Two weeks later, Thanksgiving arrived cold and overcast. Bridget was driving Sawyer’s truck with him next to her in the passenger seat. Her nerves were on the jittery side, not because of driving, but because she’d never spent Thanksgiving with a normal family before. She didn’t know what to expect. The holidays had always been for other people to enjoy.
At least it would be an intimate affair. Just Sawyer, Tess, Ken and little Tucker at their ranch. Bridget got along well with all of them.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to get you out driving this week.” Sawyer flashed a contrite look her way. “With Ken’s chemo starting back up, I’ve been on daddy duty more. It would be a big help to have a cancer center closer by. The drive’s getting to Tess.”
“How far away is it?” She’d never really thought about the medical facilities in a small town. She rarely got sick, and when she did, a few days in bed typically got her back on her feet.
“Over an hour.”
“I’m sorry. That must be hard on all of you.”
“It’s toughest on Tess. Ken never complains about his treatments, but when he’s miserable, he bosses her around. Then those two go at it. And ten minutes later they’re hugging like they never fought.”
“Really?” She peeked at Sawyer. “Is that normal?”
“It is for them.” He grinned. “I’m used to it. It’s been that way since I met them. By the way, Tess invited a few more people over for supper. She’s been trying to get her ex’s family more involved with Tucker. Hope that’s okay.”
The hair on the back of her neck rose. I thought you said it was going to be just us? I thought you said it would be small and low-key?
The thoughts mortified her. Who was she to tell Sawyer who to invite to his own home? “It’s good for Tucker to have them around.”
“I don’t know if they’re coming or not.”
She hoped not. A blast of guilt slapped her for being so selfish.
“How did driver’s ed go this week?”
“It’s as boring as ever. And don’t take my word for it. Kaylee agrees.” Bridget flashed him a grin. “The instructor’s been having us drive, so that helps. Plus, Mac has been taking me and Kaylee out quite a bit.”
The three of them were becoming fast friends—talking about their days, enjoying each other’s company—but she had a terrible feeling that as soon as she got her license, the friendship would fade.
She’d been doing a rotten job of protecting her heart.
At least she’d kept her promise to keep her past in the past. She’d only opened up to Mac about innocent things, memories that wouldn’t change the way he viewed her. But the fact remained she was getting too close to him and his sister.
“Start slowing down. The turn’s up ahead.”
Bridget eased her foot off the gas, carefully applied the brake and made a right turn down the winding drive to the ranch.
“Nice job. That was smooth,” he said. “When will you be done? Saturday? Or next week?”
“Saturday. If I pass the test, I can technically go to the DMV and get my license.”
“I’ll take you if you want.”
“Thanks, Sawyer.” She slowed as the house came into view. No vehicles other than Tess’s and Ken’s were there. Phew.
Would it really be so bad to have Thanksgiving with people other than Sawyer’s family?
Yes.
Because she didn’t know how these holiday celebrations worked. And being around strangers meant more small talk. She didn’t mind small talk at the coffee shop, but off duty? No, thanks.
They both got out of the truck, and Bridget shivered at how cold it was outside. A gust of wind flattened her hair against her neck. She hurried next to Sawyer up the porch to the door where a pretty wreath wrapped in plaid ribbon hung. Inside, they toed off their boots, hung up their coats and made their way down the hall to the kitchen where Tucker was begging Tess for more juice.
“You already had juice. Here’s some water.” She handed the boy—recently turned three—a sippy cup. He threw it on the ground and stamped his feet. “Young man, you do not want a time-out. Pick that back up.”
Sawyer kissed Tess’s cheek. Bridget loved seeing their tender affection for each other. It was so foreign from what she’d been around as a kid. She crouched to greet Tucker. “Hey, Tuck, I brought you something.”
His demeanor went from sullen to jubilant in a split-second. “Aunt Bwidget!”
“I figured you needed another one.” She pulled a small toy tractor from her tote and handed it to him.
“A twactor!” He threw his arms around her, then raced off to the living room with it in his chubby little hand. “Papa, look!”
Bridget took a package of dinner rolls out of her tote and handed them to Tess.
“You didn’t have to bring anything.” Tess pulled her in for a hug.
“I wanted to. They’re not homemade, sorry.”
“I’ve never baked homemade rolls in my life.” Tess seemed proud of the fact. “The freezer section at the supermarket is my best friend.”
Someone knocked at the front door. Tess pointed to Sawyer. “Will you let them in?”
Bridget’s stomach plunged. There went her hope for an intimate dinner. She tried to mentally prepare herself for strangers and polite chitchat. God, this isn’t my thing. I shouldn’t have come. I don’t even have a car or I could make an excuse and leave.
Well, that wasn’t her best prayer. But the church she’d attended in the city had emphasized that you could pray to God about anything, and she’d taken their word for it.
Voices grew closer. She recognized them. The higher-pitched one belonged to Kaylee. The lower? Mac.
Her heart began to pound. What was worse—Thanksgiving with strangers or Thanksgiving with the man she thought about night and day? The one she admired more and more?
“Happy Thanksgiving, Bridget!” Kaylee hugged her. “I knew you’d be here. Can you believe Mac made no plans for Thanksgiving? He was going to order food for the two of us. I was like, uh, no. Not when we could hang out here with you guys.”
Bridget was amazed this was the same nervous, withdrawn girl she’d met only a month ago. Kaylee was clearly blossoming, and Bridget was happy to see it.
“I’m glad we can all celebrate together.” Bridget gave her a quick hug. She meant it, too.
“Hi, Bridget.” Mac nodded to her.
“Hey.” She got lost in his eyes—dark gray and as turbulent as a storm brewing. He shifted from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. That made two of them. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Same to you.” He nodded. “Hope you don’t mind us crashing the party.”
“It’s not crashing when you’re invited.” Tess playfully smacked his upper arm. “Come on, you guys can help me move the food to the table. We’re about ready to eat.”
They all grabbed platters and serving dishes on their way to the dining room, where the table was set with a pretty autumn-themed tablecloth and individual place settings of fine china.
“Just find the little card with your name on it.” Tess waved to the table.
“This is so fancy.” Bridget couldn’t help but be delighted at the handwritten cards set on top of the plates. So this was what a real Thanksgiving dinner looked like.
“We only use Mom’s good plates a few times a year,” Tess said. “It makes me happy when I see them.”
Mom’s good plates. Bridget had nothing of her mother’s. Nothing of her father’s, either.
“Looks like you’re here.” Mac pulled the chair out for Bridget. She glanced up to thank him and was surprised to see the muscle in his cheek flexing. The man seemed edgy about something.
“Is anything wrong?” she asked quietly.
His face went slack before he gave her a tight smile. “No. Everything’s fine.”
He was lying. But why?
Why would Mac be upset? Did he not want to be here? Or maybe he didn’t want her to be here. She had no clue.
As soon as Ken, on the pale side, sat at the head of the table and Sawyer took his place at the other end, Ken said a heartfelt prayer. Then Tess announced it was time to dig in.
Turkey was passed around, and Bridget overloaded her plate with extra-large helpings of mashed potatoes and stuffing. There was something about carbs. Mmm-mmm. Chitchat traveled around the table with Bridget listening to everything being said, content to take it in and not contribute.
They discussed the weather, how the cattle were doing on both ranches, Tucker’s progress recognizing the alphabet and Kaylee’s efforts at helping make her class’s float for the upcoming Christmas parade. Then the attention zoomed to Bridget.
“How is business?” Tess asked. “Is Saturday Joe’s last day?”
“Yes.” And Bridget was kind of on the fence about it.
“Well, that will make some of the ladies around town happy.” Tess went on to mention a few of the comments she’d heard when checking in with her bookkeeping clients.
“He’s doing a good job.” Bridget tried not to bristle at the comments. The man was the ideal employee. He worked hard, made excellent coffee and never complained.
“Oh, I know he is.” Tess gave her a sympathetic look. “It wasn’t as if you had much choice. You needed someone to take care of the shop while you were gone. And, between you and me, I think Riley Sampson has been stirring the pot when it comes to him. She does not like the fact your coffee shop is succeeding where hers failed. You can be sure I defended you whenever his name popped up. I’m glad hiring Joe temporarily worked out good.”
“Yes, me too.” Bridget set her fork down, suddenly quite full. Why it bothered her to hear Joe criticized, she couldn’t say. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have the same thoughts herself about him at times. But he’d actually been monopolizing conversations with customers less often lately, and she’d noticed a sense of pride in him the past few weeks.
Mac asked Tess if she was still considering buying another horse, and, thankfully, the topic of Joe was abandoned.
When everyone was finished eating, Bridget helped clear the table, while Mac and Sawyer filled a sink with soapy water and began doing the dishes. Ken excused himself to rest.
Kaylee sidled up to her. “Guess what?”
“What?” Bridget couldn’t help but smile at her chipper tone.
“Tanner and Fiona broke up.”
“They did not.” She used her most shocked voice.
“They did.” Kaylee’s excitement soared to next level. “He’s been working on the junior’s class float, and afterward, we all hang out for a while.”
Bridget lifted her palm for a high five, which Kaylee slapped.
“I told you, he’s been eyeing you.” It was true. He came in every Monday and Wednesday when Kaylee worked. Always with a group of friends, and he made a point to say goodbye to her specifically.
“What are you two whispering about?” Mac asked over his shoulder.
“Nothing,” Kaylee replied. With her hand covering her mouth, she giggled.
Tess charged into the kitchen with the final remnants of the meal. “Okay, I think we should wait at least an hour before pie. In the meantime, how about some games?”
“Games?” Bridget liked the sound of that. “Sure.”
The color drained from Kaylee’s face as she excused herself.
“Is something wrong with Kaylee?” Tess asked.
“I don’t know.” Bridget frowned as the girl disappeared down the hall to the bathroom.
“I mention games and you’d think I’d announced we were going to swim with sharks or jump from an airplane.” Tess took plastic containers out of the cupboard to stash the remaining leftovers.
Bridget debated if she should check on Kaylee or give her some space. Mac must have noticed her absence, too, because he had his worried look on as he approached, toweling off his hands. “Where’s Kay?”
“Bathroom.”
“She all right?”
“I don’t know.” Maybe the girl needed a few minutes to work through whatever had set her off.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” He scowled. “Did something happen?”
“I’m not sure.”
His eyebrows furrowed as if he was mentally reviewing everything that could be wrong. Bridget could sense his mounting anxiety. Mac pivoted like he was going to check on her, but she put her hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Why don’t you give her a minute?” Bridget said gently.
“I don’t need you telling me what to do.” He shook her hand off and stalked away.
A cold finger traced down her spine. He might as well have told her to shut up, outsider. Her good feelings vanished.
The real her kept sneaking out, kept assuming it was safe to be herself. It wasn’t.
Mac didn’t want the real her. No one did.
Mac rapped twice on the bathroom door. “You okay, Kaylee?”
“I’m fine.” The sound of a flush, then water running, greeted him. He stood in the hall as fears circled like vultures in his mind. He’d been drying dishes with Sawyer when he heard the happy note in Kaylee’s voice. Then he’d turned and watched her bright face fall, the joy draining from it in a flash.
Something had happened. And he was going to find out what it was one way or the other.
He crossed his arms over his chest. The door opened a crack. Slowly, Kaylee opened it and her eyes widened at him standing there.
“What happened?” He broadened his stance.
“Nothing.” Her face was splotchy. Had she been crying?
“Something happened.” He hated seeing her in pain.
She hugged her sweater tightly to her body. “Can we go home?”
“Yes.” He was more than ready to leave. This entire meal had been way out of his comfort zone. Thanksgiving suppers were typically spent with Randy and Austin at their ranch. The three of them would order up a Thanksgiving meal from the grocery store, watch football and relax.
But Randy and Austin were spending it with Hannah’s family this year, leaving him and Kaylee on their own. He wasn’t used to china plates and homemade food and seeing Bridget’s beautiful face across from him.
“I don’t want to play games.” Kaylee tugged on her sleeves, gripping the ends. “That’s what Mom and I did on Thanksgiving. We’d watch the parade in the morning, have a big turkey dinner delivered, and when it was done, we’d play stuff like Yahtzee and Spoons.”
Mac hadn’t realized... “Did Dad play with you guys?” He couldn’t imagine any scenario where his father would play Yahtzee. But maybe the three of them had been a real family.
A family he’d never been a part of.
“Dad? Yahtzee?” Her voice lilted and her color returned. “Yeah, right. He barely made it through a slice of pie before going to his office.”
Why that comforted him he didn’t care to think about.
Kaylee turned to stare down the hall. He winced. He’d been rude to Bridget. Really rude. For no reason.
“Come on. We’ll take off.” He felt for his keys in his pockets.
“Wait.” She shook her head. “I need to talk to Bridget first.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth as she scurried away. Always talking to Bridget. Confiding in Bridget. Never trusting him with anything.
Reluctantly, he returned to the dining room. Now that the table was clear and the dishes done, Tess and Sawyer were busy setting up a board game. Clue, from the looks of it. Kaylee and Bridget faced each other near the counter, talking in low tones he couldn’t make out.
Bridget reached over and brushed some of Kaylee’s hair behind her ear, giving her a tender look. Kaylee nodded at whatever she said and gave her a quick hug. Then they came over to the table.
“Oh, good, are you ready to play?” Tess smiled at them as they each took out a chair.
Wait? Why was Kaylee sitting? He thought they were getting out of here.
Then Tess glanced at him. “Mac? Are you in?”
“I don’t know.” He caught Kaylee’s eyes and gave her the look that said, Are you sure about this? She nodded with a mixture of fear, longing and anticipation. He pulled out a chair. “I guess I’m in.”
A minute ago, he’d been ready to take Kaylee home. Now, he was stuck playing Clue with the woman he’d been horrible to for no good reason. Happy Thanksgiving.
Everyone picked their playing pieces while Tess dealt the cards. Tucker sat on Sawyer’s lap and hopped the green piece on the spaces in front of him. Mac sneaked a look at Bridget, but she didn’t look his way. In fact, he got the impression she was avoiding his end of the table.
He didn’t blame her.
The game started, and he kept an eye on Kaylee. Was this too hard—playing games without her mom? For the first fifteen minutes or so, she seemed subdued. But as the game wore on, everyone got louder, including her. Tess won the first round, and when Sawyer made a joke about her competitive side and hiding the candlesticks from her, she glared at him—and even Bridget chuckled.
Mac tried to ignore the guilt mounting inside him. Yes, he’d been rude to Bridget, and, no, she hadn’t deserved it. But...
He owed her an apology.
Plain and simple.
It would have to wait until they were alone, though, and from the looks of it, that would be a while.
The next two hours were filled with laughter, a lot of pumpkin pie and coffee. Bridget insisted on brewing it, and whatever she added made it taste better than he imagined possible. They played more games. By the time they finished, Tucker’s yawns grew bigger.
“We’d better be taking off.” Mac helped clear the last of the dessert plates. Kaylee was right behind him with the remaining coffee cups. He still hadn’t had the chance to apologize to Bridget.
“Want us to give you a ride home?” Kaylee asked her.
His stomach clenched. No. Please say no.
“Umm...” Bridget glanced at Sawyer, then at Mac, then back to Kaylee. A fly caught in a spiderweb couldn’t have looked more stuck.
“Would you mind?” Sawyer asked Mac. “I’ve got to run out and check on a pregnant cow. The old girl worried me this morning, and I won’t feel right waiting until tomorrow.”
“Sure. No problem.”
After they all exchanged hugs and raved about the meal, Mac, Kaylee and Bridget headed outside. Should he apologize now? Or wait until he dropped her off?
“Can I drive?” Bridget kept her head high as she marched in clipped strides. “I need to get used to driving in the dark.”
“It’s Thanksgiving.” He didn’t know why he said it.
“I’m aware.”
Kaylee was already well ahead of them. He held out the keys to Bridget. She halted.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said. “About earlier. I was rude.”
She nodded, staring at the ground momentarily before meeting his gaze. “It’s okay. You were right. You don’t need me telling you what to do.”
Then she took the keys from his hand and strode to the truck, leaving him staring after her, wondering why he was careful about everyone’s feelings except Bridget’s. He never would have said those things to one of the guys or to Kaylee.
Why was he being so awful to the woman he thought so highly of? The one he couldn’t stop thinking about?
He wasn’t solving that mystery tonight. Something told him he’d be better off not solving it ever.