Page 33 of Highball and Chain

“Thank goodness.” I sagged against a column.

Chloe, Maggie’s nine-year-old niece, drew flowers on the driveway with sidewalk chalk while her baby brother, Ryan, tried to catch butterflies in a net.

“We’re moving the wedding to tomorrow morning. Everything’s ready—we just have to show up.” Maggie knelt beside Chloe, helping her finish drawing a flower.

“Why not do it here?”

“It has to be in a Catholic Church to be recognized.”

And I thought we had a lot of rules.My father had insisted that I was raised Jewish, though I hadn’t set foot in a synagogue since he’d left me and my mom.

She grinned at the children. “Who wants to go swimming?”

The kids abandoned their projects and rushed through the door. I moved slower, trying to sort out the events of the day. For a wannabe private investigator, I had a low drama tolerance. Unfortunately, the Marchionnis seemed to cultivate it. “Are you okay with changing the date?”

“Yes. I’d rather rush it than postpone in case he takes a turn for the worse. Besides, Evelyn would be mortified if I waddled down the aisle nine months pregnant.” She called to the kids, “Go get your suits on. Uncle Marco said he’d take you in the pool.”

“How do you do it?” I slid onto a barstool.

“Do what?” Maggie pulled two bottles of water out of the fridge and handed one to me.

“You’re so calm.”

She shrugged. “I’m used to big families. Nothing ever goes as planned when there’s more than two people involved.”

“Truer words.” I could see her point. Raising four kids that weren’t hers with one of her own on the way could make even the most rigid planner learn to go with the flow. Heck, I’d become more flexible by osmosis.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything for you.”

“Don’t go into town without one of the guys with you. There’s some trouble with Nicolina’s brothers.”

“The Lazios?”

Maggie’s eyes widened.

Before she could reply, the kids tore through the house with Marco hot on their heels. He’d make a hell of a dad one day. Out of all the brothers, he seemed the most normal.

Too bad I don’t like normal.

She walked to the slider and watched Chloe and Ryan in the pool.

“Maggie, the Lazios are a known mafia family—”

“I know.”

“You don’t seem surprised Enzo was dating a mob princess.” Neither was I, but Maggie and I were different. She’d turned into a mom while I’d spent years learning the inner workings of New Orleans’ fringe elements.

“Gabe and I are postponing our honeymoon. Papa Joe is too sick to travel, and Evelyn needs help taking care of him.”

That she’d dodged my question concerned me, but I let it go. “Enzo said that he thinks Joe wants to die in Sicily.”

“He may be right.” She swallowed hard.

“That’s not the only reason you’re staying, is it?”

She met my gaze for several heartbeats before lowering her voice. “This place has tighter security than Fort Knox. Gabe wants us here until he clears up a few things.”

---