Page 82 of Hello Forever
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Thirty minutes later,Ann had managed to get the boys to set the table. Jason and I were pouring drinks. Ann and Axel moved around the kitchen like a pair of skilled dancers, always anticipating each other’smoves.
“Wow,” Jason said, watching Axel cook. “I knew he was acatch.”
That made me blush. I’d never say so out loud, but I didn’t like knowing that Jason had once askedAxelout.
“When are we going to catch someone for you?” Axel asked as he whisked gravy. My eyes were glued to the muscles flexing in his forearm as he did this. There was nothing sexier than a hunk of a man making dinner.Nothing.
“I don’t know…” Jason raised a hand to the back of his neck, and I thought I saw hischeeksheat.
“Really?” Axel cackled. “Whoishe?”
“I’ll tell you later,” he muttered. “What else canIdo?”
“Wrangle the boys to the table,” Ann said. “I’m donecarving.”
“I’ll do that,” I said. “BOYS!FOOD!”
There was an instant pounding of feet toward the table in theotherroom.
She laughed. “I’d forgotten how hungry boys are when they’re growing.” She lifted the platter of turkey, which looked amazing. “Okay,let’seat.”
We all sat down, and miraculously my brothers waited for Ann to say a thirty-second prayer before they lunged forthefood.
I scanned the contented faces at the table and got a lump in my throat. A year ago this scene would have been impossible for me—a friendly meal with family, my boyfriend at thetable.
“Cax?” Axel touched my arm. “Aren’t youeating?”
“Um, yep,” I said, taking the bowl of stuffing he handed me. “Just got a little distracted there for asecond.”
His mother shot me a warm look from across the table. “I have an important question. What does the Williams clan do about dessert? Do you eat it right away, or should there be a lull inbetween?”
“Oh, there’s a lull,” Jared said, passing the mashed potatoes. “But this year we can skip the part where Dad makes Scotty cry because he can’t throw aspiral.”
“I can too throw a spiral,” Scottyargued.
Jared smirked, but Scotty failed to notice,luckily.
“Do they, um…” Scotty’s eyes darted to mine. “Is there Thanksgiving inprison?”
“Yeah,” I said softly. Truly, I had no idea. But probably, right? “He’s okay, Scott. He’d rather be here with you than in there. But that’s just the wayitis.”
“Shouldn’t have beat up Axel, then,” Jared said before shoving a giant bite of turkey into hismouth.
Axel raised his eyes to mine, as if wondering whether I’d pursue that line of discussion. But I just shook my head. “Which football teams are we rooting fortoday?”
“Patriots. Duh,” Mark said to hisplate.
“Duh,” Jason echoed, and everybody laughed.EvenMark.
* * *
Hourslater we were sitting around the table again. It had been cleared of food and then dessert. Jared and Mark were out at the movies with friends, and Scotty was either asleep or playing with his iPod in his sleeping bag on the floor of Jared’s room. He’d given up his bed for Ann while she stayedwithus.
Axel’s mom had turned inalready.
That left Axel and me, Jason, and Caleb and Josh. We sat there with fresh glasses of wine trying not to groan from eating toomuchfood.
