Page 43 of Back for Seconds

While Joey focused on keeping us from veering off the road and into one of the reed-laden marshes separating us from the salty depths of Malaga Bay, I told him about my brother’s phone call to me last night. And, for some reason, I found myself filling in details about my relationship with Sal—three years apart, very close, especially compared to our eldest brother, Vin. In the never-ending devolution of our parent’s marriage, Sal and I had chosen to divide and conquer, while Vin had disappeared entirely. His aspirations seemed to have outgrown Evergreen and all of us.

But Sal was around—not the most emotionally present, but I could absolutely count on him.

“My dad was really hard on Vin, so I don’t blame him. I really don’t. It’s just…” I blew out a breath that ruffled the hairs that had fallen loose from my bun. “What about our mom? She did everything for us. Everything. And what about how our dad treated her? I guess it’s different for him…” I cut my eyes to Joey, then quickly added. “When Vin came out, my dad was not particularly great about it. And I think it hurt Vin that my mom didn’t have his back more. I know that’s so, so painful for him; I’m not dismissing it.” I shook my head, adding quietly: “I just miss my brother.”

“Yikes, June.”

I sighed. “Yikes, June is right. The Alfiero family is a fucking mess. I should be grateful I’m spending Christmas alone.” I pivoted in my seat to face him. “What about you? Come on, spill some guts so I feel less pathetic.”

Joey gave me an admonishing look—equal parts paternal and, somehow, sexy. “You are not spending Christmas alone.”

“I’m not?”

“No. You’re coming to my family’s Noche Buena, and for Christmas Day… I don’t know, I’ll figure it out. But I’m not letting you sit around alone, eating peanut butter outta the jar with a fork.”

“How’d you know I did that?”

Joey trilled his lips, pride pulling his brows into an arch. “Lucky guess? Or maybe I’m smarter than I seem.”

I looked him over. “You are not dumb, Joey. Not even a little bit.”

For the first time since I’d met him, I’d thrown Joey off. He could handle almost anything—but me calling out what was obviously his biggest insecurity?

He didn’t know how to respond. He just started fiddling with the radio, eventually asking, “Do you have any idea who might have actually done it?”

“Oooh boy, do I.” I pinched at the skin between my eyes, leaning my head back against the headrest. I knew exactly who it had been. I’d known the moment Brian had clarified exactly what word had been spray-painted across the side of his van. Not very many people knew why my marriage had ended—in fact, only four people knew the whole story. Two of them (my mom, Mimi) were out of town; one of them (Joey) had just found out last night. Who did that leave? Well. The entire situation smacked of Salvatore Alfiero.

“My brother Sal, one thousand percent.”

“Really?” Joey laughed, taking his hands off the steering wheel to rub them together like a gleeful cartoon villain. “Damn. He’s got balls.”

“No, he’s an insane person—and he never got along with Brian. This was just an excuse to do something…” I paused to draw in as much air as my lungs could hold. “Misguided.”

“He cares about his baby sister,” he said knowingly. Like he might do the very same thing for one of his siblings.

“He also isn’t afraid to spend just a little bit of time in jail.”

Joey shot me a look. More glee. “Really?”

I nodded then held up my thumb and index finger, an inch or so apart. “Just a little bit of jail time. A baby amount.”

“Fuck, June. I just assumed all your siblings were all also nerds with important jobs.”

I shook my head. “I’m the blackest of black sheep in my family. I’m relatively quiet, I read for fun, I’ve never screamed at a cop, and I didn’t want to stay in the restaurant business.”

Joey pulled into the turning lane, threw on his blinker, and peeled us off onto a winding road through a neighborhood I’d never really explored before. “Are you kidnapping me?”

“Scenic route to dinner, Junie.” Then he gave me a heavy, wry look. “Unless you’re in a rush?”

“Oh no.” I held my hands up in mock defense. “Free as a bird.”

Old Victorian houses painted all shades of blue and purple sat close to the road, strung up with warm winter lights. I oohed and ahhed, my nose pressed to the window, leaving behind a big smudge. After the eighteenth time I shouted out Looklooklook! Joey made a left turn and we were spat out, immediately, onto another highway. That’s all New Jersey was, an endless tangle of highways that led to magical little pockets of forest and ocean.

“God, I love Christmas,” I sighed, staring wistfully at an electric blue mobile home surrounded by a pink-and-white replica of Santa’s Palm Springs workshop. “And I love New Jersey.”

He let out a low belly laugh. “It’s good to hear you say that.”

I grinned at him. “It’s a fucking miracle.”