Suspicious Minds (Squeaky Clean Series, Book 2) (33 page)

I didn't mention that detail to Sierra.

I saw my best friend eye the turkey again and knew I had to move to Plan B: get Sierra out of the kitchen before she called her coworkers over for a protest. A rap sounded at the door.

Perfect! "Sierra, can you answer that?"

She scowled at Chad. "Just don't let him gobble anymore while I'm gone."

"Chad, stop gobbling"

He made a turkey wattle with his hands and gobbled silently behind my friend's back.

I elbowed him as I heard Sierra welcome Parker and Charlie. I got Chad to put the turkey back in the oven for me-my injured shoulder was still in a sling from my run-in with a bullet a week and a half ago. Parker entered the kitchen and kissed my cheek. The greeting seemed like something sophisticated people did. Nothing about me remotely resembled Park Avenue. Why had I ever thought Parker and I went together as a couple?

"Hey, Parker" I soaked in the bandage still around his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Getting back up to speed"

"Good to hear" I smiled behind him at the other redhead. "Hi, Charlie"

I brought my specialty" She pushed a glass bowl into my hands.

"A tossed salad?"

"What can I say? I'm not much of a cook."

We laughed.

Riley arrived next with Amy. I wondered about their relationship. Amy wasn't the type I saw Riley with. I mean, sure, she was pretty and nice. But she wasn't supermodel pretty. Nor was she rich or particularly cultured. Just down-home kind of welcoming. Maybe I'd been too quick to judge Riley.

I glanced at the two talking. Maybe I just didn't want to see anything developing between them. Even if I'd sworn off dating, that didn't mean my feelings were nonexistent.

I'd gotten to know Amy a little better this past Sunday at church. Yes, I'd finally gone. And you know what? The service hadn't been that bad. In fact, I told Riley I'd go back this Sunday.

"You can place your `Turkey Day Item Display' on the table" I pointed to the living room, where I'd cleared out most of the furniture and pushed the couch against the wall. Then I'd connected my dinette to a card table and another folding table and placed a white sheet over all of them. That was our dinner table.

The centerpiece? Everyone's "Turkey Day Item Display." Yes, I thought of that term all by myself. The display was an item that represented what you were grateful for.

Mine? A college textbook.

I made sure the page it opened to didn't contain any crime-scene photos, though. In two weeks, I'd be taking my final exams. If things worked out the way I wanted, next year at this time, I'd get getting ready to graduate.

I couldn't wait to see what my friends had brought.

"Uh, Gabby. You might want to come in here" Chad's voice seemed abnormally loud coming from the kitchen.

"Coming" I placed the salad on the table and followed the smell of ... smoke ... into the kitchen.

"I think your turkey is on fire."

"On fire?" I glanced at the oven and saw orange flames dancing inside. "How could Dinner catch on fire? We just put him back in there!"

I opened the door, and flames shot out. Riley appeared with a fire extinguisher. Suddenly, my bird really was dead. And covered with white foam, which made Dinner look more like Dessert.

I took my "Kiss the Cook" apron off and threw my uninjured hand in the air. "I was doing so well. I don't understand."

Riley touched the bird with an oven mitt. "It looks like something was stuck to the bottom of the pan"

I straightened. "What?"

"Some type of list"

My list of reasons not to date that I'd written last night! I kept my mouth shut. "Really?"

Riley pointed to a puddle on the counter. "It looks like the pan was set on some grease. So when you put it into the hot oven ..

"It caught fire"

Sierra held up her molded tofu turkey. "Never fear"

I groaned. "Oh, but I do."

Chad picked up the phone. "I know just what to do, Gabby"

I paused, waiting to hear his brilliant plan.

"Chang? I'd like to order some takeout. Let's start with chicken chow mein..

Finally, all the guests arrived and food decorated the uneven table. One thing was for sure: no one would ever forget this menu. Tofu turkey, chicken chow mien, mashed potatoes, a tossed salad, leftover green bean casserole from Bill McCormick, and an ice-cream cake that read "Happy Birthday!" from Amy. She'd found it on sale at the grocery store.

So what if this wasn't the picture-perfect Thanksgiving I'd imagined? Today would be a success whether or not things worked in my favor. After all, I was alive, and Bob Bowling was in jail, awaiting trial for murder, attempted murder, theft, attempted arson ... the list was long.

Thank goodness all of that was behind me.

As we all dug into the food, I stared at the memorabilia on the table, anxious to see what my friends had brought.

I rose. "If I can have your attention" I tried banging on my plastic cup with a fork, but it just didn't have the right effect.

Chad snickered. "Good one, Gabby."

I ignored him and continued with the eloquent speech I'd planned. "I just want to say thank you for coming over today. Each of you is very special to me, and without you, my world would be lonely and boring."

"Uh ... I hate to say it Gabby, but without us, your world would be nonexistent," Parker said. He looked around the table. "Who here has saved Gabby's life at one time or another?"

Riley, Parker, Sierra, Chad, and Mrs. Mystery all raised their hands.

I cleared my throat, undeterred. "I just wanted to thank you all for being my friends, in the good times and bad. You all mean the world to me. It's much easier going through life knowing I have people like you to fall back on"

My cheeks flushed at the admission. "So, with all of that sappiness out of the way and without further ado, would everyone share what you brought over on this lovely Thanksgiving afternoon? And I'm warning you: if no one wants to talk, I'm going to have to begin a rousing rendition of `Turkey in the Straw.' I'm sure no one really wants to hear that"

"Poor turkey," Sierra muttered.

I ignored her and started with my textbook.

Sierra went next. She brought a newspaper article detailing her account of crab liberation. She grinned with pride when telling the story, while Parker and Charlie scowled. Her court date was in two weeks. We'd all see if she was still grinning then.

Parker said he brought Charlie. Charlie blushed, and I felt like puking over how happy they were. But it was a good kind of puking. Like a they'reso-happy-they-make-me-sick kind of puke.

Charlie brought a piece of mail with her new address. "This move here was probably the best thing I've ever done" Another smile exchanged between her and Parker.

The phone rang as we were going through the items. I snatched up the receiver, hoping someone wasn't calling about a crime scene. Not today. Today I wanted to honor my friends, the people who made my life a little less lonely and a whole lot more fun.

"Is this Gabby St. Claire?"

"Speaking." I held my breath, waiting to hear tears or mourning. Waiting to get the job request.

"This is Richard Spruce's son"

I sucked in a quick breath. "Hi"

"Thanks for the packet you sent me. I almost didn't go through it, but my wife wanted me to. I found the letters that I never opened"

I leaned on the kitchen counter, immediately setting my hand into the pool of grease left there by who knows what. "So you realize that your father actually did care about you" I grabbed a dish towel and rubbed my fingers in it.

"Thanks to you, yes"

I smiled. "You're welcome"

"I'm sorry I didn't make it to his wake."

"I'm just glad you called today."

I hung up, beaming.

Bill McCormick brought an award he'd received for his talk show.

Mrs. Mystery brought a copy of her latest book. What do you know? I did recognize her pen name.

Amy held up a dog bone. I guess she was really thankful for her new Lhasa apso.

Chad brought a Trauma Care business card that listed both of our names. I glanced at him and blushed when he smiled at me.

Riley brought a picture of the two of us together. I looked at him and blushed again.

Yes indeed, I did have a lot to be thankful for.

CHRISTY BARRITT is an author, freelance writer, and speaker who lives in Virginia. She's married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious-but only when she's not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road-trip aficionado. She's won only one contest in her lifeand her prize was kissing a pig. Needless to say, she doesn't enter contests anymore. Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like Barbara Bush.

When she's not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.

E-mail Christy at: [email protected].