“Welcome back. I haven’t seen the two of you since that night you introduced yourselves.” She smiled.
“Thank you. I’ve been kind of busy.”
“Me too,” I replied.
“Did the two of you come together? I saw you walk in.”
“Yeah. We did,” Ben spoke. “We’re coffee buddies.”
She looked at him and then at me with a sly grin. “That’s great. I hope to see the two of you again soon.”
As she turned and walked away, I looked at Ben and we both smiled. “Did you see that look?” I asked.
“Yeah. I can only imagine what was going through her head.”
An older woman who appeared to be in her sixties approached the table and poured some coffee. When she went to put a packet of sugar in her cup, she accidentally knocked it off and coffee spilled everywhere.
“Let me help you,” Ben said as he grabbed several napkins.
“Oh no. I’m such a klutz.”
She seemed really upset, so I poured her another cup while Ben cleaned up the mess.
“Do you only take one sugar?” I asked.
“Yes. You’re very kind.” She smiled. “My husband always said I was the clumsiest person he’d ever met. God rest his soul. I miss him terribly.”
I handed her a cup of coffee and, before taking it from me, she gently placed her hand on mine. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry about your husband. When did he pass away?”
“Twelve years ago.”
I gulped, looked at Ben, and then back at her. “Twelve years and you’re still coming to these meetings?”
“Yes. It’s become my ritual and routine now. There’s no place I’d rather be. I’ve watched so many people come and go through the years and have heard so many stories. It’s sad but comforting at the same time.”
An older woman came up behind her and took her over to the other side of the room. “Did you hear that? Twelve years, Ben.”
He chuckled. “I heard. That’s just crazy.”
I shook my head, and I didn’t want to come back here ever again. We headed to the parking lot and Ben opened the truck door for me. As soon as he climbed in, he shut the door and reached over and grabbed my hand. He held it the whole way home.
****
I sat at my desk, sipping on my hazelnut latte from Starbucks when a text message from Ben came through.
“Good morning. I just wanted to tell you that.”
I smiled.
“Good morning. Are you at the station?”
“Yeah. I’ve been here since six a.m. How about you?”
“Yep. I’m sitting at my desk.”
Carly walked by my office and I abruptly stopped her.
“Carly, can you take my picture?”
She stopped and gave me a funny look. “Sure, Paisley.”
I handed her my phone and I hopped on my desk, holding up my Starbucks cup as she snapped a picture.
“Oh, look how cute you look.” She smiled as she showed me the picture.
“Thank you, Carly.”
“Any time, Paisley.”
I sent the picture to Ben.
“You look beautiful, Paisley. Thanks for sending that.”
“Thank you. Your turn.”
A few moments later, his picture came through. He had a great smile and perfect teeth. Who has perfect teeth like that?
“There’s that smile again,” Kenny said as he sat down across from my desk.
“Hi, Kenny.”
“I just wanted to give you an update on your sex column. It’s doing really well. People seem to be eating it up as much as your relationship column. I’ve noticed a big difference in you in the past month and I have to say I like it. I’m just going to come right out and ask you. Is there someone special that’s responsible for this change?”
As I sat there and stared at him, I didn’t know quite what to say. “Well, I have a new friend.”
He nodded as he spoke. “A new friend, eh? What’s his name?”
“Ben,” I replied with a grin.
“I like Ben. Do you like Ben?” he asked.
“You don’t even know Ben, so how can you say you like him?” I laughed.
He got up from his seat and stopped when he reached the doorway. “He makes you smile again, so therefore, I like him.” He winked as he walked down the hall.
I softly smiled and dialed my mom. I needed to tell her that Ben and Leah would be coming for Thanksgiving.
“Hello, darling.”
“Hi, Mom. I wanted to let you know that Ben and his sister will be coming over for Thanksgiving if that’s all right.”
“All right? Of course it’s all right, Paisley. I didn’t know Ben had a sister.”
“She’s seventeen and it’s a long story. Are you cooking tonight?”
“Yes. Would you like to come for dinner? I’m making Rosemary Chicken.”
“Yep. I’ll be there. I have to go, Mom. I’ll tell you more about Ben’s sister later.”
“Bye, darling.”
I turned to my laptop and began working. The day went by rather quickly. I stopped by Kenny’s office before leaving to say goodbye and to have a happy Thanksgiving for I was going to work from home tomorrow.
****
“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming over today,” Keaton said as he kissed my cheek.
“Mom didn’t tell you I was coming for dinner?”
“No.”
“Surprise.” I smiled.
The aroma of chicken filled the kitchen and I was starving. “Are you eating with us?” I asked him.
“I will now that you’re here.”
“Hi, darling.” My mom smiled when she walked in the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Keaton, take the salad to the table. Paisley, why don’t you go down to the wine cellar and pick out a bottle of wine? Your father will be home in a few minutes.”
I brought the wine up and set it on the table. I kissed my dad hello and then took my seat at the table.
“So tell me more about Ben’s sister,” my mom spoke as she passed around the chicken.
“Ben has a sister?” Keaton interrupted.
“Yup. She’s seventeen and she lives in Texas with her mom. Ben’s mom and dad had separated years ago for a while and his dad went to Texas on a fishing trip and had a one-night stand.”
“Oh dear,” my mom said with a twisted face.
“Sounds like my kind of trip minus the fishing and the kid.” Keaton smiled.
I threw a roll at him. He chuckled.
“Anyway, her name is Leah and she’ll be staying with Ben for a couple of weeks while her mom trains for a new job in Arizona. She’s deaf.”
“Who? The mom or sister?” Keaton asked.
“Leah, Ben’s sister. Ben studied sign language so he can communicate with her really well. His dad, not so much, I guess. From what Ben has told me, they aren’t close.”
“Well, I’m happy to have both of them here for Thanksgiving and we’ll make it one they’ll never forget.”
Oh boy. I suddenly got a sick feeling in my stomach.
Chapter 27
Ben
After I arrived home, I went into the guest room to make sure it was ready for Leah. I put fresh sheets on the bed and dusted the furniture. I didn’t call my mom or dad to tell them that she was coming to town, but she wouldn’t be here until Thursday and they’d be in Santa Barbara anyway, so I would tell them on Friday. I pulled out my phone and called my brother.
“Hey, Ben. What’s up?”
“I have something to tell you, but I don’t want you mentioning it to Mom and Dad yet. I’ll tell them on Friday.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“Leah is coming to stay with me for two weeks. I’m picking her up at the airport Thursday morning and we’re going to spend Thanksgiving with Paisley and her family.”
“Wow. Why is Lindsey just dumping her like that?”
His questio
n and the way he said it irritated me. “Lindsey isn’t dumping her. She has to go to Phoenix for two weeks for job training and she doesn’t want to leave Leah home alone. I haven’t seen her in a long time and I feel bad about that. You haven’t either and she’s our sister.”
“Half-sister.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
I was really getting aggravated by Finn’s attitude. For years, the family tried to pretend that Leah didn’t exist. My dad always saw her as a mistake and he figured that since she lived in Texas, she was out of sight, out of mind. He didn’t even know her. He didn’t want to get to know her. And my mom. She would never accept Leah because all she saw was the product of my father’s affair.
“I have to go, Finn. I have to be at the station early. Have a happy Thanksgiving.”
“You too, bro.”
I went to bed and tried to put the ignorance of my brother out of my mind. But the one thing I couldn’t put to rest was the thought of Paisley. I would give anything right now to have her arms around me. As I lay there, I could still feel her soft lips on mine after I kissed her goodbye. Spending Thanksgiving with her and Leah was going to be great and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect holiday. I closed my eyes, caught some z’s, and then worked a straight forty-eight-hour shift.
****
I stood near the baggage claim area, holding up a sign that said “Leah Roberts.” If you’re wondering why her last name wasn’t Preston, it was because Lindsey wanted her last name to be hers, not my father’s, since he was never going to be in her life. I saw Leah coming down the escalator and I held up the sign above my head with a big grin across my face. She looked so beautiful and taller since I saw her last. She saw me and smiled as she ran to me. I picked her up and spun her around.
Look at you. You grew! I smiled as I signed. You’re gorgeous.
I’m so happy to be here. Thank you for letting me stay with you. I want you to tell me all about this girl named Paisley.
I will. Are you hungry?
Yes. I’m starving.
I’ll tell you all about her over breakfast.
I grabbed her suitcase, put my arm around her, and we walked out of the airport and headed to grab some much needed breakfast. The waitress came over to take our order and Leah signed to me what she wanted. I ordered her strawberry pancakes and then my omelet. We sat and talked before, during, and after our breakfast. I could see people stealing glances from the corner of my eye as if they never saw two people signing before. Hell, maybe they hadn’t. I told her about Paisley and her eyes lit up.
I can’t wait to meet her.
I can’t wait for you to meet her and her family. We got up from the booth and, as we walked out the door, I put my arm around her and signed how happy I was that she was here.
Chapter 28
Paisley
I packed a bag and Romeo and spent the night over my parents’ house so I could help my mom cook. I rolled over on my full-size bed and opened my eyes. When I looked at red numbers on the clock, it read six fifteen. Sadness and despair washed over me as I remembered this day last year.
“Time to get up, sleepy head,” he said as he softly stroked my cheek with his finger.
“Ten more minutes.”
“You can have your ten minutes, but you won’t be using them to sleep. I need to properly wish you a happy Thanksgiving, my love.”
Tears began to fall down my face as I felt like I was entering into a panic attack. My heart was palpitating. My body was shaking and it felt like my throat was closing up. I couldn’t catch my breath. I knocked over the lamp on my nightstand and it crashed to the ground. Before I knew it, the door flung open and Keaton ran in, quickly closing it behind him before running over to me and clasping my shoulders.
“Take a deep breath, Paisley. Deep breath. Come on. Breathe with me.”
As I stared into his eyes and focused on his words, I took in a deep breath and slowly began to calm down.
“That’s it,” he whispered as he slowly nodded his head.
Once my breathing returned to normal, Keaton wrapped his arms around me. “I’m glad you stayed the night. I knew something like this was going to happen, being it’s your first Thanksgiving.”
I sniffled as he broke the embrace. “Don’t do this to yourself, sis. You’re moving on and you’re not alone. There is a house full of people who love you and another on his way.” He smiled.
A small laugh escaped my mouth as I grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and wiped my eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m sure he does in a friend way. Okay, I really think in another way, but I’m certainly not going to tell you that.” He winked.
I lightly smacked him on the chest. “Thank you, little brother.”
“Dry your eyes, shower, do whatever because I think I hear Mom in the kitchen already.”
“Is anyone coming over that I should know about?”
“Nope. It’s just me. I wanted to talk to you last night, but when I got in, you were already asleep.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Elena and I called it quits for good. She’s fucking some other guy and she said she has feelings for him. Whatever. I think we’re better off as friends anyway. We met last night for a drink and sorted out our shit.”
“I’m sorry, Keaton. I know you really cared for her.”
“I do still care for her and I always will. It just wasn’t meant to be. No worries, sis. I’m Keaton Stanford, remember?” He grinned. “I’ll be just fine. There are many other women who are waiting to ride my big—”
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to jump in the shower. Tell Mom I’ll be down soon.”
“Fuck that. I’m going back to bed.”
He jumped up from the bed and went back to his room. I sighed and stepped into the shower.
****
Ben
I took Leah in the garage and showed her the dining room set I built. She smiled as she ran her fingers lightly over one of the chairs and then started to sign.
This is beautiful. Did you sell it?
A woman in San Francisco bought it.
That’s great. What’s next?
You know my sofa table? I’m going to build one for Paisley. She really liked it.
Leah smiled. That’s nice of you. I think you like her.
I do. She’s an amazing woman.
Just as I said that, my phone rang and it was Paisley. I smiled as I answered and said hello.
“Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving. I was going to text you in a little bit. In fact, I was just talking about you to Leah.”
“Good things, I hope.”
“Of course. There’s not a bad thing I could say about you, even if I wanted to.”
“My mom said to be here around two o’clock because that’s when the appetizers will be served.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Paisley. How are you today?” I asked sincerely.
“I’m okay. We can talk about that later. I’ll see you around two.”
“See you soon.”
It’s good to see you smile again, Ben, Leah signed when I looked up from my phone.
We have to be at Paisley’s by two. Should we bring something?
I can make mini tarts. They don’t take long. We can run to the store and get the ingredients.
What kind of tarts?
We can make chocolate, pumpkin, and cherry. She smiled.
Sounds fun. Can I help?
She laughed. Yes. I would like your help.
I grabbed my keys and we took a quick trip to the local grocery store and bought the ingredients for the tarts. As I was helping Leah make the tarts, my phone rang. It was my dad.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Dad,” I answered.
“Happy Thanksgiving. I heard you have a visitor.”
Damn, Finn.
“Yeah, I do,” I said.
“Were you going to tell me that my daughter was in town?”
His attitude angered me. He never cared before, so why now? I walked into the other room so Leah couldn’t read my lips.
“I was going to call you and Mom tomorrow. But I guess my brother beat me to it.”
“She can come with us to Santa Barbara. I already talked to your mother about it.”
“No. She’s spending Thanksgiving with me and Paisley’s family. If she wanted to spend it with you, then she would have.”
“Fine. Have a happy Thanksgiving, son.”
I pressed the end button and composed myself before walking back into the kitchen. Leah looked at me as she took the tarts out of the oven.
Are you okay?
Yeah. That was just Dad. He said happy Thanksgiving and he wanted to know if you wanted to go to Santa Barbara with them.
She shook her head no.
I know. I told him we already had plans.
I don’t want to see any of them while I’m here.
A look of despair swept over her face as she signed. I walked over to her and grabbed her hands for a minute before signing.
He’s your dad and you should see him at least once. I’ll go with you.
Immediately, she changed the subject and pointed to the tarts.
They look delicious. Paisley’s mom is going to love them.
I looked at the time on the stove. It was one fifteen. You should start getting ready. We have to leave in a half hour.
She gave me a nod as she walked out of the kitchen and I sat at down at the table, fuming inside about that phone call.
Chapter 29
Paisley
It was almost two o’clock and my stomach started to flutter at the thought that Ben would be here soon. The smell of a cooking turkey filled the house, as did the pumpkin pie my mom baked. Fragrant fall candles burned in every room in the house, adding a cozy and inviting warmth for anyone who walked in. A beautiful tablecloth in burgundy, oranges, and browns lay over the table, where beautiful white china sat on top with matching cloth napkins folded and secured by a mandarin satin ribbon that said “gobble gobble” across it. The focal point of the table was the beautiful fall centerpiece made from fresh orange roses, yellow and red carnations, greens, gold-glittered pine cones that were spread sporadically throughout the arrangement, and the three tall orange candles that were placed in the middle of the arrangement.