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Mick laughed. “Counselor, I have a feeling your wi
~~~
Jake and Meg sat down at a table on the patio.
“You just finished your MBA at KU, right? I think I heard you’d accepted a job, but I don’t remember where.”
“It was an MS in Civil Engineering. I’m going to work for Burke & Jones. They do engineering, consulting, and construction worldwide. They made the offer, I accepted and now we’re just waiting for the security clearance to come through. I’m pla
“Yeah, I get that. I moved back in with my parents a couple of years ago. They have a tendency to treat me as if I’m still in high school. You know, where are you going, when will you be back.”
Jake laughed. It was hard moving from his apartment in Lawrence back into the house with Jamie and his Mom, but he knew it was temporary.
“Mom’s pretty cool. She doesn’t nag about curfew or sleeping in, but it is weird going from making all of your own decisions to being treated like a kid again. You’ve been working for Mom since she got the job, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, three years now. It’s my first office job. My degree is in Marketing, and I’d been working at Dillard’s before I went to work for your Mom.”
“You’ve got a kid, right?”
And there it was. Meg loved Abbey more than life itself; however, a two year old was a turn off for most guys. Meg shook her head. What was she thinking? First, she’d just met Jake; second, he was her boss’s son, third who said he was interested in her to begin with?
“Yes, I have a daughter. Her name’s Abigail and she’s two.”
“My brother and I just got back from Omaha. Our cousin up there has a two year old. He’s a terror, but he’s kinda cute though.” Jake smiled.
God, he has dimples. And she was lost in the blue eyes and dimples. Did he say something else?
Jake tapped Meg’s hand. “Are you okay?”
“Hmm? Oh. Yeah. I was just thinking.”
Jamie came outside. “Hey, you guys need to come in here. Ben’s uncles are here. Did you know they were identical twins?”
Ben’s uncles Sal and Vi
“We wanted to get a little something for you, our little Angel of the Valley.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Lane said as she took the box and opened it. Then, she just looked from one tall white haired Italian man to the other. “What is this?” She dangled the Mercedes key fob she found in the box.
Sal and Vi
“I can’t accept this,” she said as she held the key out toward them.
“Tell her, Nipote. It’s bad luck to refuse a birthday gift.”
Ben took a breath. “Well, they’re right. It’s an Italian thing, you can’t refuse it.” He looked at Lane and back to his uncles. Lane wouldn’t cause a scene in front of all of the guests who had now come into the driveway and were oooing and ahhing at the car. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “Kiss the uncles and then let’s take a spin around the block in their gift.”
Ben helped Lane into the driver’s seat and closed the door. He walked to the passenger door. Pausing to whisper in Jess’s ear, “Will you play hostess until we’re back?”
“We’ll be right back, everyone. We’re just going to take a spin around the block,” Ben said to the crowd as he got into the car with Lane.
Lane started the car and backed out of the drive.
Jess stepped up to the uncles and introduced herself. “Ciao. So, you’re Ben’s uncles. I’m Jess Parker.”
“Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Salvatore Luciano. This is my brother Vincenzo.”
“Let me do you a favor.” Jess smiled. “If you want her to keep the gift, I suggest you leave. She can’t give it back if there’s no one to give it to.”
Sal looked at Vi
Vi
Since leaving for college a little over a year ago, Jess had learned Italian using Rosetta Stone and she understood every word the Luciano brothers spoke.
“You’d better hurry, they were only going around the block.” She ushered them to their car and smiled. A favor accepted is a favor owed.
Chapter 20
The fix is in
It was nearing ten o’clock when Lane and Ben left the driveway in the new car. It was an amazing car, but it was so expensive. She really needed to figure out a way to give it back.
“All right, here’s the thing, you can’t refuse the car.” He held up his hand in the universal stop sign. “Lane, look, there are things you don’t understand about Italian families. It will insult my uncles if you refuse the gift they’ve given you. We, you and I, can’t insult them this way. Please, just take the gift. I know it’s expensive, but what have I told you? Expensive should be measured relative to the giver’s ability to pay for it and not dependent on the receiver’s perception. They can afford to give the gift therefore you can afford to be gracious enough to accept it.”
Lane pulled to the curb and stopped. “You’re right, if this is something about Italian families, I don’t understand it. But, I don’t want to insult uncles Sal and Vi
Five minutes later when they pulled into the driveway, the found that Sal and Vi
“Do you have their numbers in your cell? Dial one of them and give me the phone.”
Ben pulled out his phone. “I dialed Vi
She waited until he paused. “Uncle Vi
“You know you’re on the hook to be in my kitchen helping prepare whatever appropriate Italian cuisine that would poison or offend them if prepared by my hands. I can take care of the normal American cuisine.”
Ben laughed. “That means shopping on the way home tonight and getting some things simmering before bed. Brunch at eleven o’clock means I need to start sauce tonight. I guess I’ll be staying at the Parker’s tonight.”
“It’s a deal,” she said as she noticed Colin Burke talking with Mick.
She and Ben walked over to talk with him. “Colin, I didn’t see you earlier. It’s so nice of you to come.”
“I got here late. I guess I came when you were out test driving your birthday present.”
Lane smiled. “Yes, well, Ben’s uncles were quite generous.” She motioned Jess over. “Gentlemen, I’d like to present my daughter Jessica Parker. Jess, this is Detective Mick McGuire and Fire Captain Colin Burke. They were a big help this week. Detective McGuire was in charge of the murder investigation and Captain Burke investigated the car fire. They’re friends of Ben’s.”