Page 93 of An Endless Memory

“When I told Mom my plans, she insisted I bring you leftovers. Thanksgiving dinner was an absolute feast.”

She took out a container. I was so hungry I opened the lid while she was digging more out. A turkey leg was on top of carved turkey meat. I started gnawing on it.

She smiled. “I’ll heat the rest up while you take the edge off.”

I mowed down the meat on the leg. It was goddamn delicious for being a cold bird. Gratitude for the food was my first inclination, but then I grew increasingly humbled with each dish of home-cooked food.

“Did your mom make all this?” I asked around a mouthful. There was everything I’d been dreaming of and more. Some sort of corn dish. Cranberries. I usually didn’t touch the stuff, but I’d eat every bite because Magnolia Duke thought to send me food.

Maybe she was worried I wouldn’t provide for her daughter in my bachelor pad. She would’ve been right.

“The rest of us helped.” She shot me a knowing look. “Mom makes sure it’s equal opportunity in the kitchen. My brothers don’t get out of cooking.”

After Mama left, cooking became a necessity. Either we learned, or we didn’t eat. Barns would make us work harder until we were so hungry we’d boil rocks for dinner. Meanwhile, he’d head to town, grab some bar grub, and find a bed for the night.

She withdrew a baggie of sugar cookies. “Cali helped with these.”

Cali was probably the cutest little baker ever. I studied the shapes with the red frosting. “Christmas cookies?”

“There’s more. Mom had all her kids and grandkids under the same roof, and she wasn’t wasting time.”

She busied herself around the kitchen, getting plates and heaping one of them until there was no room. I didn’t have to ask if the other was hers. She heated them up in the microwave and then dug around the cupboards.

I liked that she was comfortable enough to not ask for permission. I liked that she was taking care of me. Here I was, being selfish again, but maybe for a bit longer, I could repay her in orgasms.

Still, it bothered me she’d cut her holiday short with her family. “You didn’t have to leave early for me.”

“I wanted to.” She opened the microwave and stood on her tiptoes to stir the food. Then she shut the door again.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have you—for more than sex.” I put lids back on containers and started loading them into my half-empty fridge. “But I’m afraid I won’t be good for much more.”

“I know.” She crossed to me and put her hands on my shoulders. “I didn’t like the thought of you being alone, and it drove me crazy to be passing so close to your house and not stop in.”

“You made a special trip.”

She shrugged. “The kids get solo grandparent time, and let me tell you, Cali is delighted. Jasper is catching up with buddies. Alder went back to his house. Violet and Willis left last night. I’m honestly surprised Violet’s boyfriend came at all. Poppy and Clover are catching up with friends.”

“What about Kellan? Don’t you need to…” I indicated my chest.

“I weaned him.”

“You did?”

She nodded. The microwave dinged and she turned to mix the food again. She hadn’t told me, but then she wouldn’t need to. If I’d been there, I would’ve known. She might’ve discussed her decision or the struggles she was having.

It wasn’t that kind of marriage. But it was the kind where she surprised me at home and I took her against the island. I was hungry, but my appetite for her was growing again. My gaze dropped to her ass.

“My supply wasn’t keeping up, and I figured we’d had a good six months of nursing. Instead of stressing about why, I figured I’d wean him.” She shimmied her shoulders. “I’m sure I’m not supposed to confess that it’s nice to have my body back again, but I don’t miss the sore boobs.”

When she started the microwave again and turned back around, I dropped my gaze to her chest. “What I’m hearing is…I can play with your tits.”

Pink dusted across her cheeks. “You played with them before.”

“Not with my mouth.”

The flush deepened. I loved that damn color.

I could easily love the whole woman.

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