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“Thank heavens,” Cliff muttered.
Roman ignored him. “On my salary, I can support myself, but even adding a wife is going to push it. No way I can take a mistress after I marry Sabina.”
Cliff sputtered. “Are you kidding? That train has chugged out of the depot, my friend.”
“It’s not too late until she walks down the aisle, and I have no intention of letting that happen. I’ve got a plan.”
“Roman…” Cliff stretched his name out to four syllables.
“Relax. Some time with me, and she’ll forget all about Capecce. I just need to remove her from the situation for a while. And don’t get any ideas.” He leveled an accusing finger at Sally’s far-too-peaceful face. “You sabotage my chances with her, and I’ll leave you with Capone.”
Sally held up her hands, one still gripping the spoon. Something glinted in her eyes, but he couldn’t put a name to it. “Hey, I’m on your side here. Especially since you’ve done a peach of a job of sabotaging yourself.”
His meddling friend chuckled, convincing Roman that he’d have no peace from either of these two until he had a band on Sabina’s finger.
Lorenzo mounted the few steps up to the Mancari stoop, smiling at Manny when he looked over the top of his newspaper in greeting. The evening was beautiful—cooler than usual for early August, with a rose-scented breeze blowing by—and as Lorenzo had walked the blocks from his apartment, he had seen many a neighbor outside enjoying it.
“Bona sira, Enzo,” Manny greeted with a grin. “You’ll want to stay out here. It’s a madhouse in there, what with wedding favors and gowns and the gifts that have begun to arrive. The President sends his apologies for missing the festivities but sent a lovely crystal vase.”
Unsure whether his soon-to-be father-in-law was serious about that last part, Lorenzo smiled. “It’s crazy at my parents’ too. Mama’s trying to help Rosa as much as possible, and she’s got all this—stuff—covering every table.”
Manny chuckled. “Just steer clear. The women love this nonsense, so leave it to them. For my part, I just hand over the money and head outside. Only way to keep from going mad. But rest assured that with Rosa at the helm, this will be the talk of Chicago for a decade. Sounds like every person of any import will be there.”
“Mm.” Lorenzo plopped down on the top step and glanced at Manny’s paper, not caring to think about what celebrities might soon be watching him. “Anything interesting in the news today? I haven’t even had time to open mine.”
“Alexander Graham Bell passed away. Funeral’s tomorrow.”
He said it as though it were of personal relevance, eliciting a grin from Lorenzo. “Going?”
Manny shot him a humored glare. “It’s in Nova Scotia.”
He chuckled. “Could be tough, then.”
Manny grinned and turned a rustling page. “There’s going to be a minute of silence tomorrow on every phone line and switchboard on the continent to honor his memory. They haven’t announced at what time, yet.”
Sabina stepped outside before he could reply, book clutched in one hand and a smile lighting up her face. His heart tightened, leaving Enzo pleasantly breathless. It was good to see her looking happy—too many of the times he’d stopped by over the last few weeks, there had been a pall over the house, over the neighborhood.
Mrs. Bennato had finally passed away. Mr. Bennato hadn’t shown up since. Isadora had had to shoulder the entire responsibility of the funeral, the wake, the bills, and Mary…Mary had been nearly as absent as her father. Lorenzo knew Sabina had been doing everything she could for her friends, but it had been wearing on her, especially because he knew she felt guilty to have the joy of their wedding coming so soon on the heels of grief.
But through all the trials, her heart had shone through—proving her mettle, reminding him why he’d always loved this girl who loved others so well. “There’s my bride,” he said in greeting.
Her smile turned into an excited grin. “Ten more days. I still can’t believe it. Mama and I got the beading on my dress done this morning. It’s so gorgeous, Enzo.”
Manny folded his paper and stood up from his chair. “As if it could be anything else, when it’s on you, principessa.” He stepped over to her, pressed a kiss to her temple, and turned to the door. “You two enjoy your evening. There will be no peace to be had once your grandmothers arrive from Palermo on Monday.”
They laughed at his exaggerated shudder, and then Sabina sat down beside Enzo as Manny disappeared inside. Her smile faded. “Mary came by this morning.”
He sucked in a breath. “How was she?”
“I don’t know.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes and sighed. “She eloped with Robert a few days ago, apparently. Wanted my help in breaking it to Isadora. She didn’t say a thing about the funeral, about the fact that she’d just left her sister to deal with everything on her own, she just…” She rolled a hand through the air as if ushering in more words and then dropped it to the book she held in her lap along with her gaze. “They’re leaving Chicago—Mary and Robert, I mean. He got a job in Kansas City. They leave in two days. She won’t even be here for the wedding.”
“Bean.” He reached over, covered her hand with his. “I’m so sorry. Wasn’t she one of your bridesmaids?”
“Yeah. That part’s okay—Isadora’s just taking her place, which feels right.” A soft smile curved her mouth again. “You should have seen her when she tried on the dress we’d been making for Mary. Joey would have declared her the most beautiful woman in the world.”
A shaft of longing for the brother he’d never joke with again sliced through Lorenzo. Joey should have been here now to tease, to guide, to assure him that he’d be a good husband and father. He bumped his shoulder into Sabina’s. “I’d have fought him over that. I believe that honor always goes to the bride—especially when the bride is you.”
She grinned and bumped him back. Then they just rested there, their arms pressed together. “Tell me Mary will be all right. That they’ll settle down, that they’ll be happy. That the next time I see her, she’ll be laughing over how wild she used to be and apologizing to her sister for all the worry she caused.”
