“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Not quite.” She sank into the closest chair. “I’m glad they’ll all be here, but I did something dumb. I insisted I would make Thanksgiving dinner for the crew.”
His mouth formed anO. “There are restaurants in town which cater.”
“But I don’t want to have the meal catered.” She absently flipped through a pile of papers before making eye contact again. “My family has done so much for me, I want to do this one small thing for them.”
He scratched his forehead, thinking how to word it delicately. “You know I love you like a sister, right?”
“Yes.”
“And I can tell you anything, right?”
“Of course.”
He pulled out a chair and sat near her. “You have many fantastic qualities and talents, but cooking isn’t one of them.”
“I know.” Her bottom quivered. “It was stupid to insist. Mom even questioned me, and I told her I’ve been taking lessons.”
“Have you?”
“No.” Sobs erupted from her chest. “I’ll just call her back and tell her she’s in charge of dinner.”
Her tears did him in. He shouldn’t have said anything about her lack of cooking skills. It had been a running joke for years, but this hadn’t been the time to resurrect it. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for her family obviously meant a great deal to her. He slid an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, if it’s important, we’ll figure it out.”
“You’ll help me?”
“Do I get an invitation to the meal?” He wiggled his brows and grinned. “Of course, I’ll help.”
“You’re the best. And, of course you’re invited.” She dabbed at her eyes with her knuckles.
He reached behind him and grabbed the box of tissues from the counter, tossed them to her. “Where do we start?”
“A menu.” Lifting a tissue to dry her eyes, she grabbed her notebook with her other hand. “This is what I worked on before calling you. I was so frantic, I couldn’t think of any dishes other than the main turkey, and when I started searching for traditional Thanksgiving menus and recipes online and in cookbooks, I got overwhelmed. Did you know there are a million and one different ways to prepare a turkey?”
Evan smiled to himself. Now that he’d been assured no true emergency existed, he saw the humor in the situation with a touch of sadness. The old Janie would have taken it in stride and figured out a solution on her own without an emotional overload. “Jared’s back to day shifts, and I’ll call him later when he’s off. Remember his sister makes those amazing pies? He can ask her for a recipe for a pumpkin and pecan pie.”
“I forgot about that. Great idea.” She scribbled a note. “My family always has a caramel apple pie, so I’ll add that, too. I’ll ask Mom for Nanna’s recipe.”
“Now for the main menu. What does your family normally have?”
“Turkey, ham, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole, cheesy cornbread casserole, cranberry sauce from a can.” A cookbook fell off the table, and she picked it up. “I’d like to switch it up though, add other dishes.”
“Such as?”
“Not sure. Maybe mac and cheese.” She rubbed her stomach. “Mrs. Ford makes the best. They invited me for Thanksgiving last year, and it was so delicious. I made a pig of myself with three helpings but didn’t even care.”
“I bet if you ask her, she’ll make a tray for you.”
“Would that be asking too much?”
He shook his head. “Not with her. She loves cooking for others. We’ll even buy the ingredients for her if she’ll let us.”
Janie’s eyes widened. “I should invite them and return the favor from last year. She told me last week her children can’t make it in this year, and they’ve never met my family.”
“Give her a call.” If she wanted to invite more people, he wouldn’t question that decision. Despite her self-doubt, he had faith in her ability to pull it together.
And with a little patience and recipe-following, the food might even be edible.
