The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the hall stopped him cold. He straightened away from Kelly with a scowl on his face. “Damn it, Jed. What the hell do you want?”
“A, I’m not Jed. And B, you need to get a grip.” Owen appeared at the door with Sky’s suitcase. “And I don’t mean on Kelly.” He smirked as he crossed the room and put Sky’s bag on her bed. “Sky’s on her way up, and as soon as she’s sure Kelly is all set, they both have kitchen duty. Or so I’ve been told.” He left without another word.
“There is one really bad thing about big families,” Mike griped. “There’s no damn privacy.”
Kelly pressed her lips together, but the laugh still escaped. She leaned up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
“Listen, Kel. We need to talk.”
His expression was serious, and Kelly’s heart seized up. The four most dreaded words in relationship history echoed in her head like the sound of doom. There was only one worse phrase in the relationship lexicon: “It’s not you, it’s me.”
Mike leaned in and whispered, although there was nobody around to overhear him. “A private talk, understand? Though God only knows where we’ll find any privacy in this house. Maybe later tonight, after everyone else goes to bed, we can sit in front of the fireplace and talk.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan,” Kelly agreed, trying to take Mike’s unusual urgency in stride.
“Okay, you two. Break it up,” Sky called as she came down the hall and entered the room grinning.
Kelly welcomed the interruption. “Hey Sky. I love your room.”
“Thanks. This was my sanctuary when I couldn’t handle any more crap from my five brothers.”
“You must not have spent that much time here, then,” Mike remarked. “As I recall, you were very good at handling our crap.” He reached out and messed her hair.
“Get—” She jerked her head away and narrowed her eyes at him, then frowned at Kelly. “See what I mean?” She “accidentally” stomped on his toes as she angled past him on her way to her bed.
“Ow! Jeez, Sky, you must have gained weight living down there in Florida.” He ducked the pillow she threw and headed for the door, brushing a kiss on Kelly’s cheek as he murmured, “Later, Babe.”
Sky opened the two closets, one on each side of the bed. “If you have stuff to hang up, there are extra hangers in that one.” She pointed to the left. “Since most of my clothes are down South, there’s plenty of room in the bureau for everything else. Let’s unpack and get downstairs. Helping out in the kitchen is the best part of this holiday.”
Hopefully the rush of dinner preparations would help Kelly forget about Mike’s need to talk, at least for a while.
Chapter Eight
“Okay, what can we do?” Sky asked, as she and Kelly entered the kitchen.
Kathryn had one oven door open and peeled back the foil cap over the turkey, baster in hand.
Kelly’s eyes widened at the sight. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turkey that big, Mrs. Ziegfeld.” Her mother was not a great cook, and once it was down to just the two of them, they usually ate Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant.
Sky’s mother frowned. “Please, can we dispense with calling me Mrs. Ziegfeld? I look around for Alex’s mother when I hear that. Just call me Kathryn, okay?”
Kelly nodded.
“As long as we’re getting names settled, call me Julia, like Sky does,” AJ’s mother said. “It’s much less cumbersome.”
Kelly felt like one of those bobble head dolls as she nodded again.
“Sky, you know where everything is, so you set the table,” Kathryn said. “Kelly, you’re on KP. Finish peeling these potatoes and cut them small so they cook quicker. We’ll have mashies and candied sweets today.”
Mike appeared in the doorway. “Hey, Kelly’s a guest. You’re not going to make her work for her dinner? I planned on having her watch the game with me.”
Kelly tied an apron on over her brand new sweater set. “Sorry, Mike, but I want to help out. I’ve never seen a Thanksgiving dinner on this scale before. I need to learn how to do one myself. You know, for the future…” Oops, she was getting ahead of herself here. She made shooing motions. “Go. Watch the game.” She took the bag of potatoes from Kathryn and went to the sink. “At least I do know how to peel potatoes.”
“What’s your preference in wine, honey? Red or white?” Kathryn said as she got another glass from the cabinet.
“White. Chardonnay, preferably.”
“Good choice,” Julia said. “I’ve already opened a bottle for myself. She went to the cooler in the mud room and came back with a chilled bottle.
Kelly noticed both Julia and Kathryn had glasses filled already.
“That’s right, Kelly. In this kitchen, the cooks like a little wine while they work,” Kathryn said. “Sky, I poured you a glass of cabernet,” she called into the dining room.
“Be right there, Mom.”
Kelly took a sip of her wine and checked the clock. 3:15. She peeled faster. “Can someone put the water on for the potatoes? By the time it’s boiling, I’ll have these finished.”
“I can do that,” Julia said. “The rolls are ready to go in the oven as soon as we take the bird out to rest.”
Kathryn, her glass of wine in hand, surveyed the table. “Let’s see. Raisin and carrot salad, cranberry sauce—both kinds—and creamed onions,” she wrinkled her nose. “Alex loves those darn things, heaven only knows why.”
Julia chimed in, “The ham, green bean casserole, and candied sweets are all in the other oven. There are two extra casseroles of stuffing in with the bird.” She signaled Kelly. “Water is ready for the spuds, Kel.”
“Here they come,” she replied.
“Careful putting them in. Don’t splash yourself.”
She gently tipped the bowl and slid the cubed potatoes in. “Twenty minutes, max. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
Sky joined them. “Table is all set. Anything else we need?”
“Another gravy boat, I think,” Julia said.
Sky disappeared into the dining room to raid the china cabinet. She returned triumphant, and handed the vessel to Julia. “This is from Grandma Z’s china. We have twelve at the table today, so I needed both sets. Anything else?”
“Just your brother to get back from the hospital,” Kathryn sighed.
Kelly grinned. She’d never had so much fun cooking. “This is the best Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had…” Her voice trailed off as she realized how that sounded. Like she was a traitor to her own mother, somehow. Her eyes filled, and she turned to the window to blink the tears away. Shouldn’t I be about out of tears over this by now?
Sky came and stood beside her. “Don’t beat yourself up, Kel. I know it’s hard to reconcile the two things, but if your mother was here, she’d want you to enjoy the camaraderie of making a holiday meal with other women. In your head, you know she would never begrudge you a chance to be a part of this.”
Kelly wiped away a tear that had spilled down her cheek. “What the head knows and what the heart feels are two different things. I’m still working on bringing them together.”
Kathryn came over and stood on Kelly’s other side. She put her arm around Kelly’s shoulders. “Maybe next year we can figure out a way to have your mother here with us for dinner, too.”
Kelly nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak for a moment. Then she turned to Kathryn and hugged her back. “Thank you for the thought. It would be wonderful if we could arrange that.”
The sound of someone coming through the mudroom caught the women’s attention. Kathryn set her glass down and hurried to meet her eldest son. “Luke, you made it just in time.” She drew yet another tall, handsome man over to Kelly for an introduction. “Kelly, this is Luke, my firstborn and husband to Lily. Luke, this is Kelly, Sky’s roommate from Florida.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kelly. Glad you could join us today.”
“I’m loving every minute of
it, Luke. Glad you made it in time for dinner. You cut it pretty close.”
“I wasn’t about to miss this feast,” he grinned. “Excuse me while I go find my better half.”
Kathryn grabbed his arm. “Get this bird out of the oven for me first, honey, please?”
“No problem.” Luke found a pair of oven mitts and opened the oven door. “Holy cow! This guy’s been on steroids.” He hefted the giant roasting pan onto the top of the stove.
“Thank you, dear, you’re free to find Lily, now.” Kathryn took the mitts back and retrieved the casseroles of stuffing, then put the rolls in their place.
“I need a colander to drain the potatoes,” Kelly said after testing them with a fork.
Sky pulled one out of a cabinet and handed it to her. “See? You’re fitting right in.” They shared a grin, and Sky got the butter and milk from the fridge.
Alex’s head appeared around the doorway. “Honey, the troops are getting restless. If we don’t feed them soon, there may be a mutiny.” He winked at Kelly.
“Tell them to wash up. Dinner will be on the table in ten minutes.”
Kelly set the big bowl of mashed potatoes on the table and blew out a long breath. “Whew. I feel like I’ve run a marathon, and I just got here an hour ago.”
The four women surveyed the kitchen and shared a smile. Kathryn held up her glass. “To the women who cook!” They tapped their glasses together.
“To the men who serve,” Alex bellowed, tipping his longneck against Kathryn’s glass.
“Stand back, Kel, that’s the signal,” Sky said, as she drew Kelly away from the doorway. Lily joined them.
The rumble of many footsteps down the hall made Kelly’s eyes go wide. The men came through the doorway, each taking a bowl or platter from the kitchen table and heading into the dining room. In a moment they were back for more, until all that remained was the turkey and a giant platter. Luke and Alex wrestled the big bird onto it and took it away. The women followed.
“We needed all three leaves for the table this year,” Sky whispered to Kelly, whose gaze traveled the length of it in awe.
The tablecloth was a rich harvest gold, and a long runner embroidered with leaves and pumpkins graced the center. On it were a dozen fat candles in a variety of holders. With all the bowls and platters, there was no room for more decorations.
The room glowed in the candlelight, and Kelly’s heart expanded at the scene. “Are we supposed to sit somewhere special?” she asked.
“Nah. Only Mom and Dad have fixed places at each end. But I suggest Mike, you, Julia, me and AJ on this side,” Sky pointed, counting down from her father’s place. “Lily and the other boys can sort themselves out over there.”
“Good call, Sky,” Mike said as he slipped between Kelly and his dad. “I’ve waited long enough to be near you,” he whispered in Kelly’s ear.
They all sat, except Alex, who bowed his head and said grace. “We thank Thee, Lord, for the bountiful feast we have before us and the joy that comes from sharing it with friends and loved ones, ever mindful of those less fortunate than ourselves.” After the chorus of “Amens,” he began to carve.
Kelly watched as each member of the family picked up a bowl or plate in front of them, took some and passed it to their left. Catching on to the rhythm, she added a spoonful of cranberry sauce to her plate and passed the bowl to Mike, then accepted the bowl of mashed potatoes from Julia. He followed suit, put a spoonful on his dad’s plate as well and handed the bowl across to Jed. Once Alex had carved enough dark and light meat to fill a platter, it joined the parade. In short order, everyone had a full plate, and silence descended as the meal began.
Two hours later, Kelly was afraid her skirt might pop the button at her waist. Good food, wine, and laughter had relaxed her shoulders and loosened her tongue. She’d swapped banter with all of the brothers, shared stories of Thanksgivings past, and thoroughly enjoyed Mike’s warm presence next to her. This time, without a qualm, she realized she’d never had a holiday as wonderful as this one, although she wished her mother had been able to join in the festivities.
Kathryn stood. “Gentlemen, and Lily, you may retire to the family room for more football while we clear the table. Coffee, pie and after-dinner libations will be available here when we’ve stored the leftovers.”
There was a controlled stampede as the men headed for the TV. Mike held out his hand to Kelly, but she declined. “You go on. I’m going to help in the kitchen, since everyone has gone to so much trouble to include me today.” The warmth in Mike’s eyes made her heart fold over.
“Including you was no trouble, Kel. In fact, it was my best Thanksgiving ever.” He glanced around to make sure all of his brothers had gone and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Later.”
Sky stood next. “Kelly and I will take care of the cleanup this time, Mom, since we weren’t here to help with all the preparations. You and Julia have worked hard enough. Go, sit with the guys and relax for a bit.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to do that,” Kathryn protested.
“We insist, Kathryn,” Kelly affirmed. “We’ll call you when it’s time to serve the pies.”
Kathryn studied both of them, then shrugged. “All right, ladies, I hope you don’t regret this when you’re up to your elbows in dishwater.”
~~~
This day wins the prize for the longest day of my life, Mike ruminated, wedged on the sofa between Lily and Owen as the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers moved into its second quarter. Ordinarily he’d be enthused about watching three football games in one day, but at this point, all he wanted was some time alone with Kelly. She and Sky had volunteered for cleanup duty, and after a meal as large as he’d ever remembered on Thanksgiving, that process took quite a while. After the Redskins kicked the snot out of the Cowboys, the brief interlude between that game and the prime-time matchup was filled with pie, coffee and after-dinner drinks back at the cleared dining room table, where at least he was able to sit beside Kelly again.
His dad and brothers were all gung-ho for more of the pigskin, but he hung back, claiming he’d get more wood for the fire. Instead, he corralled Kelly and pulled her out on the back porch, where he managed a few tantalizing kisses before the dropping temperature and gusty wind made her insist on going back inside to finish packing away the remaining pie.
By half-time, Lily was fading fast. Luke helped her stand, bundled her up in a coat and scarf, and the pair made their escape. Kelly took Lily’s spot, and Mike wrapped an arm around her and gathered her close. Sky and AJ sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, their backs against the giant ottoman that served as footrest and coffee table. Mike caught his mother’s satisfied smile as she surveyed the two couples.
“Tomorrow’s Black Friday.” Sky announced. She swiveled her head toward Kelly. “Are you a Black Friday shopper, Kel?”
She shrugged. “Not really. There’s never been anything I’ve wanted badly enough to drag myself out of bed at oh-dark-thirty to stand in line at a store.”
“Nowadays with all the deals on the Internet, there’s not much point in getting trampled by frantic shoppers. Usually Dad and I wait until Saturday to pick out our tree, but I figured, what the heck? We could avoid all the big box stores and get first pick of the trees.”
“You buy a Christmas tree this early? Won’t it get all dried out by Christmas and wind up looking like Charlie Brown’s tree?” The image of the forlorn little fir tree listing to one side and losing all its needles popped into Kelly’s head.
“This being your first Christmas around our Sky, you’re not aware of her fondness for the season,” Mike teased. “She likes to get as much mileage as she can out of it. Traditionally, on Saturday. we’d get the decorations down from the attic, Dad and Sky would get the tree, and somehow the job of washing it always fell to me.”
Kelly pushed away far enough to face him. “You wash your Christmas tree?”
“Yeah. Mom’s aller
gic to most varieties of fir trees, so after we get it into the stand, I kind of power spray it to cut down on the sap and pollen. Sky does most of the actual decorating, while Mom, who’s usually busy grading papers, supervises from the sidelines.”
“Most Christmas trees have been cut weeks before you see them at the lots for sale,” Sky added. “So getting one early and putting it in a stand with lots of water actually helps to keep it fresher until the big day.”
“Well, I’ll be darned,” Kelly marveled, saluting Sky with her cocktail of white crème de menthe and Drambuie over ice, a concoction called a Stinger, according to Alex. “I learn something new at least once an hour around here.”
“So, that being said, do you want to come with Dad and me to pick out a tree tomorrow?” Sky turned toward her father. “That’s okay with you, Dad, right?”
He beamed at her from his enormous leather lounge chair. “Whatever you say, Skylark. Who knows how many more times we’ll get to do this together.”
“I thought Kelly wanted to take a tour of the center tomorrow,” Mike said, working to keep disappointment out of his voice. He wanted as much time as he could wrangle while Kelly was here. He hated that it would be another week or two before he could head for Florida. The past three had been hell without her.
“I do, I do,” Kelly responded, snuggling back against him. “Maybe we could go to the gym early and buy a tree in the afternoon? If not, I’m afraid going with Mike is my first choice.”
“Damn straight,” he agreed, lacing his fingers with hers. Which reminded him of the little blue velvet box on hold at the jewelers. How much longer before his parents and Julia called it a night and went to bed?
Barefoot Bay: A Family for the Holidays (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 8