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ChapterTwo
“And then, me and Billy won the prizes for being the fastest runners in the whole first grade!”
Penny nodded, enthralled as Jasper regaled her with the highlights from his school’s field day. Apparently, the school system had bussed the entire elementary school to the local high school’s football field and held competitions for each of the grades.
Penny suspected there were a shit ton of teachers facedown on their couches tonight, as Jasper detailed the countless events and games and—sweet Jesus—she was exhausted just hearing about it.
“He got a ribbon that says First Place. Aunt Berta has it hanging on the refrigerator.” Her brother, Rhys, who was seated on the other side of Jasper, put his hand on the boy’s head, beaming so proudly, you would think Jasper had just won the Olympic gold.
She’d been delighted when her brother had invited her to join his new family for dinner tonight. She was getting damn tired of eating alone. In addition to her, Jasper, and Rhys at the table, Tony, Jess, and Aunt Berta were also there. Penny was amazed by how quickly her confirmed-bachelor brother had upended his life, eschewing his assertion that he would forever be married to his work, and opting instead for this wonderful instant family.
He and Tony had been roommates for years, but that fact hadn’t prepared Penny when they’d both fallen head over heels for Jess. While she knew committed threesomes weren’t exactly the norm, there was no denying the three people sitting across the table from her were making it work. Tony had his arm draped loosely around the back of Jess’s chair, and Jess, a single mom who’d been homeless when she’d crash-landed in their lives, absolutely glowed with happiness.
Rhys called her this afternoon and said they all wanted to try a new Italian place that had opened in Center City, and he wanted to see if she’d like to join them. Considering there was nothing but cereal in her house, she’d been only too happy to accept the invitation.
Penny had started her job search in Philadelphia after college because she’d wanted to live close to her brother, and their parents, who had also moved here from Connecticut right after she graduated from high school. Her family meant the world to her, so she knew she wanted to settle down near them.
“Sounds like you had an amazing day, Jasper. I’ll have to stop by sometime and see the ribbon.”
Jasper beamed then asked Rhys, “Can I have some more bread, Daddy?”
Every time Jasper called Rhys and Tony “Daddy,” Penny’s eyes misted with happy tears, so grateful that these incredible people all found each other.
Rhys reached into the breadbasket, spreading a bit of butter on the roll before handing it to Jasper. “Last one,” he warned. “Or you won’t eat that big plate of spaghetti you just ordered.”
Jasper took the bread. “I can eat it all,” he said with great confidence. “On account of my leg.”
Penny frowned as she glanced down at Jasper’s leg in confusion. “Leg?”
Tony laughed. “Aunt Berta swears Jasper has a hollow leg. The rascal is eating us out of house and home.”
Aunt Berta grinned. “He’s a growing boy. I suspect he’ll be bigger than you and Rhys by the time he’s done.”
Jasper was clearly thrilled at the idea of growing taller than his two fathers.
Penny dipped her bread in the seasoned olive oil. “I appreciate you guys letting me tag along. I’ve heard good things about this place from Toby at work. He’s already eaten here three times and the place hasn’t been open a month.”
“We haven’t seen enough of you lately,” Rhys said. “I was missing you, kiddo.”
Penny grinned at her brother’s nickname for her. Their parents had waited ten years between kids, but that age difference hadn’t had a negative impact on their sibling relationship at all. She’d always been very close to her big brother, who’d never been too busy for, or too bothered by, the little girl constantly hanging around him when he was a teenager.
“Yeah. I need to get better about being more social, but by the time the workday ends, usually all I can think about is going home, stripping off the bra, and collapsing on my couch.”
They all laughed.
“I think we have to face it. Work is crazy for all of us. It’s hard to find a time when we’re all free.” Jess had been a waitress when she met Rhys and Tony, but since officially “moving in” with them—not just as a roommate—three months earlier, she’d cut back on her hours at the diner and taken on quite a lot of the office work for Moretti Restorations, the business Tony owned with his three brothers.
Tony nodded. “I can’t complain because business is good, but we’re feeling the loss of Joey, now that he’s off filming that TV show of his. If you ever repeat this to him, I’ll deny it, but he was a hell of a worker and it’s been hard finding someone to replace him.”
Tony’s brother Joey had landed a gig hosting his own TV show,ManPower, a few months earlier. Penny couldn’t wait for the first episode to air. The Morettis were already planning a massive viewing party and she’d been invited. The Morettis, Italian to the core, knew how to party.
Aunt Berta leaned toward Tony, as if speaking confidentially. “There’s no way I’m telling him you said that. That boy is a walking, talking contradiction. Works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen when it comes to building things, but my heavens, he’s the laziest creature on the planet at home. Dirty dishes in the sink, laundry piled up everywhere. I stopped by his place one day to drop off a casserole I made him, and I counted no less that ten pizza boxes piled up by the door.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Tony grumbled. “I lived with the idiot for three years. Best day of my life was when Rhys and I decided to move in together.”
The waiter came by the table to deliver their food and refill their wine glasses. “This smells delicious,” Penny said.
For a moment, she thought Tony was groaning in agreement. Until she realized it was his Russo growl. She followed the direction of his now dark gaze, expecting to see Matt Russo, Tony’s sworn arch enemy—for reasons Penny had only just recently learned from Jess. It had something to do with an old high school rivalry and, of course, a girl.
