On Thanksgiving Day, Hayley went early to Claire’s house to help her prepare for her annual dinner, as she always did. Claire was a collector of orphans and stragglers, and she’d been hosting festive holiday gatherings since before Hayley knew her. Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving were the big ones, but she also held a Valentine’s Day chocolate party, an Independence Day barbecue, and a monthly bridge club. She had a large, welcoming home, and she liked to fill it.

Some people were regulars, like Hayley and Alice Abbott, editor of the Golden Falls Gazette, while others came only occasionally based on their life circumstances. Parties ranged in size, usually in the neighborhood of fifteen to twenty guests, although on occasion as many as thirty people attended. One thing was certain—if you were new to town, you were sure to receive an invitation to Claire’s holiday parties, which meant Claire had invited Evan Taylor even before Hayley had gone on her first date with him.

Not that Hayley wouldn’t have invited him herself. She would have, and she wanted to see him, but she was nervous about it, too, since he’d left Singles Night early. Josh’s references to her on the projector wall had been none-too-subtle.

However, she’d woken up feeling more optimistic than she’d felt the night before. She knew it was up to her to repair the damage, open up to Evan, and get their relationship back on track. She would be stupid not to, especially since Evan was the first decent guy she’d dated in years.

When she arrived at Claire’s, she parked in the side driveway near the kitchen door to unload her offerings of pumpkin pie, stuffing, and wine. When the door opened, she expected it would be either Alice or Claire, since the three of them had planned to don aprons and drink chardonnay and make sage and cheddar biscuits before the arrival of the other guests, as tradition dictated.

Instead, she did a double take when the person who opened the side door was none other than Bruce Barnes, who hurried down the stairs to help her.

“Hi!” she said as she handed him the cardboard box which held two pans of stuffing. “Nice to see you, twice in one week! Uh, Josh isn’t here, is he?”

Please don’t let him be here.

“Nope, afraid not,” Bruce said. “He had to work today.”

“Ah, that’s too bad,” she said, relieved.

“I’ll go by and visit the fire station after dinner,” he said. “The families usually do. Jack won’t be happy about it, but I think it’ll cheer up Josh.”

Hayley frowned at the sadness in Bruce’s tone at the mention of Jack. She wished she knew more about their estrangement, but it wasn’t her place to ask, let alone attempt to give any comfort.

“I’ve got to warn you,” Bruce said, “Alice and Claire are already a little loopy.”

“Oh, no!” Hayley followed him up the steps and greeted Alice and Claire, both of whom had glowing cheeks and twinkling eyes. “I heard you two are already tipsy. You’re supposed to wait for me!”

“Bruce brought cranberry Jell-O shots!” Alice said. “We couldn’t wait.”

“I forgot how potent they can be,” Claire said with a giggle, taking the two pies from Hayley. “We’ve had four each, which is probably three too many. They’ve got Southern Comfort and vodka in them.”

Hayley laughed. “Four?!”

“Well, Bruce only had one. By the way, he told us all about your adventure earlier this week with the lost sled dog.” Having set the tray of stuffing in her warming oven, Claire put her arm around Hayley’s shoulder. “It must have been terrifying, you poor thing. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s been a crazy week, with the website launching on Monday.” And I didn’t want to relive the experience quite yet. “I’ll tell you everything while we make the biscuits.”

Hayley loved Claire’s house and kitchen. Set on six acres on the outskirts north of town, she’d designed her house to maximize the southwest side views of Denali from the kitchen and living room. A few years back, Claire had a knee replacement, and Hayley had come to stay with her during the days, helping to cook and clean. She counted it as one of the favorite periods of her life, not only because of the constant views—it had been summer, and wildflowers covered the property, so one’s gaze began with an explosion of wildflower and expanded westward to Denali—and not merely because of the company, but because it was the first time in her life she’d experienced how a family could work, and how rewarding it could be to help someone who needed to heal.

She and Claire had fallen into an easy rhythm together and even learned to crochet together. Hayley had started cooking grown-up dishes for the first time during those weeks, taking full advantage of the Viking range and the fourteen-foot marble center island. Visiting now felt like what she imagined coming home from college would have felt like, had she ever gone home and had she loved her family half as much as she loved Claire.

She rolled up her sleeves, put on a spare apron, and got to work, filling in details of her excursion with Josh earlier in the week. Naturally, with Bruce present, she omitted the bedroom shenanigans that had occurred before the dogsled ride.

“So, Bruce, how does it feel to have Maggie gone for the holiday?” Hayley asked as they set out water glasses and filled pitchers with water to set around the table.

“Strange but good,” he said. “I think Maggie’s going to have a hard time coming home. Those nephews and that niece of hers love their aunt to pieces.”

“What are their ages?”

“Six,” Bruce said.

Hayley gave him a questioning look. “Triplets?”

“Almost,” he said. “My daughters in Florida—Lila and Sophia—are twins, and Lila then had twin boys. Sophia’s daughter was born less than a month later, so we jokingly call them the triplets.”  

“Has Maggie considered being a traveling nurse?” Hayley asked. “She could work at a hospital in Florida every winter if she wanted to, and then come back for the summers. Critical care nurses are in high demand almost everywhere.”

“Is something like that hard to arrange?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Hayley said. “I’ve worked with a couple traveling nurse programs in the past through the staffing agency. Tell her if she’s interested to give me a call. I could have something set up for her in a matter of weeks. And they pay for housing expenses, too.”

“I bet your grandchildren would love to see you for the holidays, too, Bruce,” Claire said. “Not that I’m not glad to have you for dinner, but why didn’t you go with Maggie?”

“Starting next year, I will,” he said. “I told Josh this is my last year helping with the kennel.”

Hayley flinched, knowing the difficulty it would pose for Josh. “Who’s going to help him with the dogs?”

“He’ll have to give some thought as to how he wants to proceed, or even if he wants to proceed,” Bruce said. “Maintaining the kennel and running the Iditarod every year is killing him financially. I wish he’d scrap the whole thing. I think it’s time for him to settle down and find a nice girl to marry.” He winked at Hayley. “And I told him as much.”

This man could be my father-in-law, Hayley thought sadly. If only Josh wasn’t so stubborn.

“Unfortunately, it’s not up to you,” Hayley said.

“Unfortunate indeed,” Bruce said.

* * *

By the time the first guests arrived, the table was set, a fire was roaring in the fireplace, and appetizer trays were strategically set throughout the house to encourage mingling. People began to arrive in singles and in pairs, most bearing a bottle of wine or a pie or a side dish. Andrew Blake, with his silver fox hair and easy smile, brought an ostentatiously gift-wrapped bottle of special edition Crown Royal whiskey.

Hayley greeted Cassie Holt with a hug. She was glad Cassie had somewhere to be for Thanksgiving dinner since Cody was on shift.

“Are you going by the fire station to see Cody later?” Hayley asked her friend.

“That’s the plan,” Cassie said. “Cody tells me they need extra mouths to feed because so many people bring treats by the station on holidays. I told him I was happy to oblige!”

“You guys are still doing good?” Hayley asked.

“We’re doing fantastic,” Cassie said. “In fact, I just bought the tickets for us to go skiing in Vail after the holidays so he can meet my parents.”

“That’ll be so awesome!” Hayley said. She neither skied nor had parents she’d ever be willing to introduce a man to, but she was glad for her friend.

“I’m hoping he’ll have fun,” Cassie said. “He’s kind of claustrophobic in cities, but I don’t think Vail really qualifies. Plus I haven’t seen my parents since the whole stalker thing went down. I figured if I went ahead got the tickets, he’d be willing to go for sure. Was that manipulative of me?”

“Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” Hayley said. “Plus, he needs to meet his future in-laws.”

“Yeah.” Cassie cringed. “I haven’t exactly told them I’m engaged.” Before Hayley could ask why not, Cassie pointed. “Hey, look! Speaking of sexy boyfriends, there’s yours.”

Hayley turned in time to see Evan stepping through the door, and she went to greet him. He was clean-shaven and dapper in black jeans and a black wool sweater under a modern tweed sports jacket. But his eyes were tired, as if he hadn’t slept well. Hayley met him at the front door, and when he kissed her on the cheek and told her she looked nice, she felt hopeful that he’d put the previous night behind him.

He handed Claire the bottle of wine he’d brought, and Hayley took the cranberry walnut salad he’d made, while Bruce took his coat. Hayley introduced the two men by first name only, feeling cowardly as she did, but why help Evan make a connection between Bruce and Josh that might upset him, especially before she knew if they were on solid ground?

“Come have a Jell-O shot,” she said, slipping her hand into Evan’s and leading him to the kitchen, which she knew would be quiet compared to the crowded living room.

She handed him a shot and, for the hell of it, took one herself. “Cheers,” she said, raising the tiny plastic cup.

“Cheers,” he said.

They took their awkward, wriggling shots.

“How are you?’ She decided to be a little bold, a little more open, and so she wrapped her arms around his waist in a gentle hug. “How’s your Thanksgiving so far?”

“Not bad.” He put his arms around her, too, although he didn’t pull her closer than she already was. “I video-called with my family this morning. It’s my first holiday without them, and it feels weird.”

“Are you going back for Christmas?” Hayley asked.

“I don’t think I can afford it,” he said. “I checked ticket prices today, and they’re almost eight hundred dollars. I hate to be so broke, but everything’s a lot more expensive here than I expected, and I’m still in catch-up mode from the move. I had a bunch of deposits to put down for my apartment and utilities, plus winterizing my car.”

“Well, we’ll make sure you have a nice Christmas here,” Hayley said. “Start some new traditions, maybe.”

His arms were still lightly around her waist, and he chose that moment to step back and give her a particular look that portended a response she might not like. It happened at the same moment Claire and Bruce entered the kitchen.

“Hello, you two,” Claire said. “I’m glad to see you’re able to sneak a private moment together, but it’s time to carve the turkey.”

“Andrew Blake mentioned he’d be willing,” Bruce said.

“Oh, he did?” Claire said, and then spotted the tray of Jell-O shots. “Oooh, I need another one of these!”

Hayley, mystified by her normally temperate friend’s tipsiness, went to get Andrew, and then followed Evan to the living room.

Claire had a tradition that before the Thanksgiving meal, everyone gathered around her massive stone fireplace in a half-circle. Champagne was poured for all, and Claire made a Thanksgiving toast. Following that, each guest named what they were thankful for. It was a way of marking the holiday in the spirit in which it was intended, and it was always one of Hayley’s favorite parts about the day.

“I’m thankful for so much,” she said when it was her turn. “I’m thankful for friends old and new. For Claire, who’s been such a blessing in my life.” She slipped her hand through Evan’s arm and gave him a bright smile. “I’m especially thankful this year for Evan. I’m so glad he took a chance and moved to Golden Falls, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better in the coming year.”

She knew something was wrong as soon as she said it, because while the faces of her friends beamed with happiness for her, Evan’s face tightened. He stood woodenly, and although he allowed her hand to remain linked through his arm, she had the feeling he would have shrunk away from her if he could.

“I’ll echo the thanks to Claire.” He nodded to their hostess. “I’m grateful to be included in your Thanksgiving tradition. You’re very kind. I’m thankful for the fresh start this town is giving me.”

And that was it. Nothing about Hayley, not a word. Standing next to him, her arm still linked through his, she very much wanted to yank her arm back. And maybe run from the room. From across the circle, Bruce met her eye and gave her a quick wink, which made her feel less alone. No less humiliated, but less alone.

Bruce was standing on Claire’s right, and his turn to toast was last. Hayley managed to extricate her hand from Evan’s arm and stood in mute, fake-smiling mortification. Not only because the other guests had witnessed Evan’s obvious dismissal of her, but because his neglect to mention her was very telling. It either said something about the state of their relationship or it said something about Evan’s overall personality. In neither case did it bode well for their future.

Bruce raised his glass and cleared his throat. “This community has always been good to me and my family, and every day I’m thankful for that,” he said. “I’d also like to give a special thanks to Alice, Claire, and Hayley, a trio of fantastic women who welcomed me into their little coven today with open arms.”

“That’s because you brought cranberry Jell-O shots!” Alice said.

Everybody laughed, and the toasts were over. Evan stalled as the other guests headed to the kitchen to fill their plates with food, probably wanting to explain himself, but Hayley felt unready to have any such conversation. She needed time mentally to work through what had happened.

“We need to talk,” Evan said.

No, we don’t! No, we don’t! A talk could only mean something bad. And she liked Evan. Had she not been tangled up in Josh, she’d be thoroughly invested in Evan. And she was doing her best to untangle herself from Josh. She was sure she could get there sooner rather than later.

“Fine, but let me start,” she said, taking his hand. “I’m sorry if I was out of line just now. I understand it might be too soon to declare anything publicly about our relationship, and I think maybe I rushed into saying something because I’m worried you’re upset from last night.”

He looked at the floor, and she knew she was right.

“You and Josh Barnes. Do you have a history?”

Hayley wanted to shrink to the ground. “Why do you ask?” Evan’s left eye twitched, and Hayley immediately knew it had been the wrong thing to say. “We have a short history together,” she added quickly. “Extremely short and very much over.”

“It didn’t sound over from his answers on the projector last night.”

“I can’t speak for Josh,” she said. “But on my end, it is.”

Evan sighed. “I’ve been cheated on, remember.” She nodded. “My best friend slept with my girlfriend, and I’m probably not in the right place to start a new relationship in any case. But then you happened.” He smiled, and it was a little wistful. “You came along, and you’re sexy and fun to be with. You’re someone I’d like to get to know better. Someone I’d like to pursue, if only the timing was right. But it’s not.”

She saw the pain in his eyes, and she felt it, too.

He continued, “I’m probably overly sensitive because of what I’ve just been through, but the vibes I was getting last night made me uncomfortable. I know you said there’s nothing going on between you and Josh Barnes anymore, but seeing you together was like a kick in the gut. My warning signals were going off like crazy, and maybe there really isn’t anything between you, but it seemed to me like there is.”

“My relationship with Josh was never intended to last,” she said.

“Maybe it should,” Evan said. “I don’t want to be anyone’s consolation prize.”

“Evan, I’m so sorry if I—”

“No, no, it’s okay,” he said. “I believe you when you say there’s nothing between the two of you, but the fact I’m even wondering tells me I’m not in a place to be pursuing a relationship with anyone right now. A relationship’s built on trust, and I’m finding that hard right now, seeing how my last one fell apart. I’m not over what happened, and I can’t move forward with anyone until I am, or at least until I’m not constantly reading into things I shouldn’t be reading into.”

She thought back to the responses Josh had projected on the wall in answer to her ice-breaker questions.

What would constitute a perfect day for you? A dogsled ride with a beautiful woman.

For what in life do you feel most grateful? You.

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be? The ability to get over myself, so I could be with you.

Evan’s reading of the situation was spot-on. He wasn’t seeing anything that wasn’t honestly there.

“Josh and I probably do have things unresolved between us,” she confessed. “But that doesn’t mean we have a future.” She took a deep breath and pressed on. “I was hoping for a future with you.”

His eyes were kind. “How about this—if you’re single down the road and I’m single down the road, and if we’re both in a good place …” He shrugged. “Well, let’s not say never, okay?”

“Let’s not say never,” Hayley said, and was amazed by the overwhelming sense of relief she felt. She’d never actually ended things and stayed on good terms with the person, but she felt like she could with Evan. “Should we go eat some turkey?”

“Let’s go eat some turkey,” he said.

As they filled their plates and took their seats at the long dining room table, Hayley tried to keep her mood light, but inside she was flailing. Although mad at Josh for so obviously trying to ruin things for her with Evan, she was angry at herself, too.

When she’d proposed to Josh that he be her dating coach, she’d promised not to fall for him, or to try and change him, and she’d promised there wouldn’t be a messy breakup. He’d just point out her blind spots, and she’d fix them, and then she’d go on to live her happily ever after with someone else.

What if it turned out her blind spot was him?