She had other friends in Jacksonville. This could be the opportunity to reach out to them, re-establish relationships. Yet, that became difficult as well. Most of them didn’t know how to act around her since Mike died. They filtered their conversation with her and clammed up anytime they made a wayward remark about their husbands. She appreciated their efforts to show sensitivity, but she wanted to be treated like a normal friend.
Evan dumped the rice into the pan then turned around. “What’s wrong?”
Her face must have shown her disappointment. “Nothing.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t lie to me. I thought we were better friends than that.”
“Jared’s going home for Christmas, and now you.” She brushed her hands on her flour- covered apron. “It’s silly, but I assumed you’d both be here and we’d all spend the holiday together.”
His eyes widened, and he cupped her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Mom asked, and I didn’t even think. I’ll call her back and tell her I can’t.”
“No, you can’t do that.” She moved from his touch. All she needed was her mom to walk in and see that to set her maternal imagination ablaze. “I’ll be fine.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” His jaw dropped, like the suggestion surprised him, but then nodded as if he approved of his own idea. “Yeah, you should come to Louisiana. I’ll show you how a Cajun Christmas is done.”
She shook her head in protest. “I can’t intrude on your family time.”
“You wouldn’t be. They’d love to have you.”
“It’s not a good idea.” Tempting as it was that would really set off alarms in her mom’s head.
“Give me one reason why not.” He braced his legs and crossed his arms.
She glanced around for any sign of her mom and only continued when she didn’t see her. “Mom asked me earlier if there is a romance brewing between us. If I go to Louisiana for Christmas with you, she’ll definitely think there is.”
“Who cares?” He tossed his hands up. “You don’t want to go home, and you don’t want to stay in Jacksonville alone. If you don’t want to go, that’s fine, but don’t spend a holiday alone because you’re worried what someone might think.”
That’s one of the reasons she loved Evan, Wyatt, and Jared dearly. They were careful not to upset her with careless comments, but they also wouldn’t let her fold into herself. “I’ll think about it.”
“Fair enough.” He turned his back to her to stir the dressing. “What’s next?”
“The turkey needs to go in the oven.”
“Is it ready?” He spun around to look for the bird.
“No.” She pointed to the sink. “It’s still there. I set it out earlier to finish thawing.”
He wove his index fingers around. “Where’s the roasting pan?”
“Oh no.” She shifted her eyes sideways, praying one would miraculously appear. “I forgot to get one.”
“No biggie. I’m sure there’s something else we can use.” He rummaged through her cabinet of cookware and withdrew the largest glass dish she owned. “Will it fit in here?”
“Let’s see. Put it there by the sink.”
The turkey legs spread out when Evan unwrapped the bird. He lifted it up and set the turkey in the dish. “It’s tight, but it fits.”
“Whew.”
Crisis averted.
***
Janie breathed a sigh of relief after she laid the last place setting at the table. If Thanksgiving dinner could be measured by appearance alone, then she’d succeeded. She’d gone to the craft store earlier in the week and purchased the supplies to make a cornucopia centerpiece. The end result sat proudly in the middle of her table. She might not be a good cook, but she loved to craft and was proud of her creations.
At each chair, she’d placed a ceramic pumpkin personalized for each guest—a little keepsake they could take home from the meal. Surrounding each dish and bowl of food were silk flowers placed as an accent. Each detail tied the table together for a beautiful effect.
Satisfied everything was in place, she called everybody in for dinner. She’d had her dad add the extra leaf to the table last night in order to accommodate all the guests. Jessie and Julie came first, followed by James. She’d barely seen them since she’d started cooking, but she had given them strict instructions to stay out of her way. Cooking the meal stressed her out enough without adding an audience.
