Page 13 of Fall Favor
Oh, lordy.
Chapter 11
Thanksgiving Day
Leah
Fiddling with the fold of my skirt, my nervousness skyrockets when Manny turns off the main road and onto a driveway winding upward through the snow-sparkled pines. Maybe I should have worn something else.
“Did I tell you; the extension office of the university asked me to take the spring semester? The lady who was scheduled to teach broke her hip and has decided to retire so she can rehab in Florida near her sister.”
“Yeah, Mama, you told me. It’s going to be okay. Everyone is going to love you. How could they not?”
“You don’t know that,” I argue. I hate feeling this stressed and insecure.
My pulse pounds as he pulls up in front of a beautiful farmhouse with a gorgeous wraparound porch. The sage green exterior and natural wood accents are a soothing complement to the surrounding beauty of the mountain setting, but I can barely appreciate it.
I wait as he comes around the truck to get my door and help me out of the truck, not because he has to but because he wants to, and I let him. It’s one of the little things he does to take care of me, and it makes him feel good, so why not? It makes me feel good, too.
“Mama, what are you doing? The guys and I will come out and get the pies. Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”
“I am not going in there empty-handed, Emanuel.”
I glance over the pies and realize I may have gone a little overboard. There are two pumpkin, an apple, a blueberry, and my personal favorite—French silk. I pick up the French silk pie and the shiny bag containing a hostess gift.
Taking a fortifying breath, I march toward the stairs leading to the porch.
When I reach the door, I pause.Crap. Do I ring the bell? Do I knock or just walk right in?I squeak when Manny catches up to me and pinches my bottom.
Spinning to face him, I let him have it. “Dammit, Manny, don’t give me that smile. This is not the time for messing around, for goodness’ sake, behave. If you make me ruin this pie, you won’t be eating any more ofmy pieuntil after the new year, understand?”
I turn with a wince when the snickers erupt behind me.
Oh, lordy, I’ve done it again.
“Hello, Aaron. Happy Thanksgiving.”
Manny wraps his arms around me, but I feel him silently laughing.
“Oh my gawd, you two are so cute! Manny, I’m so happy for you.” Uh-oh, this must be Jolie. Manny warned me she’d be here. I give her a weak smile.
“For crying out loud, get out of the doorway and let them in. And close the door, you’re letting all the heat out. I swear, every one of you was raised in a barn.”
“Sorry, Brielle, I’ll go get the rest of the pies,” Manny says.
“I’ll help,” Aaron offers.
“Leah, honey. Welcome to our home. Let me show you where you can put the pies.”
I follow Brielle through the house. A football game is on in what looks like the living room or what Grams would call the front parlor, but all eyes are on me. I smile and marginally relax when Larry waves at me from the sofa.
I can hear movement behind me as I set the pie on the counter and hand Brielle the hostess gift containing a bottle of Moscato and the quilted table runner I made them. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“I’ll take your coat,” Jolie offers. “And let’s clear the air before the guys get in here. I hope you forgive me for not handling my shit better when I left. You should also probably forgive my sister for being a raging bitch, too. Apparently, her normal crazy turns into full-blown psycho when she’s pregnant. If this is what pregnancy does to a woman, then count me out.”
There’s a scuffle at the kitchen archway as Jorie comes hurrying into the kitchen with one of the pumpkin pies in her hands, and, I assume, her husband, Ezra, hot on her heels. She scurries around the island, snatching a spoon off the counter, and backs into the corner by the refrigerator. My eyes widen as she scoops out a heaping spoonful of filling and promptly shoves it into her mouth, glaring at her husband the whole while she chews.
Beside me, Jolie giggles and then leans in and whispers, “Welcome to the family, Leah.”
