Her cell phone buzzed.

“Jams.  What’s up?”

“You coming home for dinner?  Mom and Ben have made up and Mom wants everyone home.”

Still looking in Joey’s eyes, she responded, “Okay.  On our way.”

Chapter 14

the eyes have it

“Okay, wise guy, we have a family dinner to attend.”

Great, now he was going to meet the rest of the Parkers.  He’d told Ben last night that they were even, but before this gig was over, the old man was going to owe him big time.

“Now, get me down.”

He lifted her from the island and took a step back as he stood her in front of him. He leaned in, putting his hands on the island on either side of her, pinning her against the island and kissed her again.  We have to make it look good for the cameras, don’t we? He told himself again.

She smiled at him.  “Let me go,” she whispered.

He kissed her again and stepped back. She walked around and poured her drink down the sink, put the glass in the dishwasher and nodded her head toward the garage.  “Let’s go.”

In the privacy of the garage, where she was sure no prying paparazzi could see her, she punched his arm.  “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you, wise guy?”

“Hey, just playing my role, Toots-er-Jess.  Just playing the role of the love sick boyfriend.”

He opened her door and helped her in.  She was wearing jeans and a pair of those five inch heels she was famous for, but it was still an Escalade, and she was still just a little bit of a thing.

“Do we want them to follow us or not,” he asked.

“Good question,” she thought.  The paparazzi already knew where her mother lived.  But she knew what this family dinner was about and the family didn’t need any tabloid company.

“Hell if I know.  They already know where Mom lives.”  She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. “No stunt driving in my mother’s SUV.”

He backed out of the drive, and carefully drove the few blocks to the Parker residence.   Ben’s Navigator was in the driveway.  As instructed earlier in the day, Jess sat and waited for Joey to come around and open her door.  He helped her out and held her hand as they walked into house.

Lane looked up.  “Paul, it’s good to see you.”

Together, Ben and Jess said, “Not Pauli, Joey.”

“Lane, may I present my brother Giuseppe Gabrielli Bellini?  Joey, my fiancée, Lane Parker.  Her sons, Jackson and Jamison.”

The Parker brothers each stepped forward and shook Joey’s hand.

“Jake.”

“Jamie.”

“Nice meeting you,” Joey said, as he stepped forward to shake Lane’s hand.  He looked back at Jess, as if to say now what?

She looked at her mother.  Pauli had a huge crush on her mother.  It was the way she’d gotten her first pair of shoes out of him.  Pauli had bought her silence and she’d promised not to tell Ben that he was crushing on Lane.  But Joey had barely looked at her mother.

Someone had brought Jack Stack.  “Y’all go into the family room,” Jess said.  “The boys and I can get things ready.  Are we eating in the kitchen?”

Lane walked into the family room, followed by Ben, who protectively and proprietarily had his hand in the small of her back, and Joey brought up the rear.

“Joey, you went to L.A. and got Jess and brought her home last night.  Thank-you.”

“No worries,” he said, as he looked anxiously toward the kitchen.

“Dinner’s on,” Jess said.

Joey stood back as the family took their assigned seats.  Lane at one end, Ben at the other, the Parker brothers on one side and Jess on the other leaving an open spot next to Jess.  The family joined hands.  Lane looked at Jess.  Wednesday night, Jess’s night to say grace.

“Father, we thank you for the food you have placed before us and ask that you bless all of the hands who brought it to us.  We thank you for our family and ask that you bless and protect us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen”

“Thanks, Jess.  Before we start eating, your mother and I have an announcement to make.”  Ben looked at each of the Parker kids.

“Father Palmert is meeting us at the Church at 8:00.  Your mother and I are getting married tonight.”

Lane smiled.  “Our plans were put on hold last month when Jess had to rush back to L.A., and now we’re in a little hurry.”  She looked at Ben as she said, “We’re expecting a baby.”

The Parker boys looked at Ben, and they didn’t look thrilled.  For a minute Joey thought there might be bloodshed and no one said anything for a couple of beats.  Then Jess spoke up.

“Congratulations, Mom.”  She pointedly looked across the table at each of her brothers. “That’s great news, isn’t it boys?”

“It’s all good,” Jake said, but he was thinking that someone ought to have a talk with Ben.

Jamie looked across the table at his sister.  She didn’t know the rules that Ben had taught him.  Rule three: always wear protection.  Besides, he’d told Ben he wasn’t allowed to spend the night and he was sure that Ben knew what he meant when he’d said it.  Guess the rules didn’t apply to everyone.  Jamie’s eyes flashed.

Jess looked from Jamie to Joey to Ben.  That’s where she’d seen those eyes, they belonged to the Bellini men… and to her baby brother.  How was that even possible?

“So, Mom, tell us the story of when you met Ben,” she said.

Lane laughed.  “You kids know how Ben and I met.  He came to pick up the things for the church’s garage sale.”

Joey was sitting next to Lane.  He looked at her.  She was glowing as she looked across the table at his brother.  The brother he thought was a confirmed bachelor was glowing as he looked back at Lane.  WOW.  Married with a baby on the way.

“I’m not sure whether I should extend you best wishes on your upcoming marriage or congratulate you on the blessed event,” Joey said looking at Lane.

“I think both are in order, Joey.  Thank-you.”  Lane smiled as she patted his hand.

Ben looked at Joey.  “You bring a suit?

“I’m a Bellini, of course I brought a suit.”

The food had finally started making its way, in a clockwise rotation, around the table.  Jamie handed the bowl of mashed potatoes to Ben.  “Dad, you want some potatoes?”  He’d said as he handed the bowl to Ben, but what he wanted to do was dump them over Ben’s head.

Dad, when had Jamie started calling Ben “Dad”?  Oh, that’s right last month he’d said he was going to call Ben “Dad” after the wedding.  Phillip had gotten mom pregnant the night he walked out on them.  At least, that was what they’d always believed, but if Jess’s eyes weren’t deceiving her, Ben and her mother had met long before the Parker family moved to Kansas and the now infamous church garage sale.

How had she not seen this before, and how was she going to get DNA from Jamie and Ben without them knowing it?

They finished dinner, and Jake and Jamie had clean-up duty.  Ben said he was taking Joey home with him so they could change.  He looked at Jamie and at Jake.  “Jamie, you have your suit?  Jake do you need to go home and change?”  Then looked at Jess. “You’re in charge of getting everyone to the church.”  Then he kissed Lane. “I’ll see you soon, I love you.”

In the SUV, Joey looked at Ben.  “Do Mama and Papa know?”

“About the wedding tonight, yes.  They’ll meet us at the church, as will Tony and the Lucianos.  We’ll send out announcements and have a big reception at Papa’s later.”

He looked at Joey.  “About the baby, I thought I’d wait and tell Mama in a week or two.  I know she’ll do the math eventually, but I really don’t want to hear it tonight.” Ben looked at his brother.  “I love Lane.  By not realizing it sooner, I’ve wasted the last three years. I had talked her into a quick wedding a few weeks ago, and then Jess was called back for the audition.”

Joey looked skeptically at Ben. “Your new sons didn’t look too happy.”

Ben laughed.  “Each of them had made it clear that I was to keep it in my pants until after the wedding.  They’re pissed that I didn’t listen.  They’re good kids.  They know I love their Mother.  They’ll adjust.”