Read Lightning Strikes (The Almeida Brothers Trilogy #3) Online
Authors: Trevion Burns
Rudy poked her side with a trembling finger. “You forget that we met last year, so I know you’re the farthest thing from s-s-shy. And a hell of a piano player, if I recall.”
Jordan didn’t budge, tightening her arms around Jack’s shoulders.
Jack shook her. “Now, Jo, this is Rudy Kalveeno. The greatest man who ever lived. No niece of mine is going to take this magical moment for granted. Buck up and say hello to the greatest man who ever lived.”
“Oh, here we go,” Nina mumbled, pressing a kiss to Rudy’s temple with a laugh before turning to Jack and placing a hand on Jordan’s back. “JoJo, why don’t you come and help me check on the turkey?”
Hesitantly, Jordan let Jack put her down, taking Nina’s hand and following her out of the foyer while shooting Rudy curious looks.
Nina whispered to her as they disappeared around the corner. “Let’s give Uncle Jack a minute to resume his love affair, okay?”
“But I thought Uncle Jack loved you…” Their voices trailed away.
Jack didn’t even have the presence of mind to be offended, already in the middle of exchanging jabs with Rudy, recounting some of his classic fights, complete with minute-by-minute reenactments.
The doorbell rang; pulling them out of their world, and not even a second later it creaked open.
Bitsy appeared, and the moment she caught sight of Jack, she shrieked in delight.
“Grams!” Jack threw his hands in the air, still on a high from reminiscing with Rudy.
Rudy hobbled across the foyer at the sight of Bitsy, his blue eyes glowing. “Let me help you with that, Bitsy.” He nearly toppled over as he helped Bitsy out of her fur coat. “You look just as lovely as you did last year.”
“And I’m just as married as I was last year, and the year before that one, too,” Bitsy tittered.
“Yes, she is,” Bitsy’s husband, Frank, said, stepping into the door and glaring at Rudy.
Rudy glared back, his cane shaking a little faster under his hold.
“Is there a reason you’re holding my wife’s coat?” Frank glared at Rudy, coming in behind Bitsy.
“Guys, let’s not have a replay of last year, alright? It’s Thanksgiving.” Jack took Bitsy’s coat, her undercoat, her umbrella, her scarf, her rain boots and her mittens.
“Just as long as this one keeps his crusty paws off my wife.” Frank jabbed a finger at Rudy.
But Jack was too busy frowning at all of the things Bitsy was tossing in his arms. “How much stuff did you bring, Grams? You’re ready for monsoon season.”
“When it comes time to visit Hurricane Nina, we always come prepared, darling.”
Jack howled, craning his neck toward the kitchen. “Did you hear what my grandmother just said, baby?”
“I sure didn’t!”
“She heard you,” Jack mumbled, accepting Bitsy’s warm hug before moving to Frank and embracing him as well. He went out of his way to put his body between Rudy and Frank. “I’m glad you guys made it. Let’s try to make this a nice Thanksgiving, shall we? What do you say, no fistfights this year?”
Frank and Rudy grumbled their halfhearted agreement, and Jack gave Bitsy, who was fighting a smile, the eye. He was getting the sense that she secretly loved being fought over.
Jack, Bitsy, and Frank entered the kitchen. At the sight of them, Lila and Chase left their seats at the kitchen table with wide smiles, greeting Frank, Bitsy, and Rudy in the entryway.
“Now where is my breathtaking caramel apple granddaughter?” Bitsy asked, looking around.
Chase moaned. “She’s in the bathroom, Grams, and I thought we agreed you were going to stop calling her caramel apple? We don’t want her to grow up preoccupied with skin—”
“Please don’t waste your breath sprouting that PC nonsense my way. The world has become obsessed with being offended. My granddaughter is a caramel goddess, and I’ll be damned if I don’t tell my little caramel apple that every day of the week until my face turns black and blue.”
Chase held up his hands, visibly regretting having said anything at all as he retook his seat at the table next to Lila, who’d had the good sense to keep her mouth shut from the jump.
“Now where is my caramel apple?” Bitsy beamed again, leaving the kitchen all together just as Jordan’s voice rang in from the hallway bathroom.
“I’m here, Bits!” her giggling high voice rang into the kitchen as she raced around the corner and into Bitsy’s arms.
“Turkey’s ready,” Nina said, pulling a turkey bigger than half of her body out of the oven. Everyone took their seats around the table as Nina placed the turkey gingerly in the middle of the table where it joined the stuffing, mac and cheese, green beans, cranberry and a plethora of other fragrant sides.
Jack caught her plump waist. “You should have called me to help you with the turkey. Will you sit down somewhere please?” he begged.
“Yes, you’re in delicate condition, darling.” Bitsy reached up and covered Nina’s belly with a smile. “I insist you sit down this instant.”
Nina turned towards the oven. “I just have to grab the gravy—”
“Sit down!” Everyone at the table cried.
Nina fell into the seat at the head of the table with wide eyes. “Okay, okay.”
“Jordan, help your aunt Nina and go grab the gravy off the stove,” Lila said, watching as Jordan leaped from her seat and raced across the kitchen, back in seconds with a flute of gravy, setting it on the table with a careful hand.
Just as Jordan reclaimed her seat, a knock on the door floated in from the foyer and she was out of her seat, again.
“I’ll get it!” she cried.
“It’s probably my parents,” Nina said. “You know how us brown skinned people are...”
“Always late,” Lila finished.
They high-fived each other over the table, laughing together just as Jordan came back into the kitchen with Nina’s parents in tow. Words of greeting and welcome met them as they circled the table and said hello to everyone. Nina kissed her mother and father on the cheek when they made it to her before motioning to the last two empty chairs at the table.
They took their seats expediently, realizing they’d kept everyone waiting.
“Shall we pray?” Bitsy asked once Jordan and Nina’s parents were settled.
“Will you lead the prayer, Jo?” Jack asked, smiling at her from the head of the table.
Straightening up and shooting him a proud grin, Jordan nodded sharply.
Hands joined all across the table until the prayer circle was complete, and they bowed their heads. The storm raged away outside, pounding down thunder that grew with power every minute, and flashing lightning that illuminated the room.
Across the way on the living room mantle, family photos illuminated as relentless stabs of lightning grew brighter.
Jordan led the prayer, and for a moment, all was still. No thunder, no lightning. Just her high voice, brightened by her smile as it floated across the table, soothing the shoulders of everyone it touched.
“Amen,” she said upon finishing her prayer, looking up.
The rest of the heads at the table lifted, as well, just as the thunder returned, booming in so loudly it made them all jolt in their seats.
Then, they laughed together.
“Amen,” they all said, before reaching across the table and digging in.
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Also by Trevion:
The Romanovsky Brother’s Series:
The Almeida Brother’s Trilogy:
Lightning Strikes
Stand Alone Novels: