Page 30 of Wishes on Wildflowers
Jasmine shrugged. “I don’t think she will, actually. She said she wants to travel more while she’s able to, and visit her family on the Oregon coast. Maybe you would like to go on a trip some time? Maybe back to Italy?”
Nonna gestured toward the door. “I have no need to go places with all my children and grandchildren nearby. I will travel with your parents to Helena when Roberto adopts Bren’s two children in June. That is as far as I need to go, and no one needs an old woman visiting for weeks on end. My place is here.” She pointed at the kitchen floor. “Right here. Do not forget.”
Jasmine gave her grandmother a hug, though the softness she’d felt a few minutes ago had been transformed into steel. “I love you, Nonna. I have to go. We’ll talk again.”
Nathan couldn’t believehe’d agreed to help Peter today in the yard next door. He’d known Jasmine would be coming. He’d known it was a bad idea to keep turning up like a bad penny, but somehow he couldn’t help himself. He, Peter, and Basil got an early start with the heavy labor since the late April day promised to become a scorcher. He’d forgotten what that was like. Close to the ocean, the climate was more temperate. Spokane definitely felt all four seasons — sometimes all in one day, the locals joked.
Mrs. Essery had offered them muffins before retreating inside her older two-story house, one of the Bridgeview originals, Nathan would hazard a guess. “It’s a nice property,” he said to Peter, who was digging near him.
Peter ran his arm across his sweating forehead. “I love it. I love the house and the character of it, and I love this yard. Bridgeview is built on such a slope there are not many properties that are this flat but still have a great view.”
Nathan angled a glance at his friend. “If you feel so strongly about it, you should buy it.”
Peter grinned. “It’s on my mind. But I’m not quite ready, and Mrs. Essery isn’t quite ready to sell. Meanwhile, she’ll lease the backyard to us for a few years, and we’ll do something more formal later.”
“Have you guys written up legal agreements for your business yet?” Nathan leaned on his shovel and watched his friend.
Peter rolled back a section of sod. “No, not yet. We’ve all been so busy. And, besides, Bridgeview is a small neighborhood. It’s not like Los Angeles. We all know each other, and I’m comfortable that Mrs. Essery will do well by me. She said she’ll definitely give me first dibs when the time is right.” Peter flashed a grin at Nathan. “I can wait. Living with Alex and Basil isn’t that bad. I don’t imagine Alex is going to get married any day soon and kick the two of us out. And if he does, we’ll just move in with you in the basement suite.”
Nathan chuckled. “I think that would be my cue to move on out, quite frankly. But thanks for the offer.”
Peter laughed. “I hear you. And I’m not sure I’d want to live downstairs from Alex and his wife anyway.”
“My little brother is getting married?” Basil sauntered in from the yard next door. “That’s news to me. I didn’t know he was even dating anyone. The kid is too serious to let loose and have a little fun.”
Not for the first time, Nathan wondered how two brotherscould be so different. Not that he was anything like his younger brothers, but they had different mothers and hadn’t been raised the same. Ray and Grace Santoro had offered much more stability to their children than he’d ever experienced.
“Well, don’t put off the legal paperwork too long. You never know what will happen.”
Peter sent him a mock salute. “Now you’re starting to sound like Alex.”
Basil let out a sardonic chuckle. “And God knows we only need one Alex in our life.”
He said that about the little brother who’d offered him a place to live? Nathan was pretty sure Basil paid rent, but still. Alex had been under no obligation to offer a room to Basil at all.
Peter pointed his trowel at Basil. “Don’t mock him. The world could use a few more guys with their heads screwed straight on their shoulders.”
Basil rolled his eyes and draped an arm across Nathan’s shoulders. “Maybe it does, but it also needs guys who are willing to go out and have a good time. Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone were like Alex.” He patted Nathan’s shoulder. “What do you say we go out this evening and see if we can meet some girls?”
Nathan stepped aside, causing Basil’s arm to drop to his side. “No, thanks. That’s not my scene.” Memories of sirens, of gavels falling, of clanging metal doors resurged, and Nathan shoved them back in the recesses of his mind.
“That’s not what you told me on Facebook.” Basil’s eyebrows waggled.
Nathan met his friend’s gaze. “Been there, done that. That’s true. But hey, I’ve turned over a new leaf. Comingback to Bridgeview meant a break from the life I’ve been living. Besides, if I stay out too late, I won’t make it to church in the morning.”
Basil laughed. “Good line, Hamelin.”
Peter looked between the two of them, his brows furrowed.
Yeah, the manshouldbe worried about his cousin. One of these days Nathan might try to figure out what had happened to make Basil so jaded but, for now, he just needed to be sure that his old friend’s lifestyle didn’t suck him back in. No way.
Hanging out at the bars with Basil as his best bud would not be any way to impress Jasmine. How he’d decided that impressing Jasmine was at the top of his list, he couldn’t quite remember.
Seven days since he’d asked her to dance. Six days since he’d kissed her. There were no two ways about it. He’d lost his mind.
13
Nathan tappedon the door to the house where he’d grown up.Lord, help me. He’d put this off as long as he could. Much longer than he should have, considering he’d been back in Bridgeview for well over a month.
