“Or run it remotely,” Carlita chimed in. “You don’t even have to tell customers you’re out of town unless they ask.”
“Ah. An excellent idea.” Elvira tapped the side of her forehead. “I like your way of thinking. Okay. Count me in.”
“If Elvira can swing it, so can we.” Luigi took a big bite of pizza. “Been a few years since I hit the AC scene. I still know a few guys who work for Vin.”
Dernice playfully wagged her finger. “Don’t get any big ideas about moving back.”
“No way.” Luigi sneaked a kiss. “My heart is here.”
“I’ll give Vinnie the good news.” Carlita promptly dialed her son’s number. He picked up right away. “Hey, Ma.”
“Got the whole crew here and I have you on speaker. It looks like you’re gonna have company for Thanksgiving.”
“Everyone?”
“All ten of us.”
“Sweet. I already told Brittney that you might be coming. She’s excited. Her Ma will be here too.”
“Mrs. Castellini?”
“Yeah. Ever since Vito died, we invite her mother for the holidays.”
“Then it will be one big happy family,” Carlita joked.
Vinnie chuckled. “Should I make a few spa appointments to reserve some spots?”
“Spa?” Shelby piped up.
“Treasure Cove has one of the best spas on the East Coast.”
Elvira whooped loudly. “Sign me up. Yes, siree.”
“I would love a spa day.” Shelby clapped her hands.
“Busy moms deserve some pampering,” Carlita said. “I’ll be happy to watch the kids.”
“No need, Ma. We got an on-site daycare for the kids. It’s called Camp Cove. Little Vin has a ball with his friends.”
“What about food?” Elvira shoved the rest of her pizza crust into her mouth. “I have refined tastes.”
Dernice snorted loudly. “Are you kidding me? You plowed through a box of Little Debbie cakes before we got here. I wouldn’t call chowing down on uber processed, genetically modified foods as having refined tastes.”
Elvira ignored her sister’s jab. “Can’t wait to see you, my Vin.”
Vinnie chuckled. “Same here, Elvira. We’ll make it a memorable visit.”
The call ended with Carlita promising to give him their exact arrival time as soon as they figured it out. “Talk to you soon.”
With a firm plan in place, the group chatted excitedly about the holiday visit.
Ring. Ring.Dernice’s phone rang. She excused herself and made her way to a quiet corner.
Carlita, glancing in her direction, noted the concerned look on her face. She nodded once, replying to whoever was on the otherend of the line in a low voice. The conversation ended, and she returned to the table.
Luigi must’ve noticed, too. “You okay, Dernice?”
“Creed called. He wanted to warn me that the police stopped by his place to ask a bunch of questions.”
