“Okay then. I’d better finish up here and have a shower.”
The simple mention of him having a shower brought an image flying back into her brain and her sweater suddenly seemed a bit warm and cloying. “Right.” Her voice sounded slightly strangled. She was on the brink of offering to come over and help scrub his back when his voice sounded in her ear again.
“Jess? Thanks. I mean, this will beat feeling sorry for myself at home, you know?”
“You’re welcome. And don’t be late.”
She hung up the phone, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her lips. Then she dialed one more number. She’d give Sarah the heads-up that there’d be one more for dinner.
* * *
Jess carried the casserole while Rick took the Tupperware holding the cranberry sauce. Several cars were already in the yard: Abby and Tom’s, Bryce and Mary’s, and their parents, Barb and Pete Arseneault’s. Jess knew Josh and Meggie would have walked over to Sarah’s. With Mark and the two kids, they were up to a dozen before Jess and Rick.
She rang the bell but then reached out and opened the door without waiting. “Hello, we’re here,” she called out over the racket already taking place.
Rick came in behind her and shut the door with his hip. “Holy cow,” he said behind her. “I forgot what a madhouse a Collins event can be.”
There was an ear-piercing scream followed by giggles. Jess grinned and looked over her shoulder. “Matt and Susan are playing with Alice. My guess is toddler hide-and-seek.” Sure enough, Suzie came dashing by on her way to the laundry room to hide while Matt’s voice counted, slowly, followed by incoherent calls by Alice, who was walking but not yet talking.
“Come on, let’s put this stuff in the kitchen,” she said.
They walked through and found Meggie, Sarah, Barb, and Mary working—one at the stove, one at the sink, and two standing at the butcher block. “Jess!” Meggie saw them first and put down her spoon. “And Rick, so glad you could join us. Let me take that for you. The boys are all in the den.”
“Thanks, Mrs. C,” he answered, handing over the dish. “Sure smells good in here.”
“That’s my turkey,” Sarah answered. “I brined it and it’s going to be delicious.” Her tone dared him to say otherwise, and Jess saw him smile.
He was startlingly handsome when he smiled like that; the rest of his face relaxed and his eyes were warm like melted chocolate. His gaze shifted to her, almost to ask if it was okay to go find the guys and that weightless feeling fluttered around again. “We’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” She nodded. “Thanks for carrying my stuff.”
He followed the noise of the television, and Jess took a quick moment to admire the rear view as he walked away.
“Je-esss,” said Sarah, reaching for the casserole holder and plunking it down on the butcher block.
“What?” she asked innocently. Maybe a little too innocently, because Sarah’s gaze turned razor-sharp.
“You said you asked Rick because you didn’t want him to be alone on the holiday.”
“That’s right. He just lost his mom, and he doesn’t have any other family.” She snagged another glass bowl and used a spoon to help transfer the ruby-red cranberry sauce into Sarah’s decorative china.
“Right.”
Jess remained nonchalant. “Rick’s been a part of our family events for a long time anyway. Heck, he was Tom’s best man and you invited him here for Josh’s homecoming.”
“Yes, I did. But I’m not single, am I? And you most definitely are. And so is he. I saw the way you were looking at each other just now. What’s going on?”
Her sister was like a dog with a bone. But Jess had expected this. Sarah had been married for a long time. She tended to play both mother and matchmaker whenever possible. Jess didn’t usually mind because she knew it always came from a good place.
“We’re close, that’s all. We’ve been talking more because he’s been doing a little work for me. You don’t need to read more into it than there is, sis.”
“Friends, huh?” Sarah put her hands on her hips. “Might I remind you that at Josh’s party, you were pretty upset I’d invited him as he was a ‘bad influence.’”
Darn it.
Mary stepped in to Jess’s aid. “Bryce says Rick’s cleaned up his act a lot. He hasn’t had a problem with Rick since before his mother died. I’m glad you invited him, Jess. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving.”
Jess snapped the lid back on the container of sauce. “I agree. Now, what can I do to help?”
Sarah was taking the stuffing out of the bird and Mary was finishing setting out plates and cutlery while Jess went to work mashing potatoes. Her mother sliced fresh buns and put them in a wicker basket while Aunt Barb spooned pickles into tiny dishes. “Jess,” Meggie said quietly, low enough that Jess was sure it was so no one else could hear. “Are you sure about Rick?”