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I’m leaving because it means everything.
She held his gaze for a heartbeat and then left him in the mudroom. She sailed past the kitchen and grabbed her coat off the rack near the door, along with her purse. One minute later, she was in her cold truck, barreling down the long driveway that would eventually lead to the main road.
When she walked into her home, Mr. Higgins greeted her loudly. Millie looked around her empty place, bereft of any kind of Christmas decoration, of any warmth, really, and swiped at the tears that sprang to her eyes.
But it was no use. There was an ache in her that needed letting out. A sense of loss for something she’d never had. Not really.
Millie Sue sank onto her sofa, cuddled Mr. Higgins on her lap, and cried until there were no more tears.
And then she cried some more.
CHAPTER20
Thanksgiving wasa success at the Triple B. That meant, in part, no disagreements, no harsh words, and nothing physical. Easy enough considering it was the politest gathering Cal had been to in his life—not the norm for the Bridgestones.
Ryland and Manley had shown up just before noon, and after a cool hello, Cal retreated to the kitchen. He was still angry over Millie Sue leaving and wished like hell he was off somewhere on his own, so he could think things through properly. He’d been blindsided and wasn’t sure who he was angrier with, Millie for leaving, or himself for letting her.
This thing between them wasn’t over. Hell, it was only beginning. How could he make her see that? He wanted to get into his truck and drive over there, but Cal knew that would only push her further away. Besides, he wasn’t a hotheaded kid anymore. He was a grown-ass man and should act like one. And that meant taking some time. Coming up with a plan.
Thankfully, with the holiday well under way, there were things to do to keep busy. They made a united effort to get the meal ready, though with the turkey already stuffed and in the oven, it wasn’t too hard. Rosie had been kind and had done up most of the food prep the day before, which made things easier still.
Scarlett was of no help, she’d never been much in the kitchen, and with Bent out of commission, most of the work of putting it all together fell to Ryland, Cal, and Manley. It had been a long time since he’d done anything in the kitchen, and he had forgotten how much he liked it. Hell, back in the day, there were times Rosie hadn’t been able to come out to the ranch, and he and Bent would feed the whole gang. Save for Manley. If he came home at all, he’d spend his evening on the back porch, drinking until he passed out.
Ryland and Cal talked sports and kept the conversation going, while their father seemed content to take a back seat and listen. He chimed in here and there, but was mostly subdued. Eventually, the conversation came around to music, and Cal was surprised to find out his brother was a fan of rap. He scored some points when he let Ryland know that he’d hung with Eminem once in Vegas.
Little Nora was the spark that kept things alive. Her excited chatter, endless questions about everything from Paw Patrol to her rabbit to the baby in Scarlett’s belly, was a welcome distraction to Cal. Maybe for all of the Bridgestones. It was hard not to react to a child who found wonder and joy in practically everything. Even the spider she found crawling up the side of the table wasn’t just an ordinary spider on the prowl for food. Heck, it was a magical spider who wove magical power into her web.
Cal did insist on rehoming the creature to the mudroom.
Tabitha showed up just in time to eat, though who the hell invited her was anyone’s guess. Benton seemed as surprised as the rest of them. She came through the front doors like a Gucci-wrapped tornado, a swath of expensive perfume in her wake. She made a big show out of kissing Benton as Cal and Ryland stood watching, but their brother looked more embarrassed than anything. In her expensive clothes, hands dripping in jewels, and sporting enough makeup to make a clown jealous, she didn’t belong.
Cal had to give it to her, she made an effort, though cracks began to show somewhere between coffee and dessert. Nora reached for her second hot cinnamon bun, baked the day before by Rosie, when Tabitha tapped her wrist and smiled.
“I think that’s enough sweets, don’t you?”
“I want another one,” Nora said, chin raised defiantly.
“Us girls need to watch our waistlines.” Tabitha winked, but her cheeks flushed.
“But they’re my favorite.” Nora’s voice quivered. “Rosie made them for me special because she said I was so good all week.”
“If she wants another bun, she can have it.” Benton frowned, then gave his daughter a soft smile.
She scooped up a second bun, but picked at it until Scarlett grabbed another and helped herself to a piece of pumpkin pie. “Are you going to mention anything about my waistline?”
Tabitha’s lips thinned. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just don’t think eating all that sugar is good for a girl her age.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” Scarlett said under her breath as Cal got up and began to clear the table. His father got up too, but he told him to sit and relax. He wasn’t in the mood to be trapped in a room on his own with him. When Ryland joined him, however, he didn’t object—there was a lot of cleaning up to do, after all, and it was well over an hour later that he finally got the dishwasher loaded, the leftovers wrapped and put away. Ryland had left with plans to spend the evening with friends, and Cal let the quiet wash over him.
His shoulders were tight and his jaw ached from clenching it. He felt as if he’d just gone ten rounds with Iron Mike. At loose ends and feeling grumpy, he frowned and stared out the window.
“What say we turn that thing upside down?” Mike Paul strode into the kitchen with Ivy.
“Huh?” he asked.
Mike Paul pointed to his mouth. “I’d like to see a smile right about now.”
“Don’t be a dick,” he said.
