Page 61 of Reluctant Rogue

“It is.” Liam grinned at Angela. “If you could hold off until after dinner, however, that would be better.”

Angela’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll try.”

Naomi’s gaze fell on the children. They’d been amazingly quiet, which she mentioned. Angela laughed.

“It’s amazing what a parade can do to keep kids out from under your feet,” she said, and pointed to a little boy with tight black curls. “That one is ours, Ethan. He turned three last month. We limit his television time pretty strictly, he gets more of a free pass at Grandma and Grampa’s. So, of course, he loves coming to visit.”

“It’s time,” Charlie announced, strolling into the room. “Angela, sweetheart, let’s get you up.”

He went to help her out of the chair, Liam hovering close to help if needed.

Naomi brought up the rear as they made their way through the family room. She came to an abrupt halt as she reached the doorway to the living room, her eyes wide as she stared at the table.

“Oh, my God!” She exclaimed, taking in the table, laden to groaning point with the array of food. There was a turkeyanda ham, two oversize serving bowls piled high with mashed potatoes, another one containing dressing. A green bean casserole steamed in a Pyrex casserole dish. Besides the basket of rolls Liam had brought, there was sourdough bread, and two butter dishes. A gravy dish at one side of the table was mirrored by another bowl of gravy at the opposite end. Dishes of cranberry jelly, olives, a bowl of some kind of tomato salad, and another large bowl of a mixed salad flanked a small army of salad dressings.

“Do people actually eat all this?” She asked in disbelieving wonder. Laughter filled the room.

“Be assured, there will be leftovers,” Lenore told her. “But not much. Come, sit by me.”

She let Liam lead her, unprotesting, to the chair beside her hostess. “But… but… you do this every year?”

Max chuckled. “Also Easter and Christmas.”

“I can’t even imagine,” she said honestly. “This is simply amazing.”

She remembered the pie she’d brought, and the gallon of vanilla bean ice cream. “How does anyone have room for dessert?”

“Oh, we wait an hour or so after we get up from dinner,” she was told. “We go back to the family living room and watch the game, then have coffee and dessert after that.”

“Hush, everyone,” Max said. “Charlie, will you give the blessing?”

They all bowed their heads while Charlie spoke a brief but heart-felt blessing. Then plates were filled, and dinner began. Conversation was limited at first by requests to pass this or that, and parents filling their children’s plates. Things got more quiet once everyone was served.

Naomi leanedback in her seat, putting her feet up on the dashboard as Liam’s jeep pulled away from the curb. “That was amaaazing,” she giggled. “I had no idea. I want to do it again.”

Liam snickered. “I think you shouldn’t have had that last glass of champagne.”

She just grinned. “Nah, it was that last eggnog. Who knew?”

He slid a sideways glance at her as he pulled into the street. “I didn’t see you have another eggnog.”

“You went off to watch Brandon hang upside down on the jungle gym and didn’t see. And they ran out of Kahlúa, so they switched over to rum.”

“Ah.”

She stretched her arms out, then collapsed back against the seat. “Can I Change? My cat wants to purr.”

Startled, Liam cast her a wild look, and she giggled, toe’ing off her shoes to wiggle her toes. “Just kidding. Made you look!”

“Good Lord.” He turned his attention back to the road.

Naomi patted her tummy. “Ohmigosh, I am so full. I cannot believe how much food there was!”

Liam chuckled. “That’s pretty much what it was like at my house, growing up,” he admitted. “We had Gram and Gramps over, and my Aunt Betsy with her brood, and the five of us kids. Actually, still is, as my sisters and cousins are starting to have kids now, so it’s even wilder.”

“Definitely sounds as wild as this was.” Naomi yawned hugely. “Oh, gosh, I think I’m sleepy.”

“The l-tryptophan and carbs,” nodded Liam. “That’ll do it. Plus all the sugar from dessert.”