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That joke prompted lots of laughter that only faded when Elio yelled out over the noise, chiming in on the teasing.
“Nope. That’s not it. He finally made the Olympic team for his figure skating talents. You’re gonna look hot in those tights, Joey.”
“Boys!” Nonna admonished. “Go on,patatino. Tell us your news.”
“Patatino?” Jess whispered to Tony, who grinned, shaking his head in amusement.
“Nonna had been calling us little potatoes our whole lives.”
Jess covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. There was absolutely nothing about the Moretti boys that said “little” anything, but definitely not a potato.
Joey raised his voice, unruffled by the interruptions. “A few weeks after Moretti Brothers Restorations was featured on HGTV last fall, a producer called and asked if I’d be interested in auditioning for a new show they’re producing for the network. Found out a couple of weeks ago, I got the gig. You’re now looking at the host ofManPower. We start filming in a month!”
“Hot damn!” Tony called out, he and his other brothers rushing over to congratulate Joey.
“Wow,” Layla said. “How cool is that?”
Miguel and Finn came over, hugging and kissing Layla, bragging about their famous future brother-in-law. Then they all walked over to congratulate him.
Jess shifted back, watching as the family rallied around Joey, the men slapping him on the back and shaking his hand, the women hugging him, kissing him on both cheeks, proclaiming they knew he was destined for great things. Nonna appeared to be wiping her eyes, pride evident in every line on her face.
So this was what it was like to have a real family. What would she give to be a part of something as wonderful as this?
Tony’s dad, Frank, pulled out several bottles of wine, uncorking one after another until everyone had a glass. Rhys walked over to Jess and handed her one.
Then Frank lifted his glass, calling out, “Salute!”
Everyone cheered and sipped, and the party kicked into overdrive. Someone turned on music, and the noise level in the house rose at least twenty more decibels, something Jess wouldn’t have thought possible. She could set firecrackers off in the living room and she wasn’t sure anyone would even hear them.
Jasper and the other children were being swept away by the tide of excited adults, running and jumping, shouting loudly. Jess tried to catch her son’s attention, to tell him he needed to slow down, but she was stopped by Liza Moretti, another of Tony’s cousins.
“Leave him,” she said with a kind smile. “He’s having fun. And holding him back won’t stop the rest of them from stampeding through the house. Overwhelmed yet?”
“Completely,” Jess said, prompting Liza to laugh.
“And we haven’t even gotten started yet. In a couple more hours, this party will be totally off the chain.”
Jess wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry over that fact. “Hours?”
Liza giggled, clearly taking Jess’s question as a joke. “Keep drinking,” she said, pointing to the still-full glass of wine in Jess’s hand. “It’ll help you later when my dad pulls out his accordion.”
Jess’s eyes widened. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone play the accordion.”
Liza winked. “He’s actually very good, learned from Nonno. Have you sorted out who’s who in our sprawling family tree?”
“I’m trying, but…there are a lot of you.”
Liza grinned. “Tell me about it. Let me see if I can break it down for you. Nonno and Nonna had four kids.”
“Okay,” Jess said, enjoying Liza’s easygoing, friendly nature. She, like Layla, had welcomed Jess into their fold today with arms wide open. “I think I know who they are. Maybe. There was an Uncle Renzo, right? Who was married to Aunt Berta?”
Liza nodded. “He was the oldest. It’s still hard for me to remember he isn’t here anymore. He had a larger-than-life personality and a booming laugh you could hear from three states away.”
“He’d have to, to keep up with Aunt Berta.”
Liza linked her arm through Jess’s. “Right? Uncle Renzo and Aunt Berta didn’t have any kids.”
Jess knew about that, her heart breaking when Aunt Berta confided how desperately they’d tried, and how devastated they’d been when they’d learned it wasn’t possible.
