Our fearsome foursome are not through eating. Tonight it's Italian.

Our relatives are arriving tonight and we'll be busy with them for the next week. We'll be taking them to the Balloon Fiesta and sightseeing. So I won't have much time for writing and probably none for posting until the middle of next week at the earliest. That doesn't absolve you from leaving comments – I'll be checking in periodically on my phone and tablet.

Enjoy.

Chapter 83.

I wished I were going with Jess and her sister when they met with their uncle. This was an even more crucial meeting than the one with the restaurant manager. So when Wilson knocked on my door at eleven thirty, I was open to his suggestion. "Why don't we see what the food is like at Uncle Giovanni's place?"

I didn't need to think about it, just grabbed my cane and stood. "I thought you'd never ask." After all, I never told Jess I'd stay away.

We took Wilson's car and headed toward Trenton. The restaurant was this side of the city, about thirty minutes away without traffic. We arrived at twelve fifteen but had to wait for a table. It was a popular eatery. As we waited, my eyes scanned the place. Jess' description had been accurate.

I spotted them just before we were seated. Jess and Nina sat with an older man in a corner booth at the back of the restaurant. The man looked like a somewhat younger and much more sophisticated version of Peter Giordano. His thick silver gray hair was swept off his forehead in waves that framed his clean-shaven face.

"What do you think you're going to have?" Wilson asked over his menu.

"Huh?" I'd been too busy watching the threesome to even check it out. I opened the velour folder and my eyes were caught by the lasagne. That decision made, I looked back just in time to see Nina gesturing with her hands and Jess nodding and grinning. We placed our orders.

"It looks like everything's going well over there." Wilson's eyes begged me to agree.

I looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it if it isn't." And then I felt eyes on me. "Don't look now, but I think they're on to us," I whispered out the corner of my mouth.

Of course, Wilson immediately looked at Jess and Nina. "Jess doesn't seem too happy."

"Ya think?" I turned my head and locked eyes with her. I could almost hear her snarl halfway across the restaurant. That's when her sister noticed her face and followed her glare to us. She frowned too. I debated walking over to them, but decided against it.

Wilson echoed my thought. "Do you think we should go over there?"

I shook my head. "We're here to observe and that's what we're going to do."

Our waiter brought our minestrone and we turned our attention to our meal. I hoped our presence wouldn't throw the girls off their game but decided there was nothing I could do about it. They would sell their business proposal to their uncle or they wouldn't.

As I took my last spoonful of soup, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I slowly looked up into Jess' eyes. They were darker than usual, like a storm cloud had filled them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Having lunch." I pointed my spoon at my empty bowl.

She grimaced. "Besides that."

I shrugged. "Thought you might want some moral support."

"Nina and I can handle this ourselves." She didn't have to put her hands on her hips to convey her annoyance.

I nodded. "We can see that. You're doin' great! Carry on."

Her eyes narrowed, she shook her head and wagged a finger at me. "This isn't over." She pivoted and walked back to the booth where Nina and their uncle were watching her.

Wilson sniggered. "I think someone's in hot water."

"Nah. That was her 'I should have expected it' face, not her 'how dare you do this to me' one. As long as she and Nina strike a deal with their uncle, she'll forget about it."

"I hope so. She's been good for you."

"You should be the one who's worried that Nina won't be as forgiving."

Wilson frowned.

"Were you so focused on me and Jess that you didn't consider what Nina thought?"

"No, but I never told her I'd stay away. I was hoping she'd be pleased that I'm so concerned." His face became thoughtful. "Do you really think she's angry?"

I shrugged. "I don't know Nina that well."

"So, maybe we shouldn't have come here after all." He looked glum.

"You really like her, don't you?" I smirked.

He nodded slowly. "You have to admit she's gorgeous."

"Is that it? I've never known you to fall for someone just because they were beautiful." I'd been impressed by her looks myself early on, but then decided she was shallow compared to her sister. Had I been wrong?

Our waiter brought our food and we ate it in silence. Wilson hadn't answered my question, but I wasn't surprised when he looked up periodically to glance over at Nina. Speculation filled his eyes, but was replaced by guilt when she came toward us.

"Jess says you don't intend to interfere. So why are you here?"

Wilson borrowed my line. "To eat lunch."

"How's it going over there?" I hadn't dared to ask Jess, but didn't have the same qualms with her sister.

"Just as we thought, Uncle Johnny will do anything to annoy Father."

"Annoy? Hurt you mean."

She shrugged. "He deserves it." Her lips pursed in a straight line. "Well, enjoy your food. It's quite good, isn't it?"

"Yup." I filled my mouth with more lasagne.

"Hmmm." She turned and marched back to her sister and uncle.

"How long do you think it'll be?"

"Huh?" Wilson's fork paused halfway to his mouth.

"Well, we've had visits from each of the Giordano sisters. Don't you think Uncle Johnny might be a tad curious about us?"

"Do you think he'll come over here?" He glanced at their booth, probably expecting that the man was already on his way.

"I'm sure of it. I would like to finish my meal before he arrives, though."

Wilson's eyes narrowed. Then he went back to eating.

I had one or two bites left on my plate when a shadow appeared across our table and I looked up to see all three of them.

Uncle Johnny took the lead. "Nina and Jessica tell me you're friends of theirs." His voice still held a trace of an accent. The tone was pleasant, even friendly.

"That's right." I looked him in the eyes, dark eyes like all of the Giordanos.

Wilson stood. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Giordano. We've really enjoyed our meal here today." Wilson smiled and held out a hand.

Giordano took it and smiled back. "My nieces say you're both doctors." It was the kind of statement that forced the addressee to respond.

"I'm an oncologist at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, and House is a diagnostician."

"Actually, they each head their own departments." Was that pride in Jess' eyes? Maybe I was forgiven after all.

"Have my nieces told you about their plans for a catering business? I guess they've got pretty good heads on their shoulders, besides being pretty."

It was our turn to show our pride in Jess and Nina. I let Wilson do that. He was certainly better at it than I ever hoped to be.

He nodded. "We expect they'll be very successful."

"Have you known them long?" Giordano asked.

I nodded. "Several months. I met them when I was looking for your nephew, his wife and their son." I knew when I set out on that quest that it could change my life, but I hadn't realized how much or in what way, but Giordano didn't have to know that.

"And you found them. Tell me, what do you think of Petey?"

I hoped my opinion of their brother wouldn't hurt the sisters' chances, but I had to be honest. "He has to grow up, but his father hasn't helped and neither has his condition."

"His condition?" Giordano looked from me to Nina and Jess and back again.

"Both Petey and his son suffer from a condition that affects their reaction to sounds. Once we diagnosed them and they started treatment, they've improved considerably."

"Hyperacusis?"

I don't think I looked as surprised as Wilson, Nina and Jess, but it was such a rare syndrome, it was startling that Giordano had ever heard of it. "Did he tell you about it?"

"No, of course not. But my youngest brother, Marco, has the same problem. They only recently diagnosed him."

"In Italy?"

He nodded.

"Greg, maybe you should talk to Uncle Marco's doctor. I mean for the study!" Jess had definitely forgiven me. "Uncle Johnny, Dr. House and his staff have been working on an effort to connect the disease to genetic causes."

Giordano raised one eyebrow. "So, it's genetic? That makes sense if several members of a family have the same thing. I'd be happy to give you what information I have about Marco's physician."

It was an unexpected bonus of the evening. I hoped everyone realized it wouldn't have come up if Wilson and I hadn't crashed the party.