of her.

  “See?” I said. “I was dating Tony DeLuca, who ended up married to my sister. So we have that in common, you and me. But here’s the best part: in exchange for good I got great. D.J. is the best thing that ever happened to me and was definitely worth waiting for.”

  She sniffled and rose to a standing position once again. “You really think there’s a D.J. out there for me, Bella?”

  “Well, he won’t exactly be like my D.J. I’ve got a one-of-a-kind, you know.” I gave her a little wink. “But I have no doubt God will bring you someone who’s your perfect fit.”

  A little sigh followed on her end.

  “In the meantime, you’ve got to let Jasmine and Fred have their moment in the sun. You know?”

  She sighed. “It’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “You will have your work to distract you,” I said. “And trust me, I plan to keep you really busy. You okay with that?”

  “I am. I need a project right now to distract me.”

  “Well, consider yourself distracted.” I laughed. “Just hang out with me and I’ll keep you so busy you won’t even remember to be upset.”

  “Promise?” She gave me a hopeful look.

  “I promise.”

  I somehow coaxed a smile out of her before we headed inside. We found Jasmine in the kitchen, talking on her cell phone and making chocolates, as always. She saw me coming and gave a little wave, then ended the call. “Oh, Bella, have you heard?” She stuck out her left hand, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring on her fourth finger. “I’m engaged!”