Patricia Davids - A Family for Thanksgiving

“Nicki, did you know Clay was coming back to High Plains?”

“Nope. I was as surprised to see him as you were.” Surprised, angry, confused, attracted.

“I thought perhaps that was why you wanted me to watch Kasey today.”

“I told you I had an appointment to get my hair cut today.” Grabbing a strand, she waved it toward her mother. “See—no split ends.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you were lying.”

“Could have fooled me.” Nicki leaned forward to tug Kasey’s green knit top down over her plump little belly. As far as Nicki was concerned, it was one of her foster daughter’s cutest features. Of course, her wheat-blond hair, bright blue eyes, dimpled cheeks and pudgy fingers were all a close second.

Kasey patted her chest. “Chirt.”

Nicki beamed. “That’s right. That’s your shirt. You’re so smart.”

“Owey.” Kasey pointed to the pink scar on her forehead.

“Yes, that was your owey, but it’s all better now.” Nicki planted a kiss on the spot to prove it.

Kasey had been found the night of the tornado injured and alone. She remained the great mystery of the storm. No one knew who she was. It was as if she had literally been dropped out of the sky.

Extensive investigations by the local and state police and even the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had come up empty in the search for her family or her identity, though some imposters had claimed she was their daughter.

At first Nicki had prayed daily that Kasey would be reunited with her mother or her father. Knowing that someone, somewhere must be frantic about the child had fueled those prayers.

Lately, however, those prayers had become harder and harder to voice. Her love for her foster daughter was growing by leaps and bounds. The idea of losing her had become almost unbearable.

Glenis sat on the sofa beside Nicki. “I just thought it was odd that you should run into Clay Logan the moment he set foot in town.”

“The Lord moves in mysterious ways, Mom.”

Affronted, Glenis folded her hands in her lap. “I hardly think you need to be flippant about it. I remember how you cried yourself to sleep for weeks after that boy left.”

“It was a long time ago. We were kids. I got over it.”

“You say that, but I’m not so sure.”

“Surely you don’t think I’ve carried a torch for him all this time?”

“Well, haven’t you?”

“No. I’ve dated any number of men, a few seriously. But because I haven’t met the right man is no reason to assume I’m still pining over Clay. Besides, my friends have snapped up all the good men around here.”

The tornado might have wreaked havoc on the town, but the twister had certainly brought with it a dose of romance. Maya Logan had fallen for her boss, Greg Garrison, the most eligible bachelor in town. They had married in August. Then the two of them quickly added Tommy Jacobs, a six-year-old foster child to their family.

Reverend Michael Garrison had recently become engaged to Heather Waters, the founder of Helping Hands Christian Mission. Heather, originally from High Plains, had returned to help with the recovery efforts, and it looked like she would be staying for good.

Josie Cane, who ran the after-school day-care program at the church where Nicki taught preschool, was head over heels in love with Silas Marstow. And engaged—thanks to the matchmaking efforts of Josie’s niece and Silas’s daughter.

Even Lexi Harmon, the town’s veterinarian and her ex-husband, Colt Ridgeway, the police chief, had rekindled their marriage and were back together—where Nicki always thought they belonged.

It warmed Nicki’s heart to see so many people she cared about finding love in the face of the town’s tragedy, but sometimes she felt the green imp of jealousy sitting on her shoulder. Why hadn’t it happened for her?

And now Clay Logan had returned.

No, don’t even go there!

Nicki scolded herself for the unbidden thought. She hadn’t pined for him. She wasn’t waiting for him to show up. She was living the life God meant for her to live. That life didn’t include a cowboy with wanderlust in his veins.

“I want you to be happy,” her mother continued. “I want you to find someone you can settle down with.”

Leaning forward, Nicki ruffled the baby’s hair. “I am happy. I have someone. I have Kasey.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Nicki sat back and met her mother’s critical stare. “The settling down kind of men I’ve met want children.”

She tried hard not to sound bitter, but she couldn’t help it. “Since I can’t have children, that’s been something of a date killer when the subject comes up.”

“I’m sure there’s a man out there willing to adopt a child once you’re married.”

“I’ll keep looking for him. In the mean time, thanks again for watching Kasey. Let me buy you lunch next week as payment.”

Glenis rose and bent to place a kiss on Kasey’s head. “I don’t need payment to watch this little doll.”

Nicki smiled. “She is that.”

After gathering up her purse and slipping into her dark blue wool coat, Glenis headed to the door. Nicki followed her, leaving Kasey happily pulling a half-dozen toys from a large red plastic bin at the end of the sofa until she found her favorite stuffed animal. A small pink bear given to her in the hospital by Layla Logan.

In the entryway, Glenis paused. “Are you working at the Old Town Hall tonight?”

“Yes. What about you?”

“Not tonight, I have a meeting of the library committee.”

Giving her mother a quick hug, Nicki said, “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m doing fine. I love my job. I love the kids I work with. I have a great life.”

Glenis returned the hug. “Worrying is a mother’s job.”

“Then at least take a vacation day. I’m not throwing myself at Clay Logan’s feet simply because he’s back for a visit.”

Glenis pulled open the door letting in a gust of cold wind. “I’m sorry if I upset you by talking about him.”

“You didn’t upset me,” Nicki answered truthfully. Clay had done that without any help.

Where was he now? Had he gone out to the ranch? How long was he staying? Would she see him again?

Nicki crossed her arms against the chill as she closed the door behind her mother. All questions and no answers, that certainly summed up her relationship with Clay in the past.

Theirs had been a friendship she valued deeply. If only they had kept things friendly and not let their teenage emotions take over. What she felt back then hadn’t been love. It had been a high school crush and nothing more.

In a way, it had been good for her to see Clay again. Perhaps now she truly could get over him the way she always claimed she had.

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