Chapter 11
Eleven
The crisp fall air carried the scent of roasted turkey and fallen leaves as Lucas followed Holly and Shmoop up the front steps of her parents’ cozy colonial-style house that was decorated with wreaths of orange and gold on every door and window.
The porch creaked under their feet, and she couldn’t help but smile as Lucas shifted the pumpkin pie in his hands like it was a live grenade.
“I feel like I should have brought something more. Why didn’t you let me bring flowers or wine or something?”
Holly patted his arm. “Would you please relax? No one expected you to bring anything. There’s usually more than enough food and wine and decorations. Trust me. This is fine.”
Inviting Lucas to spend Thanksgiving with her was the natural thing to do.
With everything going on with his family, she hated the thought of him being alone while she was enjoying herself and celebrating with her fairly normal family.
He had been reluctant to accept the invitation at first, but he finally came around.
At least…that’s what she had thought.
They hadn’t even made it to the door when he gently cleared his throat. “Is it too late to fake the flu?”
She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “If you faint on the porch, I might let you off the hook.”
“Only might?”
She shrugged. “Depends on how convincing your fall is.”
The door swung open before Lucas could respond—thankfully—revealing Holly’s mom in her holiday apron that was dusted with flour and a wide, welcoming smile.
She had told her parents all about Lucas—before and after they had gotten romantically involved—but this was going to be their first time meeting him.
She could feel the tension rolling off his body, and she seriously hoped he would be able to unclench and enjoy himself.
“Oh! You’re right on time!” her mom gushed as she hugged Holly and kissed her cheek. When she pulled back, she turned her attention to Lucas. “And you must be Lucas! Oh, you’re cute. We’re so happy you’re joining us today!”
Her mom pulled Lucas into a hug before he could even say hello, the pie nearly getting squished in the process.
He glanced over at her nervously, and Holly could barely suppress her laughter.
No sooner had her mother released him than her dad appeared in the doorway.
Fortunately, he was a bit more reserved and simply shook Lucas’s hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Lucas. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
Holly hooked her arm through his and felt him relax a bit as he smiled at her dad. “All good things, I hope?”
“Well…mostly good,” she teased, causing him to quickly turn his head towards her in pure panic. “Oh, stop. How could the stories be anything but good? You’re a hero, remember?”
“A hero?” He groaned. “You didn’t tell them the ladder story, did you?”
“She sure did!” her mom chimed in. “We couldn’t believe she got past the first few rungs on that ladder. She’s terrified of heights!”
“Holly once nearly fainted while standing on a stepstool,” her father added. “Luckily, I was right there to catch her, but it was close. Thank goodness you showed up when you did, Lucas. I can’t image it was easy to pry her off the ladder that high up!”
“It wasn’t easy,” he confirmed, “but we figured it out. I just felt terrible that she felt the need to get on it in the first place.”
“That’s our stubborn girl,” her mother added. “She can’t stand to see a task left undone. Now come on. Let’s go inside. Everyone’s excited to see you and meet Lucas.” Shmoop ran past them and in the distance, she could hear her nieces and nephews squealing with delight when they spotted him.
They stepped into the house, instantly wrapped in warmth—both from the cozy heat and the scent of Thanksgiving: turkey, spices, and something buttery baking. The living room was filled with family chatter, football on the TV, and relatives lounging with drinks and appetizers.
Her mom took the pie and her dad took their coats, but Lucas stayed glued to her side. When they joined everyone in the living room, he stiffened slightly. She knew it was because he was suddenly aware of how many eyes were sizing him up.
Leaning in close, she whispered, “That’s Aunt Lynn in the green sweater.
She’ll ask if you want kids within five minutes.
Uncle Ray is sitting next to her and will quiz you about your job.
He’s a retired accountant and a bit dry in the conversation department.
Just nod and pretend you care about his coin collection. ”
Nodding, he whispered, “Okay.”
“Over by the fireplace is my cousin Melissa. She’s the caterer who’s going to do the food for the Christmas party, and she’s talking to our cousin Jenna, who just had her second baby.” She smiled up at him. “Doing okay?”
Another nod.
“Over on the sofa is Melissa’s husband Tyler and Jenna’s husband Jim. They’re huge football fans. Dallas is their team, so if you know anything about the Cowboys, you’ll fit right in.”
“Any escape plan if I panic?”
“There’s a guest bathroom down the hall. Second door on the left. I’ll leave a trail of mashed potatoes if needed. Or cheese and crackers if it happens before we sit down to dinner.”
He laughed softly and she took his hand and walked farther into the room.
As they made the rounds, Lucas managed handshakes, small talk, and a particularly intense interrogation from Holly’s grandmother about his intentions.
He answered with grace, humor, and just the right amount of awkwardness to seem endearing.
As the day went on, he seemed to relax more and more, and by the time they were halfway through the main meal, she had no doubt that he could hold his own in any conversation with her relatives.
Listening to him talking about football and then about coins just confirmed that she made the right decision by inviting him to join her for the holiday.
He fit in perfectly. She had been a little nervous about…
well…the differences between a Brown family Thanksgiving and what was probably a very formal, catered, five-star dinner with the Brooks family.
There were a lot of mismatched glasses, two folding tables, metal folding chairs, and some pretty tacky-looking tablecloths with turkeys on them.
There was no way Mrs. Brooks would ever have illustrated turkeys on her linens. Of that, Holly was certain.
Still, Lucas didn’t appear to be the least bit snobbish about any of it, and that was a huge load off of her mind.
When they were finished eating, everyone stood and helped clean up, including Lucas. “You don’t have to do that,” she whispered to him, taking his plate from his hands. “You’re a guest.”
“Technically, we’re all guests and everyone else is helping, so why wouldn’t I?”
Good question.
“Um…I just thought…”
He placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Stop worrying. I can carry a few dirty dishes from the table to the kitchen sink.” And after another kiss, he just blended in with her family as they all worked to get everything cleaned and put away.
“You all have an hour before dessert!” her mother called out. “So go and relax or walk around the block!”
People scattered and it felt like the overall volume level went down, but she still craved a bit more quiet.
Pouring herself a cup of warm cider that her mother had on the stove, she slipped out through the mudroom door—grabbing one of the random quilts her mother always had piled in the closet—and stepped out onto the back porch.
The air was crisp and cool, and as she exhaled, she could see her breath, but it was perfectly silent out there.
She went over to the old porch swing her dad had built when Holly was five, and sat down, wrapping the quilt around her. With her foot, she gently put the swing in motion. The sun was going down, and the night sky was clear. It was the ideal fall day.
A few minutes later, she heard the back door open and was surprised when she spotted Lucas walking toward her. “Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.” She patted the spot next to her and grinned as he slid in beside her.
“I survived,” he stated proudly.
“Um…you did more than that. You thrived. Grandma called you a ‘keeper.’ That’s basically sainthood in this family. It takes most people multiple holidays to get that seal of approval, and, in one case, five years.”
His eyes went wide. “Was it Jim? I’ll bet it was Jim. He’s a little rough around the edges.”
She laughed softly. “It was definitely Jim. Good catch.” She playfully nudged his shoulder with hers.
“So…what do you say? Same time next year?”
She smiled into her cup, because that was a pretty bold—and promising—statement. “Only if you bring the pie again.”
“Deal. But you’re sitting next to your Aunt Lynn next time. She had her hand on my thigh for an almost inappropriate amount of time during dinner.”
They both laughed, the kind that lingered until it faded into a comfortable silence. Somewhere inside, someone started playing Christmas music—probably her grandfather—but outside, under the string of lights and crisp stars, everything felt just right.
It was after ten and they were back at Holly’s house. Shmoop was running around their backyard getting out his evening zoomies, while the two of them sat on her back porch under a heat lamp.
It had been a great day. Far more enjoyable than almost any holiday he’d had in years.
It had been sweet the way she worried about him—and with good reason.
Lucas knew he wasn’t a big fan of change and he was typically a bit more of an introvert, but the Browns did not allow for that sort of thing.
They made him feel like part of the family and he was glad he went.