Everything in Italy was full of history.
Jus pulled his hand free and sent a text. A minute later, Diana Green appeared on the front steps of the pensione along with two big, hot guys who bore a resemblance to Jus.
Jus turned to me. "Brace yourself. You've entered the sports zone. Nothing but rugby talk for days on end." He made a point of shuddering before he handed me out of the car.
Diana rushed up first to greet us. She was dressed as you might imagine—in sports gear emblazoned with the logo of their company, Rugby Explorers. She was more tanned than the last time I'd seen her. Toned and tall. She hugged her son and then me. She pulled back to arm's length and studied me.
My heart stopped. For some reason I was convinced she would see I was pregnant right then. As if she had some great pregnancy-detecting superpower.
Her critical eye glided over me. "You look very Milanese today. Are those Gucci sunglasses?" She raised one eyebrow.
Jus pulled me free from her. "We came straight from business meetings in the fashion district—"
He was cut off from finishing his sentence, ambushed by his brothers. Grabbed and wrestled around, hugged, teased. His brothers were each six foot five, at least. They dwarfed poor Jus, who was over six foot.
"Boys! Let your baby brother go." Diana called a truce, but her smile was one of pure delight. As if boys will be boys and the horseplay was part of the fun. She made the introductions.
Jus bristled at being called a baby.
And now I could see exactly what Diana had meant when I first met her. Jerod and Jeremy were exactly the kind of guys I used to go for. Confident and charmingly cocky in the way strong athletes are. In full control of their bodies. Graceful in a masculine sense. Alpha dogs.
Jus was the runt of her litter of boys. Muscular, but slightly built compared to the other two. And four or five inches shorter. You could not have gotten his two brothers in skinny jeans like Jus wore, for example. Their thighs were roughly twice the size of one of Justin's, and would look ridiculous encased in tight denim. Their biceps bulged beneath black T-shirts. Just the fact that they were wearing black in the heat made them badass, even though it seemed to be one of Rugby Explorers' signature colors.
Called out by their mother, the big Js left Jus alone. And fuming. Suddenly they were all charm. The questions and compliments flew.
"Jus, you married above yourself." Jerod winked at me as he grabbed my bags and carried them inside. "Surprised the hell out of us. We never thought you'd marry at all. What girl would want you? Kayla, what does a beautiful girl like you see in a dweeb like our baby bro?" His voice had just a hint of an Italian accent.
"He's just so darn adorable!" I smiled at Jus, who, had he been a cartoon, would have had steam coming out of his ears.
Jus took my hand and flashed me a smile of gratitude. "Some women just have good taste. Where's Dad?"
"Kirk had tourney business to take care of." Diana followed us in. "He'll join us for dinner."
Inside, the pensione was pleasant, but plain. As Diana showed us to our room, four or five college-age guys burst down the hall, loud and boisterous, big and muscled, like football players. Typical rugby builds. They gave me the up and down as they brushed past us. One paused enough to flash me a flirtatious smile.
Diana gave them a cheery wave. "Take it easy tonight, boys. The tourney starts bright and early tomorrow morning."
She was such a mom. To everyone, it seemed. And it was clear she adored boys. She'd probably been a tomboy herself.
She returned her focus to us. "Dinner's at eight. Justin, you're going to love this. In your honor, we're eating at your favorite seafood place tonight!" She beamed at him.
Jus clearly wasn't used to being the main attraction and being spoiled. He grinned. "Paolo's?"
She nodded.
"It's been a few years," Jus said. "He still running the place? I thought he was going to retire and turn it over to his son."
Diana laughed. "Like that is ever going to happen. Paolo can't stand being idle. Or letting anyone else run his kitchen.
"He hasn't forgotten how you fixed his computer and built his website last time he saw you. 'Your boy saved a my business!'" She made an Italian hand gesture I didn't understand, but was obviously supposed to be mimicking Paolo's joy.
"He's got a fresh catch of polpetto he's saving just for you!" She opened the door to a room. "You have an en suite bath if you want to freshen up beforehand."
I stifled a yawn. I needed a nap. My bedtime was becoming embarrassingly early.
"Tired?" Diana asked me with that searching look again.
Last time I'd seen her, she'd warmed up to me. Her manner was friendly now. But she was obviously wary and totally wrapped up in the pleasure of having all her boys around her. Protective of Jus. I hoped she also wasn't as observant and intuitive. Jus had to get his traits from somewhere.
"Jet-lagged." I smiled at her.
"But you've been here, what, four or five days already?" Diana said gently.
I forced myself to keep smiling. "I'm not much of a traveler. I can't seem to shake it." Or the grandchild I'm carrying for you.
She put a gentle hand on my arm. "Take a nap. You'll want to be fully awake for dinner so you can enjoy the feast Paolo's making special for us. Have you ever seen the movie Big Night?"
I shook my head.
"Too bad. If you had, you'd know what I mean. He's preparing us his signature dish along with the rest of the feast." She turned to her son. "Justin can catch up with his brothers and me while you rest."
The last thing I remembered was lying down "just for a few minutes." I didn't wake up until several hours later when Jus gently shook me.
"Hey, sleepyhead. Time to get ready for dinner." His voice was gentle, but concerned. "You slept a long time. You aren't sick, are you?"
I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall. Crap! I had to hurry if we were going to make it to dinner on time. I'd slept so long I had bedhead. Was I drooling, too? "I'm fine." I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
"It's taking you a while to adjust to the time difference." There was that worry in his voice again.
I shrugged it off.
He sighed. "Next time we'll make sure to get you remedies to prevent jet lag."
Paolo's was only a few blocks away from the pensione. From the outside it was a candidate for the Italian version of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Inside, it wasn't much fancier. But it smelled delicious, like everything Italian. Since most of the Italians in America immigrated from the south of Italy, our version of Italian food is southern in nature. In that way, Paolo's smelled homey, yet old world and exotic at the same time. Like the very best, high-end Italian food in the States. It definitely wasn't chain restaurant fare.
Justin's dad was waiting for us. It wasn't hard to spot him. Justin's two older brothers were younger copies of him. Jus looked more like his mom. Even down to her build. She was tall for a woman, but not as big-boned as he was in proportion to her size.
Kirk was a big former jock who looked like he'd played football at some point during his younger days. He had that air about him. Friendly. With a deep voice that was an older, more gravelly version of Justin's. At least Jus had inherited that much.
Kirk greeted me with a crushing hug. Gave his immediate blessing to our union. And told me to call him whatever I wanted. "Kirk. Dad. Hey you. Doesn't matter to me. Don't want you to feel awkward when you're trying to get my attention. Getting used to calling your in-laws by some name, any name, takes time. When Diana and I first got married, I spent a good three months avoiding using any name at all for her dad. Damn inconvenient."
I smiled, liking him on sight. He was big, but sweet like Jus in the way he was trying to put me at ease.
Paolo scurried out of the kitchen and greeted us each, including me, in the Italian fashion, with an air kiss on each cheek. He smiled at me, used so many Italian hand gestures he may as well have been speaking sign language, and r
attled off a string of rapid-fire Italian I had no hope of understanding.
Jus seemed to follow it. Soon the two of them were involved in an animated discussion. Jus was even using his hands to talk, too. Which was so sexy it was crazy. All the Greens were soon in on it, laughing and interjecting. Gesturing. Finally, Paolo slapped Jus on the back and we took our seats at a prime table.
I was seated next to Jus, with Kirk on the other side of me. Diana and the others across from me. The wine immediately began to flow.
Jeremy quickly noticed I wasn't keeping up with the others and drinking my share. "You have a non-drinker on your hands, Justin."
I shook my head. "Hardly. I was in the hardest-partying sorority at my school. But too much wine makes me sleepy. My jet lag doesn't need any help, thank you very much. Besides, I'm half your size." I winked at him like I admired his big manliness.
Jerod laughed and refilled my glass. "I'll buy you some NoDoz."
I liked his brothers and the boisterous atmosphere of his family. Jeremy and Jerod were exactly the kind of guys I enjoyed hanging with. I could flip them as much crap as I wanted and they deflected and flipped it back.
"Do you play rugby?" Jerod asked as we devoured a plate of antipasti.
I shook my head. "I knew a few girls in college who were on our college team. That's the extent of my knowledge of the game. Women's rugby is gaining in popularity in the States. Maybe it will eventually replace soccer as the club sport of choice."
"You've never played?" Jeremy looked astounded, almost as if I'd committed some kind of heresy.
"No." My stomach started to feel funny. And the smells that had been delicious a few minutes ago took on a sour edge.
"Not even once?" Kirk passed me a loaf of bread.
I gratefully took it and tore off a chunk. The Italians put the bread in the middle of the table. You grabbed or tore off what you wanted. They didn't stand on ceremony. Like slicing bread.
"Not even once." The bread went down well.
Jerod poured himself another glass of wine. "We'll have to get you out on the field. You can't be a Green without playing rugby."
"What do you mean? Justin can." Jeremy laughed.
"He's a special snowflake." Jerod nudged Jus beneath the table while Jus glared. "Delicate constitution, right, Jus? Poor baby bro. Might get hurt."
Jus glared at him.
"Lighten up on the baby, Jer. He keeps a mean score sheet." Jerod laughed.
"Boys." Kirk used the dad voice. "Your brother isn't brawny, but he's got game smarts. He can out-coach either of you." He winked at his youngest son. "By the way, I need you to fill in for me and take my team tomorrow afternoon. I have a business meeting with the university I can't get out of."
"Sure, Dad." Jus didn't look thrilled at the idea.
"Do you like sports, Kayla?" Jerod leaned across the table, penetrating in the way he waited for my answer. Looking roguishly hot.
"I'm into men who play them." The flirt came out accidentally.
Diana shot me a sharp look.
Next to me, Jus set his jaw.
"And especially into guys who coach them." I grabbed Justin's arm and gave him an adoring look.
His face lit up. A busboy cleared the antipasti and plates. Two of Paolo's staff came out of the kitchen, carrying trays of steaming soup.
Kirk rubbed his hands together. "And here it is! The main event. You're in for a treat, Kayla. No one makes zuppa di pesce like Paolo! It's his specialty. People come from all over Naples for it."
As a bowl was set in front of me, my stomach grumbled. A gag rose in my throat. Crap. I swallowed hard against the bile rising in my esophagus. Morning sickness would choose now, a most inconvenient time, to make its first appearance.
I got my first glimpse of my bowl of soup—clams steamed open in their shells, tiny whole fish with their eyes staring accusingly back at me, whole shrimp, still in their shells, complete with legs, long antennae, and beady eyes, and whole baby octopi swimming in a tomato base. It was like a trip to the zombie aquarium in my bowl.
My stomach roiled. Didn't the Italians know you're supposed to clean the fish before you cook it? And devein the shrimp and take them out of their shells? And who eats baby octopus?
I didn't want to be close to the earthy nature of my food. I wanted my food the American way—clean and sanitized to the point where you'd never imagine your meat actually came from a real animal.
Just then Kirk took a spoonful of baby octopus and ate it whole, chewing rigorously.
I tried not to wince as I imagined what was going on in his mouth.
"Polpetto!" He made a sound of gastric happiness. "Try it, Kayla. It's deliciously fresh. You've never had anything like it."
Yeah, and I really didn't want to start now. I realized my earlier mistake of thinking Paolo was serving us polenta. Whole different thing. Cornmeal, not octopus. Cornmeal I could handle. I took one look at the baby octopus in my soup—poor dead baby animal. Was its mother mourning it?—covered my mouth, and ran for the restroom to hurl.
After some minutes of clutching the porcelain throne, the nausea disappeared as quickly as it had come. I felt pale and shaken, but much better. As I cleaned myself up I wondered, How am I going to explain this?
Jus startled me as I came out of the bathroom. "You okay?"
I jumped and clutched my heart. "Jus. You scared me. Do you always lurk in doorways by the ladies' room?"
"Sorry." He looked contrite and embarrassed. "I was worried about you."
"I'm fine. It's sweet of you to be concerned." I stroked his cheek and smiled. It was a good thing I was becoming such a fine actor. "Sudden nauseous migraine," I lied. "It came on just like this." I snapped my fingers. "By the time I realized I was getting an aura and my eye hurt, it was too late."
"I didn't know you got migraines."
Neither did I. My freshman roommate at the sorority used to get them. I was borrowing her history, and symptoms, so to speak. "I don't get them like this often. Maybe a couple of times a year? It happens when I'm off schedule."
Maybe I should have given them a little more frequency. An excuse in the hand…
His brow creased. He really was adorably sweet. "Should I take you back to the pensione?"
"No. Once I've…" I cleared my throat, indicating delicacy. "The worst is over." I took his hand, which was warm and comforting as it squeezed mine. "How offended is Paolo? Will you explain?"
Jus nodded. "My brothers are having a field day with your squeamishness. I'll put them in their places, too." He sounded like he relished the thought.
"Go gentle on them. Forgive them for what they don't know."
Paolo took it all with good humor and offered me ice for my head, insisting it would help. "It's the bad air in the heat."
Jus translated it for me and whispered, "Italians always complain about the bad air."
After dinner, Diana asked me to take a picture of her and Kirk and the boys. As they jostled into their usual family picture formation, Jus was suddenly nearly as tall as his brothers.
From either side of him, Jerod and Jeremy grabbed a shoulder to push him down. "Off your toes, squirt."
"Justin Arnold Green! Behave yourself. At least you finally reached six feet. Your regular height will suffice. Get off your toes," Diana barked. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of her reprimands. "And if anyone starts the lean, I will personally kill them."
Justin's grin was wide and contagious as he and his two brothers started leaning to the right.
Diana swatted at them. I stifled a laugh at their family antics. Being an only child, I didn't have any siblings to joke around with. I'd always wanted big brothers. I was falling in love with Justin's family already. Boys! I snapped the picture.
Chapter Five
Justin
Something was wrong with Kay. Sure, she protested she was fine. But the sudden virulent headache was worrying. Paolo might have been right about the bad air. After sleeping all a
fternoon, she went straight to bed when we got home from Paolo's.
She blamed it on the headache. "It makes me tired, both before and after. I should have recognized it coming on from how tired I was before."
I sat in the chair in the room of our pensione, with my laptop open. I'd looked up her symptoms. Fatigue and nausea were common symptoms. I would just have to take her at her word that this would pass.
As I checked my email, I got a text that made my pulse race.
You've been ignoring me, hubby. Not interested in playing my game? You should be, baby. I have more pictures you should be interested in. Don't make me use them. I'll be in touch soon.
I smiled, slowly, and willed my heart to stop racing. Maybe I should have been scared. But I'd been waiting for her.
Bring it on, baby. Send me a sample of what you have so I can find you.
I texted Dex.
* * *
Kayla
Scrum, scrum, scrum, scrum.
After a day of watching rugby, the words pulsed through my head in a chant. What better way to pass the time than watching hot guys in shorts tackle each other? Guys flashing very fine butts at the crowd. Male physicality! I needed to fan myself, and it wasn't just due to the heat of the day. Pregnancy hormones should really have made men look worse rather than better to me.
I'd also seen a new side to Jus. Kirk hadn't exaggerated. Jus really did know the game better than anyone. With his powers of observation and strategic thinking, he was an excellent coach.
Jus looked adorable, and hot, as he ran up and down the sidelines yelling at his players, calling plays, sketching them out. He knew his Dad's playbook by heart. He was so intense! And he claimed he didn't like sports all that much.
I played water girl and general helper. And good luck charm. When the guys won their first game under Justin's tutelage, they let me douse them with the water bottles. After they won their second game of the afternoon, they invited me out drinking with them.
In Sickness and in Wealth Page 4
