A/n: I am sorry guys I have disappointed you yet again. I haven't updated in FOREVER, but please don't doubt me yet this story will be finished. I love how the new season is going! I have been having a REALLY hard time lately. I miss my friend Evan so much everyday. I tried counseling, but it's easier for me to just spend a ton of time talking to and being with his family. I lost my inspiration when I lost him and now 3 months 3 weeks and 2 days later I still haven't found it. It will get better soon. Not all things missing are lost and broken things can usually be fixed. Anyway thanks for still reading and reviewing but please PLEASE PM me with ideas. I don't care what the ideas are but I need more inspiration. I've used ideas people have given me.
disclaimer: I own nothing. Mistakes are mine.
In Loving Memory of Evan: To the moon and back Handsome
In the words of Evan ..."live everyday happy"..."Keep on keepin on"
An Unusual Family: Chapter 9
The Awkward Awakening
9:00 am
"Morning Mel." Joe said quietly and sleepily as he woke. Joe quickly realized the position he was in, his arm was wrapped around Mel pulling her close to him while his other arm was lying above her head. His body was wrapped around hers and he was basically spooning her. He could feel her warmth radiating off of her body. His face was practically in her hair and he could smell her shampoo. Mel didn't move. She had her arms wrapped around the one Joe had around her waist. One of her legs was in between his.
"Well I could pretend that I'm asleep." Joe thought. It was the best sleep he's had in a long time. He liked that he could feel Mel's stomach rise and fall as she breathed, it relaxed him. He didn't really want to admit to himself how beautiful she looked. Her hair wasn't perfect and she had no make up on, but all of the tension was out of her face because she had no stress. Her mouth was neither smiling or frowning, it was just staying in a peaceful line. Joe always thought Mel was pretty, but in this moment when he really got to look at her face and take it in he thought she was gorgeous. He also didn't want to admit that he liked holding her like this, but so many times he has slept with women that he had no connection with. He slept with them, but felt guilty after because he never really held them like this, and when he did he didn't enjoy it. He liked holding Mel, because it was different. He felt relaxed and where he was supposed to be when he held her. She was relaxed so he knew she trusted him. He didn't want to bother her or wake her, he just wanted to lay there and enjoy this moment of peace with her. The two of them were always arguing and yelling. Each one of them always wanted the last word, but here they were both silent. She was warm against him and Joe felt like he was keeping her safe. Soon he drifted into a light sleep.
10:00am
"Morning Longo." Mel whispered. "Oh my God." She gasped, and then she took a couple deep breaths realizing the current position she was in. When Joe didn't react she was relieved. She didn't have to freak out because Joe was sleeping. She adjusted her body a little bit and in turn moved a little closer to him. She noticed that if she moved too much he would wake up. So she just took in all that she was feeling at the moment. She was warm, and felt loved, safe, and cared for. She had slept with many men before and never felt most of those things. When they held her like this all she felt was tension because she knew that they all wanted something from her. They were humoring her in order to get what they wanted. She was relaxed now, she lightly stroked Joe's arm with her hand. She snuggled just a tad closer to him in order to block the chill that was in her back where she wasn't covered. She never looked at his face because she decided that turning around would wake him.
"Just five more minutes." Mel thought to herself as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Joe felt Mel's breathe even out again he opened his eyes.
"Did she just wake up, realize the position we were in, and then go back to sleep? She even moved closer I think." Joe thought. His mind was racing and suddenly he felt like a teenager. "OH MY GOD! You like Mel." He thought. He quickly got in a mental argument and refused to admit it to himself. Soon he let it go and just figured it was just his tiredness getting in the way of his rational thinking. He decided he would sleep a little longer. Maybe he was just dreaming.
11:00 am
"Joe! What are you doing!? Can you stop trying to feel me up in your sleep!?" Mel said very loudly while jumping out of the bed dramatically.
"Mel stop overreacting, I was asleep! I knew I should have slept on the couch!" Joe responded in the same tone.
"It must have been a dream." He thought. "There is no way Mel would ever accept the fact that we cuddled, and like it."
"Overreacting?!" Mel yelled.
"Really Mel?" Joe said in a slightly sarcastic tone.
Mel sighed and looked defeated.
"Anyway, how did you sleep?" Joe asked.
"Actually really good." Mel blushed realizing that she shouldn't have said that. She quickly turned away.
"Me too." Joe responded honestly. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I can sleep on the couch from now on." Joe apologized genuinely.
"You didn't, I am sorry that I just over reacted, and..." Mel looked away a little. "You don't have to sleep on the couch."
"Oh I see how it is Burke you just want me to cuddle with you again." Joe said trying to pick a fight. He liked when he and Mel argued and he liked getting on her nerves. She liked getting on his too. It was just how it worked out for the,. Everything else just was awkward.
Mel rolled her eyes. "Whatever stops the tears Longo." She said playing along. "What are we going to do today?" Mel asked.
"We can go down and eat brunch, because I'm starving! Then ask Nonna if she has any suggestions. The funeral is tomorrow, so today we can just do whatever. Maybe we should do something with the kids, or at least find something for them to do." Joe responded.
"Okay that sounds good." Mel smiled. "Let's go eat!"
Mel and Joe went downstairs in their pajamas and everyone else was at the table dressed and ready for the day. Nonna always invited her workers to join them for their meals so the table was huge. Everyone was laughing and telling stories and just having a great time together just like a big, huge family. They had already begun eating, and Joe was shocked that Lennox and Ryder looked as if they had been up for hours. Both looked well slept and ready to have a great day, while Mel and Joe looked like they had just rolled out of bed, which they had.
"Finally the love birds have made it to brunch!" Nonno called from the end of the table. "Did you too sleep well after Nonna's little interruption?" He asked.
Mel blushed, and Lennox and Ryder looked at each other confused. "She wasn't interrupting anything." Joe said politely.
Nonno winked. "That's not what I heard."
Joe and Mel sat and ate breakfast with everyone else. There was every kind of breakfast food imaginable.
"So kids do you have plans for today?" Joe asked.
"Actually," Lennox said. "Ryder, Veronica, Olivia, Marie, Hannah, Luca, Dominick, Alec, Marco, and I are going hiking on a nature trail that goes through gardens and the vineyard."
"Okay that sounds like fun. I'm sure all of you kids will get along great!" Mel said happily. She was happy that the kids were making friends.
"Yeah we do! They are our roommates." Lennox added.
"We'll then I guess we won't see you until lunch or dinner." Joe said.
"Dinner," Ryder replied. "We are having a picnic."
"Well okay then." Joe said. "I guess we will have to make our own plans Burke."
"Any suggestions Nonna?" Mel asked.
"Would you and Joe like to do some wine tasting at the vineyard?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Mel said as her eyes lit up.
Joe smiled at her and the kids. "I knew you would be interested in that plan Burke."
"Oh you know me too well Longo."
"That's because way down deep, I care about you." He said winking at her.
"Back at you Longo."
"I already set up the tasting. It will just be the two of you if that's okay. All the local vineyards send their wines to our winery, so you will be tasting wine from not only our vineyard, but many others as well. Oh and not only grape wines either." Nonna said happily. "Joe knew you would like this idea."
"Joe have you ever been to a wine tasting even?" Mel asked.
"Yeah Burke, every time you open a bottle at home!"
"No, no, no. At a formal wine tasting you smell the wines first and swirl them around in your glass to test the thickness. Next, take a big sip. You make sure to get in a lot of air with the wine so you can really taste it. After that you hold it in your mouth , and then you spit it out." Mel said professionally.
"Mel it sounds like you've done this before." Nonna said surprised. "That is exactly how we teach the people in the wine classes at the winery."
"Why do you spit it out?" Joe asked honestly.
"Gee, I don't know." Mel said sarcastically. "Longo, those little sips of wine add up quickly and your wine judgement can become foggy pretty quickly."
"Okay that makes sense, but I kind of wanted to get you buzzed Mel." Joe said smirking. "I mean you are my fiancé." He joked.
Mel shot him a playful dirty look. "Oh if I find some wines I like we won't have a problem with that. There is such thing as buying the wines."
"What time did you set it up for?" Joe asked Nonna.
"The tour starts at 2 o'clock. Which takes about 2 hours. Then I figured you two could have dinner at the restaurant above the wine cellar. After that at 5:30 the tasting starts and as Mel probably knows that usually takes a couple hours."
"Joe, I never realized that this place was so touristy. I mean there is the vineyard, the winery, the restaurant, the wine school, wine tasting, wine classes. Why don't I see visitors?" Mel asked.
"We have been closed since you've been here and we open up again on Friday since tomorrow is the funeral." Nonna said looking sad briefly. "When we open up I already have a lot of things booked for Friday and the rest of the weekend. Also you won't see people everywhere because they get shuttled up in golf carts from the parking lot down the road. There is an alternate entrance as well."
"Well it's not really a parking lot, it's more of a parking field." Joe said jokingly. "Is there anyway Mel and I could get in for wine making?" Joes asked Nonna.
"I'm sure I could squeeze you in." Nonna laughed.
"What? Like you really get to pick out stuff and make your own wine!" Mel asked. "My dad used to make wine in our garage when I was little." She smiled bringing back old happy memories of her and her father. Joe admired her for a moment.
"It's kind of like that." Nonna said. "You get to pick the ingredients and name it. Then we make it, and when. It's done aging we send it to you. Since it is going to be for you and Joe, he had an idea." Nonna had a look of admiration on her face.
Mel looked excited. "What?!" She said ignoring the small fact that her and Joe were only pretending.
"Well since you have such a good taste in wine and are very picky. We would let you make a few wines and pick out the one you liked best. When you picked it, we could make it commercially. We could sell it, and anytime you wanted it we would have it."
Mel was almost speechless. "Joe, that was your idea?" Mel said shocked.
Joe nodded smiling at her. He knew she would love that idea.
Tears formed in Mel's eyes and she didn't even try to hide them. "Joe this is just like the music box. You know me better than anyone and you do care. You listen when I talk to you and I..." She couldn't finish the sentence, but she just hugged him.
"I know." He responded simply.
Nonna looked at the two of them suspiciously. Something weird was going on.
"Now we should go get ready. It's practically noon and we are still on our pajamas." Joe said.
"Alright I'm excited now!" Mel said happily. "Let's go get ready."
A/N: please R&R and also PM me with ANY ideas! I hope you enjoyed. Tell me how you felt though. Good, bad, mad, sad, ANYTHING lol :]. Oh and special thanks to all of the followers and favorites 3 love you guys. SPECIAL SPECIAL THANKS TO BELLAITALIANA93 for the continued support and ideas.
