Christmas with the Sheriff (The Fiore Family 3)

My father begins carving the twenty-pound turkey, setting down slices onto a large platter that we pass around.

“So, Mia, what brings you to our small town?” my father asks as he sits down.

Passing the potatoes to me, Mia answers, “The bad weather. My phone doesn’t like the reception either. It just kept recalibrating my maps, so I decided it was best to pull in somewhere for the night.”

“That means you’re leaving after the weather clears?” Mom asks. Of course it’s something I should be aware of, but I’m hoping to change her mind.

“Yes. I’m supposed to be meeting friends in NYC, but I’ll be heading home for a few days to hang with my family before my brother goes home.”

“You have a brother?” Lily asks. “Does he smell too?”

“Yes, I have an older brother, and no—most of the time he smells very nice.”

“So your brother doesn’t live nearby?”

“No, my brother lives in Italy. He’s visiting for the holidays before returning home.”

Now it’s Jenny’s turn to ask something, and she doesn’t miss the chance. “Wow, what does he do?” I feel like they’re taking turns trying to drag every ounce of information out of her.

“He owns the family vineyard.”

“So you said you work; what do you do?” I ask her before someone beats me to it. I don’t give two fucks about her family because I want to know all about her.

“I’m the executive assistant to my cousin Franco Fiore.”

“Fiore Realty?” Dad asks.

“Yes.”

“I’m sure you get this a lot, but do you have any relation to the restaurant Fiore’s in Rochester?” Jenny questions while plopping down a small serving of mashed potatoes onto Lily’s plate.

“Yes. My other cousin Fabio owns it, and that’s how Franco met his wife. She was Fabio’s head chef.”

“That’s wonderful. I bet all of your parents are proud.”

“They really are, but they just want our happiness now and plenty of little ones to spoil.”

“I’ve met your cousin Franco once. He was interested in some property in the area, but then with his accident, all discussions stopped.” I look at their father and think about it. Stone Hill Ridge. That’s where I remember the name from.

“Yes. Now I remember it; you and I spoke briefly on the phone. It was about the Stone Hill Ridge property. I saw the sign when I drove here today. It’s not too far from Rochester, right?”

“Yes. It’s just ten miles from here. It was in our family for a long time before we stopped working the land. My father had wanted more for us, but I’m the only one of my siblings who stayed in the area so he left it to me, but things don’t always work out. I passed the property on to Mark. It’s his choice what to do with it.”

“If you’re still interested, I can mention it to my cousin,” she says to me.

“I’m not interested in selling it anymore,” I say because it’s large enough to have a family home for us.

“Okay.” Mia’s phone rings at the table, and she’s quick to send it to voicemail after seeing who’s calling. “Sorry. I forgot to shut it off.”

“You’re a busy woman,” I remark, feeling the weight of the fact she’s successful and has a life away from here. It burns in my gut, knowing she’s going to leave.

“Most of the time, yes, but it’s all family and all your fault.” Her nostrils flare, and she gives me a haughty glare.

“My fault?”

“Yes. You happened to have told them we were engaged. I come from a hard-core Italian family, and no one has met you. They all want to talk to me now.”

I just shrug because she’s got a point. “Fair enough.”

“Who’s ready for some food?” Derek asks, trying to save me a possible fight.

“Me. I’m starving,” my father says. We finish filling our plates and dig in. I watch as Mia takes a bite of her turkey that she’s slathered in gravy. Fuck, I’m jealous of the fork that slides between her lips and the moan that the food elicits from them.

“Your food is going to get cold if you spend the whole time watching Mia eat,” Jenny says like a jerk. I’d flip her off, but my mother’s watching.

“Jenny, leave the man alone. I know Derek was just as bad and I don’t think he ate a warm meal for weeks,” my mother adds.

“Oh, I ate a few warm meals,” he growls against her ear. Asshole.

“We’re trying to eat,” I grumble.

“Some of us are.” He winks at me and goes back to eating his meal. Finally I dive in and eat. When it’s time for dessert, Derek and Jenny bring out the pies and the eggnog.

It’s not the brand that I bought today. “Wait, you have eggnog?”

“No, I didn’t buy any,” Jenny insists.

My mother raises her hand with a blush on her face. “I did. I could have told you that, but by the time I found out that Jenny meant to send Derek, you were already on your way to the store. I thought it would be a lovely surprise if you didn’t find any, but it seems you found some and much more.”