Page 14 of Duress (Birch Falls #3)
EVERLY
I t’s Thanksgiving, and the smell of roasting turkey wafts through the air.
My mom and Aunt Clara are busy putting the finishing touches on the sides, while Dad and Uncle James are in the den watching football with my cousins A.J.
and Nick. I’m busy pacing around the dining room, setting the table for eight.
Bryce is coming to Thanksgiving dinner, and I keep having to wipe the nervous sweat from my palms between place settings.
We’ve been dating for two months now, and this is the first time my parents will be meeting him.
I was surprised when he suggested we spend Thanksgiving together.
I thought he would be going back home for Thanksgiving break, but he surprised me by saying he wouldn’t be making the three hour drive to Birch Falls.
He said he doesn’t care for his stepdad and that holidays are weird for him, so he usually spends them with friends.
He’s mentioned in passing before about how his own dad left when he was twelve, when his mom gave birth to his brother, but it turned out the baby belonged to another man.
His father was so blindsided by the revelation, he just…
left. Thinking about the pain a young Bryce must’ve felt being abandoned by his father after his mother’s affair, I don’t blame him for skipping the holidays when he can.
My dad has never approved of any of my former boyfriends, but I’m hoping the fact that Bryce is a law student will work in his favor.
All the previous boys I’ve dated were like me.
Creative. Musicians. Artists. Writers. All useless wastes of space in my father’s eyes.
As far as my father is concerned, I’m going to college for psychology.
I haven’t told him yet I’m planning to double major in psychology and fine arts so I can go into art therapy.
I’m hoping the psychology half of the degree will make the art half more respectable in his eyes, but that’s future Everly’s problem.
When I open the door, Bryce is standing there with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine.
He’s wearing a pale green button-down under a dark navy blazer, dark wash jeans, and Italian leather loafers.
He looks every bit the up-and-coming hotshot lawyer he plans on being, and I know instantly Dad will approve of him.
The nervous energy that has been jangling through me all day melts away, and I momentarily get lost in his warm brown eyes while we stand in the doorway.
Bryce is so handsome, it’s unreal. I still can’t believe he noticed me—the shy, artistic introvert, of all people—at that party all those weeks ago.
“Everly, who’s there?” My dad’s booming baritone startles me from my stupor, reminding me I need to actually invite Bryce in.
Stepping aside, I hold my breath as Bryce walks in, his face not betraying any worry about what verdict the Honorable Judge Strauss will bestow on him.
Bryce deftly shifts the wine and flowers to one hand and offers the other to my father for a handshake.
“Judge Strauss, pleasure to meet you. Thank you for letting me join your family for Thanksgiving.” My lungs begin to burn from lack of oxygen, but I don’t move a muscle as I watch the two men in front of me.
My dad grips Bryce’s hand in both of his in a show of dominance, and I see the smallest twitch in the muscle of Bryce’s cheek betraying how strong my dad’s grip is.
“Bryce, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Everly. You’re pre-law?” Dad smiles at Bryce, and just like that, I remember how to breathe. I let out a relieved exhale as Bryce glances at me out of the corner of his eye and gives me a reassuring wink.
“Yes, sir. I plan on focusing on criminal law. I’d like to work my way up to your position someday. Everly has told me a lot about you, and your career is one I aspire to have.” Oh, there we go. Bryce’s humble southern charm melts away Dad’s normally frosty demeanor.
“I like you already, Mr. Carmichael. Come join me in the den while the ladies finish getting dinner ready. Everly, will you go see how much longer it will be until we eat?” Dad takes the wine and flowers from Bryce, only to hand them to me.
Bryce flashes me that megawatt smile that reassured me after Brody accosted me at that party, and I know now, like I knew then, that everything will be okay.