Chances Are by Barbara Bretton Read Free Book Online Page B

keep buried.” Gina shook her head as if to brush away the idea. “I’d just as soon they kept the focus on your wedding.”
    “Thanks, pal,” Maddy said. “I’ll remember that. As it is, the house is sprouting bridal magazines, swatches of dress material, and if I hear one more word about caterers I swear I’ll—”
    “You’ve got the castle, the glass slipper, and Prince Charming, Cinderella. So what if there’s a camera crew hiding behind the altar. You’re not getting any sympathy here. You and Aidan might be South Jersey’s Trista and Ryan.”
    “Bite your tongue.”
    “You love him, don’t you?”
    “Of course I do.”
    “And you want to marry him.”
    “I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t.”
    “So what’s the problem? If there’s one thing DiFalcos do well, it’s plan a wedding. Why not sit back and enjoy it?”
    “You think I’m being an ingrate, don’t you?”
    “Yep,” said Gina as a carload of DiFalco sisters roared past them. “Rosie can be a pain in the ass, but she loves you. Besides, you’re the only one of us who just might get it right the first time. You can’t blame her for wanting to make your wedding day something to remember.”
    “I think I’ll remember it just fine without fifty pounds of chopped liver and a champagne fountain.”
    “I don’t know how to break it to you, but this isn’t about you.”
    “That’s exactly what Rose said.”
    “Thanks,” Gina said with an alarming roll of her eyes. “I can feel the varicose veins forming even as I speak. Still, you know I’m right.”
    “She’s not talking about a wedding, Gee. She’s talking about a circus.”
    “It’s one day. Put up with it.”
    “I don’t think I’m the big wedding type.”
    “Please don’t tell me you were serious about eloping to Vegas.” Gina shuddered. “That’s too bleak a prospect, even for me.”
    “It could be fun. Especially if Fat Elvis performed the ceremony.”
    “There’s a charming thought for you.”
    “The kids might like it.”
    “The kids aren’t supposed to go on the honeymoon with you.”
    “Does that mean you’re up for baby-sitting? You know how much Joey adores Hannah.”
    Gina ignored the question as she eased her way around a slow-moving Cruiser. “You won’t get the big wedding checks from the aunts if you don’t give them a sit-down prime rib dinner and a dance band.”
    “How big are those checks?” She pretended to rub her hands together in anticipation.
    “Big enough to make up for a few snarky remarks.”
    “So you think I should sell out for a few lira.”
    “You might not believe me now, but by the time the day arrives, you’ll understand. Fat Elvis might be fun, but he isn’t family, and weddings are all about family.”
    “I’ve never heard you talk this way before. You sound downright DiFalco.”
    “Quote me, and I’ll deny every single word. I have my reputation to consider.”
    “Rose and I might end up killing each other before I walk down the aisle.” The thought of the PBS crew capturing it all on film was enough to make her queasy.
    “Trust me, you’ll bond.”
    “In prison,” Maddy said, and they burst into laughter.
    They fell silent for a few miles. Neither one of them had the chance to drive in silence very often. Gina had three children under ten, a trio of turbocharged live wires much like their mother. They were spending the afternoon at Upsweep, Gina’s hair salon, being cared for in the mini-day care center Gina had established for employees and patrons in the rear section of the shop.
    This was the first time Gina had left her youngest’s side since he was released from the hospital three weeks ago. He had taken sick at his father’s house up near Princeton, and Gina had parked her other two kids on her sister Denise’s doorstep and raced up north to be with Joey.
    “So how’s Joey doing? I was kind of hoping you would bring him with you today.”
    Gina laughed. “Oh, there’s a great