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  “No!”

  “Then why are we drinking Ma’s favorite wine?”

  “For once it’s not me. It was open when I got here,” Seth whispered over his shoulder as they headed for the kitchen. “Maybe we’ll find out now that our slowpoke has arrived.”

  Sofia jabbed him in the ribs with a hard finger, his yelp supremely satisfying.

  The warmth and noise of her mother’s kitchen wrapped her in a hug even before Jo left the stove to do the same.

  “I was getting worried. You should have called.” Josephine Valenti’s frown managed to contain disappointment, frustration, humor, and love, all at once.

  “I got caught up at the office.” Sofia leaned in to kiss her smooth cheek out of long-standing habit.

  “That office… Enough, I won’t get into that now. I hid some mushrooms in the fridge for you.”

  “You are the best mother ever. I am sorry I was late. Last-minute snag on the Chu project that I had to untangle.”

  “Bah! Nothing is more important than family. Come. Sit.” She turned and yelled, pitching her voice toward the raucous family room. “Time to eat! Everyone washes.” This last was said with the same stern tone of warning with which it had been delivered since Sofia was a toddler. In a home full of children and construction workers, it was one of Ma’s golden rules.

  Her father entered the room first, followed by Enzo and Frankie. The trio had obviously been biding their time with the preseason baseball game on the family room TV, but the lure of Josephine Valenti’s table was stronger than any team loyalty. Good-natured tussling broke out as they all attempted to wash up in the kitchen sink. Sofia found herself in the middle of a whirlwind of damp hugs, arguments, and laughter. Family.

  She sat in her chair at the table, the same space she’d occupied since she’d left her high chair. Few things brought her comfort in the swirling chaos of this world. The soothing repetition of waves at the ocean. A glass of good red wine. Her seat at this table. Chocolate was another, so she was hoping her mother had splurged on dessert.

  To her right, her mother sat at the foot of the table. Or rather, she would sit there once every dish was arranged to her liking and everyone had a full plate and glass. Enzo and Frankie, matching chocolate brown heads bowed together, arguing over who would get the first slice of lasagna, sat across from her. There was another comfort in knowing that her younger siblings had bickered since birth and would continue to the death.

  Her father sat at the head of the table, his smile benevolent if a bit weathered as he looked down on the family he’d created. Stocky and broad-shouldered, skin a tough leathery brown after years in the California sun, he looked as immovable as the mountains outside her window. Unlike those bare peaks, his own crown was sporting more frosty gray than it used to. Sofia couldn’t help but wonder if today was the day he’d feel his age and announce that he was retiring.

  Next to her dad sat her cousin Seth, who’d recently needed convincing that he did, indeed, deserve his seat at the table. The only one who shared her own golden features, he looked more like her brother than her own. He joked with her like he was another big brother, too, and in truth he was the closest thing she had to that anymore.

  Which brought her to the empty chair on her left. The chair no one had the heart to move, or the courage to speak of. Gabe’s chair.

  When her big brother had decided to join the army for a few years before settling into the family business, Sofia had been jealous. Sure, she’d been at college, but it was only San Jose State. With campus only half an hour away, she’d lived at home in Menlo Park, while Gabe had been off seeing the world. His deployment had left a hole in their family unit. A hole that had become permanent when he’d been killed in action three years ago. The resentment she’d felt around him leaving had solidified into righteous anger that he was never coming back. Three years later and the hole in their family was just as large, and she was still struggling to make sense of the new normal. But nothing was getting solved on that front tonight.

  Sofia brushed aside her melancholy and reached for her own slice of lasagna and garlic bread. As one of four children, she’d learned that if she didn’t move fast, she’d end the meal hungry. Seconds were for the quick and the bold. She had even better chances if she kept everyone else talking.

  “Hey Seth, where’s Zia Elena and Zio Tony?”

  “They decided to extend their European holiday by a week. Apparently Spain was too tempting to miss.”

  “And Brandy?” Seth’s girlfriend had become a regular fixture at their family dinners. How long would it take Seth to make things permanent? Sofia was betting under a year.

  “She’s working the evening shift at Flipped to cover for someone out sick. She’s sorry to miss this.”

  “You’ll take her a plate.” Josephine scooped a square of lasagna onto a plate and set it aside, thereby decreasing the amount left to be fought over. Seth wiggled his eyebrows knowingly.

  “Yes, ma’am. I sure will.” There was bold avarice in his gaze as she moved the plate, and it gave him away.

  “I will call her tomorrow to ask how it was.”

  His tone dropped comically like a scolded child. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Tucking in with vigor, Sofia moaned in delight. Her mother’s signature spicy red sauce, made with only the freshest Gilroy garlic and the favored Montepulciano wine, burst on her tongue. The creamy ricotta soothed the fire in her mouth and the crispy brown edge bits crunched delightfully between her teeth, leaving behind a nutty goodness.

  “God, Ma. This is delicious.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. I wanted to do something a little special for your father’s announcement.” She raised her glass with a secret smile for her husband of forty years.

  So that was it. Dad was finally going to join Ma in retirement. Ma had been office manager since Frankie had started kindergarten. After Gabe’s death, she hadn’t had the heart to keep the business going. Losing Gabe had brought her mortality into fine focus, and she wasn’t going to waste another minute. She was determined to enjoy her retirement, preferably with Dad by her side. At least that’s what Sofia had gathered from snippets of overheard conversations and not-so-whispered arguments.

  Unfortunately, her mother’s abrupt retirement had caused the bulk of her duties to fall into Sofia’s lap. She could wish it wasn’t so, but she certainly didn’t begrudge her mother the time off. Losing her oldest child had shaken her badly. Sofia hoped she’d never see the day that something else shook Josephine Valenti to her core. Her father might bluster and bark, but everyone knew who ran this family. When the bedrock shook, no one was safe from the aftershocks.

  About a year after Gabe’s death, her mom had begun to work on her dad. Domenico Valenti was not an easy man to persuade, and these two years had passed with little change. Though Ma couldn’t stop talking about all the travel she wanted to do, Dad had been no closer to letting go of the reins. Apparently, Jo had made some progress on that front.

  “So, Ma, made any travel plans lately?” Sofia teased.

  “You know I won’t go anywhere without your father. But I was talking to Elena the other day.” She switched her gaze to Seth as she spoke of his mother. “She was filling me in on all the details of their time in Italy. She was quite taken with all the vineyards. It sounds beautiful in the springtime. We’ll see.”

  Dad cleared his throat, immediately drawing the attention of everyone at the table. He was a man used to being listened to and obeyed.

  “I’m officially calling this family meeting to order.”

  The only sound breaking the silence was the occasional scrape of fork against plate.

  “You all know that Jo and I have been talking about retiring for the last few years.” Sofia looked down the table at Ma and saw the wide, warm smile that she reserved for her husband alone. Sofia was happy for her mother, but she couldn’t help but think that this would mean even more duties would fall to her. Maybe if she positioned herself right
though, she could convince him to leave her in charge. If she were running the show, she could hire more office staff, freeing herself up to return to her first love, interior design. As the oldest now, it only made sense for her to take the reins. Of course, Frankie and Enzo would still have a share of the company, but if she was the CEO, so to speak, she could turn it in the direction she’d been dreaming of. A kernel of hope warmed in her chest.

  “I’m not convinced that the business is in a strong enough position for me to walk away. People come to us because of the reputation Tony and I spent our lives building. If we just leave, I worry that the work will drop off.”

  “But Dad, the Valley is booming!” This outburst from an impatient Frankie was cut off with a firm slice of Dad’s hand.

  “I also can’t see a clear successor to take over running the business. So I’ve decided to kill all the birds with one stone. We’re doing a TV show.”

  Forks halted halfway to their intended mouths. Wine glasses clunked back down to the table, un-sipped. Judging by the complete shock around the table, Dad had kept this secret well. The open bottles of Ma’s favorite wine were beginning to make sense.

  “What do you mean a TV show?” Her mother’s smile was gone, and her voice had gone shrill, a tone usually reserved for broken vases and calls from the principal.

  “A producer approached me a few weeks ago.”

  “A few WEEKS? You’ve been thinking about this for weeks and didn’t see fit to discuss it with me? Does Tony know?”

  Her father knew the futility of responding to this line of questioning from his wife. There was no good answer, so he simply continued talking as if the question had never been asked. “You know that HomeTV network? Well, they heard about our price guarantee, and saw some of our work at that director’s house in Los Altos. They want to do a show about us. The concept is that we are a family business, helping families move into properties that they can afford in Silicon Valley. Because everything is so damn expensive, we are going to work on a tight budget and timeline to make these houses livable again. We’re calling it Million-Dollar Starter Home. The couple buys the house. We do basic renovations, kitchen and bath, that sort of thing, on time and under budget with a blind reveal at the end.”

  “Why do we need a show?” Frankie piped up defensively. “What’s wrong with the way we do things now? You know I want to run the business.”

  Really? This was the first Sofia was hearing of it.

  “You’re too young. You need more experience, and the pressure of the show will give you that, while bringing new clients in the door based on your reputations, not mine.”

  “So I’m basically out of this?” Lorenzo, Enzo for short, was their landscaping genius. He didn’t seem too upset about this at all. He’d never been one to search out the spotlight. He’d never voiced an interest in running the larger business either, no matter how many times Dom had hinted.

  “Not true. They want to feature easy curb appeal fixes.”

  “Damn it.” Enzo’s face fell.

  “Where does that leave me?” Sofia was almost afraid to ask.

  “Well, I’ll need you to read through the contracts and make sure—”

  “No, Dad. On the show.”

  “Well…” His pause said it all. He didn’t have an answer she was going to like.

  She pushed down the disappointment and anger and fought for her place. She could tend to her wounds later. “I want the design piece. I want to consult with the clients and create beautiful homes.”

  “The concept calls for simple but solid renovations under budget. This isn’t the place to showcase your creative designs.”

  “You don’t think I can do it. I can be creative and frugal.”

  “The network mentioned having approved designers…” Dom let his sentence finish with a deep sip of wine.

  “And you don’t approve of me? You said this was a family show. Why not let me use my skills?”

  “How would you keep up with all of the day-to-day needs of the business? I don’t think you have the experience to handle something of this scale.”

  “And whose fault is that?” Sofia muttered under her breath. He would never let her out of the corner he’d so lovingly backed her into. It was up to her to break free.

  “What was that, young lady?”

  Sofia looked to her mother for backup and found a blank frown where her smile had been. Still stunned by this betrayal, she would be no help arguing Dad down. Sofia knew she was pushing her luck, but if she didn’t stand up for herself, she’d always regret it. She hadn’t graduated at the top of her class to file receipts. This was just the challenge she needed to get out of her rut.

  “Dad, I can make these basic houses into beautiful homes. You order paint and fixtures in bulk. You can’t remake each house the same way on a TV show. Plus, if you hand over control to Hollywood designers, you know they’re going to mess up the budget. I could really make them shine for the same cost. Give me a chance.”

  He sat back in his chair and crossed his hands over his chest. She knew she’d probably offended him, but this was too important to tiptoe around his fragile ego.

  “We’ll talk about this later.”

  Damn it. That was Dom Valenti code for I’m done talking about this, but at least it wasn’t an outright no. She sat simmering in her seat in silent frustration. Seth stepped into the conversational gap.

  “Is there a role for us? Nick and me?”

  “Of course. We’ll feature one of your custom pieces in every home.”

  Sure. Of course there was a plan for Seth. He’d get featured even though it had been a scant three months since he’d gotten his shit together. Sofia’s blood boiled, and she shoved back from the table.

  “Thanks for dinner, Ma. I just remembered. I need to be somewhere else.” Not strictly a lie. Her mother didn’t respond, still glaring at her husband, her meal untouched. Sofia dropped a kiss on her head as she walked by. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sofia, sit back down. We’re not done with this meeting.”

  “I am. You don’t have any plans that involve me, and I’m sure all the details will get dumped on my desk in the morning anyhow. So there’s really no reason for me to sit here and listen to you dismiss my dreams. Good night, everybody.” She strode into the dark, her heart a twisted bundle of anger and determination. She would find a way to take her rightful place, in the company and in this harebrained scheme, if it killed her.

  Chapter 3

  Whack! Whack! Whack!

  There was little better for working out frustrations than demolition day, and starting one on a Monday morning was perfect. Adrian wielded his sledgehammer with repetitive ease as he took down an old brick fire pit in the Nguyens’ backyard. So far this morning, his sister had needed more money for college expenses since she’d be doing the summer semester as well, his mother had needed coffee, so he’d had to run to the store early, and his favorite pair of work jeans had split at the knee. On the bright side, they hadn’t fallen behind on the Chu project thanks to Sofia’s wrangling, so he could shift his crew easily to help Enzo with a little landscaping gig. They’d gotten the tiles down Saturday and let them set up Sunday. They could get back in this afternoon. He hoped his crappy morning would be the end of his bad luck. Dom and his crew were counting on him.

  “Hey, man!” Enzo yelled from behind him, breaking his swing.

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  “I’m trying to save as many of these bricks as possible for a reuse project. I don’t know what’s got you so pissed off, but don’t take it out on my poor fire pit.” Enzo laughed, lightening the dark mood that had gripped Adrian since Friday night. Speaking of…

  “No problem. How did the big family meeting go?”

  “Ugh. Shit show.”

  “That bad?”

  “The worst, but I told Dad I wouldn’t spill the beans. He wants to tell everyone himself.”

  “Jesus, Enzo.”

  Wa
s he getting fired? Were they closing the firm? Would he be back at square one? In his position as crew chief, he’d been able to support his mother staying home to raise the girls, and put his little sisters through college. True, they’d gone to local state schools and community college, and he’d be paying off the loans for the next twenty years, but his job with Valenti Brothers had qualified them all for financial aid. Financial aid that his baby sister still needed. If he lost this job, the intricate web holding the family’s finances together would unravel.

  And it wasn’t just his immediate family who would suffer. He’d also found work for his cousins and friends looking for stable jobs. Half of his neighborhood depended on Valenti Brothers for some part of their income. His fear must’ve shown on his face, because Enzo was quick to reassure him.

  “Don’t panic. It’s just a big change. He’s on his way here now, so you can ask him for yourself.” Enzo bent to sift through the rubble for his precious bits of bricks.

  “Thanks, man. Sorry about the bricks.”

  Adrian handed off the sledge and strode around the edge of the house, tugging off his leather work gloves and safety glasses as he went. Perfect timing. Dom’s truck pulled into the drive and the boss man himself honked jauntily. He climbed down from the cab of his Ford F-150 and clapped his hand into Adrian’s for a hearty handshake.

  Passing Adrian a steaming cup of takeout coffee, Dom Valenti stood beside him, surveying the work site while having a no-eye-contact conversation in the manner of busy men.

  “This yard is gonna be a showpiece.”

  “Yes, sir. Enzo has the touch.”

  “All cleared up on the Chu tiles?”

  “Yep. We’ll get them grouted today and the toilets installed this afternoon. Might need a little overtime, so we don’t fall behind.”