Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Maybe they did, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I think this whole thing, the misunderstanding, has changed them.”
“Is that right?”
“She hugged me when she came in,” I told him. “Michael got all verklempt over Sam giving him a drink.”
Dane nodded.
“I hate it when you patronize me.”
“Me? What? Never.”
Less than an hour later, Sandra and Michael had to leave because they had been invited to a party with friends in Hinsdale.
I glanced at Dane while they were saying their goodbyes to me. I tried to send home food with them, but they turned me down flat.
“Tupperware? Really? You expected them to take that?” Aaron asked me, the look on his face telling me I was nuts.
“You take food with you in plastic containers,” I reminded him.
“And Mrs. Kappel washes it so I bring it back,” he said brightly.
“You’re a bit too bourgeoisie for Sandra and Michael,” Dane told me.
“Absolutely right,” Aaron agreed. “That grape salad is to die for. Make sure when I leave you pack me up quite a bit of that. I’ll eat it when I get home while we’re watching TV.”
“Same,” Dane commented.
I smiled, looking at the two of them.
“Whatever is wrong with you?” Dane asked, scowling at me.
“Nothing,” I said with a sigh. “I’m just happy.”
“How much moscato have you had?” Aaron wanted to know.
When I stepped into him, wrapping my arms around his waist, he gasped.
“Check his forehead, he might have a fever,” Dane ordered him.
I didn’t even mind Aaron pressing his hand to my skin.
“I’m so thankful for you,” I told him. “You take such good care of my girl. You give her wings to fly, and you gave her George to make sure that she’s safe wherever she goes.”
“Do not start crying,” Aaron warned me.
“Just take the appreciation and don’t be a dick.”
“Yes, dear,” he whispered, holding me as close as I was him.
Pulling free, I hit Dane’s chest hard before hugging him tight. “You made me your brother and changed my path—I can’t ever thank you enough for that.”
“Don’t be absurd,” he grumbled. “You’ve thanked me a million times through deed and word.”
“You mean the world to me.”
He clutched me close for longer than usual and then shoved me out to arm’s length just as Duncan came into the kitchen.
“Hey, we need more of the––oh,” he grunted as I bumped against him and leaned.
“Duncan, thank you for seeing the good that I always knew was in one of my oldest friends. You loving Aaron helped make his heart what it is today.”
“I…are you all right?”
“Because you love him, he loves and cares for my kids, and he gave my girl wings.”
Duncan wrapped me up and held me and bent and whispered in my ear, “It’s you and Sam and your kids who loved him first, Jory. Thank you.”
I had no idea when I started crying.
Dane had to take me to the kitchen, made me blow my nose on paper towels three hundred times and then splash my face with cold water. Once I was patted dry, he walked me outside to Aja and basically handed me off.
“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. “You’re all blotchy.”
“I’m thankful that you’re my sister.”
And because she had no issue sharing her feelings, she started crying and grabbed me and said that she felt the same.
“You love Dane, which has allowed him to be his true, great self. I’m so thankful for you in my life and his.”
She nodded and cried, and then Dylan was there hugging us both.
“I’m so thankful that when I was scared at my brand-new job a million years ago, you were there,” I told Dylan. “Your friendship has been a blessing in my life.”
“I feel the same,” Dylan said, sniffling. “And because of you, I got Aja as well.”
“And I got Dylan,” Aja cried.
“You’ve been my work partner, and together we found Fallon.”
“We’ll tell him,” Dylan promised me.
“Oh no,” Chris muttered beside us. “Why’re you all crying?”
I grabbed his arm and yanked him down so he was crouching beside us. “You’ve been a friend through thick and thin, Chris, and I appreciate you more than you know.”
“I know you do, buddy,” he murmured, and when I looked at his face, I saw that his eyes were swimming. “And because of you, I got Sam and Dane and Aja and Aaron and Duncan, and you’ve all been there for me and Dyl with everything, and it means…so…much.”
I had to shift a bit so I could hug him, and then there were four of us embracing.
“Awwww, gratitude on Thanksgiving,” Hannah announced, adding herself to the rest of us so we were all squeezing tight.
“Jory, my darling.”
I lifted my head so I could see Regina.
“You loving my son has shown me even more of his heart, and given me my beautiful grandchildren, who I love dearly.”