Page 88 of One Night

"Um, yeah." She always sounds unsure about it, even when I call her that when we're alone. It makes me wonder if she's second-guessing our relationship. She doesn't say she is but she's constantly reminding me she wants to take things slow.

My brother quickly loses interest in Amber and takes the football from me. "Dylan, let's go out back and play."

"Not today," I tell him. "We have a guest."

He huffs. "We can't play because of some girl?"

Amber quietly laughs, then says to me, "Go ahead. It's fine. I'll stay here with Gramps."

"Touchdown!" He leans forward and stomps his foot on the floor. "Damn idiot finally did something right!"

I hitch my thumb at Gramps. "I can't leave you with that."

She laughs again.

"Owen." My dad appears. "Get your coat on. We have to go to the store and get cranberry sauce."

"Why do I have to go?" he whines.

"Because I don't want you bothering your brother and his girlfriend. Now come on."

"Nobody's going to eat that stuff," I say to my dad.

"It's tradition. It has to be there, whether we eat it or not."

"I'll eat it," Amber says.

I turn to her. "You will?"

"Sure. I grew up eating it. At my house we have it every year and we actually finish the whole can."

"Well, there you go," my dad says. "It won't go to waste. See you kids soon."

He takes off with Owen.

"What else does your family have at Thanksgiving?" I ask Amber. "Besides canned cranberry sauce?"

"The usual. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes."

"How many people come over?"

"This year it's just my parents and younger sister. Oh, and her boyfriend. That should be interesting."

"Penalty!" Gramps yells, throwing his hands up. "Can't you see that's a penalty?"

"Just ignore him," I tell Amber. "So what were you saying about your sister's boyfriend?"

"She claims he's just a friend but I'm pretty sure he's more than that. My dad hates any guy we date. This poor guy she's dating is going to be questioned to death before dinner even starts. He may not even make it to dinner. My dad may scare him off."

"Then why'd your sister invite him?"

"It was my idea. I thought it would keep my parents from..." She trails off, her eyes going to the TV.

"Keep your parents from what? Fighting?"

She looks back at me. "How'd you know I was going to say that?"

"You tense up whenever you talk about your parents so I assumed there was a story there. I figured either you didn't get along with them or they didn't get along with each other."

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