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She smiled and nodded. “I’ll be here waiting.”
I dashed out of her bedroom and hopped into the shower. My hands moved all over my body, washing up as quick as possible, so I could hurry and get back to Hazel, wishing, praying, and hoping that Rosie was sleeping already.
I headed back over to Hazel’s room, ready to do things I’d only been able to imagine for the past few weeks, and all hope died the moment I saw her lying in her bed, completely passed out while Rosie slept in her crib.
Well then, this is a new hurdle to the relationship.
Instead of bothering to wake her, I crawled into bed beside her, and without thought, she curled her body against mine, just like the good ol’ days. In that moment, I was happy to have something that made me feel like I was officially home again.
“I figured she could wear this,” Big Paw grumbled as he stood on the front porch of my house the night before Thanksgiving. He held a turkey onesie for Rosie in his hands, and he looked so mad about it, but the fact that he even was holding a onesie made him look that much gentler. “I saw it at the store when I went out of town to get some supplies. Figured the girl should have a first-Thanksgiving outfit.”
“I’ll make sure to pass it on to Hazel,” I promised, taking it from him.
He scratched at his beard and muttered a bit before looking back up toward me. “Saw you and the boys on TV the other night. You sounded good. Real good.”
What was that? A compliment from Big Paw?
Little Rosie must’ve been making him soft.
“But don’t let it go to your damn head. You aren’t that good, boy.”
Ah, that sounded more like the grandfather I knew and loved.
“You, Hazel, and Rosie should come over to our place tonight to help Grams with some food prep. Plus, she cooked a meal for you being back in town.”
“I’m actually feeling a bit tired, Big Paw. I was hoping to crash for a few hours.”
“If you can perform for strangers, you can show up for your grandmother,” he said. “We’ll see you in a few.”
He turned around and walked off, not giving me much of a choice. Then again, he was right. I hadn’t been able to connect with my grandparents much over the past few months, and I’d missed them.
Sleep could come later; family was always first.
It didn’t take much to convince Hazel to come with me, and an hour later, we were on our way. The moment I walked in the door, it smelled like Thanksgiving. The warmth of the season filled my grandparents’ house, and I welcomed it. I’d missed them. I’d missed home. After traveling and working nonstop for the past few months, I felt pretty damn homesick.
“Sweetheart!” Grams said, grinning ear to ear as she walked over to me wearing her turkey apron. She was covered in flour and moving a bit slower than I remembered, but when she hugged me, I felt her love.
Gosh, I missed Grams’s hugs.
As she let me go, I rolled up my sleeves. “How can I help you?” I asked.
She snickered. “Oh, sweetie, I think we are safer with you not in the kitchen.”
I knew she had to be overwhelmed with cooking.
Thanksgiving in Eres wasn’t a small event for my grandparents. Just as they did with everything, they thought about the town’s overall enjoyment. Therefore, the barn house was set up with over two hundred chairs for people to show up and enjoy a meal. It worked mostly as a potluck where everyone brought a signature dish to pass around.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to make my grand slam sloppy joe sliders?” I joked.
She shivered. “No, no. Sliders aren’t made for Thanksgiving.”
“They can be. I’ll even add a few slices of cheese to make them fancy.”
She shot that down fast.
What a shame—a nice can of sloppy joe could go a long way.
Just then, Hazel popped her head into the room. “Do you need any help in here, Holly? Big Paw is holding Rosie for a while.”
