Honeymoon for Seven
Chapter One
“How many people does it take to pack one suitcase?” Ginnie Ummarino had been trying to pack for her cruise for most of the week, and every time she opened the new wheeled luggage, someone would stick their two cents in.
“Four,” several voices chorused, punctuated with giggles.
Heaven knew that Ginnie loved her sisters Mina and Jo, and her mother Antoinette with all her heart, but every once in a while, it was nice to be able to make up her own mind without a group discussion. Or in this case, pack a suitcase without Jo adding spiked heels, Mina taking out the granny bathrobe, and her mother slipping in every over-the-counter medication known to man. Anyone looking in her bag would think that a lady of the evening was invading the Amazon jungle. The only med missing was snake bite antidote, because her mother had cramps, nausea, migraines, diarrhea, cuts and bruises covered.
“You have to take these.” Jo held out the strand of pearls that Ginnie had bought on their first cruise together. She’d only been on two cruises in her life and both her sisters had been with her each time. Going solo felt…well…weird.
But she did agree about the pearls. “These will be perfect for formal night.” That was the reason she’d bought them in the first place. That and a treat for her practical self. All her life she’d been described as the practical one of the Ummarino sisters. While she didn’t mind it, mostly because she was practical, she didn’t love it either. Her one and only true recent rebellion had been buying impractical pearls. Though it could be argued since they fit in anywhere under any circumstances, the splurge was still, well, practical.
“Now remember,” Jo sat down on the bed by the suitcase, “talk to everyone. Don’t stay in your room.”
“And remember to smile.” Mina sat on the other side of the suitcase. “Don’t get lost in your own thoughts, which causes you to frown.”
“I do not.” Hands tucking her favorite shorts into the corner of the suitcase, her head snapped up to glare at her sister. “I smile all the time.”
“True.” Standing with her hands in the closet, her mother bobbed her head. “A beautiful smile that would win over any good man, but you do get lost in your own thoughts.”
And there her mother went with a good man routine again. Leaving on the cruise was going to be easy. Enjoying herself wouldn’t be a chore, after all, even on her own. A nice relaxing cruise would be a wonderful vacation, but coming home alone, that was going to be difficult. Her mother seemed to have come to the conclusion that all it would take to marry off her stubbornly single daughters was a cruise. Especially since each one of her sisters had come home with a fiancé after exactly that. Her mom was going to be horribly disappointed when Ginnie returned as single as the day she was born.
“Which of these two dresses are you taking?” Her mother held up the two new cocktail dresses she’d bought for the formal night. One had been a classic black which fell to just below her knees with a little beadwork on the short sleeves and a respectable scoop neckline. Her dark hair and eyes always showed well in black. The other had been a bit of a splurge. Deep purple, with gold accent threading, this dress was just a tad above her knees and showed a drop more cleavage. Mina and the saleswoman had insisted she couldn’t leave the store without it. Truth was, she loved how it made her figure look, showing off just enough curve without emphasizing—as her mother referred to them—her childbearing broad hips.
“A little color is good for you.” To Ginnie’s surprise, her mother handed her the purple dress.
“I’ll take them both.” Ginnie was not going to leave home without having a backup safe dress in case she chickened out. No matter what her mother thought, she wasn’t on this cruise to find a husband. Her entire section at work had been rewarded for their last project with a cruise vacation. She’d come within an inch of giving it to one of her sisters to take their husband on a second honeymoon, not that either of them needed it. Anytime the couples were together, they still looked at each other like they could eat the other with a spoon. Some days it made her smile to see her sisters so darn happy, some days when they were all lovey-dovey it made her want to gag. But she’d take lovey-dovey over unhappy any day of the week.
“I still think you should have talked your cousin Giovanni into going with you.” Her mama put the two dresses neatly beside the suitcase. “Maybe you could have helped him find a nice girl. Make him and Uncle Tony happy.”
All three sisters rolled their eyes but said nothing. For years, Uncle Tony couldn’t understand that her cousin Giovanni was actually very happy with his bachelor lifestyle. The guy was friendly, handsome, and had a smile that had women falling at his feet. What more could a bachelor ask for? She and her sisters figured the guy was going to be like Warren Beatty or George Clooney; with no biological clock, he’d just enjoy life until he was too old to keep up, then he’d marry and have a slew of kids. Though George only had two – but still.
Gently folding the two cocktail dresses across the top of the suitcase, she lowered the lid and zipped it shut. “And done.” Her stomach turned with a little bit of nervous anticipation. This would be her first time vacationing alone. Well, alone if you ignored the five thousand other people on the ship. She enjoyed the trivia and other evening shows, and was more than ready to relax on a deck chair with a favorite book and soak up some vitamin sea. She’d be okay, would have lots of fun. Now, she only needed to repeat that to herself a few hundred more times and all would be well.
* * * *
“Great toast.” Nick Maroney slapped his dad on the back. The toast was not too long, not too short, and heartfelt.
“I didn’t get a chance to do it when Theresa and Chuck married in Vegas.” His father looked momentarily sullen. When Chuck died in a car accident just over two years ago, Nick’s sister was devastated. They’d been such a happy couple. The day little Phoebe was born was bittersweet. Such a joy to have a new life and such sadness that her father wasn’t here to see her. The light in his father’s eyes flickered bright again. “She’s happy again.”
Nick couldn’t argue. His sister had been working with Alan at the same elementary school for a few years. He’d lost his wife a little over a year before Chuck had died. What had started out as friendship and support, eventually bloomed into romance, and now, here they all were preparing for their own version of the Brady Bunch sans one.
“What I still don’t understand is why would anyone in their right mind want to go on a honeymoon with their children.” That had baffled Nick ever since his sister and Alan announced they’d decided on a honeymoon cruise and were taking all their kids with them.
“Not many people have to worry about children on a honeymoon.” His father’s grin stretched across his face.
“No.” Nick chuckled. “And certainly not a honeymoon for seven.”
“It will be fun. Your mother and I needed a good excuse for a nice vacation.”
Somehow, Nick doubted that corralling five children, two of whom barely knew their new grandparents, was going to be much of a vacation for his parents, but it would at least allow the honeymooners some time to, well, honeymoon.
“Don’t they look so happy?” Nick’s mom Rose sidled up to her husband. “Nothing beats seeing your grown children happy.”
Uh-oh. If he didn’t make an exit and quickly, he knew what his mother’s next words were going to be. Like a good Italian mother, Rose D’Angelo Maroney didn’t believe her son could possibly be happy until he was married with children, preferably a lot of them. “I see Theresa. I think she’s calling me over. See you two later.”
Holding his fist to his mouth, his dad coughed just a bit, thankfully distracting his mother. “Excuse me.”
“That cough is getting worse.”
His father shrugged. “Dumb allergy season. At least I didn’t cough through the speech.”
“Still.” His mother frowned. “I’ll make you a honey lemon toddy when we get home. Can’t have you coming down with anything before Thursday when the ship sails.”
“No worries, Rose, dear. With all the excitement, I forgot to take my allergy pill today.”
Rose kissed her husband’s cheek and smiled. “You did good, handsome.”
His father beamed. Whether fighting or flirting, his parents were always passionate. He couldn’t fathom loving someone so much after so many years. He’d known a few women in his life who he’d thought could be the one, and yet, as time passed, so did the elusive devotion he knew he’d need to have what his parents had. Though he wouldn’t mind having it with a little less volatility.
“Mrs. Maroney.” The wedding coordinator came up beside his mom. “Your daughter is getting ready to toss her bouquet.”
“The night is going by so quickly.” His mother nodded at the woman, linked arms with her husband at one side and her son at the other. “Let’s go.”
Theresa stood ready to toss the bouquet. When she spotted her mother, she smiled and turning, waved the thing over head before letting it rip through the small hall. Nick had no idea why this old ritual was such a big deal, but every single woman in the place gathered in the middle of the dance floor and when the bouquet flew across the room, anyone would have thought his sister was giving away gold.
By the time the reception was over, Nick was beyond exhausted. Partying all night was not in his playbook anymore. As soon as Theresa and Alan drove off into the night, Nick kissed his mom and dad and headed home, collapsing on his bed without bothering to strip out of his tuxedo, though he did take a few minutes to shuck the jacket and undo the bow tie.
When his phone rang the next morning, he wished he’d turned the darn thing off. “Hello.”
“Nicky, we have a problem.” His mother sounded distressed.
Flinging the blankets to one side, he sat up. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
“Your father is testing positive for Covid.”
“Did you take him to the hospital?”
“No. His oxygenation is high, his fever is low, but his cough in lingering. The doctor sent him something to take. Says he’s going to feel better soon.”
“Oh, good. So what’s the problem?”
“The doctor says he won’t test negative in time for the cruise. You’re going to have to take your father’s place.”
“How many people does it take to pack one suitcase?” Ginnie Ummarino had been trying to pack for her cruise for most of the week, and every time she opened the new wheeled luggage, someone would stick their two cents in.
“Four,” several voices chorused, punctuated with giggles.
Heaven knew that Ginnie loved her sisters Mina and Jo, and her mother Antoinette with all her heart, but every once in a while, it was nice to be able to make up her own mind without a group discussion. Or in this case, pack a suitcase without Jo adding spiked heels, Mina taking out the granny bathrobe, and her mother slipping in every over-the-counter medication known to man. Anyone looking in her bag would think that a lady of the evening was invading the Amazon jungle. The only med missing was snake bite antidote, because her mother had cramps, nausea, migraines, diarrhea, cuts and bruises covered.
“You have to take these.” Jo held out the strand of pearls that Ginnie had bought on their first cruise together. She’d only been on two cruises in her life and both her sisters had been with her each time. Going solo felt…well…weird.
But she did agree about the pearls. “These will be perfect for formal night.” That was the reason she’d bought them in the first place. That and a treat for her practical self. All her life she’d been described as the practical one of the Ummarino sisters. While she didn’t mind it, mostly because she was practical, she didn’t love it either. Her one and only true recent rebellion had been buying impractical pearls. Though it could be argued since they fit in anywhere under any circumstances, the splurge was still, well, practical.
“Now remember,” Jo sat down on the bed by the suitcase, “talk to everyone. Don’t stay in your room.”
“And remember to smile.” Mina sat on the other side of the suitcase. “Don’t get lost in your own thoughts, which causes you to frown.”
“I do not.” Hands tucking her favorite shorts into the corner of the suitcase, her head snapped up to glare at her sister. “I smile all the time.”
“True.” Standing with her hands in the closet, her mother bobbed her head. “A beautiful smile that would win over any good man, but you do get lost in your own thoughts.”
And there her mother went with a good man routine again. Leaving on the cruise was going to be easy. Enjoying herself wouldn’t be a chore, after all, even on her own. A nice relaxing cruise would be a wonderful vacation, but coming home alone, that was going to be difficult. Her mother seemed to have come to the conclusion that all it would take to marry off her stubbornly single daughters was a cruise. Especially since each one of her sisters had come home with a fiancé after exactly that. Her mom was going to be horribly disappointed when Ginnie returned as single as the day she was born.
“Which of these two dresses are you taking?” Her mother held up the two new cocktail dresses she’d bought for the formal night. One had been a classic black which fell to just below her knees with a little beadwork on the short sleeves and a respectable scoop neckline. Her dark hair and eyes always showed well in black. The other had been a bit of a splurge. Deep purple, with gold accent threading, this dress was just a tad above her knees and showed a drop more cleavage. Mina and the saleswoman had insisted she couldn’t leave the store without it. Truth was, she loved how it made her figure look, showing off just enough curve without emphasizing—as her mother referred to them—her childbearing broad hips.
“A little color is good for you.” To Ginnie’s surprise, her mother handed her the purple dress.
“I’ll take them both.” Ginnie was not going to leave home without having a backup safe dress in case she chickened out. No matter what her mother thought, she wasn’t on this cruise to find a husband. Her entire section at work had been rewarded for their last project with a cruise vacation. She’d come within an inch of giving it to one of her sisters to take their husband on a second honeymoon, not that either of them needed it. Anytime the couples were together, they still looked at each other like they could eat the other with a spoon. Some days it made her smile to see her sisters so darn happy, some days when they were all lovey-dovey it made her want to gag. But she’d take lovey-dovey over unhappy any day of the week.
“I still think you should have talked your cousin Giovanni into going with you.” Her mama put the two dresses neatly beside the suitcase. “Maybe you could have helped him find a nice girl. Make him and Uncle Tony happy.”
All three sisters rolled their eyes but said nothing. For years, Uncle Tony couldn’t understand that her cousin Giovanni was actually very happy with his bachelor lifestyle. The guy was friendly, handsome, and had a smile that had women falling at his feet. What more could a bachelor ask for? She and her sisters figured the guy was going to be like Warren Beatty or George Clooney; with no biological clock, he’d just enjoy life until he was too old to keep up, then he’d marry and have a slew of kids. Though George only had two – but still.
Gently folding the two cocktail dresses across the top of the suitcase, she lowered the lid and zipped it shut. “And done.” Her stomach turned with a little bit of nervous anticipation. This would be her first time vacationing alone. Well, alone if you ignored the five thousand other people on the ship. She enjoyed the trivia and other evening shows, and was more than ready to relax on a deck chair with a favorite book and soak up some vitamin sea. She’d be okay, would have lots of fun. Now, she only needed to repeat that to herself a few hundred more times and all would be well.
* * * *
“Great toast.” Nick Maroney slapped his dad on the back. The toast was not too long, not too short, and heartfelt.
“I didn’t get a chance to do it when Theresa and Chuck married in Vegas.” His father looked momentarily sullen. When Chuck died in a car accident just over two years ago, Nick’s sister was devastated. They’d been such a happy couple. The day little Phoebe was born was bittersweet. Such a joy to have a new life and such sadness that her father wasn’t here to see her. The light in his father’s eyes flickered bright again. “She’s happy again.”
Nick couldn’t argue. His sister had been working with Alan at the same elementary school for a few years. He’d lost his wife a little over a year before Chuck had died. What had started out as friendship and support, eventually bloomed into romance, and now, here they all were preparing for their own version of the Brady Bunch sans one.
“What I still don’t understand is why would anyone in their right mind want to go on a honeymoon with their children.” That had baffled Nick ever since his sister and Alan announced they’d decided on a honeymoon cruise and were taking all their kids with them.
“Not many people have to worry about children on a honeymoon.” His father’s grin stretched across his face.
“No.” Nick chuckled. “And certainly not a honeymoon for seven.”
“It will be fun. Your mother and I needed a good excuse for a nice vacation.”
Somehow, Nick doubted that corralling five children, two of whom barely knew their new grandparents, was going to be much of a vacation for his parents, but it would at least allow the honeymooners some time to, well, honeymoon.
“Don’t they look so happy?” Nick’s mom Rose sidled up to her husband. “Nothing beats seeing your grown children happy.”
Uh-oh. If he didn’t make an exit and quickly, he knew what his mother’s next words were going to be. Like a good Italian mother, Rose D’Angelo Maroney didn’t believe her son could possibly be happy until he was married with children, preferably a lot of them. “I see Theresa. I think she’s calling me over. See you two later.”
Holding his fist to his mouth, his dad coughed just a bit, thankfully distracting his mother. “Excuse me.”
“That cough is getting worse.”
His father shrugged. “Dumb allergy season. At least I didn’t cough through the speech.”
“Still.” His mother frowned. “I’ll make you a honey lemon toddy when we get home. Can’t have you coming down with anything before Thursday when the ship sails.”
“No worries, Rose, dear. With all the excitement, I forgot to take my allergy pill today.”
Rose kissed her husband’s cheek and smiled. “You did good, handsome.”
His father beamed. Whether fighting or flirting, his parents were always passionate. He couldn’t fathom loving someone so much after so many years. He’d known a few women in his life who he’d thought could be the one, and yet, as time passed, so did the elusive devotion he knew he’d need to have what his parents had. Though he wouldn’t mind having it with a little less volatility.
“Mrs. Maroney.” The wedding coordinator came up beside his mom. “Your daughter is getting ready to toss her bouquet.”
“The night is going by so quickly.” His mother nodded at the woman, linked arms with her husband at one side and her son at the other. “Let’s go.”
Theresa stood ready to toss the bouquet. When she spotted her mother, she smiled and turning, waved the thing over head before letting it rip through the small hall. Nick had no idea why this old ritual was such a big deal, but every single woman in the place gathered in the middle of the dance floor and when the bouquet flew across the room, anyone would have thought his sister was giving away gold.
By the time the reception was over, Nick was beyond exhausted. Partying all night was not in his playbook anymore. As soon as Theresa and Alan drove off into the night, Nick kissed his mom and dad and headed home, collapsing on his bed without bothering to strip out of his tuxedo, though he did take a few minutes to shuck the jacket and undo the bow tie.
When his phone rang the next morning, he wished he’d turned the darn thing off. “Hello.”
“Nicky, we have a problem.” His mother sounded distressed.
Flinging the blankets to one side, he sat up. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
“Your father is testing positive for Covid.”
“Did you take him to the hospital?”
“No. His oxygenation is high, his fever is low, but his cough in lingering. The doctor sent him something to take. Says he’s going to feel better soon.”
“Oh, good. So what’s the problem?”
“The doctor says he won’t test negative in time for the cruise. You’re going to have to take your father’s place.”
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