Jake replied, “I’ll have a Coke.”
“I’ll have iced tea.” Jess replied as she handed him an ice bucket and tongs. “Fill this and take it to the dining room. Then you can go into the garage and get the sodas from the fridge.”
Social norms dictated that Ben escort Evie into the dining room, and Lane should be escorted by Gabe; Evie should take the seat to Ben’s right and Gabe should take the seat to Lane’s right, but this was an informal family dinner. Ben, Lane, and the kids had standard positions at the table. Lane and Ben at opposite ends with the boys on one side and Jess on the other. Tomorrow, for Thanksgiving dinner, Lane would have place cards, but for tonight, they’d improvise. Ben escorted Evie into the dining room and seated her to his right; Jake and Jamie took their seats at the table next to her; Lane suggested Gabe sit to her right; Pauli took the seat on Lane’s left; leaving Joey at Ben’s left and Jess between him and Gabe.
After everyone sat, Ben, Lane and the Parker Kids took the hands of those seated next to them. It was Wednesday, Jamie’s turn to say grace. After everyone had joined hands and bowed their heads, Jamie, who was normally the most eloquent of the Parker Kids, began to pray.
“Most gracious heavenly Father, we come before you this evening with grateful and penitent hearts. We ask you to bless the food on our table and the hands of those who prepared it. We thank you for our family and friends who are here to share this meal with us this evening. We ask you to bless each of us and keep us safe from harm, especially Gabe and Jess during their upcoming travel. In Jesus’ name we pray.”
Everyone said, “Amen.”
Ben, Lane and each of the Parker Kids picked up a bowl or platter and handed it to their left so that the barbeque feast of pork ribs, beef ribs, crown prime ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket, cheesy corn, coleslaw, potato salad, onion rings, fried mushrooms, french fries, and baked beans began a clockwise journey around the table.
Gabe thanked Jess as she passed a platter of ribs to him. “What’s the difference between these ribs and the other ones?”
Jess pointed at the platter she’d given him, “Pork ribs,” she pointed to the platter Ben had, “Beef ribs,” and then to the platter Jake held, “crown prime ribs. Believe me, you want to try all of them.” She picked up the cheesy corn and dropped a spoonful onto his plate. “And you’ve got to try this.”
Good Lord, lunch had barely had time to digest and now this feast. Did these people eat like this all of time? Gabe thought. There was no doubt about it. He was going to have to find a gym.
As if Ben had read Gabe’s mind, he looked up and said, “Welcome to the Midwest. By the way, our home gym is at your disposal. Jess can give you the grand tour after dinner. Both Jamie and I usually work out in the mornings, but feel free anytime.”
“Thanks.” He looked at Jess and quietly said, “If this is how your family will be feeding me while we’re here, I’m going to need to hit the gym for at least two hours a day.” He looked around the table. “You know what they say, the camera adds ten pounds. Although my father is a DP and he says it’s all about the lighting, I still don’t need to take any chances.”
Jess laughed. “Yeah, like you need to worry.” She looked at the confused faces around the table. “DP is short for the Director of Photography.”
Conversation turned into a comfortable rhythm as they discussed topics from barbeque to principal shooting in Italy. “The production company has rented a villa for Jess and me.” Gabe continued talking, but Joey didn’t hear much after the words “for Jess and me.”
“I understand you speak Italian.” Ben said to Gabe. “How did you learn?”
“When I was a kid, I travelled with my parents when they went on location. I spent a lot of time in Italy when I was in my teens, and I just picked it up. I hope I didn’t offend your father this afternoon when I spoke Italian to him.”
Ben laughed. “No, Papa thought it was considerate and respectful on your part. Besides, in case Jess hasn’t mentioned it, my family tend to have private conversations with each other in Italian. You talking to Papa put us on notice.”
Ben had glanced at his brothers as he spoke the last sentence, just to be sure they understood. Joey nodded. Yeah, he understood, but he also knew Jess was fluent. Something he had sworn, under oath, to keep secret. He had convinced her that when the two of them were alone, he could speak Italian to her. Of course, they hadn’t been alone together since the day he’d left her at her condo over six weeks ago. He’d promised to call her and he had, but they both had busy schedules and they hadn’t managed to break free at the same time. It was the main reason he’d cleared his schedule to come to Kansas for Thanksgiving. Yet, what had she done? She’d brought a guy home with her. Where the hell does that leave me? He wondered.
Chapter 18
As usual, Ben was awake at 5:30 a.m. and dressed for his run. To his surprise, as he walked out of the bedroom, Gabe Greer was waiting in the kitchen, suited up in thermal running gear and a pair of lime green Saucony running shoes.
“Hope you don’t mind company since I don’t know the routes.”
Ben smiled, as he replied, “As long as you can keep up. I’m doing the ten mile route today.”
Gabe laughed. “If I can’t keep up, feel free to leave me in your dust.”
Ben ran first thing in the morning every day, rain, shine, searing heat or freezing cold. Some runners liked to listen to music as they ran, but Ben liked to use the time to clear the cobwebs from his brain while he got the kinks out of his body. He hoped Gabe wasn’t one of those runners who thought this was social hour. He smiled; the pace he kept would prevent most people from trying to carry on a conversation.
They walked out of the house and stretched in the driveway before Ben started out, heading south on Mission Road. As they crossed 99th street, Joey joined them. Ben shook his head. He’d been running this route since he bought his house five years ago and in all that time; no one had ever joined him. He wasn’t going to clear many of his own cobwebs, like how and when to tell the rest of his family about Jamie, because now he was trying to figure out what these two guys thought they were trying to prove this morning. He kicked it up to his six-minute mile pace. At least if Gabe couldn’t keep up, Joey could guide him back to the house. But, much to Ben’s surprise, both Gabe and Joey kept pace; and a little over an hour later, they returned to Ben’s neighborhood where Ben slowed to a cool down pace. Instead of peeling off to return to Parker House, Joey followed Ben home.
Ben entered the code to open the garage door and the three men went through and into the kitchen. Ben pulled three bottles of water from the pantry and handed them out. Ben finished his water and put the bottle in the recycling bin.
“I’m going to change before I go to the gym.” He looked at Joey. “You need sweats or something?”
Joey nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
Gabe finished his water and followed Ben’s lead, putting his empty bottle into the recycling bin. He went to his room and changed into workout clothes. Last night, when Jess had shown Gabe where the room was, he’d seen a treadmill, a stair climber, an elliptical trainer, a rowing machine, a Bowflex, a couple of punching bags, free weights and two weight machines, one with a leg press. When he got to the gym this morning, Jamie was on one of the weight machines and Ben was on the other. He looked at them and, after seeing them side by side, he wondered why it had taken Jess three years to figure out they were father and son. Sure Jamie was blonde and fair while Ben had dark hair and an olive complexion, but their facial expressions and mannerisms were practically identical.