Page 31 of The Pilot

She was, more than she knew.

Linc took a deep breath, then took her hand in his. He saw the beer bottle on the ground and bent to pick it up. “Nothing I hate more than wasting good beer,” he said, trying to inject some humor into this situation.

“I knew you and my dad had something in common,” Harper quipped. “He’s always loved his craft beer. And claims Maine beer is better than anywhere else in the world.”

“Has he been anywhere else in the world and had their beer?” Linc asked.

“Of course not,” Harper joked.

Linc made a mental note to maybe order some German beer, from Germany, and sit down with Victor to sample it. Neither of them would probably have much to say, but that was all right.

They walked back toward the house hand in hand, and with each step, Linc felt more like himself. But something had to give. He’d never wanted to take pills to help him sleep, but he was getting to the point where that might be necessary. It would be better than zoning out at the wrong time and place.

Dropping Harper’s hand at the front door, he gave her a small smile, and she returned it before pushing past him and opening the door.

“Found him!” she called out. “Let’s eat!”

Linc got a few hard and probing looks from his brothers, but thankfully they didn’t push for answers as to where he’d been and what he was doing.

Zach had outdone himself as far as Linc was concerned. He’d not only made traditional dishes, like turkey, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes, but he’d also incorporated the best of Maine into their Thanksgiving as well. The broiled lobster tails with scallop stuffing were to die for. And the lobster cornbread stuffing was a hundred times better than anything Linc had ever tasted.

Victor had shocked the hell out of all of them by saying with a frown, “I’m allergic to lobster,” when Zach described the dishes before putting them on the table. Everyone froze in surprise and a bit of horror . . . until Victor smiled slightly. It was rusty, and almost a little creepy looking, because he did it so infrequently.

“Just kidding,” he added.

The fact that Victor Rogers had made a joke was a Thanksgiving miracle. Everyone had laughed until their bellies hurt, then Zach continued to load up the table with the rest of the food he’d prepared.

There was also the usual mashed potatoes with gravy, and the rest of the rolls their mom made were gone within seconds. By the time dessert rolled around, everyone was completely stuffed. But not too full to indulge in pumpkin pie and the not-as-traditional chocolate pie.

The table was full of laughter, and even though Victor didn’t exactly join in the conversation, he was listening intently. Linc even caught him smiling a time or two.

When they were kids, the time after eating was spent outside playing with his brothers as their parents cleaned up and sat down to take a break. This year, everyone piled into the living area together after working as a team to put everything away.

But not before Evelyn had convinced Kash to put his hand on a white napkin while she traced the outline with a Sharpie, just as she declared she would. The kid looked pleased as punch to be the first in what would hopefully be a long tradition of handprints on cloth.

Afterward, his mom settled into her usual chair with a blanket over her lap.

Britt was sitting on Chad’s lap, Marit was snuggled up next to Zach, snoring. Victor had left after dinner, but not before graciously thanking Evelyn for inviting him, and Zach for making all the food. He’d even hugged Kash, though he’d merely nodded at his daughter before leaving.

There was a football game on the TV that Knox was absorbed in, while Kash was curled up at the end of the sofa with a book, oblivious to everyone around him.

Linc was sitting next to Harper on the couch, simply enjoying being with his family. The conversation flowed easily, and he felt almost as if he were floating. His belly was full, Harper’s body heat was warming his side, even though they were both careful not to let on that their relationship was ever so slowly shifting from simple roommates to . . . more?

Linc wasn’t sure where they stood, not really. But he wasn’t in a mood to rush anything either. Didn’t want to hurry things along, only to find out they might be compatible physically, but relationship-wise . . . not so much.

That was a potential issue more on Linc’s part than hers. Anyone who ended up with Harper would be lucky. Would get a hardworking partner who didn’t hesitate to jump in with both feet and do what needed to be done. He’d seen it more than once in her interactions with Kash, and with the repairs around his own house. She didn’t complain about working all day, then coming home to help him scrape hideous wallpaper off the bathroom walls . . . and ceiling.

Who put wallpaper on the freaking ceiling anyway?

“Today was good,” Chad said after a moment.

“No. It was perfection,” Evelyn corrected, with a happy smile on her face. “When are we doing it again?”

Zach chuckled. “Christmas.”

“Goody. That’s not too far away!” Evelyn said, sounding like a kid.

She seemed more carefree, happier than she’d been since her sons had moved home. The pain of losing her husband was still there, Linc knew, but time had a way of dulling the loss of a loved one. As did gaining two daughters-in-law and the anticipation of grandbabies on the way.