Wrapping Up(17)

My mother was helping me set the rolls on a tray and leaned into me. “Couldn’t you have just gone upstairs, honey?”

I let out a frustrated sigh. I knew for a fact that she and my father had reconnected on some kind of romantic level in the past few years. They were always giddy around each other, like their romance was brand new and they were discovering each other for the first time. I didn’t know what the secret to that was, and I wasn’t sure I was ever going to ask. “Spur of the moment decision, Mom.”

“Well, maybe next time you will take your eye candy husband somewhere that has a lock on the door.”

I shook my head and placed the last roll on the tray. “Maybe next time I will just bang him on the kitchen table, so nobody even has to come looking.”

“Savanna, why would you say such a thing?”

I threw my hands in the air and cocked my eyebrows up. “Seriously, I wanted a minute with my husband. Sure, it was a little inappropriate, but you have raised a child and you can imagine what having a six year old and an almost one year old can do to your sex life. We were being spontaneous. Do I need to eat my dinner in the kitchen instead of in the dining room with everyone else?”

She finally snapped out of it. “Of course not! I just didn’t like seeing you so embarrassed, that’s all.”

When I noticed Colt’s mother was listening in on my conversation, I tried to be cordial and throw her a smile, but that did make me a little uncomfortable. She came over to me and moved the hair away from my ear. “Colt’s daddy and I used to sneak around all the time. Don’t you let anyone take away those precious moments with the person you love.” My mother couldn’t hear the woman’s whispers and it irritated her knowing that whatever she said had made me have a smile on my face.

She winked as she grabbed the stack of plates to carry them into the dining room.

Miranda, her mother, Colt’s mother, and my mother were busy getting the dining room table all together for when we started bringing out the food. I heard the front door opening and peeked out into the living room to see Lucy carrying a giant tray of turkey. She carried it quickly into the kitchen followed by Conner, Ty and Colt. From the years of being a part of this family, I knew exactly what they were doing.

They were claiming their leg.

The problem was that, well on this particular turkey, as well as every other turkey, there were only two. Now, if the three knuckle heads would have just waited, they could have each had one, but no, they had to fight over these two.

I moved to the side and so did Lucy, as the guys struggled to reach and get a handle on both of the legs. When they began pushing and shoving, I backed up against the table and crossed my arms, waiting until the three of them were finished with this stupid traditional thing they obviously had to do.

”Lucy, this turkey is greasy. We can’t get a good handle on it,” Conner yelled to her.

She stood beside me with her arms crossed. “Perhaps if you would just wait and use a knife to cut it you would have better luck.”

Her suggestion made me laugh, but they each scrunched up their faces at her. At the end of the twenty second shoving match, Colt and Conner walked away with the first two legs. Ty leaned next to me looking all defeated. “You know, there is a whole turkey right here in the oven.”

He nudged me in the arm and winked. “I know.”

“Since you are in here pouting, why don’t you help me get all the food on the table.”

A loud thump came from the living room, followed by a baby crying. Ty went running in there. A few seconds later he came in the kitchen with Jax. He had little tears in his eyes. “Say, Aunt Van, I was trying to sit up like a big boy and fell backwards.”

“Aww.” I rubbed his little head and he began to smile. When I leaned in to kiss my baby nephew, he turned and buried his face into his father’s chest.

Ty started laughing. “This little guy is shy. I don’t know where he gets that from”

“Yeah, me either.”

I handed Ty a couple of pot holders and we started carrying in the dishes. When we got back to the kitchen, everyone was lending a hand to get it all out on the table. With a little help from my strong husband, the other turkey was removed from the oven and the bag was being pulled off of it. It smelled delicious and was the perfect color too. I turned to see my family looking like cartoon characters with drool running down their animated bodies.

Colt took over once he saw the delicious turkey and insisted on carrying it to the dining room. I had to physically go into the living room and turn off the television to get the other guys to pay us any mind and come to eat. I knew they could smell it. The whole house smelled of turkey, candied yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing and everything else that gave that authentic Thanksgiving smell.