It eventually did, thank goodness, and I was already coming up with the speech to call things off with Heath on the way home. This was just too much. Too weird.
And then it happened.
As we were saying goodbye on the huge front porch, Mrs. Reyes grabbed Heath for a tight hug. “Natalie, please tell me you’ll be taking care of my baby during Thanksgiving.”
I tried to keep a normal look on my face. “Sure. But… why?”
Heath laughed, and I swear it was the first real laughter I’d heard that evening. “They’re leaving for a European river cruise during Thanksgiving. I assured them you and I would be together, and they didn’t have to worry about me.”
“Promise me, Natalie.” Mrs. Reyes’ eyes were full of unshed tears.
How the hell was I supposed to say no to that?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Tim
It was a couple of weeks after the Orchid Ball, and I’d been in a terrible mood ever since. Natalie had left the ball with Heath, and if anything, they’d seemed even closer over the past several days. Every time I’d asked her to hang out, she’d had an excuse as to why she couldn’t do it.
And I hated it.
I was pouring syrup over Mom’s homemade waffles, when she said something that almost made me snap.
“We’ve invited Heath Reyes, Natalie’s surgeon friend, for Thanksgiving. Isn’t that great?”
I stared at her while Dad, Sadie, Harrison, and Alexis were all very supportive.
“Tim! Watch what you’re doing?”
I looked down, realizing I’d never stopped pouring syrup. I had a fucking lake of syrup in my plate. “Oh, shit. Sorry.” I winced. I’d used almost the entire container. And I was pretty sure I’d ruined my waffle. “I guess I just assumed it would be all of us plus Nat and Wyn. And that would be it.”
Mom gave me a look while Alexis took my plate to the sink and tried to pour the syrup back into the container. “We should just be glad that she’s made that man understand that we’re her family.”
“I guess.” The thought of having to see his face across the Thanksgiving table from me made me sick.
“Now,we’redoing a breakfast. Diana Crenshaw has invited everyone for Thanksgiving lunch around three or four that day. You know Carrie filed for divorce from that husband of hers, and I think she wants as many friends around her daughter at this time as possible. I doubt Nat and Heath will go to that, of course.”
“I’m glad Carrie’s divorcing him,” I said. “She deserves better than that jackass.”
I didn’t get an argument from anyone.
“I saw you and Carrie dancing at the Orchid Ball,” Mom said in what she probably thought was a sly voice.
“Mom,” Sadie snapped. “Carrie’s not even divorced yet. Leave Tim alone.” She looked at me and gave me the smallest possible wink.
I frowned. Did she know I’d kissed Natalie in the haunted maze? Did she know how I still felt about her?
Thanksgiving dawned bright and beautiful. I would have been in a lot better mood if I’d gotten to spend any time with Natalie since the kisses in the maze at the Orchid Ball. I’d thought I would get to today, but if Heath was going to be here it didn’t count.
I had picked up a huge platter of pastries from the bakery downtown and brought them over to Mom and Dad’s. Sadie and Harrison showed up with orange juice. Lots of orange juice. Wyn had brought a huge fruit salad and chocolate chips for anyone who wanted them in their pancakes or waffles. Alexis brought Redi-Whip and fruit. We all knew Nat had never really liked maple syrup. Dad was handling the meat, making sausage balls and bacon. Mom had fired up the waffle iron, and Sadie manned the pancake station.
When Nat and Heath got there, Nat immediately got to work on the eggs and hashbrowns. Heath had brought a huge basket of gourmet jams, jellies, apple butter, biscuits, scones, and bagels.
I think we could’ve eaten for a week off all the food in the house that morning.
But that’s kind of what the holidays are all about. And who doesn’t love the leftovers?
We all sat around the table like usual and had a free for all over the food. Heath kind of got lost in the shuffle, which pleased me until I realized Nat had made a plate for him.
