Luke flushed. “Pushing you together might not have been one of my wisest moments,” he conceded. “I was thinking a casual fling. Seems now that things are getting a lot more complicated.”
“You were advocating a fling between me and your old girlfriend?” Seth asked incredulously. “That’s a little weird, don’t you think? Shouldn’t you have more respect for her? Or was that just a convenient way for you to get Hannah off your case?”
“I have plenty of respect for Abby and, yes, I figured it would calm Hannah down to know Abby was involved with you. I just didn’t give it much thought beyond that. Now I have.”
“And?”
“I’m worried.”
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
“And Abby? Do I need to worry about her?”
“Abby and I have been honest with each other from the beginning,” Seth said defensively.
Luke actually smiled at that. “I hate to tell you this, pal, but as important as honesty is in a relationship, it can only accomplish so much. After that, you have to own any emotional damage you might unintentionally cause.”
Seth sighed. Down deep he knew that.
“Abby and I are on the same page,” he insisted.
“I guess I’ll have to take your word for that,” Luke responded, but there was no mistaking the worry that continued to darken his eyes.
Unfortunately Seth didn’t have anything more to say that might reassure him. He wasn’t even a hundred percent convinced himself.
14
The house was filled with all the familiar scents of Thanksgiving. The turkey was roasting in the oven. The celery and onions for the stuffing were being sautéed in butter on the stove. Two pumpkin pies were cooling on the counter. Hannah looked around and sighed. It was all coming together nicely.
“You’re looking mighty pleased with yourself,” Grandma Jenny commented.
“I have a lot to be thankful for this year,” Hannah told her. “I got word late yesterday that I passed all those tests with flying colors. My editor loves the new book. My husband loves me. And I have my whole family coming here today to celebrate the holiday.”
“Where does Abby fit in? Are you counting her being back in Seaview Key as one of those blessings?”
Hannah sighed. “That’s still a work in progress,” she said, then admitted, “I had a setback the other day.”
“Kelsey told me,” her grandmother said. “She was furious with herself for causing you unnecessary worry.”
“She wouldn’t have been able to do that if I’d truly gotten past all of my insecurities and suspicions,” Hannah said. “But today is all about being thankful, and I am going to focus on that. I’m going to be especially grateful that my husband isn’t fed up with my doubts.”
Just then Luke’s children, Nate and Gracie, bounded into the kitchen. Smiling at their exuberance, Hannah added, “And that these two are spending a little time with us.”
Gracie immediately sidled closer and gave her a hug.
“I’m starving,” Nate announced. “When do we get to eat?”
Hannah grinned. Nate was always starving, and he knew very well that Grandma Jenny almost always had cookies to offer.
“Not for another couple of hours,” Hannah told him. “And you are not spoiling that appetite of yours with cookies.” She aimed a warning look at her grandmother to make sure she got that message, too.
“I told him that,” Gracie said.
Nate’s gaze landed on the pies. “What about pie? I love pumpkin pie.” He looked pleadingly at Grandma Jenny. “They smell really good. I bet you baked them.”
“I did,” she confirmed. “And you’ll enjoy the pie all the more after dinner.”
Gracie grinned, clearly pleased that her little brother’s attempts to wheedle pie from Grandma Jenny had been thwarted.
“Is the table set?” Hannah asked her.
Gracie rolled her eyes. “I did my part,” she said. “Then I fixed everything Nate did wrong.”
“Well, there are going to be a lot of people here,” Nate complained. “I got confused with all those forks and spoons. And how come everybody has two glasses? What’s that for?”
“Water for everyone. Wine for the adults,” Hannah explained.
“But there were two glasses at every place,” he said. “That’s what Hannah said.”
“I thought you kids might want soda for this special occasion,” Hannah told him.
Nate’s eyes widened. Sodas were a rare treat, at least when they were visiting their health-conscious dad. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Hannah confirmed, fighting a smile. “And I appreciate that you tried to get everything set up right in the dining room. Why don’t you find your dad? I think he’s got the parade on TV. Maybe he’ll go outside and throw a football around with you.”
“Cool!” Nate said, scampering off after taking one last longing look at the pie.
“What can I do?” Gracie asked. “I want to help.”
“Then come over here with me,” Grandma Jenny told her. “You can help me put the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes.”
Gracie’s eyes lit up. “Yum! That’s my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Mine, too,” Hannah said. “And I still can’t make the sweet potatoes the way Grandma Jenny does. Maybe you’ll learn her secret and then they can be your specialty every year.”
“I can do that,” Gracie said confidently.
Hannah smiled at the two of them, side by side at the counter. Gracie was almost as tall as Grandma Jenny and every bit as talkative. She marveled at how well they got along and how Gracie had finally adapted to this new family that had evolved after her parents’ divorce. She was no longer the sullen, difficult, resentful girl who’d first come to Seaview Key. She was back to that sunny disposition Luke had despaired of ever seeing again.
Luke stuck his head in the kitchen, observed the incredibly domestic scene and smiled. “I’m going outside with Nate. Shout if you need me.”
“Everything’s under control thanks to Grandma Jenny and Gracie,” Hannah assured him.
“I see Abby parking,” he reported from the doorway. “Should I
