“No.” How had he missed that piece of news?
“Yep. The older woman who ran that shop is retiring. I’ve already put—”
At the soft knock on his door, she fell silent.
“Zach?” Stephanie’s voice. “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s a timer going off in the kitchen. We have no idea what it’s for, and we didn’t want the turkey to burn.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” His attention never wavered from Katherine. “We’ll pick this up later. In the meantime, let me introduce you to my dad.”
She touched her hair. “Give me a minute to get straightened out.”
“Have at it.” He motioned to the attached bath. “I’ll baste the turkey while you do whatever you think is necessary. But I kind of like the tousled look.”
“Your dad may not.” She rubbed her palms down her slacks. “Can I admit I’m a little nervous about meeting him?”
“Don’t be. I’ve done nothing but sing your praises.”
“No pressure there.” She rolled her eyes, retrieved her purse, and walked toward the bathroom. “I’ll be out in five minutes.”
After she disappeared behind the door, he slipped out of the room and took care of turkey business in the kitchen.
True to her word, Katherine joined him as fast as she’d promised.
“Ready to meet the family?” He twined his fingers with hers.
“No.” She drew in an unsteady breath. “I feel rumpled from all those hours in planes and airports. Maybe I should change. My bag is in Frank’s car, and it wouldn’t take very—”
“You look fantastic. Trust me.” He squeezed her fingers. “You already know Stephanie and Frank, and Dad’s mellowed over the past few weeks. Come on. I’ll be by your side for the duration.”
He honored his pledge—though as it turned out, his support wasn’t necessary. His dad turned on the charm, and Katherine in turn charmed him. By the time they all sat down to dinner, said a blessing, and dived into the feast, her nervousness had vanished.
Thanks in large part to the women at his table, there were no awkward conversational gaps during the meal either. The chatter was lively, the topics wide-ranging, the laughter abundant.
It was the kind of Thanksgiving he’d always dreamed of hosting in this house.
As the meal drew to a close, he set his napkin on the table. “Everyone ready for dessert?”
His query was met with groans.
“Let’s wait awhile.” Stephanie patted her stomach. “I’m not certain I can squeeze one more ounce in here—and I want to have a taste of pumpkin pie—plus one or two of those cranberry truffles Katherine brought.”
Zach transferred his attention to his unexpected guest. “You made truffles?”
“Yes. Earlier in the week, before our shooting schedule got rain delayed. I was able to arrange to get access to a kitchen for a few hours in Texas. I’m glad they didn’t go to waste.”
“Heaven forbid!” This from Stephanie.
“Shall we move to the great room until we’re ready for dessert?” Zach pushed back his chair, but Stephanie touched his arm.
“I’m all for heading back to that wonderful fire, but Frank and I would like to make an announcement first.” She covered the man’s hand with hers as she transferred her attention to him. “Do you want to do the honors?”
“It would be my pleasure.” He smiled at the small group gathered around the table. “I’m delighted to announce that Stephanie and I are engaged.”
Zach grinned. “Now that’s what I call an announcement. If I had any champagne, I’d break it out. Congratulations to you both.”
His father and Katherine added their own best wishes.
“When’s the big day?” His dad aimed the question at the happy couple.
“Between Christmas and New Year’s. We haven’t locked in a date yet. It depends on the availability of the church.” Stephanie glanced at Frank again.
“Go ahead.” He twined his fingers with hers. “I’ll concede the floor to you for part two.”
She gave the small group at the table a sweep. “There’s more news. You all know how involved Frank and I have been in the Hope House project. We realize the committee was expecting to find a younger couple to be houseparents, but we’ve spoken with the Helping Hands board and thrown our hat in the ring. We’ll be married before all the paperwork and final approval from the state are completed, and we can’t think of a more gratifying way to spend our retirement than by helping children get a solid start in life in a loving home.”
Zach stared at them.
The engagement announcement wasn’t unexpected.
But houseparents at Hope House?
It took him a few seconds to absorb that—and he wasn’t alone. In the wake of Stephanie’s announcement, there was dead silence around the table.
At last, his aunt spoke. “You think we’re too old to do this, don’t you?”
“Of course not.” His father responded at once, God bless him. “From what I’ve seen, you two have more vigor than most people half your age. You just took us all by surprise.”
“Convincing the board we’re up to the job could be a challenge, though.” Frank edged his chair closer to Stephanie’s and slipped his arm around her. “But we intend to give it our best shot.”
Zach’s vocal cords kicked in. “If you want a reference, you can count on me. I’ll attest to your boundless energy. And I think it’s a terrific idea. I may go out and buy that bottle of champagne yet.”
“I’ll happily settle for a truffle or two later,” Stephanie said. “For now, however, that fire is beckoning.”
After carrying their plates into the kitchen, they all retired to the living room—where Zach stayed close beside Katherine. Happy as he was to have the people he cared about most in the world gathered together on this holiday, he couldn’t help wishing he had her to himself.
As if sensing that three . . . or four . . . or five . . . was a crowd, Frank and Stephanie left not long after dessert. At the door, Frank offered to fill in for him tomorrow with Bren at The Perfect Blend—and Zach didn’t hesitate to accept.
A few minutes later, his dad retired to his room, claiming fatigue.
By eight o’clock, he and Katherine were alone by his fireplace.
“I think I’m responsible for breaking up this party early.” Katherine snuggled against him on the couch.
“I’m fine with that. Dad will be here ten more days, and I can see Frank and Stephanie anytime. Except . . .” He frowned. “Did Frank drive away with your suitcase?”
“Uh-huh. He’s dropping it at the Gull Motel for me. I managed to snag a last-minute cancellation.”
“Why don’t you stay here? Dad can be our chaperone.”
“But there’s only one guest room—and I don’t want you to sleep on the couch, which is what you’d offer to do if I stayed.”
“It would be a small sacrifice to have you close. Cancel the motel. I’ll call Frank and ask him to run back with your suitcase.” He reached for his phone.