That Thing You Do (Crystal Lake 2)

But with the storm, they had to improvise. Molly’s saving grace was that she’d gone to the grocery store before it hit and had bought all the items on the list Nathan had given her. Who was she kidding? He’d be the one cooking the turkey and pretty much everything else. He’d spent a good hour this morning clearing snow from the deck, and instead of using the gorgeous convection oven, the large bird was currently roasting on the barbecue, along with potatoes and veggies.

The meal would be bare bones, but she’d taken a peek a few minutes earlier, and it smelled heavenly.

The large fireplace in the great room off the kitchen was fired up for heat, and the table was set with candles. Mama and Petal were curled up in a bed in front of the fire, and for the moment, Molly could relax. Most of the roads in town hadn’t been plowed, and out here on the lake, they were virtually impassable unless you had alternate modes of transportation.

She smiled, thinking of Nathan. He’d been more excited than he should be at the thought of taking his machine into town and picking up Nana Malone. Her brother and his wife would ride in on their snowmobile, while Beck and Link were taking Beck’s two machines into town to get her parents. Nathan’s parents had their own machine and were expected within the hour.

It was so Michigan of them.

She grabbed the jug of water off the back deck and poured herself a glass, sidestepping the wine and beer kept out there to chill. She went back into the house and had just sat down beside the dogs when Petal’s head shot up and she began to bark and wiggle her tail excitedly. It seemed that Thanksgiving was about to start.

She heard the front door open and had just gotten to her feet when Zach walked in, hands laden with bread and Tupperware containers of sweets. Jess was right behind him, though from the looks of her, she was under the weather. In spite of the cold and fresh air, her cheeks were pale and her mouth pinched.

“Are you okay?” Molly asked, getting to her feet and taking the container in Jess’s hands.

“I made it here in one piece, so I guess I am.” She glared at her husband. “Zach seemed to find every single bump along the way, so it’s a miracle I didn’t end up in a snowbank somewhere.”

Her brother kissed his wife as he passed by and set down two large breadsticks. “Don’t be a wuss, Jess. You like it when I go fast.”

Her sister-in-law didn’t get a chance to answer, because the rest of the crew arrived, and suddenly, there were Malones everywhere. Molly’s eyes found Nathan immediately, and that feeling she got, like a punch to the gut, hit her, and it was a feeling she didn’t think she’d ever grow tired of.

“Hey,” he said, pulling her into his arms for a quick hug and kiss. “This is going to be one for the books.” He winked, pressed one last kiss to her cheek and then went to grab drinks for everyone.

Nathan’s parents walked in about five minutes later, and within minutes, the house was filled with voices, every single one of them near and dear to Molly’s heart. For one crazy second, her heart sped up, and she had to step back, afraid that if she blinked, all this would go away. Was it possible to have more happiness than you deserved? Was there someone up there keeping score?

They got busy with the food and by candlelight enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast that would have made Martha Stewart proud. Molly watched her family laugh and tell stories and hardly said a word throughout dinner. It was more than enough to sit quietly and revel in this moment. To feel that twinge inside her get bigger, so big, it was near to bursting.

She honestly couldn’t take it anymore. Molly tossed her napkin on the table and cleared her throat. She looked at Nathan, and when his large, warm hand enveloped hers, she smiled, hoping she wouldn’t ruin the moment and trip over her words or cry.

She was about to stand and make a toast when Zach pushed his chair back and raised his bottle of beer in the air. He turned to Molly.

“A toast to my sister and the big lug beside her. Thanks for having us for dinner. This has been more fun than any Thanksgiving I can remember. Let’s hope for a blizzard every single year.”

Typical Zach speech.

But then his face changed, and he put his hand on Jess’s shoulder. “Oh, and um, yeah. We’re pregnant.”

Stunned silence greeted his words, but before anyone could say anything, Molly jumped to her feet.

“Are you kidding me right now?” The words exploded from her and everyone turned from Zach to Molly.

“Why would I kid about something like that?” Zach looked at Molly as if she were crazy, which she just might be.

“Unbelievable.” Molly looked at Nathan. “He does this all the time.”

Nate, the rat, held up his hands. “This is between you and your brother.”

“I’ll remember that later tonight when your feet cross over to my side of the bed.”

“Come on, guys. Too much information.” Zach chuckled. “What’s gotten into you, Moll?”

“This is my house. This was my moment, and you just railroaded right over it.”

“You gotta give us more than that,” Zach said, scratching his head and looking as confused as everyone else at the table.

“I’m pregnant.” She all but shouted.

“You’re both having babies?” Millie Malone was breathless as she turned to her husband. “Did you hear that? We’re going to be grandparents. Twice!”