Starter Wife (The Jilted Wives Club Book 1) by Bethany Lopez (a court of thorns and roses ebook free TXT) 📕

and opened it so I could leave it on the counter to breathe, then turned to greet the rest of my family.

“Hey, brother.”

“Vanni, how’s everything?” I asked my brother as we gave each other a quick hug.

“Can’t complain,” he said as I moved to give his wife a kiss on the cheek.

“Sara. He treating you right?”

“Of course,” she said with an easy smile.

“Char,” I called, moving to my sister, who was holding my three-month-old niece in her arms.

“Hey, little brother. We’ve missed seeing you.”

“You know what Dad’s like,” I joked, tentatively touching the baby’s bare arm. “She’s getting so big.”

“I’m counting down the days until she sleeps through the night,” Charlotte said, her eyes tired but her expression full of love for her firstborn.

“Is Nigel here?” I asked, speaking of her husband.

She shook her head and said, “He’s in Chicago on business.”

“You look good with baby Sky, Luca. Just imagine how wonderful it will be when you have your own baby.”

“Ma, Charlotte just had Sky, can’t you be happy with her and your other two grandchildren for a while and give it a rest?” I asked with a sigh.

My mother was always on all of us to fill her house with grandchildren. Giovanni and Sara had already given her two, now Charlotte had Sky, so you’d think her grandmother urges would be satisfied for now. But … nope.

“I’m just saying … being an uncle is wonderful, but it’s nothing compared to being a father.” My mom patted me on the cheek and moved to the island in the kitchen.

“Anyone not helping, out of my kitchen,” she said with authority.

Charlotte and I headed out to go find our father in the family room, but I made sure to snag a fresh roll on the way out, while Vanni and Sara stayed to help Ma with dinner. They both loved to cook, while Charlotte and I did not, so we left them to it.

“Ah, there you are. Give me my granddaughter,” Dad said as we stepped down into the room.

He was in his recliner while Peter and Paul, my nephews, sat on the floor as they watched the game on TV.

“Who’s winning?” Charlotte asked as she gently transferred the baby into our father’s arms.

“The Giants, of course,” he replied. He was a lifelong Giants fan.

I crossed to the side bar to pour myself two fingers of scotch. “Dad, Char, want anything?”

“I have everything I need right here,” my dad said as he made cooing noises at Sky.

“I’ll have what you’re having,” Charlotte said as she leaned back into the large, comfy sofa with a sigh and closed her eyes.

I doubted she’d last one minute before she passed out, so I poured her drink and set it on the table next to her for when she was ready.

I settled on the sofa on the other end, closest to Dad’s chair, and watched the game.

Dad and I had a strict no business at family functions rule, so we chatted about the game, joked around with the boys, and simply enjoyed each other’s company until Ma gave the call that dinner was ready.

“Oh, I must have dozed off,” Charlotte said when I got up and touched her on the shoulder to tell her to come eat.

“You probably needed it,” I said as she stood and picked up her still-full glass. “Dad laid Sky down in the kids room.”

“Thanks, Pop,” she said, moving to link her arm with his and lay her head briefly on his shoulder.

“It was my pleasure, sweetheart.”

“Come on, boys, last one to the table gets the smallest piece of lasagna,” I said with a laugh. There were no small pieces of lasagna. My mother was very generous with her portions. Still, it was enough to motivate my nephews to get up and hurry along to the dining room.

When I entered the room, intent on getting to my chair and piling my plate with food, I was brought up short when I saw my high school girlfriend was already seated.

I glanced at my mother, who simply beamed at me, before finding my manners and stepping up beside her.

“Giada, I didn’t realize you were here. How are you?” I asked as I bent to kiss her cheek.

“I’m well, thank you. Your mother invited me. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course,” I replied as I took my seat. Of course my mother had sat us next to each other. Although she hadn’t been a fan of us being too serious in high school, the fact that I hadn’t had a long-term girlfriend since Giada, had my mother worried. She was convinced I needed to be settled down with a wife and a dozen kids in order to be happy. “What brings you back to the city?”

“Visiting my parents for a few days. My father’s been feeling under the weather and it’s been a while since I’ve been back home, so it seemed like I was due.”

Giada had moved away for college and never really came back except for the occasional visit.

“I’m sure they’re happy to see you,” I replied, passing my plate down so my father could put lasagna on it and hand it to Vanni for salad. We passed the plates around the table, until everyone’s were filled with every dish, before pausing to say grace and dig in.

There were no special orders or substitutions. If my ma made it, she expected everyone to eat it. So everyone, including the kids, not only had the lasagna and salad, but sautéed green beans, fresh rolls, and would need to save room for desert.

“While you are all eating, and therefore quiet for a few minutes at least, I have something for your mother,” my dad began, a small smile playing on his lips.

My mother looked up and across the table at him with an expression of surprise.

“You do, Giovanni?” she asked. As the oldest, my brother was named after my father, which was why we called him Vanni … unless he was in trouble.

“Yes, my dear. For