kitchen and we barely ever use it. Brady won’t mind at all.”
Ally turned quickly, so no one would notice the flush in her cheeks. She was just going to say something to put the kibosh on Jade’s offer when Jillian piped up. “Wow, that’s great—but only if you let us bring a dish or two. That way, all you’ll have to bother with is the turkey. Oh! And if you don’t mind, I’ll get there early so that I can toss my pies in the oven before you roast the turkey.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jade shrugged. She’d never cooked a turkey. In fact, she didn’t cook at all. But seriously, how hard could it be to put a turkey in a pan and stick it in the oven? Besides, with a house full of people, Brady couldn’t make other plans that would take him and Oliver away from her.
“I’ve got a great stuffing recipe,” Lorna said.
Everyone looked over at her, surprised. Jade’s smile got wider. “So, you won’t be spending Thanksgiving with family, either?”
Lorna shook her head. “Not this year. I’m ready for a change.”
“Great! Par-TAY!” Jade pumped the air with her fist. “Even if Barry and Scott can’t be there, I know Brady can’t wait to meet Matt.”
Ah yes, Matthew , Lorna thought. He’ll be upset to hear that Dante and I are skipping Thanksgiving with Eleanor, but I don’t care. He’ll just have to understand .
She glanced around. Thank goodness Kelly was on the other side of the park and hadn’t heard the conversation. If she wasn’t clinging to Lorna, she was ingratiating herself to the Legacy Onesies.
Obviously she’s covering her bets , thought Lorna. She’ll be relieved when she finds out I’m the one with the lousy odds .
1:33 p.m.
“You’re not serious, are you? About skipping out on Thanksgiving?” Matt stared at Lorna as if she’d grown horns on her head.
She’d waited until Dante was napping to break the news to Matt. “Yes, I am. We always do the same thing—the house at Stinson Beach with your family. Why don’t we do something different, just this once? We see them all the time.”
“How can you say that? We haven’t seen any of them since Dante’s fall! Didn’t you say that the doctor felt he was fine? So why are you still upset over this? I don’t get it.”
“It has nothing to do with Dante’s fall. I’m at the point where I’ll blow a gasket if I’m stuck out at the beach with Bettina and Art and Lily for a four-day weekend.”
Matt laughed. “Don’t you think Mother will feel the same way if we aren’t there for her? Seriously, Lorn, if you’re over Bettina, then quit competing with her. Like joining her stupid club.”
She wrapped her arms around Matt’s waist. “Why? So she can say she chased me away? Forget about it. Besides, I’m making some very nice friends. You’ll enjoy them, too. You’ll see. On Thanksgiving.”
He sighed. “Okay, but since you want out, you have to break the news to Mother.”
“She’ll hate it coming from me!”
“Too bad. And we both know that she’ll hate it no matter whom it comes from. She misses Dante.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her. In fact, I’ll take Dante over to see her this afternoon.”
3:36 p.m.
“Do you hate me, Lorna?”
Eleanor’s question contained no dread or malice, just curiosity. After Lorna had broken the news to her that they’d made other plans for Thanksgiving, Eleanor had plopped Dante in the electronic swing she kept for him in her kitchen so she could pour tea for Lorna and herself.
What a difference a few hours made. Outside the kitchen window, the bay was anything but calm, as it was only that morning. Now, breathy November winds were whipping waves into rows of dark, stiff peaks and shoving the downy clouds across the sapphire sky.
It was chillier still in the kitchen. Or, at least, if felt that way to Lorna.
“Of course I don’t hate you.” Lorna stopped to consider what to say next. She knew she’d have to choose her words carefully. “I can’t
Ally turned quickly, so no one would notice the flush in her cheeks. She was just going to say something to put the kibosh on Jade’s offer when Jillian piped up. “Wow, that’s great—but only if you let us bring a dish or two. That way, all you’ll have to bother with is the turkey. Oh! And if you don’t mind, I’ll get there early so that I can toss my pies in the oven before you roast the turkey.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jade shrugged. She’d never cooked a turkey. In fact, she didn’t cook at all. But seriously, how hard could it be to put a turkey in a pan and stick it in the oven? Besides, with a house full of people, Brady couldn’t make other plans that would take him and Oliver away from her.
“I’ve got a great stuffing recipe,” Lorna said.
Everyone looked over at her, surprised. Jade’s smile got wider. “So, you won’t be spending Thanksgiving with family, either?”
Lorna shook her head. “Not this year. I’m ready for a change.”
“Great! Par-TAY!” Jade pumped the air with her fist. “Even if Barry and Scott can’t be there, I know Brady can’t wait to meet Matt.”
Ah yes, Matthew , Lorna thought. He’ll be upset to hear that Dante and I are skipping Thanksgiving with Eleanor, but I don’t care. He’ll just have to understand .
She glanced around. Thank goodness Kelly was on the other side of the park and hadn’t heard the conversation. If she wasn’t clinging to Lorna, she was ingratiating herself to the Legacy Onesies.
Obviously she’s covering her bets , thought Lorna. She’ll be relieved when she finds out I’m the one with the lousy odds .
1:33 p.m.
“You’re not serious, are you? About skipping out on Thanksgiving?” Matt stared at Lorna as if she’d grown horns on her head.
She’d waited until Dante was napping to break the news to Matt. “Yes, I am. We always do the same thing—the house at Stinson Beach with your family. Why don’t we do something different, just this once? We see them all the time.”
“How can you say that? We haven’t seen any of them since Dante’s fall! Didn’t you say that the doctor felt he was fine? So why are you still upset over this? I don’t get it.”
“It has nothing to do with Dante’s fall. I’m at the point where I’ll blow a gasket if I’m stuck out at the beach with Bettina and Art and Lily for a four-day weekend.”
Matt laughed. “Don’t you think Mother will feel the same way if we aren’t there for her? Seriously, Lorn, if you’re over Bettina, then quit competing with her. Like joining her stupid club.”
She wrapped her arms around Matt’s waist. “Why? So she can say she chased me away? Forget about it. Besides, I’m making some very nice friends. You’ll enjoy them, too. You’ll see. On Thanksgiving.”
He sighed. “Okay, but since you want out, you have to break the news to Mother.”
“She’ll hate it coming from me!”
“Too bad. And we both know that she’ll hate it no matter whom it comes from. She misses Dante.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her. In fact, I’ll take Dante over to see her this afternoon.”
3:36 p.m.
“Do you hate me, Lorna?”
Eleanor’s question contained no dread or malice, just curiosity. After Lorna had broken the news to her that they’d made other plans for Thanksgiving, Eleanor had plopped Dante in the electronic swing she kept for him in her kitchen so she could pour tea for Lorna and herself.
What a difference a few hours made. Outside the kitchen window, the bay was anything but calm, as it was only that morning. Now, breathy November winds were whipping waves into rows of dark, stiff peaks and shoving the downy clouds across the sapphire sky.
It was chillier still in the kitchen. Or, at least, if felt that way to Lorna.
“Of course I don’t hate you.” Lorna stopped to consider what to say next. She knew she’d have to choose her words carefully. “I can’t
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