Page 100 of Harvest Heat

Rhys shrugged and focused on his plate. Caleb knew it was time to move on before he got any more embarrassed by being in the spotlight. He hoped he could speak around the lump in my throat. He really didn’t want to cry at Thanksgiving dinner, but he’d never expected Rhys to say something so sweet.

“I’m thankful for Rhys and thankful he changed his mind about making a drink together and then about being my boyfriend.”

Rhys squeezed Caleb’s hand, and Caleb knew he needed to stop, or there were going to be a lot of tears at the table. He turned to Rowan. “Your turn.”

Rowan was thankful for the new job he had recently gotten. Mr. Moore said he was thankful for his wife and their kids and how good the town had been to their family.

Then, it was time to eat. Everything was incredible and as good as any Thanksgiving dinner he’d had back in Boston. He missed his parents and Kate, but he was also very happy to be spending the day with Rhys.

After they ate, Tessa insisted that their mom wasn’t doing any more work. She settled in the living room with her husband, who’d turned on a football game. Everyone else cleaned up and put leftovers in containers. Somehow, they made them all fit in the fridge.

Caleb usually loved spending the day with friends, but he was already anxious to get Rhys back home, where they could be alone. It had been all he could do to keep his hands off Rhys when he was standing at the sink, showing off his perfect ass.

When Finn looked in on his parents, they were sound asleep.

“Don’t you dare wake them,” Tessa said.

“I won’t. I need to walk off some of this lunch, or I’m going to be sleeping too,” Finn said.

Everyone else agreed, so they started out on a walk across the empty fields that neighbored the Moores’ property.

Once they were a good distance from the house, Tessa took Finn’s arm. “Okay, now you’re going to tell me why you had that look on your face when you got here this morning.”

“There was no look. You’re just being weird. I told you I was worried about being late.”

“Bullshit.”

“Tessa, do you have to annoy him on Thanksgiving?” Rhys asked.

“That’s the best time,” Rowan said.

“I’m fine.”

“You didn’t look fine,” Tessa said. “You looked like something had scared you.”

He huffed. “Hardly. I stopped by to check on Mrs. Murphy and bring her some treats from the bakery since she can’t get out.”

“That was nice of you. I know she’s miserable, stuck at home with a broken leg. That’s a good reason to be late.”

“Is she okay?” Caleb asked.

“Yes, she’s doing fine, progressing just like her doctors want her to.”

“Then what was bothering you?” Tessa asked.

“Nothing.”

“Finn.”

He blew out a long breath. “She asked if I’d found someone to take her place helping with the Gingerbread Festival. I told her no, but that I would, and it was fine. She said she’d found the perfect solution.”

Tessa frowned. “But that’s a good thing, right?”

“Elliot is coming to stay with her to help her, and she’s told him that he has to step up and help with the festival.”

Tessa’s eyes went wide. “Elliot Murphy? Her grandson?”

“One and the same.”