Deep Burn: (Asher & Elodie: Easton Family Saga) (Burned Duet Book 2) by Abigail Davies

Author:Abigail Davies [Davies, Abigail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

ELODIE

The only Thanksgiving dinner I could remember was the same year my dad had left. We’d had chicken instead of turkey and a single side of fake mashed potatoes. Our plates had been balanced on our laps as we sat on the sofa, and for a few minutes, we were happy. I didn’t like to think about what happened after those few minutes. I didn’t want to remember how my mom had thrown her plate across the room, missing my dad’s face by inches. I didn’t want to remember how she stormed out of the trailer and didn’t come back for several days. Because for those few minutes, we were the average American family sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner.

But I was realizing now that we were never that, no matter how much I tried to pretend we were. What happened in this lake house was what a real American family was like. Everybody was in the kitchen and out on the deck. Lola and Belle were sitting at the table peeling potatoes, Brody was basting the huge turkey, and everyone else was laughing and having fun.

Then there was me, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching them all, and grieving for the family I’d never had. I’d never been surrounded by this much happiness, and even though part of me wished I had been, the other part of me knew I wouldn’t be who I was today if I’d had this.

I’d dragged myself through my short life. I’d clawed my way up to where I was. But it was at that moment I understood everything I’d fought for had been for a reason. Fate had set me on this path, but I couldn’t help wonder if I’d maybe taken a wrong turn somewhere. Maybe I’d veered into someone else’s lane and gotten all of their bad juju too. Or maybe I was exactly where I should have been.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and took a step back. A floorboard squeaked under my foot, alerting Lola and Belle.

“You’re awake!” Belle pushed her chair back and stood with a huge smile on her face. “You hungry?”

I shook my head and placed my hand over my stomach. I was hungry, but I didn’t think I could manage any food, not with all the emotions running through me. I hadn’t celebrated this day for over a decade, and now I was placed smack-bang in the middle of it.

“Come on, you must be hungry.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the table. “Ford went into town this morning and bought fresh pastries.” She groaned. “You can’t beat the fresh pastries here.” I agreed because I’d never tasted anything like them before. “Here.” She placed a plate with three pastries in front of me, then pulled out the chair she’d been sitting on. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good,” I whispered, looking around for Asher as I sat down. Leo and Ford were on the deck with Cade and Aria, but Asher wasn’t anywhere in sight.

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