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.“Wedding’sgonna be this summer.”“Yeah,” Wyatt said.“She actually found someone dumbenough to put up with her.”“I resent that remark,” a deep voice replied.Josiah waswondering just how many people were going to be at Christmasdinner but he managed to stifle the urge to run back to the house.“Hi.I’m Martin.I’ve heard a lot about you.”Josiah flinched at the statement, plastering a smile on hisface and casually looking the man up and down.He felt someprotective instinct check the man out carefully, as if it was hissister’s and not Wyatt’s.Martin couldn’t have been more thanfive foot five, his build stocky, body more round than lean.Josiahestimated he had to be at least thirty-five, maybe older.He worea big grin on his face as he held out his hand to Josiah.“Nice tomeet you,” Josiah said.“You’re Tammy-Jo’s fiancé?”Martin nodded, stepping in to cuff Wyatt across the head.“Yeah, the one that’s going to clue his future brother-in-law inpretty damn fast if he don’t watch his mouth.”Finally Home 51Wyatt ducked behind Josiah, not an easy feat with his heightand build.“Martin’s a school teacher in town and despite beingengaged to my sister, he’s a pretty good guy.”It was Wyatt’s mama’s turn to cuff her son, shaking her headthen leaning in to kiss Josiah on the cheek.“Glad you could makeit, Josiah.And you,” she said pointing her finger at Wyatt.“In thekitchen now.When it’s your house, you’re supposed to be the oneslaving over a hot stove, not your guests.”Josiah cocked his head and turned to look at Wyatt.“Yourhouse?”“Later,” Wyatt promised, pausing to kiss Josiah square on themouth before being whisked away by his mother.Josiah felt the blush rise in his face again.What the hell wasWyatt trying to prove? Here Josiah was enjoying the feeling offamily again for the first time in three years and he had to go anddo something like that in front of his mama and some strangerJosiah didn’t even know.He thought he owed his friend a slap tothe head himself.r r r Dinner was fantastic.The best meal Josiah had eaten sincehe’d left the ranch, one that had more than likely been at the sametable with the same group of people.Turkey, mashed potatoes,three kinds of vegetables—claimed to be so excellent becauseof Wyatt’s awesome steaming skills—gravy, cranberry sauce,homemade buns and two kinds of pie left Josiah feeling bloatedbut satisfied.His only concern by the end of the meal was thathe’d ended up with more questions than answers from the livelyAames bunch.Granddaddy had talked about the new lady he was seeing inhis senior’s complex, something that confused Josiah since he’dhad no idea the elderly man wasn’t living on the ranch any longer.Flora Aames spoke about her job at the floor shop in town andthe volunteering she’d been doing at the local elementary school.And the girls also seemed to have homes of their own now.How52 K-lee Kleinhad things changed so drastically in just three years? And whywas Wyatt living in the rambling ranch house all by himself?His father’s memorial service was talked about briefly.Mrs.Aames telling him the lawyer had arranged a short gravesideservice, something that had been outlined in great detail in the will.Josiah had no regrets about not having a say in the arrangements.He wouldn’t have known the first thing about flowers and gravesand coffins, and he’d always just assumed when the time camehe’d prefer to just have some stranger bury his daddy.For somereason he didn’t feel that way at all though.His tough feelings of“screw the old man” had turned to ones of loss and maybe evensome grief at having no family left of his own—and seeing theAames in their happy setting just maximized those feelings.The whole meal had struck a chord inside Josiah, touchedsomething buried deep within him, something he’d not wantedto confront ever again.He missed being home, and this was the besthome he could ever ask for.He missed seeing these people day afterday, seeing any people that didn’t want something from him,whether it was a glass of water or a tray full of dirty dishes.He missed experiencing things that made him happy, or moreprecisely, he missed being happy, period.And Lord Almighty, hemissed Wyatt.He didn’t even mind the cheesy Christmas ornament/bouquet in the middle of the huge dining room table or the tackyChristmas napkins and tablecloth.He was okay when they madehim pull Christmas crackers, recite the joke inside out loud andwear a stupid pink paper hat.It was like Christmas was a wholedifferent thing in his mind now, not to be feared or avoided, butenjoyed and cherished for the opportunity it provided for laughsand smiles and love.He owed this family so much, he missedthem so much, and he didn’t want to leave.When dinner was over, it was like everyone dismissedthemselves at the same time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“Wedding’sgonna be this summer.”“Yeah,” Wyatt said.“She actually found someone dumbenough to put up with her.”“I resent that remark,” a deep voice replied.Josiah waswondering just how many people were going to be at Christmasdinner but he managed to stifle the urge to run back to the house.“Hi.I’m Martin.I’ve heard a lot about you.”Josiah flinched at the statement, plastering a smile on hisface and casually looking the man up and down.He felt someprotective instinct check the man out carefully, as if it was hissister’s and not Wyatt’s.Martin couldn’t have been more thanfive foot five, his build stocky, body more round than lean.Josiahestimated he had to be at least thirty-five, maybe older.He worea big grin on his face as he held out his hand to Josiah.“Nice tomeet you,” Josiah said.“You’re Tammy-Jo’s fiancé?”Martin nodded, stepping in to cuff Wyatt across the head.“Yeah, the one that’s going to clue his future brother-in-law inpretty damn fast if he don’t watch his mouth.”Finally Home 51Wyatt ducked behind Josiah, not an easy feat with his heightand build.“Martin’s a school teacher in town and despite beingengaged to my sister, he’s a pretty good guy.”It was Wyatt’s mama’s turn to cuff her son, shaking her headthen leaning in to kiss Josiah on the cheek.“Glad you could makeit, Josiah.And you,” she said pointing her finger at Wyatt.“In thekitchen now.When it’s your house, you’re supposed to be the oneslaving over a hot stove, not your guests.”Josiah cocked his head and turned to look at Wyatt.“Yourhouse?”“Later,” Wyatt promised, pausing to kiss Josiah square on themouth before being whisked away by his mother.Josiah felt the blush rise in his face again.What the hell wasWyatt trying to prove? Here Josiah was enjoying the feeling offamily again for the first time in three years and he had to go anddo something like that in front of his mama and some strangerJosiah didn’t even know.He thought he owed his friend a slap tothe head himself.r r r Dinner was fantastic.The best meal Josiah had eaten sincehe’d left the ranch, one that had more than likely been at the sametable with the same group of people.Turkey, mashed potatoes,three kinds of vegetables—claimed to be so excellent becauseof Wyatt’s awesome steaming skills—gravy, cranberry sauce,homemade buns and two kinds of pie left Josiah feeling bloatedbut satisfied.His only concern by the end of the meal was thathe’d ended up with more questions than answers from the livelyAames bunch.Granddaddy had talked about the new lady he was seeing inhis senior’s complex, something that confused Josiah since he’dhad no idea the elderly man wasn’t living on the ranch any longer.Flora Aames spoke about her job at the floor shop in town andthe volunteering she’d been doing at the local elementary school.And the girls also seemed to have homes of their own now.How52 K-lee Kleinhad things changed so drastically in just three years? And whywas Wyatt living in the rambling ranch house all by himself?His father’s memorial service was talked about briefly.Mrs.Aames telling him the lawyer had arranged a short gravesideservice, something that had been outlined in great detail in the will.Josiah had no regrets about not having a say in the arrangements.He wouldn’t have known the first thing about flowers and gravesand coffins, and he’d always just assumed when the time camehe’d prefer to just have some stranger bury his daddy.For somereason he didn’t feel that way at all though.His tough feelings of“screw the old man” had turned to ones of loss and maybe evensome grief at having no family left of his own—and seeing theAames in their happy setting just maximized those feelings.The whole meal had struck a chord inside Josiah, touchedsomething buried deep within him, something he’d not wantedto confront ever again.He missed being home, and this was the besthome he could ever ask for.He missed seeing these people day afterday, seeing any people that didn’t want something from him,whether it was a glass of water or a tray full of dirty dishes.He missed experiencing things that made him happy, or moreprecisely, he missed being happy, period.And Lord Almighty, hemissed Wyatt.He didn’t even mind the cheesy Christmas ornament/bouquet in the middle of the huge dining room table or the tackyChristmas napkins and tablecloth.He was okay when they madehim pull Christmas crackers, recite the joke inside out loud andwear a stupid pink paper hat.It was like Christmas was a wholedifferent thing in his mind now, not to be feared or avoided, butenjoyed and cherished for the opportunity it provided for laughsand smiles and love.He owed this family so much, he missedthem so much, and he didn’t want to leave.When dinner was over, it was like everyone dismissedthemselves at the same time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]