Chapter Eight
Chris
“What’s that?” Emily asked when I walked into the kitchen. Hudson rushed into the living room, still wearing his backpack. It was his favorite place to do his homework because the dogs kept him company.
I looked down at the large frozen bird in my arms and back up to her and Cassie. “It’s a turkey.”
“I can see that,” Emily said. “But why do you have a turkey?”
“Because I told you that I was going to get one from Mike.”
“Mike at the bank?” The wheels in her head were spinning so fast I could almost hear them squeaking.
“Yes. He brought it with him to work today. Remember I told you that his son is part of the farming program at school, and they raise turkeys as part of a fundraising thing.”
“It kind of . . . When did you tell me this?” Emily asked.
“Last week.”
“When I was hopped up on medicine?”
“I suppose.”
“Chris?!”
Cassie’s lips contorted into a grimace as she shoved her finger into her ear, wiggling it furiously against her best friend’s shriek.
“Baby,” I tried to console her, feeling at a complete loss. I knew she was stressed, but I didn’t understand what the problem was. “What’s wrong?”
“Well,” she huffed, marched to the refrigerator, and pulled open the freezer drawer. “This!”
“Oh,” I muttered when I saw another twenty-pound turkey sitting comfortably where I planned to put mine.
“Yeah.” She blew her hair out of her face before swiping it away from her flushed cheeks. “What on earth are we going to do with two turkeys?”
I shoved my turkey in next to the other one. “Eat them,” I suggested, immediately realizing my sarcasm was not the answer she was looking for.
“We don’t have the oven space here to cook two turkeys, Chris. We’re already going to have to time things perfectly for all the sides and everything else. Your parents and Savannah are going to be here. This is our first Thanksgiving together. It’s their first impression of me?—”
“Emily, they already met you,” I reminded her.
She shot daggers into me from where she stood.
“Honey,” I said, approaching her carefully. I rubbed up and down her arms and reminded her, “They love you. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
“I’ve never cooked for them is what I meant. And this is a big deal. It’s Thanksgiving dinner. With your family. It has to be perfect!”
“And it will be,” I said.
“It will be perfect,” Cassie said, finally jumping in. “You’re a wonderful cook.”
“I’ve never made Thanksgiving dinner,” Emily confessed. She looked like a deer in the headlights as she looked between me and her best friend. “My grandma always took care of everything. And when that got to be too much for her, we joined other friends and family in the neighborhood. After that?—”
“You moved here,” Cassie finished for her.
Emily nodded as tears pooled in her eyes.
Cassie pushed between us and took Emily in her arms. “And then you started coming to my family’s Thanksgivings.”
Emily nodded again as her tears spilled over. Then she erupted into full-fledged sobbing as Cassie held on tight.
“I don’t know what to do,” Emily blubbered.
“The first thing is to take a deep breath,” Cassie said.
Emily inhaled deeply and let out a shaky breath.
“One more,” Cassie said.
I breathed with Emily and hoped for the best.
Cassie peeled herself away from Emily, asking, “Okay? Are we better now?” She brushed Emily’s hair away and waved her hand my way, mouthing, “Paper towels.”
I unfurled a strip, tore them away, and shoved them into Cassie’s awaiting hand. “Thank you,” she said before turning back to Emily, handing them to her so she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose. “Now, let’s go over your list. Again.”
Emily breathed in before she smiled again. “Scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans—casserole and almondine. . .”
“You’re making me really hungry,” I said after she finished listing off the most festive menu I’d ever heard.
Cassie and Emily laughed together.
“See, Em, you’ve got this all under control,” Cassie said.
Emily’s body visibly relaxed. “And I’ll help as much as I can,” I added.
“Like you did with the turkey?” she joked.
“I’m sorry, baby. I guess I should have reminded you before I left this morning. I knew you were going to the store today.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out on you. I don’t know why I did. It’s not a big deal. I mean, it’s for Mike’s son and his school. You did a nice thing. I just wish I remembered that conversation because, seriously, what are we going to do with two turkeys?” She met my eyes and raised her finger. “And don’t you dare say, Cook them .”
Cassie and I laughed. When I opened my arms, Emily rushed into them. I hugged her tightly and whispered a “Thank you” to Cassie.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered back.
“I have an idea,” I said, tucking Emily under my arm and pulling her into my side. “Cassie, what do you think your parents might say about coming over here for Thanksgiving?”
“Really?” Emily asked excitedly.
“Yeah, why not? We do have two turkeys.”
“Um,” Cassie said, “I don’t know. They already bought our turkey. Granted, it’s not a twenty-pounder, but?—”
“But you could ask,” Emily said before pressing her hands together and begging, “Please?”
“I can’t guarantee they’ll say yes, but I’ll ask.”
“Cass, you really gotta sell it. Tell them everything on my menu. And I’m making homemade pies.”
“Hudson and I are helping with those,” I said.
“Yeah, tell them about Hudson helping. That will surely seal the deal. Who could say no to pie made by the cutest kid ever?”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s all I need. My mom reminding me about my biological clock.”
“Well, maybe a few hours with Hudson will tamp their grandkid fever,” I said.
“Doubtful,” Cassie said. “He really is too cute for words.”
We all looked over to where Hudson was working. Rufus, Moose, Luke, and Gigi sat around the coffee table like little helpers.
“I mean, seriously, how cute is that?” Cassie asked.
“I know,” Emily said, sighing wistfully.
“Well, I hope you and your parents will be able to join us,” I said before heading to my bedroom to change out of my suit.
“Me too,” Emily said. “We have enough turkey to feed an army!”
“It’s a good thing this place came with double ovens,” I said over my shoulder. I knew everything would work out fine. Emily was a bundle of nerves, and I understood why. She wanted everything to be picture-perfect for my family.
I loved her for it.
Even if the turkey was dry and the pies were burnt, this holiday would be nothing short of fantastic because she was in my life.
No matter how chaotic things got because Emily was stressed out, I was thankful for the love we had found.