Married to the Mob Teaser

“I just heard from the last guest. Everyone has RSVP’ed to the wedding,” Esme sang, putting a card into a decorative box filled with the RSVP cards.

“Who?” I asked.

“Some cousins from New York. They’re related to my side of the family,” Esme answered. “Heidi and her brother, Clinton.”

“Everyone is going to have to have nametags,” I snorted. “The only people I know are the immediate family, plus the body guards. Are they coming?”

“They will be in attendance, acting as security for the event. I know that Jacob and Seth are ushers. Jasper, of course, is a part of the bridal party since he’s Edward’s best friend,” Esme said. “The rest of the guys will be stationed at the church, the reception hall and the hotel where you’ll be spending the night before the honeymoon.”

“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked, a coy grin on my face.

“I do, and I’m not telling you,” Esme chuckled. “Alice, Lauren and I are packing your suitcases.” My jaw dropped. There was no way in hell that my mother-in-law is going to be packing my unmentionables. I wanted to pack my lingerie to make my husband explode with sexual tension.

“Uh, Esme. I love you, but I’m packing my own bags. Give me a hint … do I need bikinis or parkas?” I chuckled.

“Bikinis,” she sighed, giving me a wry grin.

The door opened and I heard some chattering. I turned around and saw Uncle Jimmy walk, leaning heavily on his cane, talking with Carlisle. “Uncle Jimmy,” I smiled, walking to him and hugging him. “Oh, you stink, bud.”

“I just had physical therapy, brat,” Uncle Jimmy snorted. “Carlisle was kind enough to pick me up and drop me off. Thank you!”

“My pleasure. It forced me to work out while he worked his ass off,” Carlisle chuckled, draping a towel over his shoulder.

“Both of you shower. The stench is overwhelming. I’ll make a light lunch for us,” Esme said, darting to the fridge. Carlisle chuckled, heading upstairs while Uncle Jimmy hobbled to his suite. I helped Esme in making lunch, preparing an antipasto platter, bruschetta and garlic bread. Esme whipped up some stuffed meatballs and spaghetti, reheating some homemade sauce that was in the refrigerator.

“You know, it’s funny. This ‘light lunch’ is a full meal for the rest of the world,” I snickered.

“In Italy, food is love, girl,” Esme snorted.

“There’s enough food to feed a third-world country,” I quipped. Esme just giggled, waving a hand dismissively. By the time Carlisle and Uncle Jimmy were cleaned up, our ‘light lunch’ was on the kitchen table and there was very little room for the plates.

As we were finishing our lunch, Uncle Jimmy smiled. “Do you mind if I steal my niece for the rest of the afternoon?” he asked. “Are you done planning the wedding of the century?”

“Everything is pretty much is set, save for the wedding itself,” Esme nodded. “And yes, you can take her, but you need to bring Jacob with you.”

Jimmy wrinkled his nose. “Is that really necessary?”

“Yes, Uncle Jimmy,” I replied. “There’s still a danger out there. Jacob is probably the best option. He’s my best friend and he’ll give us the privacy we need.”