* * *
“THAT MAN HAS it bad for you,” Abby said when Adam left the kitchen. “Clay told me you stayed the night in a travel trailer way out on the ranch.”
“That didn’t take long to get around.” Bridgett groaned. Great, she’d given Ramblewood something new to talk about. “If you’re looking for gossip, Abby, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“I don’t want to hear about the kissing,” Abby whispered. “Skip to the good stuff.”
“I am not about to tell you what went on between the two of us last night.”
“I seem to remember a certain someone asking me what I was doing out all night long a couple months ago.” Abby pouted. “You said you wanted to live vicariously through me. Well, the shoe is on the other foot.”
“That was different. You had a sex life and I didn’t.”
“Ah ha, so you did sleep with him last night. Way to go, sister.” Abby high-fived Bridgett. “And for the record, when you asked me I had no sex life to speak of. Though one followed shortly afterward. If you can’t talk to your sister about sex, who can you talk to?”
“It’s real, isn’t it?” Bridgett put down her potato peeler. “We truly are family.”
“It’s nice to see you accepting it,” Abby said with a hint of satisfaction to her voice. “Maybe you’ll let me in a little.” Hurt shone in Abby’s eyes—for once, she hadn’t tried to hide it.
“Nothing about this has been easy, Abby. And I still don’t have all the answers, but please understand, I never meant to hurt you.”
“I know you didn’t.”
Abby kept her distance and didn’t push Bridgett too far. She appreciated the gesture and understood where it came from, but she wanted to hug her sister. Though if she did, she’d turn into a blubbering mess and get the potatoes salty. “Truce?”
“Truce.” Abby smiled and her eyes welled with tears. “I barreled into your town and turned your world upside down. I’m sorry, but I don’t regret a single second of it. I’m glad you’re my sister.”
“Just don’t expect me to call you my big sister, especially since you’re a foot shorter than me.”
“I am not a foot shorter. Half a foot maybe.” Abby squared her shoulders and straightened her spine to gain as much height as she possibly could, then glanced at Bridgett. “Okay, maybe it’s more like nine inches, but I am still older and you must respect your elders.”
“You’re older by thirty minutes. It doesn’t count.”
“And that’s probably because your giraffe legs pushed me out. You only have yourself to blame for this.”
Bridgett looked at Abby and the two women began laughing hysterically.
“You’re probably right.” Bridgett wiped her eyes. “I guess this year I should give thanks for you.”
“You should give thanks for that hottie you’ve got going on over there in the corner.” Bridgett followed Abby’s eyes to Adam’s backside. “When you get over yourself, you really need to tell me what happened last night.”
“Hey, get your eyes off my man.” Bridgett hip-checked Abby. “You have your wannabe Blake Shelton fiancé to drool over. You do kind of resemble Miranda Lambert. Although, I think she’s taller than you.”
“That’s just not right. I sure wish I could sing like her.”
“That night you and Clay kissed onstage in front of half the town, you two sure sounded like Blake and Miranda.”
“First of all, he kissed me. And second, we were singing a duet between Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.”
“And that was the night we all knew you two were destined for one another.” Bridgett wondered if anyone other than Abby looked at her and Adam thinking they were destined for one another, too. “I hope he means it when he says he doesn’t plan on moving back to Katy.”
“I get the impression he’s here to stay.” Abby said.
Bridgett shrugged. “But when he came to town he was embarking on a cross-country trip he never took.”
Abby defiantly stared up at Bridgett. “Why don’t you admit what really happened? As clichéd as it sounds, Adam had a falling out with his family and in the process of finding himself, he found you. He belongs here. He belongs with you. Accept it, Bridgett, and stop being so self-sabotaging.”
Self-sabotaging? There was a phrase Bridgett hadn’t associated with herself before. She wanted to deny the insult, but Abby was right. If anyone else had said those words to her, she would have come out fighting. Maybe she really needed to give this twin-sister thing a chance.
“How do you constantly stay positive?” Bridgett asked.
“When you’ve worked with the number of injured and disabled patients I have, you realize things could be much worse. I am grateful for everything I have. In a few hours, we’ll feed so many people who couldn’t afford to feed their families this Thanksgiving. People who can barely afford to feed their children on a daily basis. Compare their situation to ours and I can’t see one reason not to have a positive outlook on life.”
Well, that stung. Bridgett hadn’t thought of herself as someone who wallowed in self-pity, but it was exactly what she’d done when she’d found out the truth about her family. Adam had done his best to say the same thing in a more delicate manner. But it had required Abby’s take-no-prisoners attitude to jar her into reality.
Bridgett’s family had grown to include a new sister and future brother-in-law. With them came a whole set of in-laws. She’d gone from her mom only to a very large family practically overnight.
Bridgett removed another turkey from the oven. When she thought about Lexi’s mixed family, Abby and Bridgett’s situation wasn’t that unique. Painful, yes, but Bridgett bet many twins had been separated at birth and never knew it.
Bridgett peeked through the kitchen pass-through at Adam who was mid-conversation with Abby’s brother, Wyatt. Adam smiled and winked when he noticed her watching him. Life happens. And this was Bridgett’s life, flaws and all. For the first time since she had discovered the truth about her parentage, Bridgett was okay with the situation. She was okay. Why had it taken her this long to realize she could survive a little bump in the road?
“It won’t be today, but if you’re still up for us sitting down with Darren together, I’m game. I can’t promise how I’ll react, but I will give him a chance to explain his side.”
“Really?” Abby dropped her potato peeler and threw her arms around Bridgett’s waist. “Thank you! You’ve made my day. First agreeing to be my maid of honor and now this.”
Stunned by the smothering reaction she’d created, Bridgett began to laugh. Hugging her sister in return, Bridgett had to admit these moments with Abby had managed to make her smile. What was the old saying? If you can’t beat them, join them. Bridgett had officially become a joiner.
* * *
ADAM HAD BEEN surprised when he’d walked into the kitchen and found Bridgett and Abby “hugging it out.” They had finally resolved their differences.
Stepping outside, Adam dialed Lizzy.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Lizzy answered. “It’s nice to actually hear from my brother on the holiday.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, sis.” Adam knew Lizzy was leery of his calls. “I’m not going to attempt to call Mom and Dad, but if you see them later please tell them I said Happy Thanksgiving, too. Did you get my text earlier?”
“I will and yes, I did. Good luck tonight.” Skepticism was evident in Lizzy’s voice. “I’ll keep my phone on me in case you need me.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I will.” Adam didn’t know if he should end the conversation or attempt normalcy with his sister. When he had called her in the past, it was either to tell her about himself or ask her to do something for him. “Are you spending the day with your boyfriend? What was his name again?”
“Allen. We’re going to his parents’ at
noon and Mom and Dad’s later tonight.”
Adam smiled as he remembered the days of dating as a teenager and doing the double holiday meal. He’d never thought about doing it as an adult. Then again, the band had usually been on tour over the holidays.
“I hope you have fun. From what you’ve told me, Allen seems like a decent guy. I hope it works out for you.”
“Thank you.” He could hear the surprise in her voice.
“How are things in—what’s the name of the town—Tumbleweed?”
“Ramblewood.” Adam laughed. “I can see myself here for a long time.”
“What about your place in LA?”
“It’s sold. The closing is on Monday and I hired a professional moving service to go in and box everything up for me. According to the manifest they emailed me, it’s already on the way to Texas. I told you I was serious about leaving California for good.”
“Do you really think they’re going to accept you after you’ve lied all this time?”
“It’s not the rest of the town I’m worried about. It’s one person in particular.”
“Just be realistic when you tell her. You’ve kept who you are from her for a month and a half, or close to it. When she finds out your reputation for being, well, an asshole—I hate to say it, but you were—how do you think she’ll honestly react?”
Adam walked farther away from the building so no one would overhear him. “I’ve done nothing but been myself this entire time. The past ten years onstage I was pretending to be somebody else. The Snake doesn’t exist. Adam Steele is real. I haven’t lied to anyone, just the opposite. I’ve been more honest with people here and with myself than I have in years. Ramblewood and Bridgett have been great for me and I refuse to lose the woman I’ve grown to care about a great deal. She may be mad at me at first, but I’ll do whatever it takes to prove myself to her.”
“Don’t you get tired of proving yourself and fixing your mistakes, Adam?” Lizzy countered. “That’s exactly what you’re doing with Mom and Dad. Trying to right a wrong. It’s what you do. I’m sorry, but from where I stand it doesn’t seem as if you’ve changed. You’re continuing the same pattern in a different place, only you’re calling it something else.”
“That’s not true.”
“Sure it is,” Lizzy argued. “If it wasn’t, you would’ve told Bridgett who you were from day one. When you took the ranch job you could’ve told them who you are. Instead, you raced out and changed your driver’s license. You weren’t honest. Spin it however you want.”
“You’re not being fair.”
“Who’s talking about fair? I want you to see the cold hard facts before you get your hopes up. Prepare yourself, Adam. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“I know it won’t.” Adam knew Lizzy was right, but it didn’t make the words any easier to take.
“I commend you for getting a job—because Lord knows you have enough money that you never have to work again—but what happened to the music school you wanted to build?”
“I still plan on it—”
“And I don’t understand how working on this ranch is helping you earn any points with Mom and Dad. It’s fine and wonderful, but it’s been a month and it hasn’t fixed anything. Stop talking about it and just do it already. Call me later and let me know how it went, good or bad. We haven’t always had the best of relationships, but I love you and I’ll always be there for you.”
Adam swiped at the tears trailing down his cheeks. “I love you, too, Lizzy. I always have.”
Adam hung up the phone and tried to compose himself before going back inside. He’d missed much of her adult life. And maybe if he’d been around, Lizzy wouldn’t have gone through hell with her ex-husband.
Adam was determined to take care of Lizzy now, despite her protests, but he knew it didn’t make up for not being there when she’d needed him most. She had never once said anything to make him feel guilty for his absence. Maybe she didn’t hold it against him. Still, he knew he needed to talk to her about it, and he would one day soon.
Today he would move forward and be thankful for what he had. Bridgett had become an unexpectedly huge part of his life and hopefully he’d find a way to repair the damage he’d do to their relationship tonight. And even if his family hated him, there was still a chance they could work things out.
“Adam,” Bridgett called from the doorway. “Maggie’s back. Are you all right?”
Adam turned around to face Bridgett. If he were smart, he’d tell her the truth right here and get it over with. But he wasn’t going to do anything to detract from this Thanksgiving lunch.
“I’m good,” Adam nodded. “I just had a talk with my sister and she basically kicked my butt.”
Bridgett gave him the comforting hug. The rest of the world could wait for another minute or two. He just wanted to feel Bridgett’s heart beating against his.
Chapter Eleven
“Thank you, everyone for another successful Thanksgiving charity lunch.” Maggie stood behind the counter of The Magpie and addressed the room. “We wouldn’t be able to do this every year without volunteers like you. Today I am thankful you all are a part of my life. God bless, and everyone go home to your families.”
“Where would you like us to begin cleaning up?” Adam asked.
“I thought you and Bridgett were going to the Tanners’ for dinner. Don’t you two want to head over now?”
“There’s no rush.” Bridgett grabbed a box of industrial-strength garbage bags from under the counter. “And not for the reasons you might think. I am sure my mom is overwhelmed by the prospect of meeting Abby’s adoptive parents, and it’s probably better if I’m not there when it happens. She’ll feel very self-conscious with me in the room.”
“I heard you and Abby made peace today,” Maggie said.
“Gee, I wonder what little songbird told you that.” Bridgett leaned past Maggie and waved to Lark. “Did she also tell you she has an interest in Abby’s brother?”
“I do not,” Lark said from across the room.
“It’s funny how you picked up on that tidbit from so far away,” Bridgett teased, recognizing the signs of a new crush. “Admit it, you’ve got it bad for the guy.”
Lark flipped Bridgett the bird without another word, causing all of them to laugh.
“That’s appropriate on Thanksgiving.” Bridgett tucked her hands under her arms to form makeshift wings and strutted toward Lark. “Gobble, gobble.”
Lark attempted to swat at her with a dishtowel and missed. “You know what they do to turkeys on Thanksgiving, don’t you?”
Bridgett laughed. Only a little over a month ago she’d been quick to deny her own feelings for Adam. While their relationship had had its minor bumps, she wouldn’t trade it for anything at this point. Adam had opened her eyes to what was right in front of her and she loved him for it. Well, for that and many other reasons. She couldn’t help smiling when his eyes met hers.
Quickly looking away, Bridgett pried a bag from the box. “Let’s clean up and head out of here. You know the offer still stands for you to join us at Clay’s parents’ house for dinner. They won’t mind.”
“Thank you, but I accepted Maggie’s dinner invitation earlier,” Lark said.
“It only took me asking her twenty times before she finally relented.”
“I can’t believe that after all the turkey we served here today, you’re going home to fix dinner,” Adam said. “You are a glutton for punishment.”
“I’m not cooking,” Maggie wiped down one of the tables. “My husband is. Thanksgiving dinner is his contribution to the holiday. He insists on doing it every year, even if it’s only the two of us and Bert. This year my daughter and her family are coming over.”
“It’s too bad Bert wasn’t able to see all of this come to fruiti
on today,” Bridgett looked around the luncheonette. “He loves this and the Mistletoe Rodeo charity dinner.”
“Did that man ever give me a battle about dropping him off at our house after the hospital. He was determined to come back here to his kitchen. But those doctors had him so doped up on painkillers I was afraid he’d fall in the gravy and drown. He’s in much safer hands with my husband.”
“He’s lucky he didn’t sever a tendon or an artery,” Adam said. “You’ll have your hands full without him for a while.”
“We’ll be okay,” Maggie said. “I’ll man the grill, Bridgett will take over the baking and Lark will wait tables. We managed for a long time with only one waitress—we’ll be fine until Bert is able to come back to work.”
Bridgett appreciated Maggie’s faith in her. Filling her boss’s shoes wouldn’t be easy, but she was up for the challenge. Bridgett slid under Adam’s arm and tucked herself next to him, enjoying the warmth of his body beside her. She might be nervous to meet Abby’s family this evening, but Adam gave her the strength she needed to plow through it. She couldn’t imagine a better man to have by her side.
* * *
FOR THE NEXT HOUR, they worked together scrubbing the restaurant from top to bottom until no sign of today’s luncheon remained. Adam heard a couple of the volunteers out behind the kitchen, singing and playing guitar. His fingers still itched to play every day, and luckily, he was able to use one of the old timer’s guitars at the ranch. Confident the man had no idea who he was, Adam had allowed himself the pleasure of playing for him.
In a couple of hours he wouldn’t have to hide his identity any longer. Confident no one would suddenly recognize him, Adam decided to join them. Borrowing a guitar, he led everyone in an acoustic rendition of “We Can Work it Out” by the Beatles.
The fret board beneath his fingers was pure heaven, not as good as being with Bridgett, but damn close. The guitar he played was nowhere near as expensive as his one-of-a-kind custom Guild acoustic, but it didn’t need to be. He was making music, and that had always been his first love.
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