“What, no kiss for your grandmother today? You gettin’ too good for us now?” Nonna waved a butter knife in Anton’s direction.
Anton made a show of rolling his eyes as he obediently kissed Nonna’s cheek.
“Did that group confirm their reservation?” Leo asked his father. These days, his friend was all business.
Mr. Cecchino nodded. “Group of eight. They’ll arrive on Friday. We need to go to the cabin to get things cleaned up.”
A silent current of relief ran through the breakfast table. No one said anything, but everyone knew a hunting party of eight was a good thing. On top of helping his dad with the apple farm, Leo ran guided hunting trips on the family property. They supplemented the depressed prices of apples.
“We’ll go up this afternoon after we get finished in the orchard.” Leo slid a narrow-eyed look of irritation at his younger brother. “You can help. I’ll pick you up after school.”
“What?” Anton was indignant. “You know I have practice.”
“Please.” Leo rolled his eyes with disgust. “You need to focus on real-world stuff, not high school games.”
Said the former high school star quarterback and football captain. Dal exchanged a look with Lena before shifting his attention to his food, silently preparing himself for the inevitable argument between the two brothers.
“High school games?” Anton’s voice went up several decibels. “You didn’t think it was a simple game when you were team captain senior year.”
“I’ve grown up since then,” Leo replied. He ignored Lena’s abrupt coughing fit. “Football was a distraction. I—”
“You’re such a hypocrite. Just because you messed up your arm and lost your scholarship—”
“That was for the best,” Leo said coldly. “Football was a childish dream. I should have been focused on important things, like helping Dad grow our hunting business. That’s what puts food on this table.”
“Oh, now you’re a business expert? You—”
“Enough.” Mr. Cecchino silenced the argument with a single word. “Anton goes to football practice. We’ll head up to the cabin when he gets home. There’s enough work in the orchard to keep us busy until then.”
Anton flipped a piece of toast in the air, throwing a look of triumph at Leo. Leo narrowed an angry scowl at his little brother before returning to his breakfast.
Dal suppressed a sad sigh. This angry version of Leo had been in place ever since Jennifer dumped him and Mrs. Cecchino had died. Both had happened at the end of their senior year, two-and-a-half-years ago. It all happened right before Leo was supposed to head off to Cal Berkley with a full-ride football scholarship. His life had been turned upside down in a matter of weeks and he’d never fully recovered from it.
“Well.” Nonna added a slather of apple jam to her toast. “I for one am excited about the hunting group. I’ve been working on some new recipes.”
“Your recipes don’t need work, Nonna,” Lena said. “Everyone loves your beef stew.”
“Who wants to make the same thing all the time?” Nonna replied. “That gets boring. I’m going to make venison stew one of the nights.”
“Venison?” Leo frowned at Nonna. “Beef stew is everyone’s favorite.”
“They’ll get beef stew,” Nonna said. “But they’ll get venison stew, too. We’ve got that buck in the freezer that needs to be eaten.”
Tension leached out of the table as Nonna continued to rattle out the details of the things she planned to cook for the hunting group.
Dal was just polishing off the last of his eggs when Lena leaned in his direction.
“Do you have class in Rossi this afternoon?”
Even though Lena’s voice had been pitched for his ears, talk at the table immediately ceased. Everyone looked at Lena.
“What’s in Rossi?” Nonna said.
“Got a hot date?” Anton asked.
“Please,” Lena scoffed. She popped a piece of bacon into her mouth. “There’s an anti-nuke rally in the downtown plaza.”
“God.” Anton rolled his eyes. “You and your stupid anti-nuke stuff.”
Lena’s hackles went up. “Mom didn’t think it was stupid. She knew the Russians might make their move any day.”
“It’ll never happen,” Anton proclaimed. “We’d turn their whole country into a nuclear waste zone if they ever tried.”
“Have you even read the news?” Lena stabbed a finger at the pile of newspapers stacked on the empty chair at the head of the table. That had been Mrs. Cecchino’s chair before cancer had taken her. “Our president is making jokes about dropping nukes on Russia. Chernenko is dying. Gobachev is next in line, and he—!”
“Enough,” Mr. Cecchino rumbled. “You’re going to be late to school. Everyone out. Help Nonna clear the table.”
Lena and Anton fell silent at their father’s command, but continued to glare at one another. Anton snatched his empty plate off the table and stalked across the room to deposit it in the sink.
Lena waited until the front door slammed shut behind her twin. “So will you give me a ride to the rally after school?” she asked Dal, no longer bothering to lower her voice.
Dal shot a quick look at Mr. Cecchino. Only when the older man nodded did he reply to Lena. “Sure. I’ll pick you up in front of the school at three.”
“Thanks, Dal.” Lena gave him a quick smile of thanks, ignoring the silent exchange that had taken place between him and her father.
Everyone bustled around the kitchen, helping Nonna clear the table. Mr. Cecchino pulled Dal aside after Lena and Leo headed out the front door.
“I heard the dance academy is holding auditions this week.” He pulled a newspaper clipping out of his pocket, unfolding it so Dal could read it.
Rossi Dance Academy
Auditions for Christmas Recital
New Dancers Welcome
“Do me a favor and mention it to Lena this afternoon?” Mr. Cecchino folded the clipping and passed it to Dal. “She won’t snap your head off for mentioning it.”
Dal took the clipping. “Sure thing, Mr. Cecchino.”
The older man smiled fondly at him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “You’re a good kid, Dallas.
