Reunited in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 8)

by Cindy Kirk

  “Cassie, I just noticed you got the wishbone.” Lindsay couldn’t have sounded more pleased if it had turned up in her own turkey.

  “Who are you going to crack it with?” Braxton asked. “Just so you know, I’m available.”

  “Me, too.” K.T. pointed to her, then back to himself.

  “I’m considering my options.” Cassie had set the bone aside to let it dry. “I need to pick a weakling, so I get the big piece and can make a wish.”

  Cassie let her gaze deliberately settle on Axl, who was contentedly gnawing on a turkey leg.

  “I wouldn’t choose him,” K.T. told her. “He’ll jerk the entire wishbone out of your hand and then start screaming when you try to take it back.”

  The fact that Cassie could so easily visualize the scene told her that was exactly what would happen. Thankfully she didn’t have to decide right now.

  Cassie forgot about the wishbone as she dove into her food. She’d had made a serious dent in whipped potatoes made delicious by the addition of sour cream and real butter and was working on her turkey and dressing when she saw Krew pick up his marker and write something near his plate on the paper.

  Dinner was nearly over, and Cassie still hadn’t written anything on the butcher paper. Some years she’d had difficulty thinking of something to be grateful for, but Owen’s comments had put things in perspective. If his little girl, fighting for her life because of an inoperable brain tumor, had been able to find things to be grateful for, so could she.

  Picking up her marker, Cassie began to write, vowing to never again take the blessings in her life for granted.

  Braxton and K.T. were assigned the task of clearing the table to ready it for dessert. Cassie was in charge of pouring the coffee, while Len took pie orders. It would be up to Dakota and Anita to deliver the slices.

  “We have two selections,” Owen advised. “Pumpkin with real whipped cream or, what I understand is a family favorite, golden raisin.”

  Instead of relying on his memory, Len went from person to person, writing down each selection on a small notepad.

  Cassie was about to refill Krew’s coffee cup when Len paused beside him.

  There was no doubt in Krew’s mind what he was going to order. Pumpkin pie was a personal favorite, and the real whipped cream was a special bonus. His taste buds were ready.

  “What would you like, Krew?”

  At that moment, Cassie bent close on the pretext of filling his cup. “Raisin.”

  Her voice was low, for his ears only.

  Startled, he looked up.

  Cassie only smiled and moved to the next cup.

  “What’ll it be?” Len asked. “Pumpkin or raisin?”

  “Raisin,” Krew found himself saying.

  In less than a minute, Dakota set a piece of raisin pie, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, in front of him.

  At least, Krew thought, eyeing the pie, he’d like the topping.

  “I was excited when Len told me you’d picked the raisin pie.” Dakota gazed down at the dessert in front of him.

  “I got a piece, too.” Cassie slid into her seat and smiled at the two of them. “Dakota made the raisin pie, Krew. Prepare to be wowed. Our daughter is an amazing baker.”

  “You can take a bite now.” Dakota kept her voice low. “You’re not supposed to, but you can if you want a taste.”

  Cassie’s eyes urged him to do so.

  Thank you, he wanted to say to her. Without her intervention, he’d have chosen the pumpkin.

  Krew forked off a small bite, determined to rave. The taste was intriguing. He discovered it wasn’t just the whipped topping he liked. “This is good. I taste more than raisins. There are apples and some kind of nuts.”

  Dakota smiled. “Walnuts.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “You altered the recipe.”

  “It’s not set in stone.” Dakota tossed her head. “I also added apple cider and lemon zest.”

  “Let me taste it.”

  Before Krew could react, Cassie had forked off a large bite of his pie.

  “Umm, this is incredible.”

  When her fork moved in for a second bite, Krew shielded his plate with his arms. “Hey, you’ve got your own piece.”

  Dakota laughed. “I can get you another piece if you’re still hungry once you finish. It makes me so happy that you like it.”

  “It’s delicious.” Krew was glad he could answer honestly. “I’ll definitely need a second—”

  The clinking of a fork against a crystal glass had all conversation ceasing.

  “It’s come to my attention that the wishbone has yet to be cracked.” Owen’s gaze settled on Cassie. “Have you chosen who will crack it with you?”

  Krew didn’t know what to think when Cassie held the wishbone out to him. He took one end and pulled. Though he gave it his best effort, he could have cheered when the bigger half remained in Cassie’s hand.

  “Make a wish, Mom,” K.T. said.

  “Make it a big one,” Braxton urged.

  Cassie closed her eyes for half a second, then smiled. “Time for pie.”

  Krew ended up eating another piece of raisin pie and half a piece of pumpkin before he pushed back from the table. “I am so full.”

  When he started to rise, Dakota pulled him back down. “It’s not over yet.”

  He glanced over to Cassie. She gestured to her sister, who’d just stood.

  “It’s now time for us to go around the table and share one gratitude.” Lindsay smiled at her husband, then back at everyone else. “I’ll start. I’m grateful for all of you and thankful we could gather together today.”

  Krew felt himself tense as his turn to speak got closer. He told himself to keep it generic. After all, he was thankful for the wonderful food.

  But when it finally came to him, Krew couldn’t take the easy route. That had never been his way. “I’m grateful to be part of this family. And thankful you invited me to share this wonderful meal and your company.”

  He smiled at Dakota then shifted his gaze to Cassie. The emotion storming in her eyes matched his own.

  Krew knew this was one Thanksgiving he wouldn’t soon forget.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “What’s on tap for the rest of the day?” Krew asked.

  “Football at three on the tube.” Owen moved the centerpiece off the table to the mantel.

  “I brought a puzzle, if anyone’s interested.” Len gestured with one hand. “Anita is getting a card table set up in the family room.”

  “I love puzzles.” Cassie slanted a glance at her sister. “We used to put them together as a family all the time when we were kids. Do you remember, Lindsay?”

  “I remember,” her sister said with a wistful smile.

  “Muffy and I do several puzzles a week.” Len’s lips curved. “We finish one, and the next night we move on to another.”

  “You and Mom see each other every night?” Cassie kept her tone casual and offhand.

  Len thought for a moment, stroking his mustache. “Pretty much.”

  “That’s quite a drive for you,” Lindsay observed.

  “Not that far. Seeing my Muffy is worth it.”

  “Where is it you live, Len?” Krew asked.

  When the man described the location, Krew cocked his head. “You and Roy Davis were neighbors.”

  The light in Len’s eyes dimmed. “He lived down the road from me for nearly forty years. My wife and his were friends until Paula ran off.”

  Cassie’s brows pulled together. “A customer at the Grind said he had a daughter. If he did, I don’t recall ever meeting her.”

  “She was a lot older than you and Lindsay.” Sadness filled Len’s eyes. “From the time she was a little girl, Shannon and Roy butted heads. They were so much alike, both stubborn and hardheaded. That summer after she graduated from high school, they had a huge fight. She stormed out of the house and left town. As far as I know, Roy never heard from her again.”

  “That�
��s a long time to stay angry with someone you love.” Cassie’s gaze shifted to where Anita now stood in the doorway.

  “Roy could be stubborn. He was waiting for Shannon to make the first move.” Len spotted Anita and motioned her over. “It should be a lesson to us all.”

  “It can be difficult making that first move,” Cassie said.

  “But it’s worth it,” Anita answered.

  Cassie thought of all the holidays they’d spent apart. She smiled at her mother. “Yes, it’s definitely worth it.”

  Krew shot the ball. When it bounced off the rim and into Braxton’s hands, the boy hooted.

  “That’s HORSE.” Braxton glanced at Krew. “One more game?”

  They were tied now, one game each. Though Krew had never professed to be a great basketball player, his competitive spirit wouldn’t let anything end in a tie.

  “Let’s do it.”

  Braxton shot the ball to Krew in a quick move that made Krew grin. They’d scrimmaged some with Dakota and K.T. before the two, complaining of the cold, went inside.

  Krew was lining up to shoot when Braxton spoke.

  “That’s a good thing you’re doing for my sister.”

  Pausing, Krew turned to Braxton, rotating the ball in his hands.

  “You know, paying for her college. Spending time with her.”

  “I’m her dad.”

  “Mine doesn’t want anything to do with me. Or with K.T.” While Braxton’s tone said that was of no consequence, his eyes told a different story. “The guy had another family. Mom didn’t know. He told her he was single.”

  Braxton hurriedly added that last part, as if wanting to make sure Krew didn’t blame Cassie.

  “That’s low.” There was more Krew wanted to say about a man who would deliberately take advantage of a young woman’s trust, but he reminded himself this jerk was Braxton’s father.

  “I know his name. I even know where he lives.” Braxton’s voice grew thick, and he cleared his throat. “I’ve seen pictures of him and his kids. He’s got a son a little older than me and a couple of girls younger than K.T.”

  Krew knew finding out all this information would be child’s play for someone with Braxton’s computer skills.

  “K.T. doesn’t say much, but I know it bothers him.”

  Krew bounced the ball and caught it, never taking his gaze off Braxton.

  “It doesn’t bother me.”

  Lie, Krew thought, but only nodded.

  “I understand K.T.’s confusion. I mean, you’d think the guy would want to see him. My brother is an incredible artist. But he doesn’t.” Braxton’s shoulders slumped, even as his jaw tightened. “Want to see us, that is.”

  “Have I ever told you about my old man?”

  Braxton shook his head.

  “He was a drunk, a mean one.” Krew’s fingers tightened on the ball. “He didn’t care about me or my sister. The happiest day of my life was when I left home. We haven’t spoken since.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I try to tell K.T. We don’t need a dad.”

  “My father was never a dad. There’s a distinction. Everyone has a father, but not all of us have someone who cares about us, who mentors us, who has our back.”

  Braxton considered the comment, then nodded. “Didn’t hurt you. You turned out good.”

  “My college football coach was as close to a dad as I ever got. He cared about his players, cared about me. Not just how I handled the ball, but me. He served as an example of what a good man is like.” Krew bounced the ball, caught it. “There’ll be men who’ll come into your life, guys you can look up to and feel that connection. It may be Owen. Or Len. Or someone else.”

  “Like I said, it’s K.T. who feels like he’s missing out.” Braxton gave a humorless laugh. “I tell him, be thankful. Just think if Clint Gourley was our father. Talk about a miserable excuse for a human being.”

  “That’s right. He lived with you guys.”

  “Worst years of our lives.” Braxton’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “He pretty much stayed out of my face. But what he did to Mom—”

  Everything in Krew went cold. It took all his self-control to keep his tone even. “What did he do?”

  “Beat her down.” Braxton must have seen the anger that filled Krew, because he added, “Not physically. He didn’t hit her. In a way, what he did was worse.”

  Krew waited for his pulse to return to normal. Before it did, Braxton continued. “He destroyed her confidence step by step. It was classic.”

  At Krew’s frown, Braxton explained, “I learned about it in psychology class. First, you isolate the person from everyone who cares about them. Then, you beat them down with your words. He criticized her constantly, put down her opinions until she felt she couldn’t do anything right. We all walked on egg shells around him. The guy had a temper.”

  Braxton’s eyes took on a distant gleam. “I never thought she’d kick him out, especially after she got pregnant with Axl.”

  “But she did.”

  Braxton nodded. “Then he got arrested and went to prison. He wanted Mom to come and see him and bring Axl. She refused. But he won’t be in prison forever.”

  Krew shot the ball, and it swished through the net. “You think he’ll come back around?”

  “I think he’ll do whatever he can to mess with her life.” Braxton’s face tightened into hard lines. “I won’t let that happen. I’m bigger now. I’ll keep him away from Mom and Axl. A man takes care of the ones he loves.”

  Braxton grabbed the ball from Krew’s hands and set up for his shot.

  A man takes care of the ones he loves.

  The phrase continued to circle in Krew’s head even after the game ended and they went inside to watch the pregame show.

  When Krew saw Cassie down on the floor, playing tickle monster with Axl, his heart lurched. In that moment, he knew that Braxton wasn’t the only one who would go to the mat to protect someone he loved.

  Cassie expected Krew to make his excuses when the football game ended. Instead, he surprised her by agreeing to stay for butternut squash soup with herbed flatbread.

  Afterward, the games and cards were brought out.

  “Len and I could still use help with the puzzle,” Anita told her family. “The one he brought today is a doozy.”

  “You’re welcome.” Len’s wicked smile made her laugh.

  The camaraderie between the two warmed Cassie’s heart, but left her puzzled. She couldn’t believe this wonderful man had asked her mother to marry him and she’d turned him down.

  “I’ve got a couple of different decks of cards.” Lindsay held three in her hand. “Uno. Go Fish. And a regular—” Lindsay frowned down at the third deck in her hand. “What the heck?”

  Owen stepped to his wife’s side and glanced at the cards. He groaned. “I thought you’d passed those on by now.”

  “I didn’t have anyone—” Lindsay paused, her gaze settling on Cassie and Krew.

  Crossing the room, Lindsay handed the deck to her sister. “These are getting-to-know-you cards. Also known as relationship cards.”

  Cassie pushed them back. “I’m not in a relationship.”

  Her sister’s chin lifted in a stubborn tilt. “The way I see it, even if you aren’t a romantic couple, you and Krew are now co-parents, which means your relationship is important. These cards are about strengthening relationships.”

  “I understand that, but—” Cassie began.

  “You each answer three questions, and then you can get rid, ah, give them to someone else.” Lindsay’s eyes remained firm on hers. “Or are you scared?”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “Don’t try that old trick. Just give me the stupid cards.”

  “Stupid, stupid, stupid cards.” Axl spoke in a singsong tone while slashing his arm through the air as if brandishing a sword.

  “Silly cards,” Cassie said desperately.

  “You said stupid.” Braxton appeared amused. “You know the brat repeats eve
rything.”

  “Axl,” Krew said loudly, and the little boy whirled. “Do you want a new car to play with?”

  The boy cocked his head, his gaze intense as he watched Krew pull a small red car from his pocket.

  “It looks like your car, Krew,” K.T. said as Axl snatched the car from him.

  “What do you say, Axl?” Cassie prompted.

  The boy held the precious car tight against his chest. “Thank you.”

  At that moment, Dakota strolled into the room. She eyed her mother. “What do you have in your hand?”

  Casually, Cassie closed her fingers more tightly around the cards. If her purse had been nearby and it wouldn’t have drawn more attention, she’d have dropped the deck into her bag. “Just some cards your aunt gave me.”

  “Playing cards?” Dakota asked, perking up.

  “Not exactly,” Cassie hedged.

  “What are they, then?”

  The question told Cassie that this girl was indeed her father’s daughter. She was not going to give up until she had answers.

  “They’re getting-to-know-you cards.” Falling back on Lindsay’s earlier description, Cassie ignored her sister’s smirk.

  “I love that kind of stuff.” Before she could stop her, Dakota swiped the cards from Cassie’s hand.

  Dakota turned to her brothers. “You guys want to play?”

  K.T. glanced at his brother. “Since this is an electronic-free zone for the day and our other choice is a puzzle, I’m game.”

  Dakota motioned to Braxton. “You’ll play, too.”

  “Will I?” Despite his words, the smile Braxton shot his sister was indulgent.

  “Yes, you will.” Dakota pulled a card from the middle of the deck, apparently not concerned about rules. Her lips curved as she read, “What’s your favorite childhood memory?”

  “You’re the oldest, Dakota. You answer first,” K.T. told her.

  Dakota tapped her finger against her thigh, giving the question serious thought, not appearing to notice when her brothers dropped down on the sofa beside her.

  Since it involved childhood memories, Cassie assumed it would involve Lindsay. Dakota and her aunt had always been close.