Recipe for a Homecoming

by Sabrina York

  “She’s the closest I’ve ever had to a sister. And she’s had a raw deal her whole life.”

  “You’re protective of her.”

  “Damn straight.”

  “And I appreciate that.”

  “I’m not doing it for you, you know.” For someone who wanted him to cut to the chase, she sure wasn’t making it easy.

  Okay, fine.

  “I’ve asked her to marry me, and she said yes.”

  Well, that shut her up. She froze, the mug halfway to her mouth—which was agape. And she stared at him for so long, he started feeling self-conscious about being half-naked again.

  “You what?” she finally burbled.

  “Roni and I are getting married. I want her to be happy. You make her happy. I was just hoping the two of us could work things out so she won’t have to deal with any tension between us. To that end, I’d like to apologize for whatever I did to hurt you or make you mad.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You have no idea, do you?”

  Not a clue. “Sorry.”

  She drew in a deep breath and gusted a sigh. “Polly Baxter.”

  He stared at her, waiting for more. It didn’t come.

  “Polly Baxter?”

  Something in his tone must have irritated her. Her knuckles on the mug handle went white. “She was one of my best friends. Do you not even remember her?”

  “Of course I do. She sat behind me in algebra class.”

  “She tutored you in algebra class.” Why’d she make tutoring sound dirty?

  He shrugged. “Okay. She tutored me. What is this about, Gwen?”

  “Don’t you remember?”

  Apparently not. “Help me out here, would you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You dated her, you jackass.”

  “What...?” Oh. Oh, right. “I took her to dinner at the B&G. After I passed the final exam. A thank-you for her help. It wasn’t a date.”

  “She thought it was a date. It broke her heart when you just dropped her.”

  “I didn’t drop her. School ended, summer started, I was busy at the ranch. Like every summer.”

  “Not too busy to date Pam Kryzinski.”

  Wow. This wasn’t going to end, was it?

  “Gwen, I’m sorry Polly thought we were on a date. I’m sorry if I hurt her feelings. That was not my intention. Would it help if I apologized to her directly?”

  Her eyes widened. “Good God, no. She’d be mortified.”

  What? Why? He’d never understand this conversation if he lived to be a hundred. “What can I do to make this better? What are you really worried about?” he asked bluntly.

  She frowned. “That should be clear.”

  “Humor me.”

  “Fine. I’m worried that you’ll get tired of Roni, just like you’ve always done with every other girl you dated in this town. I’m worried you’ll leave her for someone else and break her heart.”

  Wow. He supposed, after dating as many years as he had, he should’ve expected someone to rake him over the coals at some point. But still. He didn’t expect it to burn quite this badly.

  He met Gwen’s gaze and held it. “Gwen, I’m all in with Roni. I love her so much, it sometimes hurts. No one else comes even close. No one. I know there’s nothing I can say to convince you that I’ve changed, but I have.” He sighed heavily. “I wish there was something I could do to make things right between us.”

  As she mulled this over, she frowned at him, then took a sip of her coffee. At long last, she sighed and glanced at the countertop. “I suppose you could get me a cookie.”

  He bounded to his feet, rummaged through the cookie jar and brought her a Lemon Sandie. He knew better than to touch the molasses ones.

  She accepted it with a hint of vindication, but just a hint. “Thank you,” she said starchily.

  “You’re welcome.” And then, halfway through the cookie, she added, “And you could also offer to babysit once in a while.”

  He swallowed heavily—a gulp really. Gwen’s kids were a handful. “Ah, sure. Yes. Of course. Anytime.”

  “Saturday at six?”

  His mind raced. But really, what could he say? “Sure.”

  But when she smiled at him, a real smile, he knew he’d said the right thing. He’d made peace with Gwen. And it felt good.

  * * *

  Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and crisp. Roni was excited because she, Mark and Gram were going to the ranch for a big family dinner. She’d never been excited about Thanksgiving before—she’d always hated turkey and cranberries, and neither her mother nor her father had made a big deal of it. It had been just like any other meal. The three of them sitting around the table in relative peace until a fight broke out. With Anthony, most meals had been clinical in nature, very little conversation over the quiet clatter of silverware.

  It had to be the family part of the family dinner that made her so excited. With the Stirlings involved, it felt like...an event. And, as usual, she expressed her joy by baking. Even after making over a hundred pumpkin pies, this one was still fun. It was for people she loved.

  She also made brownies for Luke, a lemon cake for Dorthea and an extra batch of molasses cookies for Gram. And, of course, a sweet-potato pie with candied bacon. That one almost didn’t get made because Mark kept sneaking in and stealing the bacon. And if it wasn’t Mark, it was Snoopy, the little thief.

  The other reason she might have been giddy was because she and Mark had decided that it was time to share their engagement with the family. In addition to being excited, she was scared to death that they would be disappointed. She didn’t dare put that fear into words, but it did hover like a black cloud.

  It was easy to forget when she, Gram and Mark headed out for the morning’s activities—the dinner at the ranch wasn’t until evening. This morning they reported to the B&G, along with a lot of other volunteers, to help with Chase’s favorite event—delivering turkey dinners to senior citizens and families in the area who needed or wanted help. Roni wasn’t surprised to see Sam, Lizzie and Emma pulling in to pick up their deliveries as she and Mark pulled out. They shared a wave in passing and then Mark turned onto the eastbound road. “I love this idea,” Roni said to the space between the two front seats—she’d taken the back because the front was easier for Gram to get in and out of.

  Mark nodded. “I help every year. For one thing, it reminds you how lucky you are, and at the same time, reminds other people that someone does care.”

  “And it’s a nice day for a drive,” Gram added.

  It was a good thing it was a nice day for a drive, because most of their stops were far-flung places. Gram insisted on getting out at each house and greeting the recipients personally. In some cases, that meant long chats and reminiscences. At one point, Mark had to call a halt to the catching up because it was getting late and they had to get back to the ranch for their own meal.

  Roni was happy that she’d been able to provide something helpful to the outreach program. She was still glowing when Mark pulled into the Stirling Ranch driveway. She carried the goodies she’d made as Mark helped Gram up the stairs to the front porch. As always, her heart swelled as she marveled on how gentle and thoughtful he was.

  And he loved her, just as she was. Something to be thankful for, indeed.

  * * *

  Sam met them at the door, and quickly took half of Roni’s load. “Come on in. We’re staging food in the kitchen. Milly, Grandma is waiting for you in the parlor.”

  “Oh, excellent.” Milly reclaimed her arm and headed in that direction, so Mark turned and followed Sam and Roni into the kitchen.

  “Wow,” he said as the full aroma of the meal smacked him in the face. His salivary glands went into overdrive. “How much food is this?”

  Roni glanced at him over her shoulder and laughed. “It is a ridiculo
us amount of food,” she said.

  He nodded, but it was a purely instinctive reaction. The rest of him—his heart, mind and soul—was focused on one thing. That look in her eye. It wasn’t the kind of come-hither glance that might have attracted him in the past. It was a come-hither-and-love-me-forever-and-I-will-love-you-forever-too glance. He couldn’t not turn her to face him, cup her cheeks in his hands and kiss her soundly.

  He could have kissed her forever, but his sister passed by, muttering, “Get a room.”

  “Roni’s here! Roni’s here!” Emma bellowed as she spotted them. She stopped short and took in the sight of Roni in Mark’s arms. “What are you doing?” she asked of no one and everyone.

  “Kissing Roni,” he said, with more than a hint of pride.

  Emma wrinkled her nose. “Why?”

  He released Roni and ruffled Emma’s hair. “Because I can, kiddo.”

  Emma wrinkled her nose. “My mom and dad do that, too,” she said. “It’s really gross.”

  “I brought pumpkin pie,” Roni said, perhaps to earn back her lost esteem in Emma’s eyes for kissing. It worked.

  “Oooh. Let me see!”

  Roni opened the Tupperware container to show off a beautiful pie, which had an elaborately decorated turkey cutout—made of piecrust—on the top. It had pink and purple feathers, which were Emma’s favorite colors. A much smaller turkey followed the first. “What do you think?”

  Emma stared for a long while and then gazed up at Roni in awe. “Oh, I think it’s the most perfectest thing I ever saw.”

  “Do you know what this is?” Roni pointed at the tiny turkey.

  Emma shook her head.

  Roni leaned closer and whispered, “It’s your puppy, following right behind you. See? It’s Daisy.”

  Emma’s jaw dropped and then she started laughing. “Don’t tell anyone,” she said to Roni. “It’ll be a surprise.”

  “What a great idea,” Roni said in an equally conspiratorial tone. She glanced at Mark and grinned. No one else cared about the decoration on the pie, but it didn’t matter, because she’d done it for Emma.

  She watched as the sprite ran from the room bellowing, “Mom, guess what!”

  Mark chuckled as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and held her close to his side. Where he belonged.

  Then Luke burst into the room. Luke didn’t usually burst into rooms, but whatever. “Hey! Roni!” he said, stealing her for a hug. The moment he could do so without making things awkward, Mark took her back. “Emma said you were here.”

  “Here I am. Mark, too.” She patted him on the chest as though to remind his brother of his existence.

  “Yeah. So Emma said you brought turkey pie?”

  She chuckled. “Pumpkin pie.”

  “With a turkey decoration,” Mark clarified.

  Roni turned and headed toward the foyer, then said over her shoulder, “I made brownies for you.”

  Luke’s “Yee-haw” rocked the rafters.

  “Well,” Mark said as he caught up with her, “you made somebody happy.”

  “It’s what I live for,” she replied, and then eased off her coat. She’d worn it all day while they’d been delivering meals, so he hadn’t noticed what she was wearing underneath—a sleeveless dress. As he took the garment from her and hung it on the coat tree by the door, something clogged in his throat. Maybe in his eyes, too.

  When he turned back to her, her hand rose and hovered, as though she had the urge to cover herself, her scars, but after a moment, she dropped it.

  “You look so beautiful tonight,” he said, tracing a gentle line across her shoulder. When he caught her eye, her gaze was a little damp. How brave she was.

  “Thank you,” she said. And he had to kiss her again.

  “Oh, gawd,” Sam muttered as she passed by. “If the two of you can unclinch, it’s time to eat.”

  Laughing, Mark and Roni made their way to the dining room table with the rest of the clan. Once everyone was seated and had beverages, DJ stood and raised his glass. “I think this is the time where we all share what we are especially thankful for.”

  “You start,” Sam said.

  “Okay.” DJ bowed his head for a moment and then said, “I am thankful that Danny, Lizzie and Emma have joined our family. It’s great to have you here with us, my brother.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Mark said with a grin at Danny’s blush.

  “Oh, oh, oh!” Emma cried. “Me next!” She lifted her juice. “I’m thankful for having a dad.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet, hon,” Danny said. “I’m thankful for—”

  “Wait!” Emma bellowed. “I have another thankful-for.”

  “Okay.” Danny set down his wine.

  “I’m also thankful for my uncle Luke for giving me his bone marrow.”

  This, of course, earned her a hug from Luke, who was seated at her side. “I’m thankful for you, too, munchkin.”

  “And I’m thankful for my aunt and uncles and Daisy and everyone,” she announced, mid-hug.

  Lizzy was thankful for Emma’s health and the new baby, Dorthea was thankful for tea parties with her granddaughter and Gram was thankful for a bakery that always carried fresh molasses cookies.

  “And how about you, Mark?” DJ asked when it came round the table to him.

  His heart jumped. Heat crawled up his cheeks. His breath caught. “Well,” he said, lifting his glass. “I am thankful—very thankful—that Roni has agreed to marry me.”

  He barely had the words out before everyone cheered. They all hopped up—except for Luke, who came over with measured steps because his leg was bothering him—and surrounded Mark and Roni with congratulations and hugs.

  It meant a lot to him, but he knew, somehow he knew, it meant so much more to Roni.

  “I love you,” he said, and she responded in kind.

  It might work out after all, this commitment thing. With love, they might do okay.

  * * *

  The cacophony around her was overwhelming, but for once, Roni didn’t shrink away from it. This was good energy. Good chaos. It was a gift, and she knew it.

  “So you’re gonna get married?” Emma asked as she finished her second helping of sweet potatoes and candied bacon.

  Roni couldn’t stop her grin. “Yes.” Yes. It excited her each time she thought of it.

  Emma glanced pointedly at Roni’s hand, and frowned. “Really? Where’s the ring?”

  “I don’t have a ring yet,” she said.

  Emma snorted. “Then you’re not engaged. Not really.”

  “We are.” She felt their eyes on her, though her eyes were on Mark. His expression warmed her heart. “Rings don’t mean anything. Nothing means anything, except love.”

  Danny pulled Lizzie into a side-hug and kissed her forehead. “Amen.”

  DJ and Luke nodded. Dorthea lifted her glass. Gram clasped her hand on her chest. “How sweet.”

  Sam, however, snorted. “No ring, though?”

  “I’m getting her a ring,” Mark muttered. “We just made the decision. We thought you’d want to know before it showed up in that online newsletter Gladys Henry does.”

  Luke lifted an eyebrow, along with his beer. “Did this decision have anything to do with your visitor at the bakery?” he asked Roni.

  “What visitor?” Sam made a face. She hated being left out of the action. But Roni had been so busy preparing for Thanksgiving, they hadn’t had a chance to talk.

  “Anthony, my ex, came to the bakery last week,” Roni said.

  “And Roni took him down.” Leave it to Luke to crow and spike a dinner roll like a football player after a touchdown.

  “What do you mean, she took him down?” Emma asked.

  Luke stilled. Flushed. “Um...”

  “Yeah,” Lizzie said, clocking her head to t
he side. “What exactly do you mean, Luke?”

  He glanced from Lizzie to Emma and back again. His lips moved as he tried to escape from this hole.

  Roni decided to save him. “Emma, he was not nice, so I had to give him a time-out.”

  “That’s one way of putting it,” Mark murmured.

  “Cole’s got him in the cooler for parole violation.” Luke shrugged. “I assume they’re gonna ship him right back to whatever hole he crawled out of.”

  Enough of this. Anthony was not invited to dinner.

  “Who wants dessert?” Roni asked. And then she laughed because their enthusiasm was delightful. When Mark followed her to the kitchen to help with the dessert, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her madly.

  Chapter Eleven

  After most of the eating was finished, everyone assembled in the family room as they usually did, to play board games, chat and occasionally do a sing-along, which was always hysterical because none of them could carry a note. With a full belly, a room filled with people he loved and a sprinkling of laughter, Mark was in his element.

  He sat back in his chair and watched Roni interacting with everyone as though she was perfectly at home. Her relationship with Luke was especially remarkable. It was clear the two connected on a deep level. He could see it in her eyes when she laughed at his jokes, in his expression when he looked at her.

  Since he’d returned from the Marines, Luke had been a different person. Wounded and broken. The whole family had noticed. They’d all tried to reach out to the Luke they’d once known, but he’d locked himself away. Nothing had been able to bring him back.

  Now, with Roni, Mark could see little flashes of his brother emerge. Could see the spark of joy in his eyes. Could feel his contentment as the two of them riffed about a show they both loved on Netflix. When the two of them burst into an off-key theme song and dissolved into laughter, something swelled in the general region of his chest.

  He’d never seen his brother so animated. Never seen him laugh so much, open up like this. At least, not since he returned.