Protecting Her(87)

He frowns and draws circles on his placemat with his spoon. “I don’t want you to go.”

Rachel reaches over and holds his hand. “We’ll be back before you know it. And on Tuesday, since you’ll be on school break, maybe we’ll have a movie night.”

He smiles. “Really?”

“Yes, and you get to pick the movie. And on Wednesday I think we’ll go to the pool in the morning. Your dad’s coming home at noon, so you two can go out and play football in the afternoon while I start prepping for Thanksgiving.”

“And on Friday we’ll do the tree?” he asks.

She smiles. “We have to. It’s tradition. We always do the tree the day after Thanksgiving.”

“I already bought your ornament,” I say to her. I still buy Rachel an ornament every year. “I’ll give it to you when we get back.”

“Mom, when can we get my ornament?”

“How about next Saturday? That way the tree will already be up.”

“I’m getting a race car one this year.”

Rachel always takes Garret shopping to pick out an ornament. It’s another tradition. We have a lot of traditions at the holidays. It’s good for Garret, but I enjoy it as well. I feel like it makes us closer as a family because these traditions are unique to just us.

The waitress brings our food, and Garret and Rachel do what they always do, in their continued attempt to get me to order pancakes. It never works.

“These are soooo good,” Rachel says, her face right next to mine, slowly chewing her pancakes with her eyes closed.

“Sooo good.” Garret mimics her, complete with the slow chewing and his eyes closed.

“Nice try,” I say. “I’m still not ordering them.”

The two of them laugh and go back to eating their breakfast.

I don’t like this diner, but I love coming here with Rachel and Garret. I love seeing them so happy. I love spending time with them. It’s a family tradition, with the two people I love most in the world.





CHAPTER NINETEEN


19


RACHEL

“Do you need anything else, Charles?” I have the flour, sugar, and other ingredients all lined up for him.

“No. I think I’m all set.” He smiles.

He’s such a nice man. I met him years ago at an event he was catering. The food was so good that I got his card and started hiring him for some of the charity events I was involved in. He’s also catered some dinner parties I’ve hosted here at the house, Garret’s last birthday party, and three summer cookouts with the neighbors. He’s been over here so much the past year, he’s almost become like a member of the family. Garret loves him because Charles likes talking about sports.

“Charles!” Garret runs in the kitchen and gives Charles a hug.

“Hello, Garret.” Charles laughs as Garret practically knocks him over. “You ready for your game?”

“Yeah. Watch this.” He steps back, then jumps up and pretends to dunk the ball. “Did you see how high I jumped?”

Charles smiles. “That was good. Keep practicing and you’ll be just like the pros.”

“Do you want to come to my game after Thanksgiving? I don’t know when it is, but Mom does.”

“I’ll have to check my schedule but if I don’t have to work, then yes. I’ll plan to be there.”

“I’ll give you the details later,” I tell him.

He nods at me, then looks back at Garret. “I brought you something.” Charles hands him a paper box. “They’re for after your game today.”

Garret opens the box and inside are a dozen sugar cookies decorated to look like basketballs.

“Mom, look!” Garret holds one up.

“Thank you, Charles,” I say. “That was sweet of you.”

“I was making sugar cookies for an event and I had some extra dough. I thought Garret might like those.”

“I think I’ll like them too,” I say. “I love sugar cookies.” I take the box from Garret. “Honey, go upstairs and get your gym bag. We need to leave.”

Charles watches Garret run off. “He’s such a good kid.”

I smile. “Yeah, he is. So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?”

“I usually go to my brother’s house in Vermont, but he’s going to his in-laws’ house this year so I’ll be staying here.”