Page 58 of Old Fashioned
Jordan
“No, Betty, you’re supposed to break the wish bonewithsomeone,” Ruby Grace explained to Betty Collins, who was holding both sides of a broken turkey bone in her hands. “And whoever gets the bigger piece is the one who gets the wish.”
“Exactly. That’s why I broke it on my own — better odds that way.” She pointed the bigger piece of the bone at Ruby Grace. “That’s just simple math, sweetheart.”
Betty was a feisty old woman who’d been brought into our life courtesy of Ruby Grace and her time at the nursing home. She and Mom had become fast and furious friends, and she quickly became part of our family.
Ruby Grace rolled her eyes, but smiled still, taking the pieces of bone from Betty to toss out before she continued working on the stuffing she was making.
Mom had been trying to shoo her out of the kitchen all morning, repeatedly pointing out that Ruby Grace was a bride-to-be and should be relaxing two days before her wedding — not cooking. But Ruby Grace insisted she wanted to be in the kitchen, and Mallory and Kylie were helping, too.
I’d never seen Mom so frazzled at a Thanksgiving before. The poor woman didn’t know what to do when she had actual help in the kitchen.
“Can I help with anything, Mrs. Becker?” Sydney asked, already reaching for a knife where sweet potatoes were waiting to be diced up for the casserole.
Mom swatted her hand away, and then instantly reddened, covering her mouth with wide eyes. “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. I just…”
I chuckled, grabbing my mom by the shoulders with a tender squeeze. “Why don’t you come hang out with your sons in the living room and let the ladies work? I can’t remember the last time you took a Thanksgiving off.”
Her bottom lip trembled, and Sydney glanced at me with caring concern before she smiled at my mom. “You know what? I would actuallylovea little tour of your garden, if you wouldn’t mind? I saw the beautiful violas and pansies out front, and Jordan said you have a garden in the back.”
Mom shifted her weight, glancing up at me before a small smile bloomed on her face. “That’s where all the squash came from, and the pumpkin.”
“You have a pumpkin patch?” Sydney shook her head. “Now youhaveto show me.”
At that, a genuine smile found Mom’s lips, and she patted Mallory on the back. “Alright. You ladies let me know if you need me, I’m going to take Sydney for a garden tour.”
They all smiled at her, and I mouthedthank youto Sydney as they passed by me, headed out the front door.
As soon as Sydney was gone, all four pairs of female eyes were on me.
I inwardly groaned, knowing this was coming. Mom hadn’t said much when I asked if Sydney and Paige could join us for the holiday. I’d proposed it under the pretense that it was Paige’s first Thanksgiving since the divorce, and that Sydney’s family lived in Texas, and that we had grown a friendship since she started working for the school. I’d mentioned how I’d been training Paige for football camp next summer, and that I knew they’d fit right in.
I knew Mom didn’t buy my story, but she’d smiled knowingly and not asked a single question — bless her.
My brothers’ significant others and Mrs. Betty Collins on the other hand…
“So,” Kylie said, one eyebrow cocked. “Seems Mikey and I have missed a lot since our move to New York. Care to fill us in?”
Mallory and Ruby Grace exchanged looks before their smiles grew, Betty tapped a dirty spoon on the palm of her hand, and all of them waited for me to answer.
Just then, a roar of cheers and groans came from the living room.
I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “Sounds like the game’s getting good, I better go see.”
“Jordan Becker!” Ruby Grace chided, throwing the top of a cut up celery stalk at me. “Don’t you dare leave without spilling the tea.”
I dodged the greenery and smiled, making a notion like my lips were sealed before I ducked out of the kitchen to the tune of four dramatic huffs.
I chuckled, knowing they would all be in there going crazy trying to figure out what Sydney and I were, but they knew by now that I was not the kiss-and-tell type. I wasn’t theanything-and-tell type. I preferred to keep my private life just that — private.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
I rounded into the dining room, glancing out the front door where Sydney stood in the front yard with my mom. Mama was bent down, showcasing something as Sydney leaned over and nodded, her brows pinched in concentration.
And my heart pinched at the sight.
That’s when I realized that while it wasn’t out of the ordinary that I didn’t want to talk to the girls about Sydney, that wasn’t what had my chest tight.
