The Story of Us: Sweetbriar Cove: Book 11 Read online

  Because if those kisses were any indication, he was going to love whatever she did next.

  * * *

  Luke spent the rest of the day prepping, sprucing, and getting things ready for dinner at Earl’s. He never usually made the effort when it came to the holidays—he would have been happy with leftovers and a movie marathon on TV—but remembering how Natalie had lit up over all the decorations in town, he was determined to make the effort. Maximum Thanksgiving, complete with gourds, paper garlands, and even a couple of branches from the woods stuck in a decorative vase in the dining room.

  He paused, assessing the table. He’d scattered around some pine cones, but none of them were poisonous, right?

  “What are you doing?” Earl walked in.

  “It’s Thanksgiving. It’s a celebration,” Luke replied, bringing in a couple of extra chairs.

  Earl snorted. “Not for the Indians, it’s not.”

  “They’re called Native Americans, Grandpa.” A voice came from the doorway, and they both turned. A tanned woman was standing there, hoisting an oversized duffel bag, with pink streaks in her hair.

  “Cassie?” Luke exclaimed, surprised. The last he’d heard, his sister was in California.

  “Junebug!” His grandfather beamed as Cassie dropped her bags and enveloped him in a massive hug. “What did you do to your hair?”

  “It’s new. You like?” Cassie twirled.

  “Very colorful,” Earl said approvingly. But then again, she was his favorite.

  Cassie stepped back to give Earl a good once-over. “Looking good, Gramps. Have you been hitting the gym? What do you bench now, 200, 220?” she asked with a grin.

  Earl chuckled. “That’s me, I lift the weights every morning.”

  “The ladies in this town better be careful,” Cassie teased him. “You’ll be breaking hearts before you know it.”

  “As long as I’m not breaking my hip, I’m doing just fine,” Earl replied.

  Luke watched him banter with Cassie, wondering what the story was this time. If his hurricane of a sister had just blown into town, that meant there was probably a trail of destruction in her wake.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked at last. “You didn’t say you were coming.”

  “Great to see you, too, big brother.” Cassie turned and gave him a hug. She prodded his bicep. “Getting soft, huh? You should ask Gramps for some tips.”

  Luke ducked away. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “It’s Thanksgiving,” Cassie replied. “Where else would I be besides with my beloved family?” She batted her eyelashes, and Luke couldn’t help but smile.

  “Glad you could make it,” he said, meaning it. “Jackson should be here soon to start on cooking.”

  “Jackson, working over a hot stove?” Cassie smirked. “He must really be in love. What do we think of her, this lawyer?” She trailed him to the kitchen.

  “Alice? She’s great. Too good for him.”

  “Impossible.” Cassie grinned. She grabbed a handful of chips from the bowl Luke was setting out and started munching.

  “You’ll spoil your dinner,” Luke warned.

  “Yes, Dad.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “I bet you ten bucks we won’t eat before eight. You think Jackson even knows how long to cook a turkey?”

  “No, but Alice does.” Luke grinned. “And I bet she has a detailed schedule, planning all the prep time down to the minute.”

  “Jackson must drive her crazy then.” Cassie arched an eyebrow.

  He shrugged. “Opposites attract, I guess. Make an effort with Alice,” he warned her. “This one’s the real deal.”

  “That’s what I thought about Jess,” Cassie said, her gaze turning pointed. “And look how that turned out.”

  Luke sighed. “Cassie . . .”

  “Did you invite her?” Cassie asked, rifling through the refrigerator.

  “To dinner?” he blinked. “No. We broke up, remember?”

  “So you say . . .” Cassie gave him an innocent look. “But you’ve had long enough to realize what a colossal mistake you made. I figured you’d come to your senses and were begging her to take you back by now.”

  “No,” Luke said firmly. “It wasn’t a mistake. We’re over.” He took the can of whipped cream from her hand before she could do something truly gross, like spray it over the leftover roast beef as a snack. It wouldn’t be the first time, either.

  “I don’t believe you,” Cassie insisted. “Jess is amazing. She’s part of the family. You don’t just decide to give that up for no reason.”

  “I had my reasons,” Luke said with a sigh. They’d been through this already, but Cassie refused to accept it. He could understand. Jess had been like an unofficial big sister to her for years, the only other woman around in a sea of Kinsella brothers. “Look, I know you like her. But there’s nothing stopping you from staying friends. You should call her,” he suggested. “Hang out.”

  “I can’t. You’re my brother, remember?” Cassie scowled. “That means I always have to take your side in a breakup. No matter how boneheaded I think you’re being.”

  Luke had to smile at her loyalty, however reluctant she was.

  “There are no sides here,” he reassured her. “You can see Jess. In fact, I insist on it.”

  “You’re being very mature.” Cassie narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Luke replied quickly, but she took a step back and looked him over with an eagle eye.

  “No, there’s something different about you . . .”

  Luke turned to grab some water glasses from the cabinet. “You must be jet-lagged. I’m the same old, same old.”

  “No . . . You’re happy.” Cassie said it like an accusation. “You’re all excited. You’re setting the table!”

  Luke paused. She would be finding out sooner or later, so maybe he had a chance to keep Hurricane Cassie to a mild storm. “Look, I may have invited someone to dinner,” he began.

  “Someone?” Cassie’s eyebrows shot up.

  “A woman. Natalie. We’re . . . seeing each other.” Luke landed on a vague description.

  “You’re on the rebound.” Cassie rolled her eyes.

  “No.” Luke glared at her. “Not a rebound. You need to cut the attitude, OK? No snarky comments about Jess. Make Natalie feel welcome.”

  “Fine.” Cassie sighed, but it wasn’t good enough. This was technically going to be his first date with Natalie, and he wanted it to be perfect. And having his baby sister sniping away under her breath wasn’t going to help set the mood.

  “I mean it,” Luke warned her. “I care about this woman, so you need to be on your best behavior. Promise?”

  And clearly, there was something in his voice that said he meant business, because Cassie dropped the smirk and nodded. “Promise.”

  “Now, make yourself useful,” Luke said, relaxing. “We’ve got ten pounds of potatoes to peel!”

  Natalie spent longer picking out an outfit for Thanksgiving dinner than, well, any occasion she could remember. Because it wasn’t just dinner, it was her first date with Luke. She wanted to look effortless and beautiful and irresistible . . .

  . . . But also appropriate enough to meet a half a dozen of his closest friends and family members.

  Simple, right?

  Natalie rifled through her tiny closet, trying on and discarding half a dozen outfits, but nothing looked right. It was just dinner—and not even a fancy, romantic one at that. So why did it feel like such a big deal?

  Because it was.

  Natalie felt a thrill of anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see Luke again. She’d been walking around with a massive smile on her face all week—so big that Aunt June had cornered her in the square and demanded to know what moisturizer she’d been using to get that special glow. Natalie had mumbled something about rosewater mist and made a swift escape, before June could figure out that her happiness didn’t come in a bottle. She swore the older woman seemed to have a
radar for romance, and Natalie wasn’t quite ready to go public with this thing just yet.

  Except . . . Wasn’t that what they were doing tonight?

  Natalie’s stomach flipped over, with nerves or excitement, she couldn’t tell. But she could tell she was going to be late if she didn’t pick an outfit, and fast. She grabbed the very first thing she’d tried, her favorite sweater-dress, and tugged it over her head. There. She’d been right the first time: it was autumnal, clingy—but not too clingy—with plenty of room for a second helping of mashed potatoes.

  When in doubt, pick the outfit with an elastic waistband.

  She slicked on some tinted lip balm, pulled her hair into a messy braid, grabbed her coat, and skidded downstairs, detouring to the shop to pick up a box of after-dinner chocolates before walking over to the address Luke had sent. It was just a couple of miles away, via winding country roads, and by the time she made her way up the driveway to the quaint old house in the woods, there were already several cars parked out front, and the house was lit up inside, warm light and laughter spilling out into the dusk.

  Natalie climbed the stairs to the front porch and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. But before she could lift her hand to knock, the door flung open and Luke stepped out.

  “Hey,” he said, lighting up with a smile. And just like that, her nerves faded clean away, leaving nothing but simple excitement behind.

  “Hey yourself.” Natalie stepped closer, and Luke met her halfway, leaning down to greet her with a slow, lingering kiss.

  Natalie sighed with satisfaction, melting into his arms. He was wearing a navy knit sweater, warm and solid beneath her fingertips—

  “Luke!” a female voice yelled from inside. “You’re letting the gravy burn again and— Oh, hi.”

  Natalie broke away to find a woman with pink hair and a quizzical look on her face watching them from the doorway. “You must be Luke’s special guest,” she said lightly.

  Luke turned and gave a long-suffering kind of sigh. “Natalie, this is Cassie, my baby sister. Cassie, meet Natalie.”

  “Younger, wiser sister,” Cassie corrected him, greeting Natalie with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Natalie didn’t have time to feel awkward, because Cassie was already hustling them inside, taking her coat, and telling the story of the last time anyone let Luke near the kitchen on Thanksgiving.

  “. . . At least the fire department was understanding,” she said, leading them through the house. “Although, that might be because we felt so bad, we sent them away with all our pie!”

  “It was an accident!” Luke protested, looking sheepish. “Chase was supposed to be keeping an eye on things.”

  “A likely story.” Cassie leaned in confidentially. “When in doubt, always blame Chase. It’s a family tradition.”

  They entered the kitchen, where Natalie found a whirlwind of activity and delicious smells. Lila and Griffin were hard at work chopping things, and Jackson tended bubbling pans on the stove while Alice held court in front of a spreadsheet. “The sweet potatoes need turning!” she called out. “And did you baste the turkey again?”

  “On the hour, captain,” Jackson replied, grinning.

  “Natalie, perfect timing!” Lila exclaimed, seeing her enter. “Can you stir that saucepan for a second? I need an extra pair of hands.”

  “Sure thing.” Natalie took over, stirring a delicious-looking cranberry sauce. “Wow,” she said, looking around at the cluttered room, dishes wafting rich aromas on every surface. “This all smells amazing.”

  Her stomach, which had been tangled up in anticipation all day, suddenly let out a rumble. Thankfully, the timer on the oven went off at the same moment, sparing her the spotlight.

  “Jackson!” Alice yelped.

  He chuckled. “It’s under control. You just focus on that schedule of yours.”

  Alice caught Natalie’s eye. “I know, I’m a control freak,” Alice said, grinning. “But how else were we going to schedule a dozen dishes with different cooking times?”

  “Hey, this isn’t judgment in my eyes,” Natalie assured her. “It’s awe. I’m seriously impressed. You’ll have to show me that spreadsheet later,” she added. “I could use something like that in my shop.”

  Cassie looked up from the salad she was preparing. “You have a store?”

  “A chocolate shop, Coco,” Natalie replied. “And yes, I brought some for tonight.”

  “Phew,” Lila said, reappearing in the doorway. “I was about to say. Not that we only like you for your candy,” she added quickly.

  Natalie grinned. “Not at all.”

  Luke came to join her at the stove, standing close. “That looks like it needs tasting,” he said, mock grave.

  “And you’re the man for the job?”

  “I think so.”

  Natalie smiled and dipped a spoon into the sauce. She held it up for Luke to take, but instead, he leaned in and tasted right from the spoon. Their eyes met as he slowly licked sauce from his lower lip, and Natalie’s pulse kicked. Hard.

  Was it just her, or was the kitchen getting awfully steamy?

  “Well?” she asked, clearing her throat. “How is it?”

  “Perfect,” Luke replied. She stayed, caught in his gaze a moment longer, sinking into their warm, chocolatey depths—

  “You’re dripping.”

  Natalie jolted back, startled, and Luke did the same—almost knocking into his sister as she passed. Cassie smirked. “Eyes on the scalding hot sauce, bozo.”

  Luke ruffled her hair affectionately. “I’ve missed you too, sis.”

  Cassie ducked away, rolling her eyes. “Now I remember why I live on the other side of the country.”

  Natalie smiled at their good-natured sibling banter. Across the kitchen, Lila and Griffin were arguing over chopping sizes, and Alice was insisting Jackson check on the turkey again. She was surrounded by chatter and commotion. Natalie felt a warm sense of comfort roll through her. It reminded her of family dinners, back when her grandmother was still alive: everyone crammed in the kitchen, talking over each other as they stirred and prepped and gossiped half the evening away.

  She felt a pang. Her mom liked to make a big deal over Thanksgiving, and she could picture them now, a thousand miles away: her dad trying to find the carving knife, while her uncles bickered over sports and Aunt Janine opened another bottle of wine.

  She missed them.

  “Everything OK?” Luke asked from beside her.

  She nodded. “Just thinking about family, that’s all,” she said softly, and right away, Luke must have understood, because he gave her a sympathetic look.

  “I know mine can be annoying at the best of times, but you’re welcome to borrow them.”

  Natalie managed a smile. “Thank you,” she said, and she wasn’t just talking about the playful offer. Being invited here tonight—included—meant the world to her.

  Luke gave her hand a light squeeze just as Jackson spoke up.

  “How’s that schedule looking?”

  Alice gave a smile. “We’re right on time!”

  * * *

  They all carried dishes through and got settled around the big dining table, which was covered in so many flowers and pine cones and decorations there was barely any room for the food.

  “You went a little overboard on the holiday spirit,” Alice teased Jackson, as they tried to find a spare inch of tablecloth to set down the potatoes.

  “Hey, this is all Luke’s handiwork,” he protested.

  Natalie turned to Luke. “You decorated?”

  He gave a bashful shrug. “I figured if we were doing this, we might as well go all out.”

  Cassie was clearly just as surprised. “Since when are you the crafty type?”

  “It’s in my job description!” he protested. “Craftsman, remember?”

  “Well, I think it’s lovely,” Natalie spoke up, taking a seat beside him. “My grandmother used to have me mak
e those hand-print paper turkeys, even when I was way too old. I must have a whole box of them stored away somewhere.”

  “For me, it’s cookie recipes,” Alice said with a nostalgic smile. “I have a big file with them all.”

  “We should have a party!” Lila exclaimed. “A Christmas cookie-baking party.”

  “Say that any louder and Franny will have you host for the whole town,” Griffin warned her. “I can see it now, they’ll make it a contest and raise funds for a new Santa outfit.”

  “OK, a secret cookie-baking party,” Lila corrected, laughing.

  “It’s a shame Wes couldn’t make it,” Luke said, adding a dish of yams to the already overflowing table.

  Cassie looked up sharply. “Wes?”

  “He’s back in town,” Luke replied. He noticed the scowl on Cassie’s face, and grinned. “That’s right, you two had that falling out. They used to get along great when we were kids,” he explained to Natalie.

  “Until he grew up to be a self-important jackass,” Cassie said, rolling her eyes. “Let me guess, he’s working on Wall Street now, obsessed about the size of his spots car?”

  Luke chuckled. “Close enough.” He looked around. “Should someone find Earl before we get started?”

  “I’m right here. Now, doesn’t this all look delicious?” Earl strolled into the room and took a seat at the head of the table. He looked around happily, wearing a festive orange sweater. “I must have dozed off there for a minute,” he said.

  “Funny how that happens when there’s work to be done,” Cassie teased.

  Earl gave a twinkle. “Now, now, I figured you youngsters had it under control. Besides, you know what they say about too many cooks.”

  “They get things done much faster?” Jackson suggested.

  “Hush you. The food’s getting cold.”

  “Not so cold that we can’t all take a moment to be thankful,” Alice spoke up. She smiled around the table. “No need to be all public and mushy, everyone can just think of something while Earl carves.”

  “Then I’m thankful I’m not the turkey!” Cassie quipped.