Chapter Seven
Nick thought he looked ridiculous, like the victim of some campus fraternity hazing ritual gone badly awry. Or maybe a hazing ritual gone right, if you’re thinking from the point of view of those doing the hazing.
But he was so frustrated with his interfering relatives and the fact that he might lose Emme from his life altogether because of his own stupidity, that he decided he didn’t give a flying fig leaf what he looked like.
So he did what he was told, and stood like a Roman statue.
“A little to the left with the draping,” intoned Great Aunt Chi Chi, who held court over his costume debacle from the sidelines with a group of other little old ladies in spandex, all oohing and aahing over what Nick was sure would be his penultimate humiliation.
His cousins Abby and Chiara and cousin-in-law Regan were “helping put him together,” under Great Aunt Chi Chi’s direction.
The whole mess started over an hour ago, when Chiara plunked him down in a kitchen chair, draped him in a plastic cape and cut his hair short, merrily telling him she cut her firefighter husband Ben’s hair all the time.
Then Abby, the family design guru, dragged out garment bags filled with various Bacchus costumes used in years’ past. Some crazed version of a fashion show mixed with an unwilling version of the movie Magic Mike ensued, as the ladies critiqued and whooped and hollered.
“You’ll be the best Bacchus in years,” said Abby. “The holiday parade is really a big deal. St. Helena is a small town, and everyone’s family here. And you’re representing the DeLuca’s, one of the founding families. That’s so sweet of you!”
“The float is the part of the parade that speaks to our heritage as founding families, to the work we do with the vines each and every day,” said Chi Chi.
“Family – and life and love,” added Abby.
“Those are all good things,” said Nick. And silently, he thought that they were all things he wanted to pursue with Emme, if she ever forgave him.
“Bacchus also represents the partying that comes from the wine from those vines,” teased Regan.
Nick felt the vise grip of the collective St. Helena female population go around his head again. His neck was so stiff, he’d have another migraine before the parade even started.
“You’re so handsome,” said Chiara.
Nick looked down and closed his eyes, so his cousin couldn’t see that they were rolling back in his head.
The gaggle of women young and old all nodded and tutted in agreement as his cousins fussed and fretted over him, which gave Nick hives.
The only woman that he cared what he looked like for wasn’t even going to look his way during the parade. In fact, given that she would be on the float in front of his, he expected to have a one-hour view of the back of her angry blonde head.
And the thing that was really a kick in the pants was, he totally deserved it.
“You are so handsome, Nick. You so remind me of my Geno,” Chi Chi teared up and hugged him, then went back to her seat by one of the other senior ladies, who was stroking and talking to a grumpy-looking cat that Nick could have sworn she called Mr. Puffins.
I’d be grumpy, too, if someone called me Mr. Puffins, Nick thought darkly. The little cat looked up at him and narrowed his eyes, as if to say, “same back at you, Bacchus.”
Nick finally had enough when he saw Abby dragging a makeup case out.
“Sorry ladies, but no way on the eyeliner. This Bacchus is more Agriculture God than Rock God.”
Regan gave him a sympathetic wink. “All right then, ladies. Let’s pick out his headpiece and get him to the staging area!”
The parade wended it’s way through St. Helena without a hitch, until almost the end. The St. Helena Founders’ Float was nearly at the end, just behind Shay and Emme’s on the St. Paw’s float and just ahead of his Cousin Gabe, who looked almost as ridiculous as Santa Claus as Nick did as Bacchus.
Nick caught a look at Randolph the Reindeer on Gabe’s float, and gave his cousin a thumbs-up and a sarcastic grin. Gabe grinned cheesily back at him, like he knew anything.
Nick rode along benignly, sitting tall on his gold-leaf throne and holding on to Magnum, who sat through the parade ears erect and thumping his tail happily, sailing along on the float as if he thought it was the St. Magnum Day Parade. It probably helped Magnum that the two of them were surrounded by a bevy of local hotties, all wearing their Roman goddess best.
They all made over the dog and ignored him. Which, thought Nick, somehow figured.
Nick kept trying to get a look at Emme, but all he could see was the back of her head and her sweet heart-shaped behind. Shay looked back at him once, in disapproval. Then, she shrugged and turned back around, saying something to Emme and patting her on the shoulder.
Girl solidarity, thought Nick. Huh.
He was irrationally annoyed at that thought, as if Shay, who was a little older and married to Jonah, who clearly adored her, should be able to look at the situation and say “look Emme. Nick loves you, and you love Nick. So get a grip, and stop being mad at him for not being able to say things right!”
Because at the end of the day, for all of his supposed DeLuca charm, Nick had no concept of what to say to Emme.
Other than that he was an idiot. And that he liked her, no, that he maybe-kinda-sorta loved her. A lot.
He froze when Shay looked back at him one more time, frowning.
Anything he would say right now, Nick figured, would not go over well.
And at that moment, a tiny cat that one of the volunteers on the St. Paw’s float was holding yowled and leapt into the air, landing on all fours on the pavement in between the two floats.
“Angel!” yelled Emme, frantic.
The cat, processed Nick. The funny little cat that Emme mentioned had befriended Magnum.
Magnum took that moment to recognize his friend and with a great “woof” pulled off of his leash and bounded off the front of the float.
There was about to be squished kitty AND squished doggie.
Nick moved like lightning, pounded on the cab of his float, where the operator beneath was driving, “Stop the float! Quick, stop the float!”
Unsure whether the float was going to stop in time, he leapt off the front of the float, too, managing to scoop up the kitten and catch the end of Magnum’s leash, pulling them over to the curb and away from harm just as the float screeched to a halt where they’d been standing.
The crowd stood in silence for a moment. Then Nick, not knowing what else to do, yelled “okay everyone! They’re both okay! And thanks to St. Paw’s, they’re up for adoption this Christmas! Come by the adoption fair after the Holiday Parade!”
Everyone in town knew it was an accident and not really a planned publicity stunt, but they applauded Nick DeLuca just the same for calling attention to the good work of St. Paws Animal Shelter.
The local cuties in their togas exchanged glances with Shay, and all filed down and off of the float.
“Trade places,” one said brightly to Emme as she glided beauty-queen style up onto the St. Paws float.
“We’ll take good care of them, we promise,” said another, who took the leash of the dog that Emme was holding and gestured for her to join Nick.
Emme’s and Nick’s eyes met then. And slowly, still being careful to hang onto the tiny cat, he reached a hand out toward her.
Emme jumped off the St. Paws float, landing with a thud in her boots. She sidled up to Nick, who handed Angel the cat to her with a flourish and said, “come on, buddy, let’s go!” to Magnum. They climbed up onto the now-empty St. Helena Founders’ Float, and Nick offered her his gold-leaf throne with a flourish.
Emme took her seat, cuddling the little cat. And she took Nick’s hand when he offered it, too.
They smiled and waved to the crowd, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as Magnum the barked in agreement.
Nick smiled at Emme, and she smiled back. “You know, Magnum asked me to do something,” said Nick.
“Smart dog, what did he ask?”
“He told me to put up the mistletoe.”
Emme finally noticed the spring of different greenery that was woven into the grape leaves at the top of Bacchus’s throne, and smiled up at Nick.
He bent down to kiss her, but she grabbed him and kissed him first.