Page 10 of The Snuggle is Real
“Right.” I pulled out my business credit card. “Better make it two. I have a feeling we’ll need it this year.”
“You might be right about that.”
“Throw some pumpkin pies in too.”
She looked surprised. “I didn’t think we were including dessert.”
“No little girl should go without pie on Thanksgiving, and if I do it for her…”
“You’ve got to do it for everyone,” she finished. “You really are the sweetest, Mason West!”
I really was theworstat stretching our resources. I probably should have said no to that late request. They’d missed our cut-off deadline by three days. But I was terrible at saying no to someone in need.
And unfortunately, it was part of my job.
But I’d face that difficult reality another day. Today, we still had the funds to say yes, and I’d just have to work extra hard to keep raising new donations.
My personal cell rang and I looked down to seeMomon the caller ID.
“Hey, Troy! Can you handle the phones for me if they ring?”
The volunteer shot me a thumbs-up. “You got it!”
I picked up my cell and ducked into my private office. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey. Are you busy?”
I dropped into my desk chair with a sigh. “Um…”
“What am I saying? Of course you’re busy. It’s right before Thanksgiving. This is kind of your Super Bowl, huh? I’m sorry for calling?—”
My brother Sawyer’s voice came onto the line. “Stop apologizing, Mom, and tell him the good news.”
“Good news?” I asked.
“Switch it to video,” Sawyer said.
I clicked the camera to turn on video with the call, and my family’s faces came into view. They were both grinning. Sawyer looked so freaking happy that I almost didn’t recognize him.
My brother had been easygoing and adventurous until our family hit some tough times. Then he grew so serious I worried he’d lost all joy in life.
Falling in love looked good on him.
“Where’s Ash?” I asked.
“Working over at the resort kitchen,” Sawyer said. “You can take the chef off the boat, but you can’t make him stop cooking.”
Ash had run a food boat over the summer, but apparently he’d joined my mother’s kitchen staff at the Swallow’s Nest resort for the offseason.
“As if you’d want him to,” Mom said with a snort. “He feeds you better than I did.”
“Aw, Mom, you miss me begging for leftovers? I’ll ask more often.”
“Heck no.” She chuckled. “I’m happy to let Ash take over responsibility for your stomach.”
Sawyer patted his abs. “They’re fattening me up for slaughter.”
I scoffed. “That’s why you’re in such good shape, huh?”
