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The little girl ducked back behind the door.
The freckled kid assessed him for a moment before bellowing, “Beccaaaaa!”
He drew out the aaaaa until a startled-looking Becca came to the door.
“Oh! Nick. It’s you.” Her face brightened. “You’re here. How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long. They were just telling me that they’re not allowed to talk to strangers.”
Becca laughed. “Right. Well, uh, thanks, Jesse. This is Nick. He’s my friend. It’s okay to invite him in.”
Becca ruffled the kid’s sandy-brown hair.
“You can come in,” Jesse said, stepping back. “But I don’t think we have any turkey left. We have Brussels sprouts, though.”
“What are you talking about, Jesse? We still have some turkey.”
As Nick stepped into the foyer, the kid frowned at Becca and then put his finger to his lips and made a shushing noise. “I’m taking that home. Auntie Bel said I could take it home. He can have the Brussels sprouts.”
“Jesse, you need to share. Nick just got off work, and I’m sure he’s hungry. Believe me, there will be plenty of turkey for you and everyone else to take home if Nick has some. It’s cold outside. Please, move out of the way so he can come in.”
Either Jesse was easily convinced or he lost interest, because the next thing Nick knew the boy and his wolf pack had run off, leaving him gloriously alone in the foyer with Becca.
“Hi,” he said, leaning in a little bit.
“Hi,” she repeated, meeting him halfway. “I’m glad to see you.”
He kissed her, and suddenly her lips were the only thing in the world he craved. He was lost in the taste of her cranberry-and-spice lips until he heard giggles coming from around the corner.
“See!” Jesse said victoriously. “I told you if we left they’d kiss.” This was uproariously funny to the brood, who were holding their stomachs and throwing back their small heads in laughter. Then when Jesse started chanting, “Kissing! Kissing!” his band of mini minions began following him around the house reciting in unison.
“That’s embarrassing. Sorry. Welcome to Thanksgiving with the Flannigans. You can run now and save yourself.”
“That’s all right. I’m up for it.”
Becca leaned in and planted one more kiss on his lips. “Come on in, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Of course, the house looked the same, but it had a decidedly different air with all the rooms lit up and the sound of people chatting and laughing. Good smells filled the air, and Nick’s stomach rumbled in appreciation.
Becca paused outside the dining room. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to make it.”
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “We had an emergency. This boy who was in the ER twice before with chest pains was back today.”
Becca grimaced. “Poor kid. And on Thanksgiving, too.”
“I confirmed a diagnosis of aortic dissection. He had a tear in the lining of the main artery for blood leaving the heart. If we hadn’t caught it, he could’ve died.”
“Nick. You saved his life.”
He gave a quick nod. “Do you think that earns me a beer?”
Becca gave him a hug and then looked up at him. “You can have whatever you want.”
He liked the way she felt in his arms. It felt like coming home. Or he imagined it did. It was unlike any home he’d ever known.
A large man with a red face turned the corner of the dining room and nearly ran into them. “Hey, you two. Knock that off. No wonder the kids are running around here chanting about kissing.”
His tone suggested he was joking. Nonetheless, Nick stepped away from Becca.
“Uncle Don,” Becca said. “I want you to meet Nick Ciotti. Nick, this is my uncle Don.”
Nick shook the man’s hand. “Is this the boyfriend your mother was telling us about?” Don said.
Becca sputtered a bit. “You know how Mom is.”
“She mentioned that there might be wedding bells in the future. She’s a good catch, man. Don’t let her get away.”
Nick wasn’t quite sure what to say. So he simply nodded in what he hoped was a noncommittal way.
The collar of his shirt suddenly felt tight, despite the fact that it was open. It was a little warm in the house, despite the nearly freezing temperatures outside.
He was probably coming down off the adrenaline rush brought on by the fast pace of the day. Plus, he was hungry, and he really could use that beer.
