Page 5 of Stuffed

Both of my grandparents had passed away, and our extended family was all living on the East Coast. We hadn’t had anyone else join us for Thanksgiving for years.

My dad didn’t answer as he passed me, a huge grin on his face, rubbing his hands together like it was the mailman with a million do

llar check.

“Who is it, Ma?” I asked, but all I got from her was a smile and eyebrow raise.

“Fine,” I shrugged, grabbing a can of cranberry sauce from the cupboard. “Don’t tell me.”

“There he is!” I heard my father thunder from the living room as he opened the front door. “How the hell are ya, buddy!?”

“Good, Randy!” a manly voice bellowed back. “Great to see ya!”

“Glad to be back in the States? Didn’t get yourself a wife while you were over there in China, did ya?”

The other man roared with laughter. I was curious now. I knew all my father’s friends, and none of them sounded like this man, and none of them were good enough friends for him to invite over to Thanksgiving, either. So I peaked around the corner down the hall, and what I saw took my breath away.

Standing in front of my father, shaking hands with him, was Jim, the gorgeous hunk from last night in the park.

“Oh God…” I muttered.

“What, honey?” my mom asked as she leaned in beside me. “Oh, Jim? Yes, he’s a looker, isn’t he?”

“Uh…”

“But don’t even think about it,” she teased, probably thinking it was a big joke but not realizing the reality of the situation. “Not only is he twice your age, but he works for your father.”

“He works for dad?” I asked.

“Oh, honey, you don’t remember him?” my mom asked. “James Thomas? He’s been in China for three years overseeing a dam.”

James Thomas…I thought. No. That’s impossible.

James Thomas was one of my father’s engineers, but he didn’t look anything like the man standing at our door…

…did he?

His face looked like James’s, but the last time I saw James, he was a skinny, pale guy with an awkward short haircut. How could the hunk who’d smitten me in the park be the same man?

“He sure has grown in three years,” my mom whispered. “Looks like a real working man now.”

Yes, I thought as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Yes, he does…

“Autumn, Michelle, come say hi to James!”

My legs didn’t want to move, but my mom scooted me forward.

“James!” she exclaimed happily. “How are you, sweetie?”

James looked up from my father, and when he laid his eyes on me, he could barely hide his expression.

It was one-part desire mixed with two-parts horrified. My mom was too wrapped up in throwing her arms around him to notice, but I did.

She said her hellos and then ushered me forward.

“And this is our daughter, Autumn,” she said proudly. “I don’t know if you remember her, but she’s grown up a lot in the last three years. She’s a college girl now at UT!”

“Hello,” he said simply.

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