The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish (Love Inspired)

by Rustand, Roxanne

  After another few minutes Moose finally gave in, lumbered to a sitting position and let Vivienne drag him through the front door with Mei pushing him from behind.

  Vivienne waited while Mei checked in with the receptionist, then joined her at the back of the waiting room, where Moose tried to hide under a row of chairs and lifted several off the floor.

  She waggled one eyebrow. “So tell me more about Jack.”

  “Nothing to tell. He took the dog to his place this morning and babysat it all day so Mom wouldn’t send it off to dog jail while I was at school. He even took Moose to a groomer and refused to let me pay him back for it.”

  “What on earth possessed you to call Jack of all people?”

  “He’s a guest lecturer in one of my classes at the high school this month.” Mei reined in a flicker of irritation at Vivienne’s attitude. “He lives just across the creek from me, and he was an acquaintance in high school. Honestly, he’s not one of the bad guys. He’s really good with the students.”

  “Hmmmm.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Just be cautious,” Vivienne said. “He’s one very good-looking man, and he’s mighty protective of his little brother, but he still associates with the wrong people in this town—people who very much want to see our side of the family lose Grandpa’s inheritance.”

  “I wouldn’t know about that. Like I said…he seems like a really nice guy.”

  “What if he’s been kind only to gain the kind of information they can use to hurt you?”

  Mei stared at her. “How can you say that? Look at Cade. He’s a good kid, no matter what part of the gene pool he came from. And Jack isn’t related to the Claytons at all. He’s nothing like Charley or Vincent or all the others. I’m sure of it.”

  “So you think.” Vivienne loosened her winter coat. “There’s good reason that we grew up wary of Great-uncle Samuel and his progeny.”

  “Not all of them are like him.”

  “Most and especially Vincent. I can’t even count all the nasty things he tried to pull over the years—”

  A chair wobbled and tipped over with a crash and Moose leaped to his feet in panic, sending two others flying. Mei shot an apologetic glance at the receptionist as she straightened them all out.

  When Mei took her seat again, Moose crowded next to her knees, trembling and staring at the other chairs as if they just might attack him again.

  “Then again, I guess Cade turned out to be an upstanding young guy,” Vivienne admitted. “Maybe a few of them aren’t as bad as we think.”

  “If Jasmine has anything to do with it, there’ll be even less conflict in the future. Do you think she can really pull off that Thanksgiving dinner and convince everyone to get along peacefully?”

  “For a couple hours, maybe—as long as they’re all busy eating.” Vivienne shrugged. “But after that I think all bets are off…even when the turkey coma sets in. For some of them there’s just been too much animosity over the years to let it go easily.”

  “And then there’s the fact that Vincent isn’t going to stop being Vincent.”

  “Sad, isn’t it? If it wasn’t for that clause in Grandpa George’s will, maybe we could all work at making things better during the coming year. But now they have unbelievable motivation to cause trouble. And you can be sure they will.”

  Mei nodded. If Great-uncle Samuel’s side of the family managed to drive away just one of Mei’s cousins before the year was up, Samuel would inherit every last penny, every last acre of land. And eventually his greedy relatives would inherit it all from him.

  Why had Grandpa put his beloved wealth at such risk? He and Samuel had never gotten along.

  A slender blonde in a lab coat appeared by the receptionist’s desk. “This must be Moose. Would you like to come on back?”

  This time Moose trudged after her, his head and tail drooping, as if he knew he was heading for the gallows and had no more chances to escape.

  “I’ve got to get back out to the ranch, hon.” Vivienne waved them off. “Good luck with your beast.”

  Sunday morning dawned with six inches of fresh snow and stiff winds keening out of the mountains that frosted Mei’s cottage windows with lace and blew snowdrifts across the streets in town.

  After letting Moose out to do his business, she put him back inside the cottage and drove over to pick up her mother for church.

  The silence in the vehicle was deafening by the time they reached Clayton Christian Church and parked out front. Mei started to open her door, then settled back in her seat. “Is there anything you want to talk about, Mom?”

  Lisette’s chin lifted. “We don’t want to be late.”

  “Mom?”

  Lisette sighed. “I’m not happy about the dog, to begin with. I specifically told you that you couldn’t keep it on my property. It has to go by Monday.”

  “Did you know that he’s probably half wolfhound, half Great Pyrenees? The vet says he has the personality to make a wonderful pet.”

  “Be that as it may, he’s still a very large and smelly dog. I don’t want him on my property.”

  “The vet says he’s probably around two or three years old and surprisingly healthy given his very low weight from the fact that he’s been starving. He’ll be taking monthly pills for fleas and heartworm.” Mei grinned. “He smells like peaches, but I think he’s embarrassed about it.”

  Lisette sighed.

  “He’s a good watchdog, Mom. He barks if someone comes to the door.” Mei looked over at her. “I’ve never felt so safe living alone. I hope no one claims him, and if that happens, I’ll start looking for another place to live.”

  “Oh, Mei—” Lisette’s voice was laced with disappointment.

  She plowed on. “I really do understand your reasons for not wanting him around. But he’s such good company that I just can’t turn him in at the shelter and risk that he might be put to sleep.”

  Lisette’s jaw tensed. “We’d better get inside or we’ll be late for the service. We can talk about him later, but there are other, far more important things to discuss, too. After church.”

  The snow-drifted roads had kept some of the more rural members at home, but there were still a lot of familiar faces to see when Mei walked into church behind her mother. Most of the local shopkeepers. Mark Arrington, the Clayton family’s lawyer who had presided over the reading of Grandpa George’s will. Several old high school classmates, who turned and smiled. She caught a glimpse of Brooke, who was lingering at the back, deep in conversation with an elderly woman.

  Vivienne and her new fiancé, Cody, were already seated in a middle pew with Zach and Kylie, and a young, school-aged girl Mei didn’t recognize. Behind them, Jasmine and Cade were seated next to Arabella and a tall, handsome man who was likely Arabella’s fiancé, Dr. Jonathan Turner.

  Mei smiled to herself when she spied Arabella’s triplets seated alternately between the adults, probably in hopes that the four-year-old girls would make it through the service in relative peace. They were such darling little things at that age, with their silky dark hair and big golden-brown eyes, just like their mother’s, and Mei felt a pang in her heart at all she’d missed by not living here in Clayton. She’d seen the girls for the first time in July, and they were growing up way too fast.

  Lisette took her customary seat in the fourth pew from the back, left side, and Mei slid in next to her. The scents of furniture polish and candles and of the old church itself swirled around Mei, enveloping her in memories from the distant past.

  She thought back to the days when she and Lucas had been small and had sat in this very church between their parents, trying to keep still during the long sermons, and the cycle of life through baptisms and weddings and funerals. Mei had been so eager to leave for college and the chance to get away that she’d never looked back at what she was missing.

  Maybe she’d never really belonged with her adoptive family or in this town of ranchers. She’d always looked d
ifferent. Felt different. But Clayton was also the one town where everyone had once known her name and she’d known theirs—a world away from the anonymity she’d once gladly embraced in Denver and San Francisco.

  “Howdy,” a deep voice whispered. “Do you mind? Cade’s pew is full.”

  Startled, she discovered Jack had slid in next to her. A little shiver coursed through her, and suddenly the beautiful stained-glass windows seemed brighter, the day filled with more promise. “No, of course not.”

  He leaned close. “How’s Moose doing? Had any phone calls on him?”

  “No calls, and he’s doing fine. He even seems to be housebroken—though I’m still hoping for the best in that regard.” She reached down to her purse on the floor, withdrew the check she’d written out earlier and handed it to him. “This is for making him beautiful. I just hope it’s enough. I didn’t know which groomer you went to, so I guessed.”

  “I don’t want your money, Mei.”

  She tried to hold back a smile, but it wobbled free anyhow. “And I’m not taking it back.”

  Across the aisle, Mei saw Samuel peer at her and scowl, then turn to Charley and Pauley, who were seated next to him. A few rows in front of them, Arabella glanced over her shoulder at Jack, then fixed Mei with a dark look. And on Mei’s other side, Lisette sniffed and radiated displeasure as she moved a few inches farther down, her posture as rigid as the hard, wooden pews. What was with these people?

  Jack settled his hand over hers. “Maybe I shouldn’t have joined you. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You’re a friend, and you have every right to sit anywhere you please. It’s church. And if anyone calls me on it, they’re going to find out exactly what I think.”

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then released it. “My thoughts exactly.”

  The rustles and whispers in the church silenced as the organist began to play “How Great Thou Art” and the last few people trailed in. Reverend West took his place at the pulpit.

  Mei settled back in the pew as the beautiful notes swirled around her.

  She’d dreaded coming back to her hometown. Twelve long months here had seemed impossible. But now, as she surveyed the beautiful old church and sat among her friends and relatives who had gathered to worship, she felt a sense of peace fill her heart.

  “Let’s go downstairs to the fellowship hall for coffee,” Mei whispered to her mother as they walked down the center aisle after the service.

  Lisette shook her head. “I’d rather leave.”

  “I haven’t talked to Arabella and her girls yet or met her fiancé. And I think I just caught a glimpse of Brooke on the other side.”

  “You could certainly talk to your cousins another time.”

  “Please?”

  Lisette rested her fingertips on the white leather cover of her Bible as if she were searching for strength. “It’s because of that…that Clayton.”

  “Jack? No—look, he’s already talking to someone else. But he’s Jack McCord, Mom. Not Clayton. And I’m sure you won’t have to worry about him coming up to talk to us.”

  He’d already caught Mei’s eye and silently canted his head toward her mother, so she knew that he’d stay well clear of Lisette to avoid any awkward encounters.

  Lisette sighed. “Very well. But just a few minutes.”

  Mei cradled a cup of cocoa in her hands, savoring the warmth. The wind outside rattled the windows of the church fellowship hall and now and then a gust of snow slammed against its white clapboard siding. “Just listening to that wind makes me feel cold.”

  Arabella laughed. “You’ve been away too long. This is a balmy day. Just wait until January.”

  “Oh, I remember. I had to make that four-block trek on foot to and from high school often enough.”

  “Have you met my fiancé?” Arabella held out her hand and the tall, dark blond–haired man who had sat with her in church broke away from talking to Jack and Zach and sauntered over. “This is Jonathan Turner.”

  Mei offered her hand. “Nice to meet you, Jonathan. I hear you’re starting up a new medical clinic here and that you even do house calls.”

  “That word got out a little too fast.” He grinned and looped an arm around Arabella’s shoulders to draw her closer to his side. “I’m already practicing here, though the clinic itself won’t be done for a few more months.”

  He suddenly looked around, then he and Arabella looked at each other. “Where’s Jessie?” they both said at once.

  “Oh, dear. Excuse us—she’s probably upstairs hiding under the altar again with a double handful of cookies. Can you keep an eye on Jamie and Julie for just a second? The girls all need to get to their Sunday School class.”

  Arabella and Jonathan hurried away, and Mei moved over to the long table where the other two little girls were eyeing the platters of cookies, punch and coffee. Today all three were dressed in pink frothy dresses with white tights and a big pink bow in their dark ringlets.

  She fixed her gaze midway between the two. “Are you Jamie?”

  One of the little girls nodded. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Mei, your mom’s cousin.”

  Jamie frowned. “You don’t look like my mom.”

  Knowing that the topic of foreign adoptions would be way beyond her understanding, Mei just smiled. “I’m from far away. Can you tell me which cookies are the very best?”

  The other child, who had to be Julie, pointed at cookies with M&Ms in them. “Those gots candy.”

  “It’s good to see you again, Mei.”

  Mei turned and found her cousin Brooke smiling at her.

  Mei started to offer her hand, then switched to an awkward hug. “Congratulations! I hear you’re engaged.”

  Brooke beamed. “I am. Gabe and his little boy aren’t here because A.J. is just getting over a bad cold, but I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  A chubby sad-eyed girl of nine or ten with long blond hair sidled up to Brooke, her expression downcast.

  “This is Macy Perry,” Brooke said. “She’s a very special friend of mine. Macy, this is my cousin Mei. She’s been on lots of adventures. She’s lived in Denver and San Francisco, and way over in China.”

  The girl looked up at Mei and forced a smile, a single dimple flashing in her left cheek.

  Mei stared down at her, momentarily stunned into silence as a brief memory flashed through her thoughts.

  The family picnic out at the state park when Mei was fourteen and Brooke was nine. Mei had just overheard Grandpa George talking to her father, and he’d referred to her as “that little Asian girl of yours.”

  She’d listened in shock, her heart wrenching at the realization that her grandfather didn’t think of her as anything but an outsider. Tears spilling down her cheeks, she’d wandered far from the group to sit at the edge of the lake, feeling more alone than ever, when little Brooke bounced up to her and chattered gaily about her new puppy.

  Brooke, with her sweet disposition and sunny smile, had somehow known what Mei needed at that moment. Glancing at Macy again, Mei suddenly realized that the young girl looked almost exactly like Brooke had at that age. Right down to that single dimple.

  Mei floundered for something to day. “Um…it’s…it’s really nice to meet you, Macy. Have you lived around here long?”

  “Always.” The girl shot a questioning look up at Brooke, then added, “My mama is really sick, so she isn’t here.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, honey.”

  “She’s coming to my house to bake cookies today.” Brooke circled an arm around Macy’s shoulders to give her a quick hug but gave Mei a speaking look over the girl’s head. “I love it when she can visit me.”

  Something wasn’t quite right here.

  When Macy wandered away toward the triplets, Brooke drew Mei into a quiet corner of the room. “Macy’s mother is terminally ill. Just in the past week or so she’s taken a precipitous turn for the worst. Hospice is involved, and they say Darlene could go anyti
me in the next month or two.”

  “Oh, no.” Mei glanced over at the child, her heart wrenching for all poor Macy was going through.

  “Gabe and I promised her mother that Macy can live with us, but all of us on the Church Care Committee have been involved—helping Darlene, taking in Macy on her mother’s worst days. I dread these last weeks for Macy’s sake.”

  “What about her father? Is he in the picture?”

  “Darlene refuses to tell us who he is, which is strange because she’s deeply worried about her daughter’s future. Wouldn’t you think she’d want us to tell him about the situation?”

  Mei sighed. “She wouldn’t if he was a terrible person. Drugs, alcohol abuse. You never know.”

  Again the image of Brooke as a young girl flashed through Mei’s thoughts. “Is…is Macy a relative?”

  “No. Why?” A defensive edge crept into Brooke’s voice. “She doesn’t need to be. We would help anyone in this awful situation, relative or not.”

  “I didn’t mean it the wrong way. It’s just a coincidence, I guess, but she sort of reminds me of you when you were young.”

  Brooke’s expression softened. “Thanks. Macy is a sweet girl.”

  Lisette appeared at Mei’s side. “It’s time to go, dear. People are leaving and I have things to do at home.”

  “Hi, Lisette. It’s nice to see you here.” Brooke’s eyebrows rose. “Whoa. I have a wonderful idea. One of the committees here at church has lost a few members lately, and we could really use more help. Both of you would be perfect.”

  Lisette stiffened. “I don’t think—”

  “It’s easy,” Brooke exclaimed. “And there’s such a need. We visit shut-ins and run errands for those who can’t get out. Babysit for our single parents who need a break or for those caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s. Because there’s no taxi service here, we help our older members get to their doctor and dentist appointments. Some of us make meals for people who’ve just been discharged from the hospital.”