Page 72 of A Very Happy Thanksgiving
Either that, or I’d catch him reneging on his “no more starlets” promise and dodge a fifty-cal bullet.
I had a plan.
I always had a plan.
Unfortunately, so did the rest of the Choir.
CHAPTER 26
Marc
“It’s so good to see you again.”
Even though Kitty Roebuck was only six years older than Marc, after his nana died, she’d fallen into the role of Mom. He stepped into her embrace and hugged her back.
“It’s great to see you too.”
Huck meandered into the hallway carrying Mischief, his favourite cat. She was more like a big dog, the way she followed him around all day and rolled over for belly rubs. Marc extricated himself from Kitty’s arms to offer Huck his preferred handshake.
“How are you doing, buddy?”
Huck’s brow furrowed, and Kitty removed his noise-cancelling headphones.
“How are you doing, buddy?” Marc repeated.
“Good.”
“And how’s Mischief?”
“Good.”
“I hear you made lasagne?”
“And all the fixins,” he said proudly, then headed back to the kitchen. Huck was a man of few words.
“I’d better go help him,” Kitty said, her eyes sparkling. She seemed unusually happy. “Phae sent you a gift.”
Yeah, she had. Marc couldn’t help being disappointed by the software licence, but baby steps, right? At least she hadn’t cut him off completely. And no, he was never going to change his email password.
He plastered on a fake smile. “We ran into each other and cleared the air.”
“You did? She didn’t mention that.”
“It was…unexpected.”
“Oh, I thought the gift would be a nice surprise.” Kitty sounded disappointed. “Well, it’s waiting in your room. They said to open it before dinner.”
“They?”
“The folks who delivered it.”
There was another gift? Marc felt a spark of excitement—maybe the password software had been a prank present, the one to dash his hopes before Phae raised them again? Back in the old days, she’d never been one for joking around, but she’d changed, hadn’t she?
A clatter came from the kitchen, and Kitty startled. “I really should go watch Huck. And make sure you look surprised when he gives you your painting later—I know you get one every year, but it means a lot to him.”
“I’ll act delighted, I promise.”
Marc jogged up the stairs to the bedroom Kitty had assigned him after Rex died. Everyone knew he didn’t sleep in there, not while Phae was still around anyway, but it had given him a place to leave his clothes.
