Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

now, you're quitting the church. It must be the Italian blood."
    "Sure, the twice Italian thing!"
    To Javier's surprise they both laughed.
    This time he had to ask, "Excuse me, but what is all that about Italian blood?"
    Raul, still laughing, told Javier, "Esteban explains it better."
    He said, "Well, it's a family joke, I don't know if you will get it, but I'll summarize it for you since you asked."
    "Please. I really want to know, especially if I'm going to be around here."
    He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Esteban stared at him for a few seconds before explaining.
    "Okay. My family is very traditional, we can trace our ancestors to the time Spain was still the Iberia Peninsula and ruled by the Ottoman Empire. By the way, Asturias was the only part of the Peninsula the moors never conquered."
    "Really? I didn't know that."
    "Yes, that can give you an idea of how stubborn Asturians are. Anyway, the Hidalgos emigrated all over the world, some moved to the States, but continued to marry brides imported from Spain. Except one Italian bride that joined the family around 1840, and everything bad any Hidalgo has done afterward has been blamed on this Italian blood addition to the family. More recently, my father met my mother, who is also Italian, and my family opposed their marriage, but they got married anyway. And there you have it, the twice Italian thing."
    "Oh, I see. They are really conservative, aren't they?"
    "Yes, you have no idea." He sounded worried for the first time since Javier spoke to him.
    Raul added. "Conservative, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman, but still some don't appreciate the Italian blood."
    Esteban commented, "We all descend from Celts and Romans so I don't see the obsession with it."
    "It gives them a reason to gossip and complain, you know that." Raul remarked.
    Javier told them, "Like your mom said, everything will be all right, don't worry."
    "I hope so, Javier. Let me see if Diego will answer this time, he must be in the farmyard because he is not answering."
    "A farm?"
    "Yes, my aunt has a farm in South Jersey, and Diego is helping her to transform the place to be used by a charity foundation our family has."
    "So he can inherit her fortune."
    Raul had said this, and Esteban shook his head, looking at Javier, before dialing his cell phone.
    "Again, disregard anything Raul says about Diego, and vice versa."
    Esteban left a message for Diego and stayed silent for a while looking ahead as if in reflection.
    Javier got excited for this new adventure. He'd lived all his life in Manhattan, and had never gone through the Holland Tunnel— one of the two tunnels under the Hudson River connecting New York with New Jersey. He felt they crossed it fast, because it was definitely shorter than the Lincoln Tunnel, which he had traveled through in the past.
    Soon they passed houses and tall buildings, everything looked modern, like it had been recently built, and the many trees announced why New Jersey was called the Garden State. It surprised Javier to see that it was not only green that dressed the trees, but many shades of reds.
    Raul entered a tall building that happened to be a parking lot, and parked on the top floor. They walked into a mall and headed for the food court. Javier noticed how every female's eye within their wake riveted on them. The brothers didn't qualify as handsome, but they exuded sex appeal with their strong masculine features. Their dark hair contrasted with light eyes, and while Esteban was unpretentious, his calm stride displayed the length of his muscular body.
    Sitting on one of the many tables in front of a Chinese restaurant, Raul said, "Enough Italian for today, I hope you don't mind, Javier."
    Javier shook his head, while Esteban remained thoughtful. From where they were sitting, they could see the menus on the walls of the restaurant, so everybody chose, and Raul went to get the food.
    "I'm sorry, Javier," Esteban said as soon as Raul was out of earshot. His voice touched him deeply.
    "Why?"
    "I invited you to come over without thinking that we might encounter difficulties."
    "It's okay. I was so bored before, this is great for me."
    Esteban's gaze fixed on his face and Javier found it hard to keep it with his own. "I have an apartment in Diego's home, but I only use it for storage. Since you're not in trouble, I can call Mom and you can stay with them until Diego comes back, and after that you can stay in my place as long as you want."
    "What about