by Erica Penrod
“Yeah, I know.” He turned to her and leaned in. “Only I’m not so great with words.”
“You’re not?” Mandy’s breath hitched.
“But I’m trying, here and now.” He stared into her eyes. “I want to talk about our friendship.” He brushed the hair back from her face. “I want to know what it means to you.”
“You do?” She stared right through him, and he swore he’d never have to say another word because she could see into his soul. “I want to talk about that too.” She licked her lip, and he thought he’d die. “But maybe we should skip the talking part for now.”
Blake nodded, watching her mouth as she spoke. “You read my mind.”
Time and distance disappeared when he pressed his lips to hers. His body responded as if he’d never been apart from her. He tipped his head to the right, knowing she’d move in the opposite direction so that their mouths met perfectly in the middle. The dance between them—the touching, the breathing, and the tasting—was brought to life by the music made in their hearts. The rhythm was slow and steady, no rush to get to the final note.
His mind whirled with pictures of the past, but he pushed them aside, living in the moment. This was their song, the one that had played in the back of his mind for years, and as he listened to the live session, nothing ever sounded sweeter.
When they pulled back, he cupped her face and she leaned into him. “I think we may have just defined our friendship.” She gave him a soft smile.
“Yeah, we’re definitely friends.” He grinned.
“Maybe we’re even more than friends who kiss?” She looked into his eyes. “Are you okay with that? We have a lot of history between us, stuff we should probably sort through.”
“Or maybe we could just leave it in the past.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Because right now, I’m very busy.” And he kissed her again.
* * *
“Okay.” Mandy closed the oven door and set the timer. “Let’s all say our prayers.”
Brianne wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “They can’t turn out that bad, can they? We followed your mom’s recipe exactly.” She rolled out the dough for the next pie crust. It was two days before Thanksgiving, and Brianne and Mandy were preparing for the holiday dinner in the Whisper Creek kitchen. The granite countertops were dusted in flour and littered with tubs of Crisco. Kade played in the next room while Ava was asleep in her car seat.
“You’d like to think so, but believe me, I’ve managed to mess up just about anything.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have volunteered to make the pies. I mean, if mine don’t turn out, it’s not that big of a deal; it’s just my parents and me and Jeremy at my place.” Brianne tossed a little flour on the rolling pin. “And my mom will be impressed that I attempted to make a homemade pie.”
“And my pies are supposed to be eaten by strangers who pay good money to eat here on Thanksgiving. Maybe I should’ve checked out that MyHeartChannel Sugar and Spice my mom keeps telling me about before I attempted this. She said the girl, Claire Murphy, really knows how to bake.”
“Maybe it’s not too late to catch an episode.” Brianne laughed. “I’m not much help, although I do make a pretty mean batch of brownies. But no one in my family is much of a baker.” She glanced at the dough. “So, the expectations shouldn’t be too high. You, on the other hand … let’s just say I’m counting on you as well. After all, you’ll be doing your own Thanksgiving dinner next year at the new B&B.”
“One day at a time.” Mandy went to the counter and looked at the menu for the Thanksgiving meal. “Three pumpkin, two pecan, and two banana cream.” She glanced up at Brianne. “Two down and five to go.”
“Maybe we should’ve started at four a.m.” Brianne placed the crust in the bottom of the pan. “Or maybe I’ll only be serving pie.”
Mandy grabbed the mixing bowl and started on another batch of dough. “Don’t worry. We’ll be faster now that we’ve got the first couple done.” She glanced up at the clock. “That and my mom will be back any time and she’ll help us.”
“Good, I’m expecting I’ll need a break any minute when Ava wakes up and wants to eat.” Brianne put the crust to the side. “But until then, where’s the recipe for the pecan filling?”
Mandy handed her a worn index card with years of spills and smudges smeared across the words. “Here you go.” She walked over and found Kade still occupied with his train set and circus animals. No break for me. A part of her yearned for the little baby who needed her so much, but she had to admit that Kade getting bigger along with his attention span wasn’t all bad.
“How many people will be here for dinner?”
“We’ve got six guests, my parents, and me and Blake.” Mandy saw the corners of Brianne’s mouth twitch. “And Kade, of course.” This doppelganger she’d only known for a short time was quickly becoming a good friend.
“You and Blake have spent a lot of time together and he’s spending Thanksgiving with you. I guess things are going well between you two.”
“Has he said anything at work about me?” Mandy and Blake had seen each other almost every day since the farmer’s market. She’d been surprised how easy things were between them. There was such joy in rediscovering each other. Blake said he wanted to move on from the past without talking about it, but Mandy worried about whether that was the right thing to do or not. She was already falling for him, and she didn’t want anything to jeopardize what their future could be together. Or maybe Blake was right—she knew she’d forgiven him, and maybe he’d dealt with all his feelings about what happened between them.
Brianne dumped a cup of brown sugar into her bowl. “Not so much with his words, but he’s whistling all of the time and he’s practically floating with a huge grin on his face, so yeah, we get the idea.”
“So, you think he likes me?” She grinned as her face heated up hotter than the oven. Mandy knew the answer but wanted to hear it anyway. There was no doubt Blake liked her when he kissed her like he did last night.
“I think that’s a safe assumption.”
Mandy started whistling as she sidled up to Brianne to share the work space.
Brianne shook her head and laughed. “Oh no, not you too.”
* * *
The last Thursday of November brought the first heavy snowfall of the season, adding the perfect touch to the holiday. Flames crackled in the fireplace of the Whisper Creek Inn, while the guests gathered around the television, watching as Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sang and danced in White Christmas. Kade wandered from admirer to admirer, each vying for the young boy’s attention, and he loved every second of it. Golden turkey, seasoned stuffing, and cinnamon spices drifted in the air, and Mandy couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this excited for the holiday season. But that might’ve had more to do with the guy helping set the table than anything else.
“I hope I don’t break any of this.” Blake set the fine china plates on the table, which occupied the dining space between the kitchen and the great room. A beautiful fresh floral centerpiece done in autumn hues took center stage.
Mandy chuckled. “I hope not either, but if you do, I’m sure you can do dishes to make up the difference.” She set place cards shaped like leaves next to the goblets. The three couples, all retirement age and friends, were placed across from each other, while she sat Blake next to her and Kade. Her parents were on either end.
“I think we’re about ready to start.” Her mom came in with two baskets of warm rolls.
“We’re just finishing up.” She sat the last place card on the table.
Her mom put her hands on her hips. “The table looks beautiful. Thanks for helping out, Blake.”
“You’re welcome.” Blake stood by Mandy.
“Sheesh.” Mandy put her hands on her hips. “He’s just kissing up to you.” She laughed when Blake’s face turned the color of cranberries.
Her mom waved her hand though the air. “He doesn’t need to do that. He already my
favorite.”
Blake shook his head and chuckled. “That’s good to know, but seriously, thanks for having me.”
“You’re welcome.” Her mom buzzed back to the kitchen.
He took Mandy’s hand. “This sure beat sitting at home watching football with a microwave dinner.”
“Really? That’s what you’d be doing?” Mandy couldn’t even imagine. Thanksgiving had always been a major event in her life.
Blake laughed. “No, not really. Jeremy and Brianne invited me to their place, too.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you decided to eat with us.”
His violet-blue eyes caught hers. “So am I.”
Mandy sighed. Thanksgiving never looked better.
Chapter Eight
Blake’s belly was full and so was his heart. He sat on the couch beside Mandy, who, despite all the turkey, was wide awake.
“So, what are you doing tomorrow?” Mandy snuggled up closer.
“Nothing, other than trying to digest all the food I consumed today.”
She put her hand on his stomach. “I know a great way to burn off those extra calories.”
Heat rose in Blake’s cheeks and beneath her touch. “Oh, yeah?”
Mandy giggled. “Yeah.” A flirtatious smile covered her face. “You’ll love it.”
“Oh, I will?” He gave her a slighted look. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, it involves Black Friday shopping.” She raised her brow and bit her lip.
His Thanksgiving feast flopped in his belly. Ugh. She knew he hated shopping more than he hated doing laundry. He must really like her if he was even considering saying yes.
“Instead of bargain hunting, I don’t know if you remember or not, but it’s tradition for my family to go hunting for the perfect Christmas tree.” She gazed up at him. “Want to come?”
“You’re a tease, and no, I’d forgotten about that.” Blake hated to admit it, but for Mandy, he’d have agreed to the shopping. “But yes, I’ll come.”
“Good.” She kissed his cheek.
“Like a Griswold family Christmas.” Blake grinned, relishing the idea. His family pulled their Christmas tree from a box, and he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed going out to the woods to cut down a tree. “Just make sure you bring a saw.”
“Don’t worry. My dad’s a pro at this.” Mandy took his hand and entwined her fingers through his. “And maybe we can watch A Christmas Vacation tomorrow night?”
“I take it you still love to watch Christmas movies.” He’d forgotten about her love of all things Christmas.
“Yup. Over and over again and then once more.” She laughed and put her head on his shoulder. They nestled into the leather couch. The room warmed as the flames danced in the fireplace, and the firelight glow provided the perfect ambiance.
Blake sighed to himself. He kept falling for her over and over and then once more.
* * *
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked after Mandy opened the front door the next day. Her eyes were welled with tears. He removed his stocking cap and put it in his pocket as he stepped into the entry way.
“Ted’s on his way to get Kade. He called this morning and said he wanted to take him for the weekend.” She furrowed her brow. “He hasn’t cared to see his son for the past month, and I was so excited to take him tree hunting now that he’s old enough to enjoy it.” She closed the door. “Thanksgiving was his holiday and weekend, but he never contacted me about it until now.”
Blake wasn’t sure what to say, so he wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry.”
She pulled back and dabbed at her tears. “I know it’s good for Kade to spend time with his dad, but letting him go isn’t easy.” Ted lived in Eugene, which was about two hours away.
“Well, how about this?” Blake lifted her chin. “I’m still going to need a tree for my place, so what if we take Kade out next week and he can be there to pick it out?”
Her features softened. “Really? I would love that.” Mandy leaned in and kissed his lips. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Blake smiled. “But just so you know, you’ll have to help me decorate it.”
Mandy’s eyes widened and gleamed. “Um, yeah.” A smile stretched from one ear to the other.
“But I don’t have any decorations, so we’ll have to get some.”
She clapped her hands. “Oh my gosh, that will be so fun. We can look on Pinterest for ideas, go shopping, maybe make some of our own.”
He put his head in his hands, understanding the ramifications of what he’d just suggested. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “You’ve unleashed the Christmas Monster.”
Blake wrapped his arms around her waist. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” He glanced around to make sure they didn’t have an audience and then kissed her, taking his time as he tasted her lips until the doorbell rang.
Mandy’s body went rigid in his arms.
“Ted.” She backed up, and he moved so that she could open the door. Blake searched her face, silently asking if she wanted some privacy. “Please stay.”
The vulnerability in her eyes he’d noticed the first day he’d seen her at the new B&B returned, but she drew back her shoulders and inhaled before she turned the knob.
“Hi, Ted.” Her voice was even—not cold enough to freeze Ted out, but it didn’t invite him to take a warm seat on the couch either. “Come in.”
Blake’s mind went back to over a year ago to the night he’d seen Mandy at a restaurant in Portland. He’d been so focused on her, he didn’t remember the man she was with until the broad-shouldered guy ducked beneath the doorframe and walked into the house. David and Goliath came to mind as Blake stepped back and looked up. He wasn’t sure if he needed a slingshot or not.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Ted asked Mandy, then glanced at Blake.
“Good.” Mandy crossed her arms. “This is my friend Blake.”
The introduction confused Blake, because they’d both agreed they were more than that. Mandy shifted her weight from side to side and picked at her thumbnail. This guy really got to her.
“Nice to meet you.” Ted stretched forth his hand. He looked Blake up and down and then glanced at Mandy. Blake didn’t know what or if Ted knew anything about him or if he’d recalled seeing him at the restaurant.
Blake cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you too. How was your drive?”
“Not bad, but it would sure be nice if I didn’t have to drive a couple hours one way to pick up my son.”
Mandy drew in a breath, and Blake put his hand on the small of her back. She exhaled and smiled. “Kade’s all packed and ready to go.” She motioned to the small backpack in the corner.
They stepped into the great room, where Jim came in carrying Kade. He buried his head into his grandpa’s shoulder when he saw Ted.
“Hey, bud, I missed you.” Ted reached for his son, but Kade didn’t move and Jim made no move to force his grandson into his father’s arms.
“Say hi to Daddy.” Mandy walked up and touched her son’s cheek.
Kade’s hazel eyes zoomed in on Ted and he raised his head.
“Dad.” His soft voice was like a question mark, and then he seemed to remember who his father was. Ted lifted his arms again, and this time Kade turned to him. “Dad.”
“That’s right, buddy.” Ted took him from Jim and kissed the top of his son’s head. “You want to go for a ride?”
Kade’s eyes lit up and he looked his mother. Her eyes were damp, but she smiled. “Want to go with Daddy?”
He nodded.
“We’re going to have lots of fun.” Ted held Kade in one arm and walked towards the door where he picked up the backpack. Mandy followed, and Blake waited with Jim while they went outside.
Jim sighed. “I hate watching her go through this—Kade too.” He turned around. “It’s got to be really confusing for a little boy like him.”
Blake nodded. His chest constricted at the weight of what being with Mandy meant. He’d been so wrapped being with her again and loved having Kade around, he didn’t stop to think about the seriousness of what they were doing. She was a mother and someone’s ex-wife. This wasn’t just about how Mandy and he felt about each other; this was about him being responsible for everything that came with those feelings.
Blake wasn’t sure if Mandy realized that either. Their actions were the permanent kind, the kind where two people worked through whatever was coming their way. She’d allowed him to spend time with her son and her family, and he didn’t take that lightly.
Jim glanced back over his shoulder. “Let’s go get us a tree. Hopefully Mandy will still enjoy the day.”
“Yeah, hopefully.” Blake’s heart ached, knowing how hard this would be for Mandy. He understood now that Mandy was a package deal with Kade and a suitcase full of hurt. He didn’t know if he could help her through it, or if he even should, or how much was his responsibility and how much she would have to deal with on her own. There would always be a part of her he couldn’t touch.
She came back into the house and closed the door. “That was not fun.” Mandy wiped her tears, and Blake went to her. “Kade thought I was going with them. He started to cry, and I had to try and keep myself together in front of him. Ted better make sure he sees Kade on a regular basis, or else I’m going back to court. This is too much for a two-year-old to understand.” She sniffed. “Ted needs to be a regular part of his son’s life or not at all.”
Blake took her in his arms, and she put her head on his shoulder. “Maybe Ted’s going to step up now.” He held her close. “It’s a good sign he wants to take him for the weekend, right?”
“I guess so.” She looked up, and her dark eyes swam in sadness. “I just pray everything goes okay. Ted wasn’t always that comforting with Kade. He never seemed to understand that sometimes a hug is all Kade needs.”