“Oof, yeah, that’ll do it.” He laughed. “This is the stuff I helped you pick out at the store over the weekend?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good news, at least, because I’ve got extra green beans and brussels sprouts with your name on them. The only thing I don’t have is spinach but send me a picture of the recipe you’re using it for. I can probably come up with an alternative for you.”
“Really?” Callie sighed with relief. “You’d let me come and take some of your veggies?”
“Of course! It’s not like I’m planning a big dinner this week.”
She half coughed, half laughed. “Right. That’s—um—is this weird?”
“Is what weird?”
“That I’m asking you to help me get ingredients for my Thanksgiving dinner? Uh—I mean, you probably don’t celebrate, but I wasn’t sure if the entire holiday was offensive to you or…” She paused, not knowing what she was even saying anymore.
“It’s fine,” he said without even a hint of anger in his voice. “We don’t celebrate it on the reservation, and we definitely have a different understanding of that holiday than your average non-Native American, but I can separate your Thanksgiving celebration from the less peaceful historical context.”
“Oh. Well. Good.” Callie felt like a fool and totally out of her depth, but there was no taking it all back now. “I really appreciate your help.”
“Anytime! You know I care more about you having good, fresh food and a nice time with your family than anything else.”
Anything else?
Callie’s heart fluttered and she turned away so Mallory wouldn’t see her blushing. “Thank you so much, Joshua. You’re saving the day. Are you at the farm right now? I can leave in about twenty minutes.”
“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll be here.”
They hung up the phone and Callie smiled at her daughter. “Okay, crisis averted. Joshua has replacement vegetables for me.”
“Great.”
“I’m going to change and then head over to the farm.”
“I’ll come with you,” Mallory said.
Callie paused. “Y–you want to come with me?”
“Sure, why not?” she said. “And then maybe you can drop me off in town on our way back.”
“Why don’t I drop you off on the way to the farm?” Callie suggested. “That way Joshua and I don’t bore you with all our vegetable talk.”
“No, I want to see the farm,” Mallory replied. “It’s local, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Sounds cute. Plus, I gotta meet the man who saved Thanksgiving for us.” She smiled. “Go on and get dressed, or we’ll be late.”
Callie couldn’t come up with another reason why Mallory shouldn’t come with her, so she plastered on a smile and went to get dressed, despite the knot forming in her stomach.
Chapter 5
As they came around the bend in the road that led to Joshua’s farm, Callie was clinging so tightly to the steering wheel that her hands started to hurt. On some level, Callie knew she shouldn’t have been that nervous. It wasn’t like Joshua was going to do or say anything inappropriate. Then again, he wasn’t suspicious that day at the farmer’s market and Sasha still assumed she was having an affair with Joshua.
What was Mallory going to think? And if she did make any assumptions, what would Callie be able to do to convince her there was nothing to worry about?
“Mom!” Mallory barked, snapping Callie back to the moment. “You passed the turnoff.”
“Huh? Oh, shoot.” Callie pulled onto the shoulder and waited for a good time to make a U-turn. “Sorry, I was a little lost in thought.”
