Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

S oon enough, Cooper and I do a quick change and we head down to Grimstone Heights with our cute little pooch in tow just like the other night.

Only things look markedly different on the street in front of my parents' house this time.

"Looks as if there's no parking," he says, trying to maneuver his truck around the glut of cars parked every which way.

"I guess all the neighbors are hosting their own Thanksgiving blowouts," I say. "Not that my house will look any different from Sunday dinner, with the exception of a few odd aunts and uncles. And I do mean odd."

I leave out the fact a major mob boss will be making his debut. Although Coop already knows Jimmy is in my lineage. Just like I know Luke Lazzari is in Cooper's lineage. Luke would be the only other mob boss around, and one that fights my uncle for turf and probably other lethal stuff every now and again. Shockingly, rumor has it, the two are actually friends.

We park up the street and do another impromptu Turkey Trot as we race to make it to my mother's doorstep on time.

No sooner do we step inside than my eyes can't understand what they're seeing.

People.

Lots of them.

Everywhere.

Watson takes off like a bullet. After all, there are food scraps to be had.

"What in the heck?" I say, struggling to find anyone who actually happens to be genetically linked to me. "Who are all these people?"

Cooper seizes and stops all movement.

"Mom?" he calls out as his mouth falls open. "Dad?"

I spot Loretta Pastrami giggling away next to my Nona Jo and gasp.

"What in Italy's name is going on?" I ask.

Soon, everyone breaks out into applause. Then to my horror, my family rises to their feet, and next to my Uncle Jimmy is none other than Luke Lazzari himself.

Well, if it isn't my last Thanksgiving. If it isn't everyone's last Thanksgiving.

Nona Jo rises to her feet with a glass of Chianti in hand. "Settle down, kids. Effie, Cupertino, I want you to know this is my doing."

She waves a dismissive hand, silencing the murmurs. "This is my thank you to the happy couple for bringing together two warring families." She takes a sip of her wine, and something tells me it's not her first. "With Effie's smarts and Cupertino's"—she glances at him, giving him a once-over—"good looks and law-abiding ways, we've managed to create a truce in this town. And what better way to celebrate than by stuffing our faces with enough food to sink a gondola?"

The room chuckles, and I feel Cooper squeeze my hand, a sign that he's as bewildered as I am but going along with it.

Nona Jo raises her glass ever higher. "To Effie and Cupertino, who've not only managed to keep their heads on straight amidst all this madness, but have also brought a sense of peace and sanity to our crazy families."

"Not in the least," I mutter under my breath, earning another squeeze from Cooper's hand.

Nona Jo grins, clearly in her element. "May your love be as strong as Uncle Jimmy's grip on this town and as enduring as the endless pasta dishes at our family dinners. And may your patience be as thick as my gravy because, trust me, you'll need it." Everyone laughs as Nona Jo's toast continues. "To the happy couple! May your days be filled with laughter, your nights with wild lovemaking, and your holidays with the kind of food that makes you want to unbutton your pants and take a nap right on the dining room table." She raises her glass one last time. "Salute!"

" Salute! " the room echoes, glasses clinking together in a chorus of goodwill.

I could have done without the wild lovemaking quip. I mean, I would love nothing more than some wild you-know-what with you-know-who, but must we bring it up in a room with every blood relation I have? My brothers didn't look too thrilled either.

I manage a smile and feel the warmth of the moment despite the fact most everyone here is armed and more than ready to pop off a shot or two if necessary.

Cooper leans in and his lips brush my ear. "Looks like we've got quite the team behind us."

I nod, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, quite the team."

Two different teams—bitter rivals, in fact, but I don't bother doting on details.

We settle at the table where, miraculously, they saved us both a seat. And after a quick prayer of thanks from my Pops, we dive into both traditional Thanksgiving fare along with my mother's Italian contributions, namely her famous lasagna with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and gooey cheese baked to perfection. Then there's a massive bowl of spaghetti carbonara, with its creamy sauce and crispy pancetta—not to mention the homemade gnocchi, soft pillows of potato pasta smothered in a robust tomato sauce. Her eggplant Parmesan, with its layers of fried eggplant smothered in marinara and melted mozzarella is a showstopper as well. And let's not forget the antipasto, which never leaves the table with its array of cured meats formed into rosettes, six different kinds of hard cheeses, wrinkled olives, and pickled veggies.

"This is quite the dinner." Loretta Salami nods to both my mother and hers.

"And we've got quite the desserts," Mom is quick to tell her.

"Lots of Lottie's poison pies," Aunt Cat calls out and Carlotta swats her.

"You're ruining the surprise," she chastises.

Cooper's mother gives a little laugh. "Renata and I whipped up a few Italian desserts as well."

My mother nods her way. "We've got the best cannoli and tiramisu going. And I didn't forget to include my ricotta cheesecake!"

The crowd goes wild just hearing it.

I'm already planning on seconds and thirds of each.

Cooper's eyes widen as he takes in the sheer volume of food. "It looks like we're in for yet another marathon, of the culinary variety."

I laugh, grabbing another slice of lasagna. "This time I'm staying in the race. Hey? I think I manifested this." In fact, I know I did. Maybe Harmony isn't such a charlatan after all.

"Let's just hope we can get through the night without having to make another arrest."

Nona Jo leans my way. "Did you like the surprise?"

"Surprisingly , I love it," I tell her.

"Good." The wicked smile drops from her face, only to be replaced with a far more nefarious look. "Because I've got another surprise for the two of you at the Velvet Fox Hotel down in Leeds. I'm not telling you what day or what time. Just know I'm cooking up something so big, it might take months to prepare. One thing is for sure, it's going to go off without a hitch. I'll give you the heads up twenty-four hours before the big day. Be there or be dead."

Cooper and I exchange a quick glance.

"We wouldn't miss it," Cooper is quick to tell her. "Whatever it is, you can count on us to be there."

"Mostly because we'd rather not be dead," I say under my breath.

Whatever Nona Jo has in store for us, it can't possibly be this magical.

"Happy Thanksgiving," I call out and everyone returns the sentiment in a riotous echo.

Cooper leans over and lands a kiss on my cheek. "If we can survive this, we can survive anything."

"Here's hoping things stay sane and so do we," I say.

At least until my next victim's name lands on my list.

*Thank you so much for reading Turkey Trots