Chapter 34
Present day
Shelby cradled a sleeping Ollie in her arms as the rest of her family transferred the steaming food from the kitchen to the
dining room. Drunk on love, she gazed down at her nephew. Those little lashes. That tiny nose. At three months his cheeks
were beginning to fill out and he was nearly out of his newborn clothes. He could hold his head up, smile, and coo. He was
growing so fast.
She’d been so glad when Caleb and Liddy announced an hour ago that they were extending their stay yet again—this time till
the end of the year. Shelby could sure get used to having them around. But that was also when Gray would be leaving. How would
it feel to have all of them leave at once? Not good, she was certain.
When the food was on the dining room table, they found their seats.
“Want me to put him down?” Liddy asked.
“I got him.”
Dad had carved the turkey in the kitchen, and the savory aroma made Shelby’s mouth water. In a world where there was so much
pain and suffering, they were blessed to have this delicious feast and loved ones around the table with whom to enjoy it.
Although not all their loved ones.
Shelby’s gaze drifted to the seat across from her.
She felt Gram’s absence like a physical ache.
She usually did most of the baking. In recent years Dad cooked the turkey because of its weight.
But it wasn’t Gram’s recipes they missed.
It was her fun-loving presence. Her sometimes too-bluntly-worded statements.
Her sarcasm. As beautiful as the table was and as divine as the food smelled, her grandmother’s absence was the most noticeable thing in the room.
She reached for her grandma’s wedding rings and held tight.
I sure do miss you, Gram. It’s just not the same without you.
“We all miss her.” Liddy squeezed Shelby’s arm.
Dad’s eyes teared up. “She sure would’ve approved of this spread. Liddy, thank you for making her stuffing. It wouldn’t seem
like Thanksgiving without it.” Dad put his hands, palms up, on the table. They linked together while he said a prayer thanking
God for food and family with a special callout for Oliver, who was a new blessing to them this year.
“And, God, if You see my mom, can You tell her we love her?” His words wobbled to a halt. “Amen.” He cleared his throat and
grabbed the serving fork. “All right, now who wants a drumstick?”
“Something’s wrong with the potatoes,” Caleb said a minute later as he scooped them from the serving dish. It was the one
dish he’d been responsible for.
“I’m sure they’re fine.”
His gaze zeroed in on the pile he plopped on his plate. “The texture’s kind of weird.”
“He used the mixer,” Liddy told Shelby. “A lot.”
Shelby’s lips twitched. “Oh, Caleb. Not the mixer.”
“I didn’t know.”
“What’s wrong with using a mixer?” Dad said.
Liddy took a scoop of sweet potatoes. “Nothing—in moderation. I’m sure they’re fine.”
“Where’s Louie?” Shelby hadn’t seen Dad’s bulldog since she’d been there. He was usually table side, begging for scraps.
Dad gestured down the hall. “I put him in the bedroom. I have a treat for him after supper.”
“Why are they so runny?” Caleb dropped a forkful back onto his plate.
Liddy patted his arm. “They’re fine, honey. And the sweet potatoes are delicious, Shelby. It tastes like dessert.”
“Thanks. The yeast rolls are yummy. Did you make them from scratch?”
“Got the recipe off the Pioneer Woman website—I love that woman.”
“Everything’s delicious,” Dad said. “I plan to eat my weight in starchy food. Honey, how’s the bookstore doing? Things getting
busier as you gear up for Christmas?”
“Very much so. Tomorrow will be crazy, I’m sure, with the sale we have going. Just about every bookseller will be working.”
“What are you supposed to use if not a mixer?” Caleb wondered aloud through a bite of mashed potatoes.
“Is the clothing on sale?” Liddy asked. “There’s a T-shirt I’ve been wanting.”
“Which one? I’ll bring it home to you.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything.”
“Fine. All apparel is 10 percent off.”
Liddy beamed. “Sold!”
They enjoyed their meal with a steady flow of conversation. But Caleb was barely engaging with Shelby. She needed to get things
back on track with him. Not that she owed him anything, but it was Thanksgiving after all. And she didn’t want his opinions
about Gray coming between them.
Feeling stuffed after two servings of almost everything, she pushed back her plate. “Caleb, how’s your painting going? Everything
on track for your show in December?”
He exchanged a glance with Liddy.
Had Shelby hit upon a sore subject?
“It’s actually been pushed back a bit,” Caleb said. “But I’ve been finding time to dabble with the paints in between clearing
out Gram’s house.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Dad lowered his fork. “You didn’t mention the show being delayed.”
“It’s not a big deal. Just a scheduling issue.”
“Not a big deal? Why do you have to head back to New York at the end of the year if you don’t have an impending show?”
Caleb’s jaw went tight. “Because, Dad. That’s where we live.”
“I’m just saying you have a perfectly nice house now right here in your hometown where your family lives. Why not take some
time and enjoy it for a while?”
“That’s what we’re doing.”
Shelby smiled through the tension. “The house is really coming along too. Have you been over there recently, Dad? Liddy’s
planning to redo the wood floors and put some fresh paint on the walls.”
Liddy chimed in. “Now that most of the furniture is gone, you can see all the wear and tear. Caleb and I will do most of it
together. It’ll be a fun project.”
Dad glanced at Caleb. “That’s a lot to take on in such a short period of time.”
“I’ll help where I can,” Shelby said. “I can paint a wall as well as the next person.”
“We might have to hire out some of it,” Liddy said. “I know you’ll be super busy through the holidays.”
“Yeah, Shelby.” Caleb lifted his glass in a mock toast. “You and Gray will be super busy.”
Shelby sent her brother a scathing look.
Dad’s eyes toggled between the siblings. “What’s going on between you and Gray?”
“Nothing ’ s going on. Caleb is deluded.”
Caleb snorted. Then jumped, his attention darting to Liddy—who’d obviously kicked him under the table.
“Sure didn’t look like nothing when I fished you two from the lake at midnight last week.”
Liddy frowned at him. “Caleb.”
“The lake?” Dad pushed back his empty plate. “What’s this all about, Shelby?”
“It’s nothing. We went to Miss Phoebe’s on Eagle Island to talk about business.”
“And on the way home they ran out of gas,” Caleb said. “The castaways called me to come rescue them.”
And she was really starting to regret that. Her face warmed even as her blood pressure shot up. “We did run out of gas. Do
you think I wanted to freeze out on the lake all night? Did I not call you the very second I had a signal? Now can we all
please just move on to another topic? It’s Thanksgiving.”
As if sensing her tension, Ollie squirmed in her arms. She relaxed her shoulders. Popped his pacifier back in. He stilled
in his sleep.
“Please tell me you’re not falling under his spell again, honey.”
She gritted her teeth. “Dad, it was an accident. There’s nothing going on between Gray and me.”
“I just can’t help but remember how hard you fell for him in high school. If you’re not careful, it’ll happen again. You can’t
trust him.”
Shelby rolled her eyes. “He’s not the awful person you’re making him out to be. He never was.”
“Here we go...” Caleb scowled. “He’s obviously getting under your skin again.”
Dad’s gaze zeroed in on her. “I’m not saying he’s a bad person. But I won’t forget the way he took off the second he graduated
high school. Left you without a backward glance. He’ll do it again.”
“You need to send him packing,” Caleb said. “Before you end up heartbroken again.”
Liddy gave an awkward laugh. “Come on, you guys. Let’s give her some credit here. She’s not a teenager anymore. Anyway, she
already has a boyfriend, remember?”
Shelby eyed the food on her plate as if it might tell her what to say next. Because she didn’t have a boyfriend anymore. It
wasn’t really relevant except now that Liddy had brought it up, she kind of had to come clean. They were bound to find out
soon through the grapevine anyway.
When she glanced up they were all staring at her. “Actually... I broke up with Logan.”
“What?” Dad said. “When did this happen?”
Caleb tossed his napkin on his plate. “I knew it.”
Liddy stared at her with confusion in her eyes. “You didn’t tell me.”
Shelby sent Liddy an apologetic look. “It just happened Tuesday. I didn’t have a chance to tell you.” But the real hurt probably
stemmed from the fact that Shelby hadn’t even given Liddy a clue that the relationship wasn’t working out.
“Are you okay?” Liddy asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Liddy’s expression was stoic as she pushed her chair back and stood. “I’ll start clearing the table.
The Giants game will be starting soon.”