Chapter Eighteen
“I hope your day is going better than mine.”
That had him on immediate alert. “Uh-oh. What’s up?”
“I can’t go with you to your mom’s tomorrow. I’m sorry.”
Grey was going to text her back and ask why but decided this was going to be a lot easier with a phone call. He dialed her number and waited several rings for her to pick up.
“Hey.”
“I thought we had everything ironed out. Did something change with work?” Her boss had promised her the two days off since she’d worked every holiday for the last couple of years.
“Several nurses, or someone in their family, came down with the flu. Even Jen is laid up at home. I have to work eight in the morning until eight on Thanksgiving night. There’s really not much else to be done about it.”
He wanted to object, but knew she was right. It was one of the hazards of her job. It was still disappointing, though. “I could stay in town. If you get a lunch break, you could call me.”
“No. Grey, you should go spend the holiday with your family. Lunch breaks are usually eaten standing up between patients unless it’s a slow day. Trust me, you won’t be missing anything here. I’ll work this extra shift, and we can see each other this weekend.”
Grey didn’t like that idea at all. The thought of her spending Thanksgiving by herself bothered him even as he realized that she’d been doing exactly that for the last five years.
“You still there, Grey?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry.” He paused. “You sure you want me to go to my mom’s?”
“Yes. I’m positive.”
“All right.” Grey knew that definitive tone to her voice. He didn’t want to push her. “I’ll text you in the morning?”
“Sounds good. And Grey? I really am sorry.”
“I know, Cora. Me, too.”
They said their goodbyes. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the calendar on his desk as the multitude of notes blurred together. This was their first holiday since reconnecting. He didn’t feel right about leaving her here and driving all the way to San Antonio. At the same time, he knew she hated being pushed into things. If she told him she was fine and wanted him to go…
His mind went to the last time she told him he should leave. He hadn’t realized it then, but it’d been a defining moment that led to the end of their marriage. Grey made a mistake then, and he wasn’t about to make the same one now.
~*~
Cora woke up just after seven on Thanksgiving Day with a heavy heart. There’d been absolutely no reason for Grey to stick around town today. He’d be sitting alone at his place, eating TV dinners or something, and she’d feel guilty that she was working instead of keeping him company. Telling him he should go to his mom’s house for Thanksgiving was the right decision.
She glanced at her phone to find a text from him.
“Happy Thanksgiving. I miss you already.”
Of course he’d have left early to make that drive and have most of the day with his family. She just wished she hadn’t slept through his text. She responded, knowing he likely wouldn’t see it for a while. “Happy Thanksgiving. I miss you, too. Drive safe, okay?” She hit send before dragging herself out of bed with a groan.
It was going to be a long day. What really stunk was that she was probably too late to reserve a Thanksgiving dinner from Boston Market for tonight. She tried not to think about that as she showered and got dressed for the day.
Her shift at the hospital was long and busy. Between the guy coming in with extensive burns from dropping a turkey into hot oil to the multitudes of holiday car accidents, Cora had little time to sit and rest. Lunch was half of a dry sandwich and a bag of chips, and dinner wasn’t much better.
Several times, she thought about texting Grey to let him know she was thinking about him. Every time, she talked herself out of it. He was visiting with his family and enjoying a big Thanksgiving meal about now. The last thing she needed was to make him feel guilty for leaving. It’d been her choice to encourage it, although the selfish part of her now regretted it. She wished she’d agreed to him staying, or at least that he’d stayed anyway despite her assurances to the contrary.
There was no use replaying it over and over in her mind. What was done was done. She just needed to make it through the rest of this shift so she could get home, go to bed, and put this day behind her.
When eight rolled around, Cora was exhausted. At least it wasn’t horribly late. She decided to call Grey once she got home to say hello. The thought of talking to him, kicking her shoes off, and finding something besides a stale sandwich to eat for dinner had her feeling a little better.
She parked at the apartment complex. It wasn’t until she was a few feet from her front door that she noticed the large vase full of flowers sitting on the step. The yellow, orange, and red daisies brought out a smile as she withdrew the small card and read it.
“Cora, I hope you’ll forgive me. Love, Grey.”
She read it again as her brows crinkled with confusion. “Forgive him for what?”
Shuffling in the breezeway behind her had Cora whirling around to find Grey standing there with a smile on his face and a large bag in one hand.
“For ignoring your suggestion, not going to San Antonio like we planned, and for staying in town without telling you.” He gave her a big smile. “Surprise!”
Cora shook her head slowly, hardly believing that he was standing right there in front of her. “You are something else.”
He’d stayed. He’d skipped a huge Thanksgiving dinner, complete with amazing desserts if Maria was still baking like she’d used to. And he’d done it so they could be together. Her heart turned over in her chest.
“A good something or a bad something?”
She chuckled. “It would be a toss-up if it weren’t for the flowers.” She lifted the vase and then dug around in her pocket for her keys. “They tipped the scale in your favor.”
“What if I said I brought dinner with me?”
She got the door unlocked, pushed it open, and motioned for him to go inside. “Now we’re talking.”
Once they were both inside, she set her bag down and hugged the vase of flowers. “These are truly beautiful, Grey. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. And I figured you probably hadn’t had much to eat at work, and certainly nothing compared to the dinner we were supposed to have. But I was able to procure the next best thing.” He held up the bag for her to inspect.
Only then did Cora see the logo. “You didn’t. Are you serious?” Her stomach growled just thinking about food from Boston Market.
“I told them I knew a certain nurse who deserved a good dinner on Thanksgiving. Between that and my obvious charms, I managed to talk them out of two meals.” Grey’s eyes sparkled with humor as he teased her. “I’ll get us some plates and silverware if you want to go change, and we’ll eat before it gets cold.”
“That sounds amazing.” Not only had he brought her flowers and dinner, but he remembered something she’d told him in passing a while ago: As soon as she got home from work, she liked to change out of her dirty scrubs and into something cozy and comfortable.
She did just that and returned to find he’d set up the little dining room table complete with a candle he’d placed in the center. The flame danced as the wax around it began to melt. Cora breathed in the scent of cinnamon and cloves. “Wow, this is amazing.”
Grey reached for her hand before closing his eyes. “Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for the chance to spend this holiday together. Please bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies and help us to see how truly fortunate we are.”
“Amen.” Their words blended together.
He moved to sit down, but Cora snagged his hand to stop him. She stretched up on tip toes, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She’d intended for it to be a quick peck but lingered a second or two longer. When she drew back and stood normally again, it was clear she had his complete attention. “Thank you for not leaving.”
“Thank you for not really wanting me to.” He looked into her eyes as though looking for the answer to an unspoken question. He must have found it because he cupped the back of her head with one hand and leaned in to capture her lips with his.
This kiss was different from the hesitant one in Colorado. For Cora, it was full of reminders of what they were together, and of where they could be again. Her heart soared as he thoroughly erased every doubt from her mind.
When he broke their kiss, Cora opened her eyes slowly to find him smiling into her face.
“You are more beautiful now than the day I met you.”
His sweet words had her feeling as though she were floating on a cloud.
He played with a section of her hair with his thumb and finger. “I was an idiot, you know.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I let you go in the first place.”
Cora shook her head. “We were both idiots.”
He cradled her face in both of his hands. “I’m so in love with you, Cora.”
Her heart felt as though it might burst. “I love you, too.”
He kissed her again, and Cora held onto the sleeve of his shirt as he put an arm around her waist to steady her.
A few moments later, he pulled back, a serious look on his face. “I do have one new regret, though.”
Her stomach clenched. Was he already second-guessing this change in their relationship? She prayed that wasn’t true, because after being reminded how amazing it was to be in his life, she wasn’t about to give that up again without a fight. “Oh? What’s that?” She took in a deep breath and held it.
“I regret that I didn’t swing by the store and get us a pumpkin pie for dessert.” His face was still serious except for that twinkle in his eyes.
She smacked him in the chest. “Not funny, Grey.”
“Too soon?”
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled and happily surrendered to another breathtaking kiss.