by Debbie Mason
“Ethan, darling,” his mother said, touching his arm with a worried look in her eyes.
Richard got up from where he sat beside Liz and came to stand at his side. “Not the time or place for this, son,” he said for Ethan’s ears alone. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Ethan did as Richard suggested before he embarrassed himself further.
Madison, who’d been as angry at his wife as Ethan had been, shot him an indignant look and got up from the table. She took Skye by the hand. “I’m going to get my best friend something decent to wear, and then we’re all going to sit down at this table like normal people and eat the Thanksgiving dinner I slaved over for two days.”
“What are you talking about? You made the carrots, and you burned them.”
“Aunt Nell,” Gage muttered, then kissed his wife’s cheek. “I’ll put everything in the oven, honey. Keep it warm until you’re ready.”
“I’ll help you, Gage,” Ethan’s mother offered. Claudia’s gaze flicked from Ethan to his wife. She started clearing off the table with Nell as Madison led Skye away.
“You’re a big meanie, Uncle Ethan,” Lily said, following after the two women.
“Geez, Uncle Eth, way to ruin Thanksgiving,” Annie said as she left the table.
“Girls, wait. Come say hi to your Uncle Chance,” Gage called after his daughters, but they were long gone.
“Sorry about that,” Ethan apologized to Gage and scrubbed his face with his hands.
When he looked up, the four men who remained at the table glared at him. “Oh, come on, how did I end up being the bad guy in this?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?” Chance asked, taking a seat after he’d hugged his father and brother. He leaned back in the chair, picked up a bun, and fired it at Ethan’s head. “She’s pregnant, Einstein.” It was the nickname Gage’s brothers had given Ethan in grade school. One he’d hated. “And she’s not feeling so hot since I dragged her out of her bed and brought her to Christmas in her pj’s.”
“Yeah, about that,” Ethan said, lobbing the bun back at him. “What the hell were you thinking? You kidnapped her, took her across state lines, and you had a gun even if you didn’t threaten her with it. You could be charged both federally and by the state with first-degree kidnapping.”
“She won’t charge me. She likes me. You should be worrying more about yourself. Sweet Cheeks doesn’t like you very much, and she has a mean right hook.” Chance grinned. “Moriarty’s lucky all she did was break his jaw and rupture his balls.” Jerking his thumb over his shoulder, he added, “Might be a good idea if you don’t shove your new girlfriend in her face.”
“Claudia is not my girlfriend,” Ethan responded tightly.
“Coulda fooled me,” Chance said.
“You may want to set both your mother and Claudia straight on that, Ethan,” Richard said with a pointed look at the two women whispering in the kitchen.
“He can do that tomorrow,” Gage said. “What he’s going to do now is call a truce with his wife. Today’s important to Madison. It’s her first Thanksgiving with the family and the baby. And I want to salvage what’s left of the day. Madison will calm Skye down, and now that she knows Nell was behind this, I hope she’ll reconsider pressing charges. I’d like to visit with my brother in the comfort of my home instead of behind bars.” He looked at Chance. “You are staying for a couple of days, aren’t you?”
Chance shifted in his chair. “I wish I could, but—”
“Son, you haven’t been home since…” Paul stopped himself, then in a pleading tone of voice said, “A day or two, that’s all I’m asking for. Please.”
Ethan could see that Chance was fighting an inner battle. It was as hard to watch as the hope fading from Paul’s face at the resolute expression on his son’s.
“Come on, Chance. It’s time,” Gage said quietly, holding his brother’s gaze.
Chance rubbed his jaw, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, okay, Dad. I’ll stick around for a day or two.” He looked across the table at Ethan and grinned. “And I think in the next few minutes, Einstein here might need a bodyguard.”
“I can defend myself, thanks. But I’m not going to have to, because as soon as Madison’s had a couple more minutes with my wife, I’m going to go talk to her, straighten a few things out, and then we’re all going to sit down for a civilized Thanksgiving dinner.”
Chance started to laugh. “Best-laid plans. I figure you have”—he glanced at his watch—“about ten seconds before the cavalry arrives.”
“What’s he talking about?” Gage asked Ethan, as Chance began counting down the seconds with a shit-eating grin on his face.
The doorbell rang and his mother called out that she’d get it at the same time Ethan responded to Gage. “I have no idea, but he’s starting to get on my—” Ethan broke off when a woman with mile-high blonde hair burst into the dining room and drew a Glock from her purse. “What have you done with my honey bun?”
* * *
Skye glanced at Maddie as she dragged her to her bedroom. “Considering you haven’t talked to me in weeks, I’m glad to hear I’m still your best friend.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you. All you’ve done for the last few months is lie to me. You were in danger, and you didn’t tell me. What kind of friendship is that? After everything we’ve been through together, you shut me out. But you didn’t shut Vivi out, did you?” Maddie crossed her arms, her expression more hurt than angry.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I really am. I did it for you. Gage is Ethan’s best friend. I didn’t want you to have to keep secrets from him.”
“That excuse worked when you were keeping the baby a secret, but it doesn’t cover the rest of it. You took off in the middle of the night in a snowstorm. No phone call, no nothing. You left your husband to deal with Bob Bennett’s smear campaign on his own, then you publicly humiliated him by announcing your divorce in the paper. I don’t think I know you anymore.” Maddie sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not sure I want to. He loved you, Skye. Ethan loved you, and you destroyed him.”
“Looks like he got over me pretty quick,” she said in a flippant tone of voice, trying not to let her heartache leak into her voice. It’d been easy to hold on to her anger when he attacked her, but now the reality was setting in. She really had lost him. “I’m sure he and Claudia will be announcing their engagement any day now.”
“Really, that’s all you’ve got to say for yourself?” Maddie looked at her, tears welling in her eyes. “I, uh, I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Why?” Skye tried to tamp down her panic at the thought she’d lost not only Ethan but her best friend, too. She sat beside Maddie. “I can’t lose you, too. I can’t.” She gave her head a frantic shake.
“What do you mean, ‘too’?”
“I love Ethan, Maddie. I probably always will.”
“Then why did you leave him? Why did you—”
“Because I thought I was protecting him. I thought if I left him, he’d have a chance to win the election.” She lifted her eyes to Maddie’s. “I was there, that night at Liz’s. I heard everything. I heard about Jimmy blackmailing him, about the pictures and what Claudia said. They were going to tell the truth—that Ethan had only married me because of the baby and was filing for divorce. There would have been backlash if he did. It was better if I did.”
“Skye, why didn’t you just tell him? You could have—”
“I couldn’t. He would have convinced me to stay. At least without me by his side, he had a chance to win. I knew if he lost, he’d blame me as much as I blamed myself.” She released a brittle laugh. “So much for my sacrifice. And, as you just heard tonight, I was right.”
“I’ve known you for more than ten years, I should’ve known there was more to this.” Maddie took her hand. “And what if he’d won, Skye? What were you going to do then?”
“Be glad that at least something good came out of me leaving him.
Because you were right. I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I don’t think I could’ve kept it up for much longer. In the end, we would’ve ended up where we are today.”
“Where are you today?”
“Here with my best friend, I hope.”
“That’s not what I meant. Of course we’re still best friends. I was angry, and not just about Ethan. I was angry you could up and leave me after I had Connor. I needed you.”
“I’m sorry. I promise, no more secrets.” She tentatively drew Maddie in for a hug, not entirely sure her best friend had forgiven her. “So does this mean you’re not kicking me out?”
Maddie drew back and winced. “That wasn’t really in tune with the spirit of Thanksgiving, was it?”
“Nope, but neither were Ethan and me.” She pointed at herself. “But I think I had a legitimate reason for my rant. Can you believe Nell sent Superman to kidnap me?”
“Uh, yeah, it’s Nell we’re talking about. But who’s Superman? I thought Hot Bod kidnapped you.”
Skye laughed. Her laughter fading when she realized this was something else she’d kept from Maddie, so she told her all about Vivi and Superman.
“I can’t believe it. And you didn’t tell her?”
“No, he was protecting her, and she needed protection.”
“You think he’s in love with her?”
“I’m not sure, but he does care about her. I don’t think he’s gotten over Kate.”
“I’m sorry he scared you, but it’s about time he came home. Paul will be over the moon. So will Gage. Maybe that was part of Nell’s plan all along.”
“Hey, what about me? Aren’t you glad he brought me back?”
She tilted her head. “That depends. I’d like to have a happy Thanksgiving. Can you manage to be civil to Ethan and Claudia?”
Her heart fluttered beneath her rib cage. “So they are together?”
“Not as far as I know. Richard is courting Liz, though. But I have to tell you, Claudia has been there for Ethan after you…” She shrugged. “Are you planning on staying in town?”
“I think so. I’ve missed you guys. And Christmas would be a good place to raise the baby. Besides, Ethan and I are going to have to figure out a way to make this custody thing work. It’d be easier if we were in the same state. Easier for him to have her on weekends, that is, because I have no intention of giving him full custody.” Thinking of her baby growing up with Claudia as a stepmother, she placed a protective hand on her stomach.
“You said you love him. Why don’t you try and make it work?”
“He doesn’t love me. And if he ever did, it was Kendall he was in love with—and I’ll never go back to pretending to be her again.”
Maddie was about to say something when Annie and Lily burst into the bedroom. “Auntie,” Lily said, launching herself at Skye. Annie threw her arms around Skye’s neck and said, “I’ve missed you.”
Skye laughed. “How could you? We talk every day.”
Maddie stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Wait a sec. You talk to my daughters every day and you don’t talk to me? Okay, I know,” she said when Skye gave her a pointed look.
Then Maddie started to laugh. “I should’ve known when I was having trouble nursing Connor and Annie suggested I try a nipple shield.” She shook her head and hauled Skye to her feet. “And speaking of nipples, you need something decent to wear. Girls, I hear your brother, get him for me, please. We won’t be long.” Maddie opened her closet and gave Skye a once-over. “You actually look pregnant now.”
“I know, it’s so amazing,” Skye said, rubbing her stomach. “I can’t believe how big I am.”
Maddie snorted. “The only thing big on you is your boobs.” She handed her a pair of leggings, a long purple sweater and a bra. “Instead of looking like you swallowed a golf ball, you look like you swallowed a football, one for toddlers.”
“Ha-ha, you’re so funny,” Skye said as she got dressed. She’d just finished tugging the sweater over the black leggings when she heard a woman yelling for her honey bun.
* * *
It took forty minutes to calm Betty Jean down, get Connor fed and tucked into his cradle, and the food back on the table. Skye was retrieving the last platter when Ethan cornered her in the kitchen. “We need to talk,” he said, blocking her exit.
“It’ll have to wait. Everyone’s hungry.” After what he’d said earlier, she didn’t want to hear more in the same vein. Not right now. Maddie wanted a Hallmark Thanksgiving, and that was what she was going to get. Unintentionally, Skye had hurt her best friend, and she needed to make amends.
“Just give me a sec, okay? I want to apologize for earlier. I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have commented on your relationship with Claudia. It’s none of my business.” Really, Skye? That’s all you got? She had so much more to apologize for, more important things. In her defense, it wasn’t easy to think straight with him standing so close that she could smell his expensive cologne. The track lighting in the kitchen brought out the gold highlights in his tawny hair. He was wearing it longer now. Like the scruff on his chiseled jaw, it made him look dangerously sexy.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his black pants. “No, it’s not.”
That wasn’t the answer she expected or wanted to hear. She raised her gaze, trying to read the emotion in the depths of his hazel eyes. They were more green today, reflecting the color of his sweater. But he had on his lawyer face, hiding his feelings from her.
“It hasn’t been your business since you left me in the middle of the night without an explanation.”
“I left you a note.”
He raised his brows. “The blog post was more enlightening than your note. You should’ve told me how much you hated it all.”
“You should’ve known.”
“I’m not a mind reader.”
She shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it now. It’s water under the bridge.” She saw the regret in his eyes and felt the same. She wished their marriage hadn’t ended the way it did. Maybe if they’d been honest from the beginning, they would have had a chance. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I’m sorry you lost the election.”
“Yeah, well, it happens.” His eyes drifted to her stomach. “How’s the baby?” he asked, returning his gaze to hers.
“She’s fine, thank you.” Nerves made her response come out more clipped and formal than she had intended. The thought of him suing her for full custody was always at the back of her mind.
“You’re pale. You don’t look well. Have you seen a doctor?”
“Ethan”—Claudia stuck her head in the kitchen, her gaze sliding from Skye to Ethan—“everyone’s waiting to start.”
“We’ll be right there,” Ethan said, giving the woman a smile. A woman who didn’t look pale and unwell, like Skye did. No, of course she didn’t. Claudia looked the picture of health in a red, wraparound knit dress that hugged her willowy frame. Which might have been the reason Skye snapped, “No, I haven’t seen a doctor because I don’t need to see a doctor, and if I thought I needed to see a doctor, I would see a doctor. I’m pregnant, not sick.”
He took her arm as she went to walk by him. “Why do you have to take a simple question and make a federal case of it?”
She jerked free of his hold. “Do not turn this on me. I know you, and I know exactly what you’re thinking. The silly, spoiled, self-centered—” Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d done. She’d repeated what Claudia had said about her that night. “She doesn’t know enough to take care of herself, so how could she ever take care of a baby?” she finished on a rush, praying he didn’t clue in.
“No, I wasn’t. But you’re almost thirty-three weeks. I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Evans for you. We’ll go—”
“I already have an appointment with her, Ethan. I made it at my last visit. Despite what you think, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my baby.” With that, she strode out o
f the kitchen, slamming the casserole dish on the dining room table. “Let’s eat,” she said. “I’m starved.”
Maddie’s anxious gaze went from her to Ethan. Skye forced a bright smile. “You’ve outdone yourself, sweetie. Everything looks amazing. Let’s give Maddie a round of applause. Yay, Maddie.” She put her fingers between her lips and whistled. Then she did a fist bump across the table to her best friend. “Awesome. Best Thanksgiving ever.”
Chance tugged on the back of her sweater. “Okay, Sweet Cheeks. We get it. Sit down so we can eat.” She took the seat between Chance and Betty Jean, her father sitting beside his wife-to-be.
Betty Jean leaned into her. “Honey bun, we’re going to have to go out and grab a bite later.”
Skye eyed the platters. “Load up on carrots and green beans.”
Chance grinned at her, then stuck a serving spoon into the whipped potatoes. Just as he went to put them on his plate, Lily shook her head. “We say what we’re thankful for first, Uncle Chance.”
“Are you shitting me?” he said in a low voice to Skye.
She surreptitiously elbowed him, even though she privately agreed with him. As Lily began, Skye tried to come up with something that wouldn’t tick off the man sitting across the table from her with his mother on one side of him, Claudia on the other.
“I want to give thanks for this amazing man that I had the pleasure of working with so closely this last year. He was robbed, but I know that one day he will have his chance, and I’ll be by his side to make that happen.” Claudia gave Ethan a simpering smile, then patted her father’s hand. “And of course I’m thankful for you, Daddy.”
A big hand closed over Skye’s. “Put down the knife, Sweet Cheeks,” Chance said out of the side of his mouth. She didn’t realize she’d been holding it, and loosened her white-knuckled grip. “You have nothing to be jealous about. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I’m not jealous,” she said, but she felt a little better for him saying so.
