One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,100
Thanksgiving. Do you remember?”
“Yes.” He and Beau always went along, even before they were old enough to hold the handsaw.
“I assume you’ll carry on the tradition?” Piney looked pointedly from him to Ella.
“Ella, would you like to go with me to get the tree?” he asked.
The panicked look on her face said he shouldn’t have put her on the spot, in front of everyone here.
“And your mom, too?” He made it sound like a question.
Hope turned to her daughter. “If you want me to go, I can go.” But she didn’t sound too enthusiastic.
Ella glanced at Lacy.
“Lacy and Aberdeen are welcome, too,” Donovan offered.
“I have to work tomorrow,” Aberdeen said. “But Lacy can go if she wants.”
“Sounds like fun,” Lacy said. “As long as your mom can bring some of her famous hot chocolate along.”
Hope looked at Ella, who nodded. “I can absolutely make hot chocolate. I think we’re out of cocoa so I’ll have to run to the Hungry Bear tonight.”
After dessert—Donovan had tasted each pie and couldn’t decide which he liked best—he noticed several of the women rise and start to clear the dishes.
“Sorry, folks. There is a rule here at the lodge, a new rule,” he clarified. “The people who prepare the home-cooked meals get to relax afterward. Everyone else cleans up.” He stood. “Like me. Anyone else?”
Lacy pulled Ella up. “We’ll help.”
Jesse rose, too. “Shaun and I are heading home. Mom texted that she’s awake.”
Piney hurried from the table, speaking over her shoulder as she went. “I made Patricia a plate to take to her.”
“Thanks, Piney.”
Miss Lisa got to her feet and reached for two plates. “Cleaning up is part of Thanksgiving.”
“Nope. Please go relax in the living room,” Donovan said.
Bill stood and joined the kitchen crew.
“I thought you made the moose ribs,” Donovan said.
“I’ll load the dishwasher.” Bill’s tone brooked no argument.
“Thanks.” Donovan gathered more dishes from the table and took them into the kitchen, glad they’d installed two new dishwashers.
Hope gathered dishes, too, and joined them.
“Out,” Donovan said. “New house rules, remember?”
“I didn’t do much,” she said.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” He pulled her into the hallway and from there toward his office. Once they were inside and the door shut, he said, “I’d like to come along to the Hungry Bear after the crowd thins. I could use your help picking out snacks for the tree-hunting expedition, things Ella and Lacy might like.”
“Okay,” she said dubiously. Clearly she meant, That’s what you wanted to talk about?
“Listen. I want to thank you for today. Everything you did.”
Hope acted like a caged animal. “I told you. It was Ella.”
“And she had no help pulling this together?” He reached out and started to pull her in for a hug. But gently squeezed her arm instead. “You’re a good person.” He wanted to tell her more, like how she’d grown into an amazing woman and had raised an amazing daughter. But he couldn’t. She’d get the wrong idea. He was leaving and he didn’t want to lead her on. “Thanks for everything.”
He walked out of the office and back to the dishes, leaving her behind. But he didn’t think that was going to stop the stirring inside—the old feelings, how it’d been between him and Hope . . . the longing. He worried he might never be the same again.
* * *
• • •
WHEN THE KITCHEN and dining room were cleaned up, Hope didn’t go hang out with the others in the living room. Instead, she headed upstairs to Ella’s old room and knocked. “Donovan and I are heading to town to get snacks for tomorrow from the Hungry Bear. Anything special you want?”
“I’m too full to answer right now. You know what I like.” A week ago, Ella might’ve complained, not wanting Hope to spend time with Donovan. “Lacy and I are going to work on our Wandering Moose Rail Fence quilt, if that’s okay?”
“Absolutely. You two are part of the Sisterhood of the Quilt and you can work in the studio anytime you like . . . as long as your homework is done first.”
Ella hugged her and then turned back to Lacy. “Come on. Let’s head downstairs.”
Smiling, Hope savored the hug, not wanting to go downstairs and make small talk. Maybe I can sneak off to the Hungry Bear without Donovan seeing. But that wouldn’t be nice. And although he said she was a good person, she was still making up for what she’d done to him.