Reed and Ellen jerked apart. Her face turned a deep shade of red as Derek stopped in his tracks, staring at them.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Reed and Ellen said together.
“Hey, I’m not interrupting anything, am I? If you like, I could turn around and pretend I didn’t see a thing.”
“Do it,” Reed ordered.
“No,” Ellen said in the same moment.
Derek’s eyes sparkled with boyish delight. “You know,” he said, “I had a feeling about the two of you.” While he spoke, he was taking small steps backward until he stood pressed against the polished kitchen door. He gave his brother a thumbs-up as he nudged open the door with one foot and hurriedly backed out of the room.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Ellen wailed.
“Me? As I recall you were just as eager for this as I was.”
“It was a mistake,” she blurted out. A ridiculous, illogical mistake. He’d accused her of being a bad influence on the boys and then proceeded to kiss her senseless.
“You’re telling me.” A distinct coolness entered his eyes. “It’s probably a good thing I’m leaving.”
There was no hiding her stricken look. “Again? So soon?”
“After what’s just happened, I’d say it wasn’t soon enough.”
“But...where to this time?”
“Denver. I’ll be back before Thanksgiving.”
Mentally, Ellen calculated that he’d be away another two weeks.
When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. “It’s just as well, don’t you think?”
“LOOKS LIKE RAIN.” Pat stood in front of the window above the kitchen sink and frowned at the thick black clouds that darkened the late-afternoon sky. “Why does it have to rain?”
Ellen glanced up at him. “Are you seeking a scientific response or will a simple ‘I don’t know’ suffice?”
The kitchen door swung open and Derek sauntered in. “Has anyone seen Reed?”
Instantly, Ellen’s gaze dropped to her textbook. Reed had returned to Seattle two days earlier and so far, they’d done an admirable job of avoiding each other. Both mornings, he’d left for his office before she was up. Each evening, he’d come home, showered, changed and then gone off again. It didn’t require much detective work to figure out that he was with Danielle. Ellen had attempted—unsuccessfully—not to think of Reed at all. And especially not of him and Danielle together.
She secretly wished she’d had the nerve to arrange an opportunity to talk to Reed. So much remained unclear in her mind. Reed had kissed her and it had been wonderful, yet that was something neither seemed willing to admit. It was as if they’d tacitly agreed that the kiss had been a terrible mistake and should be forgotten. The problem was, Ellen couldn’t forget it.
“Reed hasn’t been around the house much,” Pat answered.
“I know.” Derek sounded slightly disgruntled and cast an accusing look in Ellen’s direction. “It’s almost like he doesn’t live here anymore.”
“He doesn’t. Not really.” Pat stepped away from the window and gently set his basketball on a chair. “It’s sort of like he’s a guest who stops in now and then.”
Ellen preferred not to be drawn into this conversation. She hastily closed her book and stood up to leave.
“Hey, Ellen.” Pat stopped her.
She sighed and met his questioning gaze with a nervous smile. “Yes?”
“I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Have a nice Thanksgiving.”
Relieved that the subject of Reed had been dropped, she threw him a brilliant smile. “You, too.”
“Where are you having dinner tomorrow?” Derek asked, as if the thought had unexpectedly occurred to him.
Her mother was still in Arizona, her sister had gone to visit her in-laws and Bud couldn’t get leave, so Ellen had decided to stay in Seattle. “Here.”
“In this house?” Derek’s eyes widened with concern. “But why? Shouldn’t you be with your family?”
“My family is going in different directions this year. It’s no problem. In fact, I’m looking forward to having the whole house to myself.”
“There’s no reason to spend the day alone,” Derek argued. “My parents wouldn’t mind putting out an extra plate. There’s always plenty of food.”
Her heart was touched by the sincerity of his invitation. “Thank you, but honestly, I prefer it this way.”
“It’s because of Reed, isn’t it?” Both boys studied her with inquisitive eyes.
“Nonsense.”
“But, Ellen, he isn’t going to be there.”
“Reed isn’t the reason,” she assured him. Undoubtedly, Reed would be spending the holiday with Danielle. She made an effort to ignore the flash of pain that accompanied the thought; she knew she had no right to feel hurt if Reed chose to spend Thanksgiving with his “almost” fiancée.
“You’re sure?” Derek didn’t look convinced.
“You could come and spend the day with my family,” Pat offered next.
“Will you two quit acting like it’s such a terrible tragedy? I’m going to enjoy an entire day alone. Look at these nails.” She fanned her fingers and held them up for their inspection. “For once, I’ll have an uninterrupted block of time to do all the things I’ve delayed for weeks.”
“All right, but if you change your mind, give me a call.”
“I asked her first,” Derek argued. “You’ll call me. Right?”
“Right to you both.”
* * *
THANKSGIVING MORNING, ELLEN woke to a torrential downpour. Rain pelted against the window and the day seemed destined to be a melancholy one. She lounged in her room and read, enjoying the luxury of not having to rush around, preparing breakfast for the whole household.
She wandered down to the kitchen, where she was greeted by a heavy silence. The house was definitely empty. Apparently, Reed, too, had started his day early. Ellen couldn’t decide whether she was pleased or annoyed that she had seen so little of him since his return from Denver. He’d been the one to avoid her, and she’d concluded that two could play his silly game. So she’d purposely stayed out of his
