Page 22

“Sir, nice to me you. John, same.” Bryce shakes hands with them. My dad turns his attention away from the game for a moment to give him a once over.
“Call me Mark. Would you like a beer, Bryce?” my dad offers.
“No, thank you. A water if you have it, please.” Bryce replies.
“I’ll go grab one for you.” Making my way back into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of water for Bryce from the fridge.
“Hey, mom, where are Jennifer and Jemma?”
“She’s trying to get her down for a nap. Jemma is extra crabby today. I don’t think it’ll work with all the noise, but you know your sister’s as stubborn as they come.” My mom laughs and turns back to finish making the potato salad.
I walk back into the family room, and the men are already talking about football. Setting the water down next to Bryce, I turn and smile. Then, I raise my eyebrows to silently ask if everything is all right. Bryce nods back to me and rubs my back with a playful grin. The gesture sends a shiver down my spine. This man can touch me and send my entire body into shock.
I quickly turn and walk back into the kitchen, needing to cool off.
“Need help?” I grab an apron, trying to catch my breath.
“No, dear. But I could use the company. Sit,” She points to a stool at the kitchen island. “Tell me about that very cute young man you brought.”
I cringe and realize that this is going to be a very long evening.
* * *
“Everyone to the dining room, please!” my sister calls out.
Bryce, John, and my dad all make their way from the family room while my mom and I finish putting the food on the table. Bryce is to my left, with my two-year-old niece at the end of the table sitting between him and my sister. My mom sits to my right, and my dad takes the spot at the head of the table. Jen and John are across from Bryce and me.
Bryce has found a friend in Jemma. A quick game of peek-a-boo and Bryce is her new best friend. She keeps trying to share her water bottle with him, and he pretends to drink. Bryce has Jemma giggling and belly laughing in no time. Watching him with her makes my heart swell. This man is too good to be true.
After we say our grace, we dig into the impressive spread my mom cooked up for Thanksgiving. The turkey smells amazing and looks mouthwatering and there’s a choice between savory mashed potatoes or potato salad. My mom also made my favorite, creamy green bean casserole. We also have an endless supply of stuffing. Really, I could survive on the casserole and stuffing alone.
We’re quiet and chowing down until my mom probes about Bryce and me.
“So, how did you two meet?” She looks at Bryce, smiling wide.
“OneShot Coffee,” Bryce says, patting his lips with a napkin. “It’s a coffee house. I stopped in with my partner on the police force, and I saw Kat there.” Bryce says.
“Oh, yes. You are always there working, aren’t you? That’s your favorite place.” my mother replies, turning to me.
I shrug, taking another bite of food. “Well, the coffee is superb.”
“So, you two have been seeing each other since then?” My mother makes it sounds like we’re dating, so I need to clarify. My palms immediately get sweaty and I start to worry about what Bryce is thinking about this.
“We’ve been friends since then, yes.” I shoot my mom daggers. Thankfully, Bryce can’t see the look I’m giving her.
“Katrina’s never really brought any friends home.” My mother pauses. “Well, no. That’s not true. There was that boy who came to pick you up—”
“Mom. No,” I interrupt stiffly, gritting my teeth. “Drop it. Please let’s not talk about that stuff. Please.” I feel a little light-headed. My chest is tight. Bryce’s hand is soon on mine under the table. He’s squeezing my hand, realizing that I’m panicking.
I look over at him, and he nods and smiles.
“Sorry, dear. Okay, let’s talk about something else.” The conversation pulls away from me and they focus on John and his job, among other topics.
Once dinner is over, we start on dessert. My mom brings out a couple of pies, ranging from apply, pecan and pumpkin, and we all dig in. I’m moaning as I take bites of my pie when Bryce interrupts me.
“Enjoying yourself?” Bryce whispers, leaning closer.
“I love pumpkin. It’s my absolute fave. I could eat this every day of the year.” I grin at him between mouthfuls.