Silver Bells by Holly Gunn

Author:Holly Gunn [Gunn, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hell Bent Press
Published: 2019-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHARLOTTA

“Systkin, why have we never watched the Thanksgiving Day parade?” Essie dances around, her orange juice in hand. Her eyes back on me and that long sable hair flowing down her back, she shrieks, “Everything is so glittering and pretty!”

I laugh as I put the finishing touches on the stuffing, the green bean casserole, and the mashed potatoes. Aaron’s turkey, that he prepped last night, is in the oven. He does an early Thanksgiving dinner, so as the end of the parade hits, we’ll watch a movie, then eat, then after that, it’s American football for the rest of the evening.

We stuffed the turkey last night with some of Rita’s stuffing, but the rest of the stuffing gets Rita’s special treatment—sausage. I’ve learned that while many in America are fiends when it comes to bacon, my sheriff likes his sausage. That sounds dirtier in my head than I mean it to. I just mean that there’s sausage in the stuffing, there’s sausage in the green bean casserole, and we had an egg casserole with lots of sausage, and also freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast.

“It’s last year’s taping,” Aaron shares sheepishly. “We always tape it and do Full Moon Thanksgiving just like the real thing, so …”

So we can enjoy it just like everyone else.

I walk to him and wrap my arms around his middle, setting my cheek against his back. After a moment of embracing him, I lift on my toes and kiss his bearded jaw.

“Thanks, sweetie,” I say quietly.

He twists his body so we’re front to front and bends forward to kiss me. His lips touch mine only briefly, but I feel that tart sunshine slide through me.

“You two are cute,” I hear my sister say as we stare at each other, while relaxing in one another’s arms.

I turn her way snuggling back to front with Aaron. “We are, but what I want to know is what happened with that boy? Did you say ‘hey’?” I ask with a wink.

Essie’s eyes narrow, then her lips part and she smiles, just a small smile.

“I think I need to be alone, find me a little, not get caught up with some boy,” she starts.

“You didn’t say ‘hey’,” I accuse.

With a bit of the attitude that I’m starting to get used to, she replies, “He was busy, and the one time I went to their table, he ducked his head.”

“You’re not the type to care whether someone is busy or not, Essie. What are you really afraid of?”

She looks stubborn and appears about to give me the silent treatment and brush off the conversation when Aaron asks, “Are you talking about the kid who’s with those two women in town?”

I glance up at him and nod. “The mysterious young man and our Essie had a moment yesterday, and she thinks she wouldn’t be his type, so she doesn’t want to take the chance.”

“That’s not—”

Essie’s cut off by Aaron who says, rather superiorly, “I think that’s a smart decision. Essie doesn’t need to be worrying about boys.

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