Page 157 of Lucky Mother Pucker

She gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s not. I think it’s really sweet.”

We’re both quiet for a while as I drive. Just then, I remember what Lucy told me right around the time that we first met. She mentioned that her dad has family in Scotland and Canada.

“What about your dad’s family?”

She turns to me. “What?”

“You said your dad has a few relatives in Scotland and Canada. Have you thought about getting in touch with them?”

Lucy flashes that sad smile again. “I’ve never really had the time or energy to do that. When my parents passed away, I was in survival mode, and didn’t think about much else. I should try though. Even though it’ll probably be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because our last name is so common. If I tried to do an online search for the Bailey family in Canada or Scotland, I’d probably find thousands of people. And I don’t have much information to go on. Just our last name.”

“You don’t know the names of your dad’s cousins or aunts or uncles?”

“I think one of his uncles was named Earl. Or maybe it was Errol. I’m pretty sure he said he lived in Montreal.” She sighs. “I wish I remembered more. I was a little kid when he mentioned it, and I didn’t really pay much attention.”

I’m quiet as I think about what she’s said.

She gives me a small smile. “Thanks for letting me tag along to your family Thanksgiving. I’m excited to be at a big gathering for the first time.”

A sense of urgency takes hold. I have no idea where to start or how to do it, but I’m going to figure out a way for Lucy to find the rest of her family. She doesn’t deserve to be alone.

An hour later, I pull into the tree-lined neighborhood where my mom lives.

“Oh, wow,” Lucy says as she gazes out the window. “These houses are huge.”

This is one of the nicer neighborhoods in Breckenridge. All the homes are on sprawling properties on big lots of land, covered in evergreen trees. It’s right next to a golf course with the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop.

She turns to me. “You grew up here?”

“Yeah. My parents moved to this neighborhood when I was in middle school.”

I turn onto the winding road that leads to my mom’s house. I pull into the long driveway behind a half-dozen cars.

“Holy crap,” Lucy murmurs as she gets out of the car, gazing at the front of the house. “Your house looks like a fancy ski lodge.”

I glance at the exterior of my mom’s two-story house, which is made of dark wood and river rock. “Yeah, I guess it kind of does.”

I grab her hand and lead her inside.

Chapter 56

Leo

The second we walk through the front door, we’re hit with a wave of laughter and chatter.

There must be fifty people in the house, standing around, sipping on drinks and eating appetizers.

“Whoa,” Lucy says as she looks at the crowd of people. “Your mom is cooking dinner for all these people?”

“Kind of. She hired a catering crew to help her. She gives them her own recipes that they follow. And she does all the grocery shopping. She’s a stickler when it comes to hosting and cooking for people.”

“Leo! Dude! You finally made it!” my cousin, Matteo, hollers.

I barely have my jacket off before he runs over and hugs me.