Page 52 of Make You Mine

“Thank you, and make sure it’s Dukes,” she rushes out.

“Of course, Mother,” I snark, chuckling.

“Love you, see you soon.”

“Love you.”

“Dukes?” Ash questions when I hang up, as we both take one more glance at the ocean before pulling away.

“Only the best mayo ever. Just so you know, one day when we have our own house, it's the only mayo allowed in the fridge,” I joke, but really, it’s the best.

Ashley giggles. “One day, when we have our own place, you can have anything you want.”

Our own place.

My stomach dips with how badly I want that with her.

“You in my bed every night, and a smile on your face every day is all I need.”

“Boy, you better stop staring at that girl and peel these potatoes.” My nana’s playful tone drags me unwillingly out of my daydream.

Ashley stands on the other side of the room, talking to my Uncle Smith, who has already broken into her Pignoli cookies after his future daughter-in-law couldn’t stop bragging about Ashley staying up late to make her grandma’s recipe and how delicious they are.

I love seeing her here with all my family. We have had so much fun with everyone over the past few days. All of Lottie and Grey’s friends from Richmond Hills were in town for the engagement party. Ashley was able to let loose and be the carefree twenty-three-year-old she deserves to be. Even though two days later, she’s still feeling the hangover effects, I had to pull over on the way home from the beach so she could puke on the side of the road. You’d never know it now, looking at her beautiful, smiling face.

“That girl is the reason he wants this potato salad,” my mom chirps in, raising her eyebrows at me.

“Well, even more reason. Get to it!” Nana Rexwood elbows me and snaps her fingers.

“How did you know that, Mom?” A suspicious smirk spreads across my face.

“You think I don’t remember that summer before you left for New York. The one where you suddenly loved my potatosalad so much you asked me to make it four times in two weeks.”

I smile, shaking my head that my mom even remembers that. Ashley had never had potato salad like my mom’s. She couldn’t get enough of the dish, and I couldn’t get enough of her. So naturally, I had my mom make it as much as possible before she left that summer.

“I knew she was the first girl who knocked you on your ass. I remember how broody you were after she left. I figured you guys would reconnect in New York, so I was not shocked to hear she was here this week, and you were conveniently staying with your cousin and Lottie until tonight.”

“Been knocked on my ass ever since,” I grunt.

“I can see why,” my mom smiles gently, looking over at Ashley. “She’s pretty amazing. Her speech at the engagement party was truly beautiful.”

I smile proudly. She did so good.

Nana cuts in, “She really is so beautiful. I don’t know how my grandsons keep landing these gorgeous New Yorkers.” It’s no secret that my cousin’s fiancée, Lottie, is Nana Rexwood’s favorite, which automatically gets Ashley extra credit as her best friend.

“Well, except my oldest. That brother of yours needs to stop being so greedy and settle down.”

I chuckle at that, looking around the room to find him talking to our dad. I should probably save him.

It’s weird. We love our dad, but it's awkward. We’ve looked up to him our whole lives as a well-achieved doctor, but because he always put work ahead of everything else, we never got to know the man he is, only the doctor. He alsolikes to give Trevor a hard time about giving up being a surgeon at such a pristine hospital to do private duty work. Luckily, until I’m done with school, I can avoid that conversation. But Trevor’s only here for one day, so I let my dad have his moment.

Vito’s infection has cleared up, and he’s starting to get around again, but we knew we couldn’t chance being gone for long in case there was a medical need within the Santini family since their doctor has not been reliable lately. It would be too suspicious with us both being unavailable.

My mom speaks up. “You know she is welcome to stay here tonight, too. Sorry, you guys can’t stay in the guest house, but your room is free.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I knew she would be cool with it, so that was my plan all along. I don’t think I’d even sleep knowing I was missing a night to hold her.

With her hands messy from cooking, she leans in and kisses my forehead. “I’m just so happy to have you here. We have missed you more than you know.”

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