Page 132 of A River of Crows

“Well, it’s a special occasion. First Thanksgiving with my sister in a couple of decades.” He sat at the kitchen table. Sloan stifled a laugh. He’d offered to help and was sitting at the table. Still the baby of the family through and through.

“As much as I like the new furniture, I’m glad you kept the table.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t get rid of it. Too many good memories. It’s pretty much the only thing I didn’t change.”

“And the tree.”

Sloan laughed. “Surprisingly, I’m not even sick of it.”

“I noticed the roller-skating rabbit was back in one piece. Sorry about that.”

“Dylan glued it back together. No big deal.”

“Well, stop peeling those and come sit down.”

Sloan threw her head back. “Ridge, I need to start this, or I won’t finish in time . . .”

“In time for what? The bathing turkey in there? Come on, sit.”

Sloan finished the potato and wiped her hands down her apron. “Okay, five minutes.”

Sloan saw a small package on the table she hadn’t noticed. Ridge pushed it toward her.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Early Christmas gift.”

Sloan unwrapped the small box and pulled out a felt crow hanging from a red string. “An ornament?” Sloan smiled. “How perfect.”

“Check under the wing.”

Sloan lifted the wing and saw a single word embroidered in yellow thread—Mom. She held it to her chest. “Let’s find a place for it.”

They stood in front of the tree they’d put up. Ridge pointed to a hole just right of the center. “We actually left the perfect place for it.”

Sloan hung it. “That was probably accidental. We were pretty wasted.”

Ridge put his arm around her. “Yeah, we were. But it looks pretty damn perfect, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it does. Mom would have loved the ornament.” Sloan laid her head on her brother’s shoulder. “Sometimes I miss her, Ridge. But other times, I’m relieved I don’t have to worry about her anymore. I miss her, and I don’t. Is that terrible?”

“No,” Ridge said. “Not terrible at all. I like to think she’s back to her old self again—finally at peace.”

Sloan reached out and rubbed the felt crow between her fingers. “She slipped, right?”

“Yeah,” Ridge said. “I mean, that’s what the police found.”

Sloan nodded. “It’s just been hard for me to let it go.”

“And that’s why you don’t want to eat with Dad’s family? You wonder if one of them was involved?”

Tears pooled in Sloan’s eyes. “It’s not that big a stretch, is it? Mom pointed a gun at Dad the night before. We all got into that fight.”

“It was an accident. Mom slipped before.”

“How do I let it go?”

Before he answered, there was a soft knock at the door. Sloan wiped the tears off her face and held the door open for Dylan.

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