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“Here, here.” Everyone raised a glass, whether wine, soda, or iced tea.
Daddy stood to address the diners. “Y’all have been our family over the years, and we couldn’t do what we do without you. Thanks to everyone for making our Thanksgiving a special one.” He lifted his glass.
The scene never failed to bring tears to my eyes. Our bond with this place was everything. I looked around and acknowledged our friends, old and new. When my gaze settled on Seth, I averted my eyes because he was staring back at me. I’d assumed that maybe he’d skip dinner after yesterday’s awkward situation. But, no, he’d shown up forty-five minutes early to help us with the setup. And he’d brought several bottles of wine and sparkling cider in a cooler filled with ice. I’d been busy enough removing hot food from the oven, setting out utensils and filling glasses with ice to avoid having any meaningful conversation.
Now that I was clearing the table and making to-go leftover plates, I could no longer evade him, as he took the spot next to me at the kitchen counter and began to help. I stared at his hands as he transferred portions of turkey, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes from the roasting pans to individual containers. He had nice hands, even though they were currently encased in latex serving gloves.
“I’d like to take one of these home and stash it in my fridge at the inn if you have enough. Everything was so delicious.” He stopped and raised his brows in question, the pause causing me to lose focus on the task.
“Oh, yes. Of course, there’s plenty for all. We tend to overdo it with the food around here.”
“Yes, I remember when we were kids, we’d bring food to the local shelter after dinner. It was always our job to distribute the leftovers.”
I nodded and smiled. It was a pleasant memory. “We’ve got a group of young people coming over shortly to do their holiday service hours for school. They’ll transport the food and pass out plates to anyone who wants or needs them.”
“It’s nice that y’all are carrying on the tradition. As a boarding student whose parents sometimes forgot it was Thanksgiving, I always appreciated your family including me in their holiday dinners.”
Seth hadn’t ever seemed angry or resentful at his parents’ lack of attention, just detached from them in a way I couldn’t imagine. My family fed anyone who was alone or needed a meal. “How are your parents?” I asked politely.
“My mother lives in Paris, and my father passed away a couple of years ago from a massive heart attack. They were divorced. I see Mom every year or two, depending on if she’s available when I travel abroad.”
“Do you do a lot of traveling?” I was curious about how his life looked now.
He shrugged. “Here and there. Mostly for consulting or architectural conferences. I usually get to Europe at least once a year for a couple of weeks.”
I couldn’t imagine the luxury of taking such a trip—or having the time away from the diner. “That sounds amazing.”
“I could take you with me next time I go.” His gloved hand covered mine, and he gazed into my eyes. He was serious.
“Where were you the last ten years?Nowyou come here and offer to take me to Europe? Do you know how hard I’ve worked and how much I could’ve used your help over the years?”
“Kayla, I wanted to be here for you. My work—it’s been erratic. It’s taken me all over, and for years I didn’t have much control over my schedule because I worked for a big firm. Now that I’m in charge, I can schedule projects in advance.”
“My work’s been erratic too. And there’s no way I could leave the diner for a week or two. It’s my whole life.” I glanced up to make sure no one was near enough to hear our conversation. But nobody paid us any mind. All were busy helping restore the kitchen and dining room to its pre-dinner state.
“Maybe it shouldn’t be. You deserve some free time, don’t you?”
I shook my head at his idiocy. “What I deserve doesn’t translate to my reality. I took over the running of the diner from Daddy because it’s our family business. It’s completely hands-on.”
“Yes, I know. I didn’t mean to diminish your work. I just wish you had more time for yourself.”
“You don’t get to wish that. Only I do.” I stacked the to-go containers onto a waiting tray and transferred them to an open space on the counter to clear our workspace.
“Listen, I completely understand how you feel about my leaving and not coming back. But I honestly believed you were coming to meet me at UT. Then, when you never did, I lost control of my time and followed my education and career opportunities.”
“I didn’t expect you to come back here to live necessarily, but I did believe you would check in on me and figure out how to make it work between us.” It had been the loneliest time in my life without Seth after my mom died. “I needed you.”
“I was young and stupid. Looking back, I hate myself for deserting you.” His brow furrowed in an ashamed expression.
“So, I forgive you for being young and selfish. But I’m not going backward. Reliving this with you here isn’t the best use of my time.”
“No, I suppose it isn’t the best thing for either of us, is it?”
“Nope. After I clean up here, I have to get ready for the tree lighting.” I pulled off my gloves and tossed them in the nearest open trash bag.
* * *
The annual tree lighting ceremony was the kickoff for the Christmas season in Cherry Creek. Sometime after everyone finished their Thanksgiving dinner, we made our way in front of the courthouse.
