Page 72 of A Whim and a Prayer

“What’s on the menu?” Collin wanted to know as he collected all the cards, his turn to deal.

“Pumpkin, pecan, and apple crumb pies, plus a to-die-for blueberry pie”—her mother extended a hand toward Beck with a smile—“compliments of Beck’s mother, of course.”

“I’ll have a small slice of each,” Uncle Sean said with a rub of his hands.

Winnie’s mother gave her brother a playful jut of her brow. “A slice of each for pumpkin, pecan, and apple crumb only, Winnie, since we have three pies of each of those. But only a sliver of blueberry since there’s only one.”

“Ditto on this end, sweetheart,” her father said with a wink.

Heaving a defeated sigh, Winnie rounded the table to take orders, completely bypassing Beck as she headed toward the kitchen.

“Hey, wait—you forgot my order,” Beck said with a lazy smile. “After all, I did win the spoon.

“No, I didn’t forget.” Winnie tossed a sweet smile over her shoulders as she frosted him with an innocent look that was anything but, triggering a ripple of chuckles around the table. “One humongous piece of humble pie coming right up.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

It was one of the hardest things Beck ever did—stay away from Winnie the rest of the night. But he was determined to ignore her as much as she did him, hoping it would bother her like it bothered him. He’d spent many a holiday at the Dennehys, and he and Winnie had always been joined at the hip during each and every one, so tonight felt very strange and awkward.

Especially when her behavior was so obvious.

“Are you two fighting or something?” Henry had asked when the ladies took a break from the game to help Winnie with dessert.

Beck hesitated, not really wanting to go into it with Winnie’s brother, so he was grateful when her father stepped in instead.

“They’re just butting heads because Winnie’s going through a phase,” Mitch said as he took his turn shuffling the cards, shooting Beck a sympathetic smile.

“Another one?” Henry upended his drink and crunched the ice. “Geez, she’s starting to make me look like the good kid.”

“I doubt there’s any danger of that, Son,” Mitch said, his smile taking a slide toward dry. “Winnie’s just a moody teen, that’s all, not a derelict one.”

Henry halted mid-crunch, mouth plunking open with a lopsided smile. “Gee thanks, Pop, for clearing that up.”

Collin chuckled. “Not to mention the kid’s on the verge of womanhood, and we all know what that’s like.”

Luke feigned a wild shiver that produced chuckles around the table. “Boy, do I! Katie went through so many crazy mood swings back then, she was as bad as Charity.”

Mitch grunted. “Nobody was as bad as Charity.”

Somehow Beck doubted it because the way Winnie had gone from hot to cold in their life-long friendship overnight, he was pretty sure she’d give her mother a run for her money.

When the ladies had delivered the pie, it was Charity who delivered his—a hefty slice of each—to make up for Winnie’s rudeness, he supposed. “Stay tough,” she had whispered in his ear as she placed it before him.

The problem is, he thought as he stabbed at his pie, I don’t want to be tough with Winnie. He wanted to love her and protect and take care of her the rest of his life.

So when she left to go check out the poker game in the living room, he “stayed tough” through games of spoons, pinochle, and dictionary before meandering down the hall two hours later. He ambled into the living room where Winnie was apparently having a blast with her cousins, judging by the laughter and revelry coming from their table.

Beck glanced at his watch, deciding enough was enough. Hands in his pockets, he strolled over to the corner. “Hey, guys, I’m heading out, so Happy Thanksgiving.”

“What?” Abby glanced up from the table—having achieved “S-P-O-O-N” not long after Winnie. “Don’t go yet, Beck—it’s too early. You can play poker with us and I’ll even front you some chips,” she said, patting her considerable pile of M&M’s—the standard betting currency in the Dennehy household.

“Sorry, Abs, but unlike those of you who are off school for Thanksgiving break, I have to work tomorrow.”

Teddy laid his cards on the table. “Come on, Beck, it’s still early, and I could use some male company since Will left me with all these females.”

“Yeah, Beck—please?” Bella said in her typical soft voice, laying her cards down as well. “We can start a new game.”

“Yes, a new game!” Abby, Laney, Kit, and Molly echoed.