“Whoa.” Autumn’s eyes grew round as saucers. “That is one sweet story. Is that it? I mean, has anything else happened since then?”
“I could write a book, but Ma won’t let me.”
“Obviously, without elaborating, you now know the gist of our family background. We moved to Savannah to escape my deceased husband’s past, to start fresh.”
“But not Vinnie,” Autumn interrupted. “Being in the news business, I heard something about the casino he works at in New Jersey having mafia ties. He’s still in it.”
“Over his head at times,” Carlita sighed.
There was a muffled sound behind them, and a disheveled Brittney emerged from the back looking sleepy-eyed.
Carlita watched as she drifted into the dining room. “You missed dinner. I saw you were sleeping and didn’t want to wake you.”
“I guess I got too comfy watching television in bed.” Brittney plopped down in an empty chair. “What are you eating?”
“Chicken fettuccine.”
“I can’t eat the chicken. The baby isn’t a big fan.” She eyed the salad hungrily. “I can eat the salad and bread.”
“I hate to eat and run, but I better head home. I have some laundry to catch up on.” Autumn carried her dirty plate to the kitchen. “Thanks for dinner, Mrs. G.”
“I’m glad you could join us, Autumn. Thanks for letting Mercedes stay with you during Brittney’s visit.”
“You’re welcome. I like the company.”
“I’ll be over in a little while,” Mercedes said. “Sam and I are gonna take Rambo and Sam’s pup, Sadie, for a walk.”
“Rambo will like that.” Hearing his name, the pooch scrambled out from beneath the table. He eyed the leftover food and let out a low whine.
“Sorry, fella. No pasta for you. Let’s grab a doggie treat instead.” Carlita pulled his box of treats from the cabinet and offered him a handful.
Carlita’s cat, Grayvie, heard the treat box rattle and darted to the kitchen, circling her legs until she offered him a treat, too. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out, Grayvie.”
Autumn and Mercedes left, and Carlita joined her daughter-in-law at the table. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good. Just really tired.” Brittney stabbed a tomato with her fork. “I talked to Vinnie a few minutes ago. He misses us. I wish that whoever is harassing Daddy and Vinnie would leave them alone.”
“You’re not the only one. I’m sure you would rather be home in your own bed and in familiar surroundings.”
They discussed the baby, a boy, possible names, and Brittney’s progress in finishing the nursery.
Carlita motioned to Brittney’s empty salad plate. “We’ll need to find something a little more nutritious and filling for you to eat than just salad and bread.”
“I’ve perfected one of Vinnie’s favorite dishes. It’s an unstuffed cabbage roll. I could make it for you.”
“Unstuffed cabbage roll,” Carlita repeated.
“Yep. It’s actually a pretty healthy dish.” Brittney rattled off the list of ingredients. “I could make it for dinner tomorrow.”
Noting the eager look on her face, Carlita easily agreed. “Sure. I’ll need to jot down the ingredients.”
“I’ll make a list.” Brittney carried her salad plate to the kitchen and ran to the bedroom in the back. She returned a short time later with a small list and handed it to Carlita.
“Ground beef, yellow onion, cabbage, crushed tomatoes, garlic.” Carlita folded the sheet of paper in half. “I can get all of these tomorrow. I have some fresh-frozen buttered noodles that would go good with this.”
Brittney’s cell phone chimed, and she glanced at the screen. “That’s Vinnie again. I’m gonna take this outside.”
“While you talk to him, I’m gonna run down to the courtyard and tidy it up.” Carlita waited for Brittney to step onto the balcony and pull the door closed behind her.
As forecasted, a small cold front had blown in, so Carlita grabbed her jacket along with her keys on the way out. She wandered past her business, Savannah Swag Pawn Shop, now closed for the evening, and stopped when she reached the cozy courtyard, tucked between Ravello’s and the pawnshop.
Farther down the street, Carlita could see the parking spots along the front of Ravello’s were full, a good sign there was a decent number of diners in the restaurant.
The courtyard gate creaked loudly as she pushed it open. Carlita started to pull it shut when she caught a flash of light coming from the vacant lot across the street.
Several weeks earlier, bulldozers and wrecking equipment showed up to level the old building that had been an eyesore for as long as Carlita had lived in Walton Square. The only thing left was a handful of ancient oak trees, sections of an old wooden fence ready to topple over, and a rusty metal shed.
With the dozing done, she waited for a sign or some idea of what would be coming, but so far, the future of the lot was still a mystery.
She’d even gone as far as to ask her friend, Glenda Fox, President of Savannah Architectural Society, if she had any idea what would be going in. Glenda, who was responsible for approving architectural changes to historic city structures, had no idea.
Her eyes scanned the area where she’d noticed the light, but she couldn’t see anything.
Carlita checked to make sure the gate locked behind her before grabbing the broom propped in the corner. As she swept, she thought about Vinnie and Brittney’s baby.
She still had no idea how long Brittney would be staying. She thought about Angelica and her comment they were being watched. Was it an empty
