Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Do you need help with anything?” I asked as I stepped fully into the kitchen.
My mother glanced up and smiled. “Will you put the plates on the table?”
“Sure!”
“I’ll help,” Brody said, picking up the stack of plates. We headed into the formal dining room. My father had put in the two leaves, so the table was extended to its full length.
“We have a couple of extra plates,” I said, looking at the table that sat twelve.
Brody appeared to be counting in his head. “There’s eleven of us. Your mom must have just grabbed too many plates.”
“I did no such thing.” Mom came walking in and placed a salad on the table with four different types of dressing.
“Who are the other two plates for, Mom?”
The doorbell rang, and my mother’s face exploded into a grin. “Palmer! Will you please get that for me!”
My mouth fell open. “Mom, you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?” Brody asked. “I’m missing something.”
“I don’t know what you mean, Sutton,” she said innocently.
Palmer rushed by and headed to the front door. I brought my hands to hips, but before I could say anything, I heard Palmer’s surprised voice.
“Mason! What are you doing here?”
Brody started to chuckle. I hit him in the stomach, shot my mother a look that said I knew what she was up to, and then made my way into the foyer. Dr. Mason Bryan stood there with a pie in his hand and Charlie by his side. His smile had faltered a little by the time I came rushing around the corner. Then a look of confusion washed over his face.
“Your mother invited Charlie and me for Thanksgiving dinner. If I messed up…” Dr. Bryan’s voice trailed off.
When it was clear Palmer wasn’t going to say anything, I stepped in. “No, of course not. We were expecting you both.” I bent down and smiled at the little boy. “Hey, Charlie, how are you?”
He smiled, and I saw that his front tooth was missing. It was the cutest thing ever. “Hi, Mrs. Wilson.”
“You can call me Sutton.”
Charlie smiled even wider. “Hi, Sutton!”
I stood up straight and saw Palmer taking Mason’s coat. At least she’d gotten over the initial shock of seeing him.
“Dr. Bryan! You and Charlie made it. I’m so happy!” my mother gushed as she swept into the foyer, wrapped her arm around Mason’s, and escorted him into the house.
Meanwhile, Brody knelt next to Charlie. “How about you and me finish setting the table? Want to help with that?”
Charlies eyes lit up as he took Brody’s hand. “Daddy says I’m a big boy now, so I think I can help.”
Brody laughed and started to head off with Charlie. I turned and looked at my sister, who watched them walk away. I wasn’t sure how to read the expression on her face, but one thing was clear—Dr. Mason Bryan had thrown my baby sister for a loop.
“I’m stuffed!” Addie said as she collapsed into one of the chairs on our parents’ back screened-in porch. The space heaters were going so that anyone who wanted to sit out here wouldn’t freeze to death. “Everything was so good.”
Harlee—who had stopped by for dessert like she’d done every year for as long as I could remember—stepped down into the room and asked, “Is it just me, or is Jennifer a little…”
“Ditzy?” Palmer finished for her.
“Well, I was looking for a nicer word to describe her, but yeah.”
“I don’t think Brax is with her for her intellectual attributes,” Addie stated with an eye roll. “I’m pretty sure she was playing footsies with him under the table.”
Palmer laughed. “I think she was playing with something, but I’m not sure it was his foot.”
Harlee fake gagged.
“I didn’t need that visual,” I said, shivering.
“What in the world was our mother thinking by inviting Dr. Bryan?” Palmer crossed her arms over her chest and shot a questioning look at Addie.
“Hey,” Addie started, putting her hands up to ward off any accusations. “I had nothing to do with it.”
Palmer raised one brow.
Addie glanced away. “Fine. I might have had something to do with it. I felt bad for them, Palmer. They had nowhere else to go, and it’s Thanksgiving. I wanted Charlie to have a big dinner with lots of dessert. Plus, I knew he’d love being around Brax, Gannon, and Brody. And I was right. I mean, they all played video games with him, and now Charlie and Brody are playing a board game. How sweet is that?”
I felt my heart warm as I thought about watching Brody with Charlie all afternoon. He was going to make such an amazing father.
Palmer gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I mean, sure, I see your point. But why didn’t she tell anyone he was coming?”
“Maybe it was an open invite, and she told him to just show up if he wanted,” Harlee suggested.