60. Surprise Guests
SIXTY
Surprise Guests
TARA
Two weeks after a very successful Between the Lines First Annual Author’s Showcase, Tara and Steve started spending more time together whenever he wasn’t on shift. With Steve’s brother nearing the end of his rehab, Tara knew that before long, they wouldn’t have as much time to spend together. Steve had only shared bits and pieces about what Nick had been through, but he was proud of his little brother for getting himself clean now that he was finally out of a bad situation. They deserved to have time together to get to know each other again.
Unfortunately, Nick wasn’t scheduled to check out of the in-patient clinic until right after Thanksgiving. Steve had hoped for before, of course, but Tara knew he was just happy that his brother was doing well. They’d be together soon enough.
Heading into the long holiday weekend, Tara was ready to close up the shop and join her family at home. Except for her older sister, the whole family would be together. Tiffany couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving, but her leave would overlap with Tristan’s for Christmas.
With everything at the shop ready for the busy holiday weekend, her mother had taken off early to get a head start on their Thanksgiving day meal tomorrow. Helen had already planned ahead, enlisting the help of her husband and two sons while she and Tara were at the shop. Black Friday and Small Business Saturday would both be all-hands-on-deck kind of days, so the whole family would be in the shop, even her dad would be back for the first time since his accident, though he’d be in the office fielding phone calls and taking care of the books.
Tara turned off the inside, non-display lights and stepped outside for the crisp walk home. Just as she found her key to the front door, a big, gray pickup truck pulled up and parked.
Tara locked the shop door and turned in time to see Logan closing the driver’s side door. She crossed the street to say hello when he waved.
“Logan!” She greeted him with a quick kiss on his cheek. “How are you? Courtney stopped by the shop the other day.”
“I’m well, thanks. Yes, my sister told me she saw you. How’s your dad doing?”
“A lot better, thank you. He’s riding around in a wheelchair at the moment until his legs and shoulder heel a little more, but he’s going in the right direction. I think he’s teaching himself how to do wheelies.” Tara laughed. “He’s driving my mom nuts. She pretends to be upset about it but laughs whenever he’s not looking. We’re all just glad he’s on the mend.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
A tall, slender man with shoulder-length, wavy blond hair walked around the truck with a duffel bag slung over his shoulders. Tara glanced over and offered a friendly smile. “Hi.”
The man’s smile seemed timid, but he nodded in response.
Logan glanced behind him and made room for the man to join them. “Do you know if Steve’s around?”
“He’s not.” Tara’s eyes darted back to the other man. “He’s on shift today. He should finish up tomorrow morning. Then he’ll be with us for Thanksgiving.”
A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes as she turned back to the other man with a warm smile. “Are you Steve’s brother, by chance?”
He gave a nervous glance to Logan, then nodded cautiously. “Nick.”
She extended her hand and was met with a firm handshake that belied his nervous expression. “Hi, Nick. I’m Tara.” She pointed behind her. “That’s my parents’ bookstore. Steve lives just above it.” She let her eyes dart back and forth between them. “Does he know you’re here?”
Logan answered after Nick hesitated. “We couldn’t get through to him, but we didn’t know he was on shift.”
“Yeah. If they’re on a call, their phones are all at the station.”
She turned her full attention to Steve’s brother. “So, Nick. You have a couple of options. I can let you into Steve’s apartment, where you’ll be all alone with a fridge that is probably not stocked, or,” she grinned, “you’re welcome to come home and stay with my family tonight. Steve’s already coming over tomorrow for Thanksgiving, so your being there would be a great surprise for him.”
She could sense Nick’s hesitation and Logan’s silent encouragement.
“I was just about to head home. Why don’t you come with me and take a look?”
She looked up at Nick, who was nearly every bit as tall as his older brother.
“Nick.” She stepped up to him and kept her voice gentle. “Steve has told me a little about you and where you’ve been the last couple of months. He’s also talked to my parents a bit, too. We can’t pretend to know what you’ve been through, but we can respect your need to have your own space.” She breathed out a laugh. “We’ll also understand if our family is overwhelming.”
A hint of a smile appeared on Nick’s face.
“You can stay in Tristan’s old room. He’s one of my brothers. He’ll be there, too, along with his wife and our younger brother, Theo. They all just got into town yesterday, so we have an almost full house.” She laughed again, tucking a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. “But we’d love to have you. The food’ll be much better than what you’ll find in Steve’s apartment.
“Then tomorrow, if you’d like, you can join us for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s nothing fancy. We’ll have the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV, and we’ll stuff ourselves silly and play some corn hole. It’s supposed to be warm, so spending some time outside will be good. You can spend as little or as much time there with us as you’d like.”
“What do you say?” Logan asked him. “The Baileys are good people, Nick.”
Nick’s smile turned almost nostalgic. “It’s been a while since I had a real Thanksgiving meal.”
“Well, we’d love to have you. At least come over for dinner tonight. If you want to stay, great. If not, I can always bring you back to Steve’s apartment. It’s entirely your call, and you can change your mind anytime.”
Tara tried to project warmth, and Nick’s smile broadened. Then, it turned serious again as if he had caught himself feeling a good emotion. He nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
Tara looked up at Logan and smiled. “Mind if I hitch a ride? I walked today.”
Logan’s face lit up. Tara always thought he had a gorgeous smile.
“I don’t mind at all.”
He opened the back door of his truck so that Tara could climb in with her bags. She immediately texted her mom while he and Nick climbed back in the front.
Tara: Need xtra place at the table. Steve’s bro, Nick. Ok to stay w us tonight? Steve’s on shift.
Mom: Of course. We’ll get Tristan’s room ready. What time will you be here?
Tara: ETA 3 min
Mom: I can’t wait to meet him.
“What are your plans for tomorrow, Logan?” Tara asked as Logan turned on the engine and backed out into the street. He put it in gear and drove toward her house.
“Dinner with my aunt and uncle, then I’ll probably spend the afternoon tossing a football with some cousins.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Yeah. It will be. Allie will be there, too.” He mentioned his adopted daughter, who split time between Logan and her mom.
A few minutes later, they pulled in front of the Baileys’ sizable Victorian home. A beautiful wreath made of greenery and natural plants to celebrate autumn decorated the front door. With the sun having already set, the front lights served as a spotlight to show it off.
“This is it.” Tara beamed at Nick as Logan gave her a hand out of his truck. “There are a lot of us, and we’re sometimes loud, but you can always escape to your room. Come on.”
Logan let Tara lead as he followed behind Nick to ensure he got settled in okay. The door opened as they climbed the steps to the front porch, letting out a burst of light as Tara’s mom greeted them warmly.
Tara hugged her mom and turned back to Nick and Logan. “Mom, this is Steve’s brother, Nick.”
Her mom smiled and pulled him into a warm hug. Nick hesitated then reached up a hand to pat her on the back. Helen pulled back with a hand on both his arms. “We’re so glad you can join us. Won’t you come in?”
With his high and tight Navy haircut, Tristan greeted him with a friendly handshake and welcomed him inside. “I’m Tara’s younger brother, Tristan. Come on in.”
Tara rolled her eyes at her twin, only seven minutes her junior, and followed them inside.
Helen hugged Logan, too. “I didn’t know you were coming over, Logan. Come on in.”
After hugging her back, he smiled back at her cheery face. “I’m not staying. Mrs. Bailey. I just want to make sure he’s settled. Tara said he could stay here since Steve’s working.”
“Of course. What are your dinner plans?”
“Uh... I don’t....”
“That’s what I thought.” She pulled him inside and closed the door behind them. “Theo, honey. Can you set up another place for Logan? He’ll be staying, too,”
“On it, Mom,” a voice answered from the next room.
Logan held up his hands. “I don’t mean to impose.”
“Pfft.” Helen waved him off. “What’s the point of having a home if we can’t fill it with family and friends?”