Janice Thompson - Swinging on a Star

Weddings BY Bella

BOOK TWO

S WINGING ON

A S TAR

A NOVEL

JANICE THOMPSON

2010 by Janice Thompson

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

[http://www.revellbooks.com] www.revellbooks.com

E-book edition created 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-0777-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Scripture used in this book, whether quoted or paraphrased by the characters, is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Published in association with MacGregor Literary Agency.

To Phil and Leslie Nott. Your beautiful Renaissance-themed wedding inspired me to write this fun medieval tale.

Contents

If Aunt Rosa hadnt landed that gig on the Food Network, I probably wouldnt have ended up on the national news. And if their pesky camera crew hadnt shown up at our house on one of the most important days of my life, Im pretty sure I wouldnt have been hauled off to the Galveston County jail.

Unlike my brother Armando, Id never aspired to get arrested or have my face plastered across the television screen on the evening news. But thanks to Aunt Rosas homemade garlic bread, I found myself facing both of these things and in exactly that order.

When the call came last Tuesday from the powers that be at the Food Network, the entire Rossi family went into a tailspin. Aunt Rosas recipe had been chosen from among thousands to be featured in an upcoming episode titled Italian Chefs from Coast to Coast . This was a great honor, of course, but the timing couldnt have been worse. After all, I was right in the middle of coordinating my first-ever medieval-themed wedding at Club Wed, our familys wedding facility. I was up to my earlobes in castles and moats. Who had the timeor patiencefor television crews?

I pointed out my concerns to my mother just a week and a half before the big day as she prepared to leave for the opera house. Shed only just started applying her makeup, a process that usually took a good hour or more, so I knew I had plenty of time. Pacing around her oversized bathroom, I spoke my mind.

Mama, you know what Im up against. This wedding is so important. Everything has to be perfect. The bride has had this one planned out since she was a little girl, and the best man is coming all the way from California. Its a huge deal, and if I can manage to pull it off, itll be a great promotion for Club Wed.

Youve coordinated weddings before, Bella, Mama said with a wave of her hand. Whats so different about this one?

Its a themed wedding, Mama. Medieval. Ive never done one of those before, so Im nervous.

You worry too much, honey. She squirted lotion into her hand and then smeared it on her face, working it into every pore. Remember how you fretted over the country-western themed wedding, and it came off without a hitch?

You call Uncle Lazs parrot stealing a toupee from one of our guests without a hitch? I sighed, not even trying to hide my frustration. And what about the part where our caterers eyebrows got burned off while he was barbecuing the beans? After a pause, I added, Besides, Im not trying to worry, but theres so much to think about. Im transforming the whole gazebo area into a medieval wonderland. The bridesmaids and groomsmen are wearing Renaissance costumes and dressing up as ladies-in-waiting and knights in shining armor. Doesnt that sound awesome?

Of course.

Were even having horses and trumpeters and a court jesterthe whole thing. And Laz, Jenna, and Nick are serving authentic foods from the Middle Ages. Ive put a ton of work into this. Its a really big deal.

My mamas perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched, and I could sense a lecture coming on. Id gotten pretty good at reading her thinly plucked eyebrows. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, she said, but Aunt Rosas debut on national television is a pretty big deal too. Im surprised youre not more excited for her. As she pulled her dark hair back in a cloth headband, the tiny wrinkles around her eyes lifted. With rehearsed flair, she reached for a bottle of liquid foundation and gave it a good shake.

I am excited for her, I said. But, you realize the camera crew is set to arrive the day before the wedding, right? This is going to be a fiasco of major proportions! Surely she could see my point. After all, we would be smack-dab in the middle of the wedding rehearsal at that time, and I didnt want any disruptions. If the street happened to be filled with Food Network trucks and the like, it would, at the very least, spoil the ambience. My clients had paid good money to have this wedding come off without a hitch. I couldnt let them down.

I, for one, think its perfect. My mother poured a dollop of foundation into her open palm. Its a great way to promote the family business and give Rosa the attention she needs. Mama jabbed her slender, beautifully manicured index finger into the gooey liquid, then began to place dots of the flesh-colored stuff all over her face. Soon my polka- dotted mother turned my way. I think youre missing a great opportunity here, Bella. Think about it.

I guess Im just not seeing it. I closed the lid on the toilet and sat down, feeling defeated. Its going to be a huge distractiona great way to draw attention away from the wedding facility. Im afraid thats whats going to happen, not the other way around.

Dont be silly. And remember, this isnt about you, Bella Bambina, she chastened me. This is about your aunt. Shes worked all her life for a moment like this. We cant rob her of this chance to shine like the star she is.

No, of course not, I said. Its just that I sighed, unsure of what to say next.

In the next room, Guidothe parrot my uncle had adopted from his mob friend Salbegan to sing Amazing Grace. Id grown accustomed to his morning ritual, but it was starting to get a little old. Or maybe my patience was just wearing thin. Living in a house with so many relatives could do that to a person, particularly when there was so much work to be done. Still, I needed the grace that Guido was singing aboutand I needed it now.

A rap at the bathroom door caught my attention. Aunt Rosa stuck her head inside and flashed a shy smile when I looked her way. She wore her hair pulled up in a loose bun. Her housedress was the same one shed worn a hundred times before over the past several years. So was the apron, which was covered in flour. Unlike Mama, Rosa didnt believe in wasting money on new things. Or makeup. Unless she had a man to impress, of course. Lately Id begun to suspect shed found one. Id caught her wearing lipstick on at least three occasions.

Bella, theres someone at the front door for you. My aunt brushed her palms against her apron. He says hes with the Stages Set Design Company.

Ah. The guy wed hired to turn the gazebo area into a castle and moat for the big day. The brides father had instructed me to spare no expense, and I wasnt taking his words lightly. The construction of the castle would cost over ten grand. Oh, but how glorious it would look! I could almost picture it now minus the Food Network trucks in the background, of course. The upcoming medieval evening would draw a whole new clientele to the wedding facility. I hoped.