Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I felt my cheeks heat, and I placed my palms over them to cool my face. “That obvious, huh?”
Harper winked. “With the way the two of you can’t keep your eyes off each other.”
“Or their hands,” Brystol commented, putting the bowl of gravy next to the potatoes.
“Will the two of you hush!”
Both of them laughed as Cadie walked up and set the green bean casserole on the table. “I have to say, I love your house, Harper. I’m so glad you’re hosting Friendsgiving here this year! Who is going to host next year?”
“I don’t think my small apartment above the bookstore will hold very many of us.”
“Kian and you should host, and you should make a murder mystery Friendsgiving!” I suggested.
Brystol gasped. “That is a great idea!”
“What is a great idea?” Kian asked as he walked into the formal dining room of Harper and Declan’s lakeside house, carrying the large turkey.
Cadie replied, “If we host a murder mystery Friendsgiving next year.”
After he carefully placed the platter with what was the largest turkey I’d ever seen on the table, he turned to his wife and grinned. “That is a great idea!”
“Credit goes to Aurora!”
Kian faced me. “Great idea, Aurora.”
“Okay!” Harper called out. “The turkey is served. Everyone, make your way into the dining room!”
All of our friends piled in, and as each one came into view, my heart felt like it grew tenfold. Mary and James walked in, holding hands and completely besotted with one another. So much so, Mary nearly ran into Kian.
Declan walked up and pulled out Harper’s chair, causing Gavin to do the same for Brystol.
“Copycat,” Declan stated as Gavin shot him the finger.
Kian gave Cadie a quick kiss before they both took their seats. Liam scooped Winnie up and placed her in her big girl seat, which was next to James and sandwiched between Liam and James. Over the last few months, with James coming over to visit Mary, our little Winnie has found herself a new best friend in James. Of course, my brother Nathan, who was currently with my mother, father, and Lou in Canada skiing, acted as if he wasn’t bothered by Winnie’s undying attention now on James and not him. Liam and I knew better.
Harper stood and picked up her glass. “I think it should be the writer in the group who speaks, but Kian is exhausted from carrying out the bird…or so he claims.”
Everyone laughed.
“I just wanted to thank you all for coming to this year’s Friendsgiving. After this, everyone is going to help me clean up, and then it’s off to The Muddled Moose for an evening of trivia!”
Everyone cheered, including Winnie.
“In all seriousness, I’m so blessed to be able to call every one of you friend. This past year has brought sadness and loss, but also happiness and new beginnings.”
Liam and I exchanged smiles.
“To keep it short and sweet, thank you for being here, and may we each have a blessed and healthy new year!”
Glasses clinked amid the sounds of cheers.
Before Harper sat down, she added, “Oh, and I’m pregnant.”
Everyone paused.
“Wait, what?” I said as I looked around the table to make sure I wasn’t the only one who had heard her.
Blushing, Harper looked at Declan and they both smiled.
Everyone jumped up and started making their congratulations to Harper and Declan before Harper finally said, “Everyone, sit down! Our food is getting cold!”
After the last dish was dried and put away, I leaned against the counter, a dish towel tossed over my shoulder.
“Man, I love all the prep work and the eating, but the cleaning up is the worst part.”
This year, the unlucky ones who drew the short straws for kitchen cleanup were me, Harper, Mary, and Gavin. Mary and I had begged Harper to just sit and relax, but she had informed us that she was pregnant, not injured.
“I don’t know, I kind of like doing dishes,” Mary said as she handed Gavin the last of the pots to put up.
Gavin snatched it from her hand and said, “Freak!”
“At least you didn’t have to deal with the blowout from Lily,” I stated with raised brows.
His body shuddered, and Gavin said, “That was a blessing, indeed. That little girl can have some pretty powerful blowouts. I don’t know how something so small can expel such…vile shit.”
Laughter filled the kitchen.
“Sounds like you guys are having too much fun,” Declan said as he walked in and surveyed the sparkling clean kitchen. “Wow, I’ve got to say, you wouldn’t even know a Thanksgiving dinner had been made and served in this kitchen. Well done, troops!”
Harper laughed, then reached up and kissed her husband.”
As a former Marine, his assessment of our clean kitchen felt like a reward.
“It’s snowing!”
The sound of Winnie’s excited voice had us all piling out of the kitchen and into the living room.