Page 75 of Stick Side
Chapter 39
Melody
MelodyreallywishedBenhad thought to tell her his ex-girlfriend was also his parents’ neighbor. Tali seemed like a nice enough person, but having her here made Melody feel even more out of her element than she otherwise might have.
Melody and Ben hadn’t even slept together yet and here she was spending the holidays with his parents and a woman he’d been intimate with for years. She was starting to get a pressure headache just thinking about it.
Thankfully, Melody didn’t have time to obsess. After Tali was introduced to Eric, Alexei, and Brendan, Ben’s mom put them all to work finalizing dinner preparations. Melody peeled and chopped apples for the apple crisp, while Shawna made a salad. Alexei and Brendan were in charge of prepping potatoes. Melody wasn’t sure if Cathy had a sixth sense about such things, or whether Eric’s reputation for creating chaos in the kitchen preceded him, but he was given the task of ferrying needed items to and from Cathy on demand.
Ben and Tali were put in charge of setting the table. They were out of sight, but most definitely not out of Melody’s mind.
Conversation flowed but was kept light since they all had things to do and a timetable to stick to.
“This is all so exciting,” Alexei voiced as he continued working through the mound of potatoes he’d been tasked with peeling. “We do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Russia, so this will be my first.”
“Really?” Cathy inquired. She gave his shoulder a gentle motherly squeeze as she walked past him. “Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated at all?”
Alexei mashed his lips together in thought. “I suppose some Russians have started to celebrate Thanksgiving in order to feel more American, but my family has never done so.”
Cathy cocked her head in thought. “I suppose that makes sense when I think about it. It’s more of a New World holiday.”
“In Russia,” Alexei explained, “we haveObzhynki, a harvest festival, but it isn’t the same.”
“Thanksgiving isn’t really the same here, either,” Ben contributed as he and Tali stepped into the kitchen. “It’s changed a great deal over the years. Early settlers are reputed to have dined on duck or goose, as well as seafood like lobster, clams, mussels, and cod. I’ve also read that venison was prominently featured.”
“So, this will not be a real Thanksgiving?” Alexei looked crestfallen.
Cathy shot her son a recriminating look before turning to Alexei. “Of course it will be, sweetie,” she soothed. “Thanksgiving has simply evolved over the years. But don’t you worry. We’re going to introduce you to a delicious all-American Thanksgiving celebration.”
“Mom’s right,” Ben reassured. “The core elements of Thanksgiving are still the same. The way ingredients are served has just been upgraded over time. For instance, instead ofroasted pumpkin, we get to enjoy pumpkin pie. And believe me, that’s a Thanksgiving treat you don’t want to miss.”
Alexei smiled, visibly reassured. “I cannot wait,” he enthused. Melody could swear Alexei actually licked his lips in anticipation.
Melody glanced over at Ben to find him smiling serenely. She couldn’t help but appreciate how sexy he looked, leaning against the door frame in designer jeans that hugged his glorious legs and glutes as if they had been made for him and a sharp lavender Henley that made the greener shades in his hazel eyes pop.
There was no doubt about it. Ben was eye candy of the first order, but his warmth and intelligence were an even bigger turn-on than his physical appearance. He was like some kind of superman the way he ticked every one of her boxes.
Melody shook her head at her fanciful thoughts, a small smile playing at her lips as she refocused on her kitchen assignment. “What else can I do, Cathy?” she asked as she finished slicing her last apple.
“My goodness,” Ben’s mom pronounced as she came over to inspect Melody’s work. “Those look perfect.”
Tali pretended to fall over, something Melody would have found far more entertaining had the other woman not pitched over into Ben’s side. “Did I hear that correctly, Cath?” Tali teased. “Did you just use the word ‘perfect’ to describe someone else’s work in the kitchen?”
“That I did, you little monster,” Cathy rebuffed lightly. “Now get on with you three.” Cathy turned her body away from Tali to look back at Melody. “Thank you, Melody. These really are perfect.”
A jumble of emotions too complicated to name tumbled around in Melody’s chest when she realized that Cathy was teasing Tali the way a mother might tease her own child. Cathy had been welcoming to her, but was she really hoping to see Benand Tali get back together so that the obvious daughter of her heart could become her daughter in truth?
Melody’s smile was forced when she offered her thanks and stood up from the kitchen table where she’d been seated for the better part of the past hour.
“Ben, Tali,” Cathy said as they turned to leave the kitchen. “I might be done with you for now, but know that I will recruit your help again at least a few more times before the day is out.”
“You bet, Mom,” Ben agreed, the very picture of the perfect, gracious son.
Tali gave Ben’s mom a playful two-fingered salute. “Aye aye, Captain Cath.”
Melody saw Cathy roll her eyes before she returned her attention to everything else that still needed to be done. Melody smiled appreciatively when Cathy’s eyes flicked over to Eric, assessing him. Good. Melody knew from firsthand experience that Eric needed constant supervision in the kitchen. That’s how kitchen fires were prevented.
Ben and Tali were already seated by the time she made her way into the living room. Melody was relieved to see that Ben was back in the oversized chair, while Tali was on the other side of the room, on the couch. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if they’d been pressed up against one another on the sofa.
