Page 117 of Silent Partner (Pine Falls 3)

He took my hand. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Very happy.”

“Are you really happy?” he seemed concerned.

I raised our clasped hands and kissed his. “I am.”

“You’ll tell me if you’re not, or if this gets to be too much for you, right?”

“Yep, I’m turning over a new leaf. Anyone who makes me unhappy, it’s going to be off with their head,” I teased.

Brant laughed, but I noticed he stretched his neck from side to side as if he hoped to keep it attached to his body.

“Are you worried?” I asked.

“That I’ll make you unhappy? Of course.”

“Don’t worry—your head is way too pretty to chop off.”

He chuckled, but his tone was soft when he said, “Thank you for always knowing how to make me laugh.”

“That’s my pleasure.” And it was.

There was more pleasure to be had as we walked into his parents’ lovely English-style home. It already smelled like the holiday. Thyme, sage, and onion filled the halls.

Sheridan greeted us at the door. She was dressed elegantly in a sweater and slacks. A white apron covered her ensemble and showed off her willowy figure.

She kissed my cheek. “My room is all ready for you, darling.” Bless her. I needed a shower after our run.

Brant would be getting ready in his own room. Then we would help with food prep.

Sheridan took my hand and led me down a hall, filled with what looked like expensive artwork. We arrived at a small room. I say small, but it was only small compared to the grandeur of the home. It was definitely not the master bedroom. I didn’t know all the details, but I knew Sheridan was spending more time here than at Brant’s. Obviously, she and John were not sharing a room, as she had called it her room.

Her room was beautiful, filled with a four-poster bed, a window bench that overlooked their pond, and a wall filled with shelves of books. Crisp white linens draped the bed and windows. And it smelled like gardenias.

“I have everything you need in the bathroom.” Sheridan pointed at a set of double doors.

“Thank you.” I felt a little weird using her bathroom and toiletries, so I’d brought my own things. I didn’t mention it as I knew how much helping those she loved meant to her.

“If you need anything else, just holler.” She kissed my cheek one more time and flitted out of the room. There was a lightness to her step I hadn’t seen in a while. I wondered if that meant she and John were going to work it out.

I walked into the bathroom to find she had drawn me a bath in the freestanding tub that sat on a wooden platform. Pink rose petals swirled in the water. It was as if I had died and gone to heaven. A girl could get used to this. I pulled my hair up, undressed, slipped into the warm bath, and let myself enjoy the silky feel of the water filled with scented oils. I’d never been so pampered.

Once I’d bathed, I took my time getting ready. I realized how harried I’d been as of late, and I wanted to look my best for Brant. This was our first holiday as a couple. Last year at this time, I couldn’t have imagined this outcome. It was weird to think that Tristan had come to our celebration last year. I hardly ever thought of him now. That was telling.

I put some beachy waves in my hair and wore it down. For clothes, I put on a snug pair of jeans and a warm brown off-the-shoulder sweater. I did a natural look with my makeup and called it good before tiptoeing out the door in search of Brant.

As I exited the room, I heard voices and followed them down the hall and to the right where their family room was. When I heard my name, I stopped, leaned against the wall, and listened.

“How’s it going with you and Kinsley?” Sheridan asked.

“Good.” There was a question in his tone, which made me nervous.

“You don’t sound so sure,” Sheridan responded, surprised.

“I love her. I would marry her today if she’d agree to it.”

That made me smile.

“But I tell her all the time that I love her, and she never says it back.” He sounded like a wounded schoolboy. Vulnerable. Very unlike himself.

I bit my lip. I hadn’t realized how much that was bothering him. I should have. It would bother me if I told someone I loved them and they didn’t say it back.

His mom sighed. “Son, it’s obvious she loves you. After everything you’ve put her through, she wouldn’t have stuck around if she didn’t. Give her some time.”

Suddenly, I didn’t know what I was waiting for. I did love him. He righted my world in so many ways. I had even stopped having nightmares. No longer was I rolling because I had landed where I was meant to. I guess I had made so many mistakes when it came to love and relationships, I didn’t want to seem too eager. It had always gotten me in trouble. And there was the whole he’d-slept-with-my-sister thing; miraculously, that didn’t sting as much as it used to.

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