Page 45 of Thor

Ethan groans and sighs in annoyance. “Mom, you seriously can't say those kinds of things in public. I’m going to be a man in two days.”

Mom tears up and pats his cheek. “You sure are, baby.”

Austin and I snicker and Ethan narrows his eyes at us. Turning to my dad, I ask, “How did all this happen? I know you said Jonah arranged this, but how?”

“He called me a few days ago and asked if he could arrange for us to come here for Thanksgiving would we be interested. We had a long conversation and he told me as much as he wishes he could bring you home, it just isn’t safe with Thomas still on the loose. So, here we are.”

“Is that all you two talked about?”

“No.” I wait for more, but Dad doesn’t say anything more. Eyeing my mom, I decide to bring it up later. Having a conversation about Jonah will only set her off again.

“What’s the plan for Thanksgiving?” Austin asks me.

“Well, the Ol’ Ladies are cooking a feast, and the other two chapters of the club will be coming in. There will be around eighty people here tomorrow.”

“Ol’ Ladies? And how in the hell do they plan on cooking for that many people?” Mom asks.

“Ol’ Ladies are the wives of the club. If anybody can get the job done, it’s them. There’s going to be a huge spread and I can't wait. Those women can cook like something I haven’t seen before.” Mom frowns at me, clearly annoyed with the high praise. “Just wait until you taste their cooking for yourself. I’ve gained ten pounds since being here.”

“Do we have to spend Thanksgiving here? Can’t we go out as a family?” Mom asks.

My shoulders drop and my stomach churns with hurt. I know she’s only being protective, but I don’t want to spend the entire time they’re here being a referee. I need her to give Jonah a fighting chance. And the club. I love it here. I know she would too if she could get past the anger and resentment she feels toward Jonah. It isn’t his fault his uncle is a manipulative sick bastard.

“Honey, I know you’re angry, but it's aimed at the wrong people. Jonah and his club have protected Madison without question. They opened their doors and welcomed us so we could spend the holidays with her. It would be rude to turn down the invitation and I’m pretty sure Madison leaving isn’t the safest thing to do,” Dad tells Mom.

Mom huffs and nods in defeat. Her attitude is really getting to me and I find myself wanting to get out of here as fast as possible. Maybe with a night of rest she’ll wake up with a different attitude.

“Sweetheart, what time will the food be served tomorrow?” Dad asks.

I open my mouth but quickly realize I don’t know the answer. I pull out my phone and text Jonah.

Me: What time is the food being served tomorrow?

Jonah: The girls said they’re aiming for two, but they’re not making any promises.

Me: Lol. I don’t blame them. I saw the list of food they have to prepare.

Jonah: Is everything going alright?

Me: Yes and no. I think Mom is having a hard time with all this. I’m going to let them get settled for the night. I’m ready for bed.

Jonah: Ok, baby. I’m on my way.

“Jonah said the food will be served around two. I’ll come and get you guys and we’ll walk over together.”

“You’re leaving?” Mom asks as she rushes to her feet.

Walking over, I hug her and hold on tight. “Mom, you have yawned three times in the past five minutes. You’re tired and so am I. I worked a twelve-hour shift today. We still have the rest of the time you’re here. How long are you here for?”

“I could only get a week off from work, so we’ll be heading out Tuesday,” Dad says as he joins in on the hug. We hold on to each other in silence for a few minutes before there’s a soft knock on the door. I say a quick goodbye to my family before leaving. When I open the door, Jonah takes a step forward as if he’s about to walk in and I shake my head. He steps back in confusion, and I grab his hand.

“Mom needs time. She’s struggling with all this.”

Jonah nods in understanding and leads me to the clubhouse. We make it to his room and the exhaustion of the day sets in. Jonah takes me to the bathroom and turns on the shower. He washes my body like he does every day and I melt into him, needing his comfort and pampering. Once we’re finished, he takes me to bed.

We lie in comfortable silence as he holds me against his body.

“Promise me everything will be okay,” I whisper.

---