I lift my head again to find him studying me. “It’s amazing. To make sure I never forget my time here?”
“Something like that,” Felix says, his brown eyes twinkling. “I wanted to give you something that would remind you of Collier’s Creek—and maybe tempt you to come back.”
“Trust me,” I say, my voice wobbling as I look at the gift in my hands. “There’s no way I’m going to forget this place. Or you.”
Felix reaches out to intertwine his fingers with mine. “I’m glad,” he whispers, then presses a tender kiss to my cheek.
My eyes prickle, so I look at the mouse mat again. The detail is amazing. It’s then I notice the cute sign drawn at the location of the cabins. “Felix lives here.”
“Wait,” I say, suddenly realizing the implications and pointing at the tiny detail. “Does this mean you’re staying in Collier’s Creek?”
He nods. “I’ve decided this is where I want to stay. I want to work with Uncle Shawn and expand the business. There’s so much potential and I want to be part of it. Besides, Uncle Shawn can’t do it by himself. My friends are here… there are so many reasons.”
I know how much this decision was weighing on him so I’m happy for him. If only I felt the same about returning to my own life. “I’m so proud of you. I know making the decision about your future wasn’t easy, but I’m happy you’ve found something you’re passionate about.”
“I’m happy too,” he says, but a little light is gone from his eyes.
However, before I can question him, Felix is on his feet and hauling me to mine. “Come on. Mom will have our guts for garters if we’re late for lunch.”
Felix’sparentswelcomemewith open arms, and I’m touched by their easy acceptance of me in their lives. I immediately feel part of the family as Susan puts me to work in the kitchen while Felix, his dad, Brian, and Uncle Shawn head out to drop off some last-minute gifts to some friends in the area.
Felix plants a quick kiss to my cheek as he leaves me in the kitchen. “Good luck.”
He chuckles as his mom pushes him from the room. “Get away with you.”
Susan passes me the potato masher and maneuvers me in front of a large pot of drained potatoes. “Here you go. Give these a good going over.”
“I’m not much of a cook.”
She chuckles and I see where Felix gets his smile from. “Mashing isn’t cooking, dear. You can’t really go wrong. So, tell me a little about yourself.”
Good lord.I plunge the masher into the pot. “I… umm. I’m an author, but I’m not very interesting I’m afraid.”
“Everyone is interesting.” She drops a knob of butter into the potato. “Do you have any family, Kit?”
I can hear the unasked question. Why are you here with us instead of spending the holidays with your family? “Just my parents.”
“And you’re not close, I assume?” Susan says, as she opens the oven and checks on a huge turkey. The scent is heavenly. The door closes with a bang.
“I don’t think my mom and dad are cut out to be parents.”
Susan places a hand on my forearm. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you have us now. Brian and I may live in another state, but we’re still part of Felix’s life and the Collier’s Creek community. Now, how’s that mashed potato coming along?”
I’m pleased she doesn’t try to tell me it isn’t too late, that I can try to build some kind of relationship with my parents beyond an occasional phone call. I offer her a smile and tilt the pot her way so she can see inside. “How about a little butter and some salt?” I suggest.
She winks. “And who said you can’t cook?”
“Felix has been giving me lessons,” I say as she adds a knob of butter and a generous sprinkling of salt. “He said you taught him the family recipes, and he’s been sharing them with me.”
“He’s been giving away the family’s secret recipes!” She feigns indignation, but her face dissolves into a smile.
“You’ve raised an amazing man, Susan. I don’t know what I would have done without him.” I keep focusing on the mash as I talk. “I don’t know if Felix has told you much, but I’ve been in a dark place since losing my partner. Felix refused to let me wallow in that cabin. He made me see all the things I was missing by shutting myself away.”Missing laughter, and friendship, and love.
“From what I’ve heard, you’ve done a lot for him too.”
I raise a brow.
“Felix has faced his own challenges,” Susan says. “We wanted him to find his own way in life, not feel as if he didn’t have any choices. We encouraged him to leave the nest, and I always wondered if we’d done the right thing. You see, it wasn’t really Felix’s choice to move away, it was ours.”
