Chapter 12

 

Tony tossed the pumpkin spiced coffee creamer in the trash. He didn’t know how Cat drank the stuff. While he could handle the occasional pumpkin muffin if there was nothing else around to eat, just the smell of the pumpkin creamer turned his stomach, not to mention the taste. One morning before Cat moved out, she’d convinced him to try a sip of her coffee. Whatever face he’d made when he tasted it made Cat laugh so hard tears streamed down her cheeks.

He missed her laugh.

The hot iron poker, which liked to jab his heart, started up again, so he went back to looking for the half and half. If he hoped to stay awake for the ride into work, he needed his coffee. For a second time that morning, he considered calling Richard and postponing their meeting today. He hadn’t slept much since Cat moved out, and it had only gotten worse since last Tuesday when she dropped the news about the promotion on him. The night before, he’d even considered buying one of those over-the-counter sleep aids. Instead, he took his sister’s advice and picked up an all-natural supplement that claimed it helped you sleep. The only thing it had done for him was upset his already unhappy stomach. Indigestion was just another problem he’d been suffering from since he left Cat’s apartment last week.

Perhaps he deserved both ailments after the way he walked out on her.

He spotted the half and half behind the orange juice and pulled it out. He gave it a little shake before pouring it into his coffee.

“Great, just great.” He watched the curdled cream float on the top of his coffee. He’d finished the milk the night before, which meant he could either make more coffee and drink it black or stop for some on the way to work. Today, his stomach couldn’t handle black coffee. It looked like a stop at the café was in his immediate future.

Other customers filed out of Peggy Sue’s as he approached the door. No matter the time of day, the café had a steady stream of customers, but the mornings were usually the busiest. Once the last person exited, Tony entered and tried not to make eye contact with anyone seated inside. Already, he was running behind and didn’t have time to get caught in a conversation.

Joining the line at the counter, he glanced at the display case, the large blueberry muffins catching his eye. He didn’t want one now, but he’d grab one for later in case the knot in his stomach loosened up enough for him to eat again.

“Did Mom invite you over for Thanksgiving?” Tony heard Striker, who now stood behind him, ask someone else in line.

“I’ll be there for dessert.”

Tony recognized Zack’s voice all too well. He still wanted to hit the guy for the way he’d treated Cat the night of the holiday party.

“Mom invited Cat, but she didn’t give her a definite answer,” Striker said, and Tony wondered if Striker knew he stood right in front of him. “I think she’s overwhelmed with the upcoming move.”

“She got the promotion?” Zack asked.

“She called and told me about it last week. I figured you already knew.”

His own conversation with Cat the week before tried to sneak its way into his mind. The line ahead of him moved, and Tony took a step forward.

“I was in New York all last week. Just got back last night,” Zack answered. “I’ll have to stop by and congratulate her.”

Zack’s statement made ignoring him and Striker impossible, and Tony spun around. “Stay away from her. She’s not interested, remember?”

“Mind your own business. What my sister does isn’t any of your business anymore.”

He and Cat might not be together anymore, but that didn’t mean he wanted Zack sniffing around her either, especially after the way he’d acted at the party.

“But I guess I should thank you, Tony” Striker said. “Cat said you convinced her to take the position.”

If Cat told Striker that, what other information had she shared? His former friend already disliked him for dating Cat. How would Striker feel if he knew Tony had broken her heart?

“She earned it.” How many times had he told himself that since she dropped the news on him?

Zack smiled and Tony assumed he’d just figured out Cat was once again single. More than anything, he wanted to wipe the smile from the other man’s face and then announce Cat wasn’t available.

“My thoughts exactly, and I’ll be sure to remind her of that when I talk to her,” Zack said.

As much as he might want to, he couldn’t stop Zack from speaking with Cat. That didn’t mean he couldn’t warn him of what would happen if he ever hurt her or forced her to do something she didn’t want to. Waving the person behind Zack ahead of him in line now that he’d reached the counter, Tony stepped closer to him. “If I ever hear that you’ve hurt her in anyway, you’ll be sorry.”

Zack gave him a smug smile.

“Next in line please,” the older woman behind the counter said.

Tony considered his options. He could stand there and threaten Zack all day, or he could mind his own business, buy his coffee, and leave.

Turning around, he faced Anita, the woman taking orders. “A regular coffee and two blueberry muffins.”

Cat had made it clear she didn’t want to remain friends, and he couldn’t blame her. He no longer had a place in her life, which meant if she wanted to let Zack back in her life, it was none of his business.

 

***

 

“I like the third listing you sent a lot. The one on Jasmine Lane.” Cat scrolled through the listings the real estate agent had sent her that morning, impressed at the progress the woman had made. Cat had only called her the previous Thursday afternoon, and already she’d found twenty possibilities. “The one on Grove is nice too, but I’d prefer something with two bedrooms.” She’d need a place for Mom and Pop or Striker to stay when they came to visit her. They’d all promised to visit often.

“Did you look at the last one in the group I just sent?” the real estate agent asked. “Rent is a little higher, but it does have the two bedrooms and the extra half bath.”

She hadn’t made it that far through the listings yet. She’d only returned home thirty minutes ago because she’d worked late trying to get everything ready for when she sat down with Autumn, the individual at work who was taking over her current projects, tomorrow.

“Not yet.” Cat passed by the other listings and stopped at the last one. “That one looks perfect.” Yes, the monthly rent was a little more than she’d hoped, but she could still make it work. Plus, the apartment complex had a pool for residents to use, something none of the other places offered. “Can you arrange for me to see all three this upcoming weekend?”

Mr. Carson had told her to take a few days off and go apartment hunting, but she’d rather fly out either on Thanksgiving or Friday morning, which she already had off, and save her personal days for the move itself.

“As soon as I have everything set, I’ll send you confirmation. In the meantime, do you want me to keep looking?”

“Sure.” The apartments she’d narrowed it down to looked great on the computer, but in case they fell through, it wouldn’t hurt to have some backups to pick from.

“Fabulous. I’ll be in touch soon,” the real estate agent said before disconnecting the call.

Cat put her phone down and pulled out the bottle of ibuprofen she kept in the cupboard. If she had any hope of getting anything done before bed, she needed to at least take the edge off her pounding headache. She closed the email from the real estate agent as she took her medicine.

Another thing off today’s to-do list. Cat opened the company-wide email she’d just received and scanned the contents pertaining to the upcoming holidays. Every year, the company operated on the same holiday schedule, so after she read it, she added the message to her trash file before moving on to the one from Leo, the employee in California she was replacing.

She’d spoken to Leo the week before, and since then, they’d exchanged several emails. Unlike the previous ones he’d sent her, this one contained a list of information his wife had put together for her pertaining to the area where she’d be relocating. It contained the addresses and phone numbers for everything she might need, including the closest grocery store and some nearby doctor offices.

As much as she appreciated the material, it overwhelmed her and she closed the message. So far, she’d been trying to take the whole move one tiny piece at a time, rather than looking at it as a whole. The list from Leo’s wife reminded her too much of all the changes facing her over the next several weeks.

After a quick scan of the remaining emails in her inbox, she logged out of her account and brought up her favorite travel site. Now that she knew for certain she’d be spending the weekend looking at apartments, she needed to book airfare out to Anaheim as well as a hotel.

Over the years, she’d traveled up and down the East Coast, as well as to many of the Gulf Coast States. However, she’d never visited California. Usually, whenever she booked travel to some place new, she got excited about it. Not tonight. Tonight only annoyance and sadness reverberated inside her; sadness that Tony didn’t care enough to ask her to stay and annoyance at herself for falling in love with him.

Actually, no, it was more than annoyance that plagued her. Anger mixed in with the annoyance. She’d known the night she invited him up to her apartment after running into each other at O’Leary’s that Tony didn’t stay in relationships long. She’d ignored not only that little fact but also all of Striker’s warnings and allowed herself to think Tony might change for her. That he might come to love her as much as she loved him.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. People didn’t change just because you wanted them to.

Cat picked the cheapest flight that flew out Thursday. Mom would flip when she told her she couldn’t make it to dinner on Thanksgiving, but she’d get over it. If she waited and flew out on Friday, it would give her less time to explore the area that she would soon call home. Besides, she suspected Mom had invited Zack for dessert. Thanksgiving night, and she didn’t want to face him right now. She hadn’t seen him since the holiday party. She didn’t know if he was avoiding her or if he was away. Either way, she hoped to make her move without seeing him again.

Her flights booked, she started her search for hotels. She didn’t prefer one chain of hotels to another, but she did always try for a hotel with an indoor pool when she traveled. Since she was headed to southern California this time, she guessed it didn’t matter much if the hotel had an indoor or outdoor pool. The knock on her apartment door stopped her from doing much more than typing a familiar hotel chain name into the Internet search engine.

Striker had stopped by yesterday to say hello and ask if she needed help with the move. She’d talked with Mom on the drive home tonight, so it wouldn’t be her either.

“Who is it?” Cat asked before opening the door. Since she’d lived in the building there had never been any problems, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.

“Zack.”

Phooey, why hadn’t she checked through the peephole instead? She could have pretended she wasn’t home or that she was asleep and not answered the door. Now that Zack had heard her voice, he wouldn’t just leave.

Unable to do anything else, she opened the door and found him waiting with a small bakery box in one hand. A few weeks ago, she would have smiled and welcomed him inside, but not now. Anger over his behavior at the party made it impossible.

“Hi.” She took a step back, putting more space between them.

He took that as his cue to walk inside. “I was away last week and only heard about your promotion this morning. Congratulations. You should have called and told me.” He put the cake down and moved toward her as if he intended to hug her.

She took another step back before he reached her.

“What’s the matter? I took a shower this morning.”

“You really need to ask?” Did Zack think she’d just brush off the incident like it had never happened?

“You’re not mad because I asked you to the holiday party in front of Bates, are you? You two aren’t even together anymore.”

Well, at least the North Salem gossip chain had gotten out the word about her love life. It saved her from having to tell people herself, which was something she didn’t care to do.

“That’s not the problem, Zack. Your behavior at the party is.”

Zack’s forehead creased and his eyebrows came together. “So I ignored Tony when I joined you and Lorianne. Big deal.”

She’d known he had too much to drink that night, but obviously he’d been even more intoxicated than she’d thought.

“Zack, you talked about us getting married and then you tried to kiss me. I had to hit you to make you stop. Then you almost got into a fight with Tony outside the ladies’ room.”

Zack shook his head as the color drained from his face. “That didn’t happen.”

“It did. I came out of the ladies’ room and found you waiting for me. You said you missed me and insisted you wanted us to get back together.” She moistened her bottom lip. She had enough on her plate right now that she didn’t need to be dealing with her ex-boyfriend too. “You had me pinned against the wall. That’s why I punched you.”

“I… man, Cat, I don’t remember doing that.” He looked away from her as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. My behavior was way out of line, but it’s true. I do miss you.” He moved a few steps closer to her. “Leaving you was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

Some of her anger dispersed, and this time, she didn’t move away.

“I know this is lousy timing with the promotion and all, but I’d like for us to go back to the way things were. I’m willing to make the move to California with you.”

Cat stifled her sarcastic laugh before it came out. Talk about rotten luck. The man she didn’t love was willing to pick up and move thousands of miles with her, while the man she did love no longer wanted her in his life.

“If the company won’t give me a transfer, I’ll find something else out there. We can get married this summer if you want. You always said you wanted a beach wedding.” Zack sounded confident she’d go along with everything he said, and when she didn’t respond right away, he closed the gap between them.

“How about we have some cake now and then drive over to the mall. We’ll pick out a ring and make the announcement on Thanksgiving.” He gave her hand a little tug. “I got your favorite caramel chocolate cake from Quincy Market.”

Cat shrugged free from his grasp. “No, that’s not what I want.”

“We can get something else while we are out then. Or wait and go someplace special to celebrate this weekend.”

“Zack, I don’t want to get engaged, and I don’t want you moving out to California with me.”

“We can wait and take things slow if you want.” Zack’s smile faltered.

She considered Zack a smart guy. Tonight though, he’d left his intelligence at home. “We’re friends, but I told you before that is all we are now. I’m sorry. I don’t want to get back together.” She’d considered telling him straight out that she no longer loved him, but it sounded just too cruel.

“Come on. I know you don’t mean that. You’re just confused because of all the stress.”

Stress was having a field day with her life, but Cat knew what she wanted. “We’ve both moved on with our lives, and we should keep it that way.”

The Adam’s apple in Zack throat moved up and down. “You really mean it,” he said, his voice thick and unsteady. “I thought with Bates out of your life, you’d realize how right we are for each other.”

Tears burned her eyes and she blinked to keep them from falling. “This has nothing to do with him.”

“Tell yourself that if you want, but, Cat, you wouldn’t be acting like this if you never got involved with him. Just remember, he doesn’t love you. He never did. Not like me.”

She envisioned putting her fingers in her ears to block out Zack’s voice. She didn’t need him reminding her of Tony’s feelings.

“I know how Tony feels, but that doesn’t change anything between you and me. We’ll always be friends, Zack, but I just don’t feel the same way about you anymore. I’m sorry.” And she was sorry. At one time, they’d had a good relationship, but it was in the past, and no matter what Zack said or did would change her mind.

“Right, friends.” Zack swallowed again.

She’d never seen him so emotional. Even the night he’d told her their relationship was over and he’d moved out, he hadn’t been this worked up.

Clearing his throat, he started toward the door. “Enjoy the cake. I’ll probably see you on Thanksgiving.”

Cat watched another man exit her life and wiped a tear from her cheek. She suspected she’d now destroyed whatever remained of their friendship. Maybe it was a good thing she’d soon call the other side of the country home before she lost any more pieces of her heart.

***

 

When her phone beeped, Cat glanced at it, her fingers crossed. The night before, she’d called Mom and told her she wouldn’t be there for Thanksgiving. Absolute dead silence had accompanied the announcement. Once the shock wore off, however, Mom had gone into a ten-minute lecture, throwing in every excuse she could to make Cat change her mind and push her trip off until the following weekend. None had worked, but that hadn’t stopped Mom from calling this morning with a few more reasons. And even though Mom promised not to say another word about it, she expected her to call back and once again try to change her mind. Not that it would do any good. She’d purchased her tickets and packed her bags. Tomorrow, she’d fly out and explore the area she’d soon call home. Hopefully, she’d also find a new apartment because she didn’t want to make another trip back before the big move. As promised, Penny, the real estate agent in California, had sent confirmation that they had appointments to look at all the places she’d narrowed it down to. She’d also found three more potential locations just in case the first ones on Cat’s list didn’t work out.

Mom’s furious, the text message on her phone said.

She’d rather have a message from Striker than Mom or Pop.

I know, she typed before she glanced back her computer screen. She’d spent her entire morning meeting with Autumn and now needed to play catch up.

She wants me to change your mind.

Now that was funny. Cat couldn’t recall a time when Striker had ever managed to change her mind about anything. Mom’s really desperate, Cat typed back.

A smiley face appeared on the screen. Do you want me to come with you? Thanksgiving comes around every year. I already checked. I can get a flight right after the football game.

The moment she’d told Striker things between her and Tony were over, a switch went off inside him. The grumpy argumentative older brother who had been bugging her for weeks disappeared and good old Striker returned. It was the only good thing to come from breaking up with Tony.

Thanks, but no. Mom would never recover.

In a strange sort of way, she looked forward to apartment hunting on her own. The last time she’d looked for a place, Zack had been with her, and they’d decided on a place he preferred. This time, it was all about her. She didn’t have to think about what someone else liked. She could find the perfect place for her.

Let me know if you change your mind.

Will do.

Cat typed the final sentence and switched her phone off. She didn’t need any more external distractions today; heaven knew she had enough internal ones. Her last conversations with both Tony and Zack played over and over in her head as if they’d been stuck on a continuous play loop. She hoped, over the next few days, she’d find herself so busy that the play button would become unstuck, especially the one controlling her last conversation with Tony. That one even played in her sleep. Over and over again, she heard him say he’d miss her and insist she take the promotion.

Every time she thought of his comments, she wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t gotten the promotion? Would they have continued on as they had been for several more months? Would he eventually come to love her?

Wishful thinking, she reminded herself. He’d told her outright that he didn’t want anything permanent. No amount of time would change that. She might not like the things Tony said to her that night, but at least he’d been honest with her.

Was he? For the umpteenth time, the little devil on her shoulder whispered the question. He’d said he’d miss her. Would he, or had he just said that to soften the blow? She’d seen firsthand how quickly he went from one relationship to another. Why would this time be any different for him? By New Year’s, he may already have another person in his life.

A mental picture of Tony and Cora, the bartender at O’Leary’s, flashed in his mind. He’d admitted they’d gone out a few times, and Cora had made it obvious that night at the bar that she remained interested. In her mind, Tony led Cora into his bedroom and down onto his bed.

Cat rubbed her eyes. This shouldn’t be that difficult. They hadn’t been together that long. It shouldn’t matter to her who Tony spent his nights with. He didn’t care who she saw. He wasn’t sitting in his house with anger building up inside him at the mere thought that she was out kissing someone else.

“The job, think about the job,” she said under her breath. In a few weeks, she’d start on a whole new chapter of her life. A lot of people never got that opportunity. She’d needed to stay focused on that and only that. In time, the pain in her heart and all the memories would disappear. Next year at this time, everything with Tony would be little more than a brief blip in her life.

 

***

 

He loved Thanksgiving. What wasn’t to love? It was a whole day dedicated to family, good food, and football. Since the day he learned Santa Claus wasn’t real, Thanksgiving had become his favorite holiday. Right now, he should be looking forward to the day ahead. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling, wishing he could spend the whole day at home.

Grabbing the spare pillow, the one he could still picture Cat asleep on each night, he stuffed it under his head before taking the remote control off the nightstand. He’d never fall back to sleep, and he had a few hours to kill before he started his day. A day that started with the annual Thanksgiving Football game against Danvers.

Even before he played for the North Salem Football team, he’d enjoyed the game against the high school’s rival. More than half the town turned out to watch, regardless of what school hosted the game. The atmosphere around the game vibrated with its own unique excitement, which only residents of either North Salem or Danvers understood. Today, he assumed the same would be true.

Regardless, he didn’t look forward to stepping on the field behind North Salem High School. He’d dreaded going near the field since he ended his relationship with Cat. Coach hadn’t said anything to him regarding it. Instead, he’d given him a look that reflected his disappointment. Tony had seen that look before on Coach’s face, but it had never been directed at him. He respected Coach as both a mentor and friend, so the man’s disappointment cut deep.

“And just imagine the look he would’ve had if I kept Cat from taking that job.” Tony flipped to the sport’s channel, which played classic games this time of day. This morning, it was showing a playoff baseball game that had been played years earlier. Judging by the team’s uniforms, Tony guessed the game was at least twenty-five years old.

Something told him Coach Striker wouldn’t have given him the same look if he’d told Cat he loved her and asked her to stay.

“We’re both better off this way.” A familiar hollowness settled in his chest, and he took in a deep breath. She deserved better than him. Cat needed someone in her life who would love her and do everything possible to make her happy. He couldn’t do that. If he let himself love her, he risked losing her. His heart and soul wouldn’t survive that. By letting her go now, he protected them both. Someday, she’d thank him for that.

A lump the size of the baseball Boston’s former star pitcher threw on the screen formed in his throat, and he swallowed. Time, he just needed time. In another month, Cat would have disappeared from his system, and he’d be ready for a new relationship. Maybe he’d ask out Cora again. They’d had some fun together the few times they went out, and she’d still seemed interested the last time he saw her. Perhaps one night next week he’d stop after work and see what Cora was up to.

Bad idea. The memory of the last time he’d stopped in the pub after work rolled forward. If he’d known that night what a simple drink would turn into, he would’ve kept on driving. If he’d avoided the pub, he never would’ve slept with Cat, and he wouldn’t know the constant emptiness lurking inside him.

Tony punched the bed and kicked off the blankets. His brain needed some activity, and he had more than enough work to keep him busy. He’d tackle some of that until he needed to leave for the game.

 

The air churned with electricity as Tony approached the sideline. Even though the game didn’t start for a little while, parents, students, and town residents crowded together on the bleachers. When he’d played on the team, the Thanksgiving game had been his favorite. At the time, he hadn’t known exactly why. Now he wondered if it had something to do with the way it drew the town together. Overall, North Salem was a close-knit town, but when it came to supporting the students, it came together even more.

Tony noticed Mack seated with his daughter and Jessie in the bleachers as he passed by. Right away, he waved in their direction and stopped.

“Hey, Tony. Where’ve you been hiding?” Mack asked.

“Busy at work.” He wasn’t going to tell Mack he’d been keeping to himself rather than deal with his friends’ criticism regarding his decision. “Looks like someone is ready for the game.” He nodded toward Grace, Mack’s daughter, who wore a North Salem football jersey and a North Salem baseball hat.

“Grace found my old jersey at my mom’s and asked if she could wear it today. I didn’t even know Mom still had it.”

“Guess what, Tony,” Grace said, inserting herself into the conversation. “We’re going to Florida soon.”

He’d heard about the upcoming trip from Cat, who thought Jessie and Mack made the perfect couple. “You’re going to have a blast. I love Florida.”

“And guess what else?”

When it came to the things that came out of Grace’s mouth, Tony never knew what to expect. Right now was no exception.

“Striker promised me he’d watch Socks for me.”

It took Tony a moment before be remembered that Socks was the name of Grace’s new dog. “I’m sure he’ll do a good job.”

“If you don’t have any plans Monday night, come on over for the game. Sean and Mia are stopping by. Striker and Ella will be there too.”

Great, he’d get to play odd man out surrounded by couples. Yeah, no thanks. “If I get back in town earlier enough. I’m heading into Providence to look at a possible location for the new gym.”

“Cat mentioned you were thinking of expanding,” Jessie said, forcing him to look directly at her.

Jessie and Cat were friends. He had a sister and he knew the type of things girlfriends talked about. He could just imagine all the terrible things Cat had said to Jessie about him.

“Looks like it’s going to happen,” Tony said as he scanned the crowd for a familiar blonde. He just wanted a quick glimpse of her, and she had to be there somewhere. Cat never missed the game.

“Hi, Jessie. Thanks for saving me a seat.”

Tony paused in his search when he heard Kelsey’s voice.

“No problem. Where’s Ella and Cat?” Jessie moved closer to Grace as Kelsey sat down next to her.

“Ella’s down with Striker. She wanted to say hello before the game started.”

Tony looked over at the sideline where Striker and Ella stood close together. Even though he’d broken up with Cat, it still irked him that Striker had given Cat such a hard time about dating one of his friends while he dated one of Cat’s, especially since it seemed like Cat respected Ella and Striker’s decision.

“Cat’s not coming,” Kelsey said. “She’s flying out to California this morning to start apartment hunting.”

That explained her absence today.

“I still can’t believe she’s moving to California,” Jessie said. “It’s going to be strange without her around.”

Tony’s thoughts mirrored Jessie’s 100 percent.

“I wouldn’t mind living there for a few months, but not forever. I’d miss everyone here too much.” Kelsey waved at someone on the field. “We’re over here, Ella,” she called out.

Now seemed like a good time to go. “I’ll see you all later. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“If you change your mind, just stop by on Monday,” Mack said before he went back to listening to his daughter.

Tony nodded. It seemed like the appropriate thing, even though he had no intention of joining his friends for the game.

The first two quarters of the game progressed much as Coach had predicted. Although the team from Danvers played well, North Salem’s defense stopped them on almost every play. By halftime, it looked as though North Salem had the game in the bag. Of course, that was when things started to go downhill.

On the first play of the third quarter, a defensive lineman tackled Hunter Greerly. Everyone on the sideline heard the crack when Hunter went down. Things just got worse from there. On North Salem’s next possession, Dan Law was taken out of the game with an ankle injury. The team didn’t score a touchdown again after that. Thankfully, however, North Salem’s defense managed to hold Danvers back, and they didn’t add any more points to the scoreboard either.

“That was the worst Thanksgiving game we’ve had in a long time,” Tony overheard Striker say to his father as he passed by the office inside the locker room.

These days, he didn’t agree with much of what Striker said, but he did agree with that statement. They’d won, but barely.

“A win’s a win,” Coach said. “But I hope Hunter’s break isn’t too serious. Later today, I’ll call his parents and check in on him.”

“He lives down the street from me, Coach. I’ll stop by and check in on him if you want.” Tony paused at the office door.

Both Striker and his dad looked in Tony’s direction. “Call me after you do. And tell them to call me if they need anything,” Coach said, reminding Tony of the time he’d sprained his wrist during a playoff game. Coach had called his mom that night to check on him. Since he’d also played basketball and baseball in high school, he’d had other coaches, but none cared as much as Cat’s father.

“No problem. Unless you need anything, I’m heading out. All the players are gone.”

Coach Striker nodded. “See you later, Tony. Have a nice Thanksgiving.”

“You too.”

Tony took the long way to his parents’ house. He hadn’t spoken to either Mom or Dad in over a week. In fact, the last time he’d talked with Mom it had been to confirm what time he and Cat should arrive for dinner this afternoon. Was she still expecting both of them or had she heard he and Cat had gone their separate ways?

Normally, gossip spread quickly through town. Since she hadn’t called to lecture him or ask him what he was thinking, he suspected she hadn’t heard yet, which meant she’d grill him today the first chance she got. As much as he’d rather skip that interrogation, he couldn’t miss Thanksgiving dinner with his family. With the exception of one year, he’d always spent the holiday at his parents’ table. The one year he hadn’t, he’d joined Isabella’s family instead. It had been the worst Thanksgiving dinner he’d ever eaten. While Isabella’s mom had been a sweet lady, she couldn’t cook a decent meal even if her life had depended on it. More than once, he’d suffered through meals with Isabella’s parents, and every time afterward, he’d grab something to eat on the way back to campus.

The day he’d joined Cat and her parents, Mrs. Striker hadn’t cooked, but the pies she’d made had been fantastic. He’d finished the extra apple pie she’d made him in two days. During their time together, Cat had cooked for him several times, and he’d enjoyed everything she’d made. Whoever she married someday wouldn’t need to worry about inedible meals.

Without intending to, Tony pictured Cat greeting a guy who looked an awful lot like Zack as he walked into her kitchen. In his vision, she kissed the Zack look-alike before they both sat down at the table with two little girls who resembled Cat.

Grinding his teeth, he forced the imaginary scene away. He didn’t care if Cat got married and had a dozen little girls who looked just like her. She was free to get on with her life. Maybe she’d get back together with Zack. The creep had obviously realized what a mistake he’d made when he broke up with her.

Actually, it wouldn’t surprise him at all if Zack hadn’t already stopped by Cat’s apartment and tried to change her mind, despite his warning at Peggy Sue’s.

“It’s none of my business.” He tried not to think about the way Zack had corned her that night at the party as he pulled into his parents’ driveway. She’d managed to take care of herself that night. If Zack pulled another stunt like that one, she’d be able to handle it herself again.

The smell of turkey hit him head-on and saliva pooled in his mouth. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful smells filling the entire house.

“Tony’s here,” his nonna called out when he walked into the living room. “I’ve been anxious for you to get here. How was the game?” she asked, a wide smile on her wrinkled face.

Except for the years when he’d played football, Nonna never went to the games. He hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Nonna. It was a tough one.”

“Oh, well, that happens.” She waved a hand and glanced behind him, as if looking for someone else. “Where’s your girlfriend. Your mom said she was joining us today.”

Unlike Gramma and Grampa, his father’s parents, Nonna no longer lived in North Salem, so she rarely knew the latest news in town. “We’re not together anymore.”

“That’s a shame. Patty told me how happy you seemed lately. She thought you’d found the one.”

“Are you talking about Catrina Striker?” his Gramma said, joining them.

“Tony said he’s not seeing her anymore,” Nonna said.

“I ran into Shelly at the café. She told me Catrina’s moving to California,” Gram said, referring to Cat’s grandmother.

“By herself? She shouldn’t be going that far away alone.” Nonna sounded outraged and he cracked a smile.

“Things are different now. It’s not like when we were their age.”

He listened as his grandmothers took a trip down memory lane grateful they’d moved onto a new topic. If he hoped to enjoy the day, he didn’t need them reminding him of the one person he wished was with him.

“Tony, can you help me?” his mom called from the kitchen down the hall.

When he walked in, he grabbed a coconut macaroon off the platter on the counter and popped it in his mouth before his mom noticed.

“I saw that,” she said as she started mashing the potatoes. “Can you get the glass bowl in that cupboard down for me?” She gestured toward the corner cupboard with her elbow, not that she need too. He knew just which bowl she wanted. She only used it for special holidays.

“Here you go.” He put the bowl down before grabbing another one of the macaroon’s his Nonna had made. “Do you need anything else?”

“Do you mind grabbing the rolls from the oven? The bread basket for them is on the table.” His mom added more milk to the pan. “What time are Edward and Jane expecting you and Cat tonight?”

And here it came. “I’m not going.”

His mom turned around, the potato masher still in her hand. “Why not?”

“We’re not seeing each other anymore.”

“I don’t understand. What happened? Just the other day, she was living with you.”

“She got offered a promotion in California. She’s out there now looking for an apartment.”

“And you didn’t try to change her mind?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping to dislodge the tension that had set in. “Why would I do that? If the table was reversed, I wouldn’t want someone to hold me back.”

Mom’s hands settled on her hips, and a blob of mashed potato hit the floor. “Because you love her. Deny it all you want, Tony, but I know you do. A mother can tell these things.”

First Sean and now Mom, why did everyone insist on telling him how he felt? He knew his own heart. Why didn’t I go home after the game?

“You’re being foolish,” she said, pointing the masher at him. “And I’m only saying this because I love you and want you to be happy. Reconsider your decision before it’s too late.”

There was nothing to reconsider. He’d made up his mind, and his future didn’t include Cat.