THANKSGIVING DAY
Max hadn’t wanted to go home for Thanksgiving, because traveling wasn’t fun on crutches, even in first class. But her grandmother Eleanor hadn’t been well these last few months, and Max feared her health was worse than just not getting over a cold quickly. Eleanor Sterling Revere was a proud, strong woman who both infuriated Max and presented an amazing role model. And though they’d had their differences over the years—many, many differences—Max loved her.
Max didn’t need the blessing of her family for anything—not what she did or who she loved. She’d already caught heat from the family trust board of directors about Eve—as Martha’s daughter, Eve was entitled to a trust fund. Max was willing to fight all the way to court if she had to, not because Eve wanted the money—the concept of having a trust fund when she’d been raised so frugally seemed to terrify the teenager—but because it was the right thing to do. It was her legacy, and damn if Max was going to let the family turn their back on Eve. Max had been shunned—mostly by her mother’s brother Brooks—because she was the illegitimate child of the wild Martha Revere and no one knew who her father was. But Max didn’t care (she had, as a child; today she enjoyed tormenting her uncle). Her grandparents accepted her fully, and Max wasn’t surprised that Eleanor fully accepted Eve.
It wasn’t Eleanor who had demanded the DNA test; it was Brooks.
Of course Eve passed; Max didn’t need the proof that she was her sister, but it was nice to have it in her back pocket.
The reason why Max was nervous was because she was bringing Ryan into the family circle. She never brought any of her boyfriends home to meet her family—not since she was a teenager and living at home. But deep down she wanted Eleanor to meet Ryan. Deep down, in a place she didn’t like to explore, she wanted Eleanor’s blessing.
Because Ryan was important to her. In a million different ways.
Maybe part of it was because she wanted Ryan to understand her. He said he did, but she had her doubts. She’d been raised wholly different than he had been. She was judgmental and independent and headstrong. She had no intention of changing, and Ryan said he didn’t want to change her, which seemed odd. Every man she’d ever dated had found her flawed and tried to mold her into what they wanted.
Ryan was the first man who was happy with Max exactly how she was.
She still marveled at it. Expected it to end. Anticipated him finding a flaw he couldn’t live with.
Eve came into the kitchen where Max was sitting at the table slicing apples for a pie. They were eating at Brooks’s house for Thanksgiving; Max was not happy about it, but she wasn’t going to force the point when Eleanor was in no shape to entertain.
“Where’s Ryan?”
“Making Grandma laugh.”
Eve called Eleanor Grandma. It was cute, endearing, and foreign to Max, who had always called her Grandmother or Eleanor.
Eve ate an apple slice as she sat next to Max. “What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.”
Eve snorted. “What happened to your pledge never to lie to me?”
“You’ve become a brat.”
“Did you actually think Grandma wouldn’t like Ryan? Everyone loves Ryan.”
“That’s true.” She slid the apples into a clear bowl and tossed in sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. “I suppose I thought all this would be overwhelming for Ryan.”
“Hardly. He’s happy eating hamburgers in a diner or a five-course meal at a fancy hotel. He fits in everywhere.”
“You’re a brat and smart.”
“Grandma said I’m just like you were without attitude or sarcasm.”
“We can thank Gabriel for your upbringing then.” She shouldn’t have said that. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. It’s okay. I miss him a lot. But I’m okay.” She put her hand on Max’s arm. “Really, I’m okay.”
Ryan walked in, all smiles. “Eleanor is a hoot.”
“A hoot,” Max said, then burst out laughing. Never in a million years would a normal person call her regal grandmother a hoot.
“I see why you admire her so much. She’s smart, savvy, with exquisite taste in art.”
“That is true.”
“And a wicked sense of humor.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You do.” Ryan kissed her.
Max poured the apple mixture into the two piecrusts she’d prepared earlier, then instructed Eve to put the pies in the preheated oven. “Forty minutes, then it’s off to the morgue.”
“Excuse me?”
“My uncle Brooks. And trust me, he’s nothing like my grandmother.”
Ryan handed Max her crutches and helped her up. “Eve, I’m taking your sister outside for a minute.”
“I’ll see if Grandma needs any help getting ready.”
“It’s cold.”
“It’s beautiful.”
They stepped out into the rose garden, where the rosebushes had been trimmed and gone dormant for the winter. Still, the calendulas and pansies were thriving in the mild, moist Northern California weather. Eleanor loved her rose garden, but she wanted flowers year round and paid well for a gardener to tend to them. Max sat on the bench that her grandmother had imported from France. It fit here, among the roses.
“You’ve been apprehensive about this trip,” Ryan said, taking her crutches and sitting next to her. “Why? You’re not embarrassed to show me off to your family? Tell them we’re living together?”
“Of course not.”
“Then?”
“Maybe I’m embarrassed by my family. I have a sister-in-law in a mental institution when she should be in prison for murder; I have an uncle who cheated on his wife and then married his lover and cheated on her. Though I haven’t told anyone yet. And then his son who can’t keep it in his pants and oh, there’s also—”
“Shhh.”
She looked at him.
“There’s also me. I was raised like this. I’m judgmental, and I’m usually right. I’m not going to change.”
“And I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t want you to change. And I’m going to prove it.”
She smiled at him. “I don’t think sex in the rose garden would be acceptable … though maybe tonight when everyone is asleep.”
“You’re on,” he said, and kissed her. Every time he kissed her, she melted. She felt like … she didn’t quite know. Like she wanted to sit in a car and make out with him. Like she wanted to spend more time with him. “And while I will have sex with you whenever and wherever you want, that’s not how I’m going to prove I love you.”
“You don’t have to prove it. I know you do. I love you. I don’t know how it happened, but I love you. And that sounds so crazy to me, because I’m selfish and self-absorbed.”
“That’s the first time you’ve told me you love me without saying, ‘I love you, too.’”
He kissed her again, and she didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to go to her uncle’s house, she didn’t want to leave at all. She wanted Ryan, Eve, and Eleanor tonight, the four of them, talking about her grandfather and remembering his stories. Talking about the good things growing up here, about the past, about long before Max was born. She wanted peace, quiet, and the man she loved.
Her family, small and wonderful.
He took her hand and kissed it.
“You’re getting sappy on me, Maguire.”
He kissed her hand again, and again. Her heart beat rapidly and flutters she rarely felt went up and down her spine.
“I love it when I freak you out,” he said, “because you’re very hard to freak.”
“I don’t freak.”
He put his fingers on her pulse. “Really.” He kissed her neck, behind her ear, her jawline, her lips.
She melted into him. She hadn’t felt this comfortable, this loved, this wanted, in … ever.
He leaned back and looked at her. His eyes were sparkling, and for a second she thought they were tears. And maybe they were.
“I was going to wait until New Year’s Eve, your birthday, but thought that’s kind of predictable. Then I thought maybe I should wait a year, as that always seems to be standard for couples. But I’m not very good at keeping secrets, and when I know I want something I can’t just sit back and not at least try to get it. So I asked your grandmother if she would object, and she doesn’t. In fact, I think she’s rather thrilled. Must be my charm and good looks.” He reached into his pocket and came out with a small box.
“You are one of a kind, Maxine Revere, and I want to marry you.”
She stared at him.
He opened the box.
A small, perfect diamond in an exquisite antique setting was nestled in its pocket.
She couldn’t speak. Maxine Revere, a woman who was never without words, was silent. What had become of her?
He took the ring and slid it on her finger. It fit just right. “I borrowed one of your rings to have this sized.”
She stared.
Marry me.
She hadn’t expected it. She didn’t know if she even wanted it. She’d never thought much about marriage. She never thought much about her future. Everything was about living today and living in the past. Solving cold cases, looking at what was and what is, not what could be.
She’d never thought she’d get married because she’d never found a man to accept her and she had too much respect for herself to change who she was for anyone.
Yes.
She still couldn’t speak.
Ryan tilted her chin up. “Max?”
She kissed him because words failed her. She held his face and kissed him, then she didn’t let go. She held him tight, just held him.
“You’re shaking. Max.”
“I—” She couldn’t talk. Damn, she was going to cry. She never cried.
“Max?” He separated them and looked at her. “Oh, babe, I love you so much.”
“Yes,” she said, and kissed him. “Yes, you do, and yes, I will marry you.”
Family was the most important thing to Lucy, which was why she’d so desperately wanted everyone to visit for Thanksgiving. While she loved San Antonio and had made a wonderful home with Sean and now Jesse, she missed her family. Two brothers on the East Coast, the rest of her family on the West Coast, split between San Diego and Sacramento. She’d thought living in Texas—centrally located—would give her the go-to house for traveling, but it didn’t work out that way.
Bandit came up and pushed his snout into her hand.
“I’m not sad,” she said to the dog, scratching him behind his ears. He put his chin on her lap and looked up at her as if he knew she was lying.
Lucy leaned back on the living-room couch and closed her eyes, absently petting Bandit. She tried not to be sad. This was Jesse’s first Thanksgiving with Sean, and she wanted it to be memorable. Dillon’s flight was delayed, he and Kate would be here later this morning. Kane and Siobhan were driving up from Hidalgo right now and would be here in a couple hours. They were supposed to be here yesterday but changed plans. She’d already talked to her mom and dad, who were going to Connor and Julia’s house for the holiday, along with Carina and Nick and JP.
She was really sad that Patrick wasn’t coming. Sure, she understood that Elle’s work was important, but so was family. And every time Patrick was going to come out for a visit, something in Elle’s life stopped him. The only time he’d been out here was for her wedding, and she absently thought that if Elle had had an emergency he would have bowed out of that, too.
That’s not fair, Lucy.
Maybe Lucy was a little bit jealous. She and Patrick had been so close for so long, and now they rarely talked. Patrick and Sean had once been best friends, but now when they talked it was about work.
Truly, though, it was the distance. If she’d stayed in DC, she and Patrick wouldn’t have grown apart.
Sean sat down next to her and kissed her. “Don’t look sad.” He put his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck. “Eating is delayed only a couple hours.”
“I know. Just … melancholy. Though you bought far too much, we’re going to be eating leftovers for weeks.”
“They’ll be delicious leftovers.”
Sean had taught himself how to cook, which was a relief to Lucy because she wasn’t good in the kitchen and she didn’t really want to learn. But last week he’d ordered a full Thanksgiving feast from a Texas BBQ, and it had been delivered at two. All they had to do was warm it up and set up the buffet. But he’d ordered for twenty people—wishful thinking on his part.
Lucy needed to be grateful for what she did have and the people who could visit for the holiday. They had friends, Sean’s brother Kane only lived a few hours away, and maybe she would have to make a bigger effort to visit family.
“Nate and Jesse are having an intense battle at the pool table,” Sean said. “And I think Jess might actually win this one.”
“He’s been practicing for months,” Lucy said. “He’s competitive, just like his father.” She smiled. Jesse had been a blessing in their lives, and she loved him more every day.
Their security system beeped a few seconds before the doorbell rang.
“That must be Kane and Siobhan,” Sean said as he got up. “They made good time.”
He opened the door. “Dillon!”
Lucy jumped up. Finally!
“They got us on an earlier flight,” Dillon said.
There was a lot of commotion at the door, and Lucy walked over.
Dillon and Kate weren’t the only ones who made an earlier flight.
“Patrick!” Lucy ran out and hugged her brother tightly. “You said you couldn’t come.”
Tears burned behind her eyelids.
He hugged her just as tightly back. “You can thank Dillon and Kate. They know people. Sean promised there would be enough food, so we brought guests.”
Lucy looked behind Patrick. Elle stood there with three kids, a teenage girl and two younger boys.
Lucy took a deep breath. Patrick loved Elle, and she would learn to love her, too. She walked over, smiled, and gave Elle a hug. “I’m so glad you came.” She looked at the kids. “I’m Lucy.”
Elle said, “Marianna, Pedro, and Carlos. I still don’t know how Kate got the judge to let me take them out of state, but I owe her big-time.”
Kate shook her head. “When the rules are stupid, we find a way to get around them.” She playfully hit Sean in the arm. “Isn’t that right, Sean?”
He grinned. “No comment. Kane’s still thirty minutes out, but you’re probably hungry. I have appetizers.”
“And a beer, I hope,” Patrick said.
“Harp, just for you, pal.”
They walked into the house. Lucy had never been happier. She put her arm around Sean. “You knew.”
“I knew Kate and Elle were working on it. Those kids lost everything and the system jerked them around. Split them up into three different foster homes. Marianna has been in and out of trouble, but most of it stemming from just trying to survive in a shitty home life. Elle wanted them together for Thanksgiving, but the judge wouldn’t let them leave DC—that’s why Patrick and Elle were going to stay. Kate pulled strings. She’s pretty amazing.”
“You’re pretty amazing, too.”
Sean kissed her. “I know.”
They followed their family and new friends into the house. Lucy blinked back tears.
Life is good.