Page 123 of Here & Now

Twenty-eight

Bree opened the door and greeted Marco and Tessa.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” She hugged them both as Zane came into the foyer.

“It’s about time you got here.” The men shook hands. Then Zane turned to Tessa and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re looking lovely as always.”

“Such a charmer,” she said and rolled her eyes.

“Come into the kitchen so I can introduce you to my family,” Bree said.

The foursome filed into the kitchen, which was bustling with activity. Bree’s and Zane’s moms had taken over the cooking duties, while their dads sat at the table and talked. Ivy and Jack were putting Sofie down for a nap in the bedroom they were sharing.

Zane’s parents greeted Marco first, having known him since he was a child. Marco then introduced Tessa, who waved and smiled. Finally, Bree introduced them both to her parents.

“So, you drove all the way down here from Michigan,” Marco said.

“It was fun,” Paula replied.

Sam shook his head. “It was miserable.”

They all laughed.

“How long are you here for?” Marco asked.

“We’re leaving on Sunday,” Sam said.

They’d just arrived yesterday, and Bree didn’t want to think about them leaving already.

“You should join our fishing trip tomorrow,” Marco suggested.

“What’s this about a fishing trip?” Jack said as he and Ivy entered the kitchen.

Bree quickly introduced them to Marco and Tessa, and then Marco went on to talk about fishing.

“While the men are fishing, we should go shopping,” Paula said.

“I’m in,” said Zane’s mom, Jill.

“Me too, but I’ll have to bring Sofie,” said Ivy.

“I just love having a baby around,” Jill said wistfully.

Bree averted her eyes. She and Zane had talked about having children, but they’d agreed it was too soon. There were other things they wanted to do first. “You’re welcome to join us, Tessa,” she said, changing the subject.

“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

She couldn’t believe six weeks had gone by since she’d interviewed Tess for her article on the local restaurants. Since then, Tess and Marco had started dating. They were smitten with each other, just like Bree and Zane, and the four of them often went out together.

Bree and Zane had been thrilled when both sets of parents had agreed to come to Sanibel for Thanksgiving. It was the perfect opportunity for everyone to meet and for her and Zane to share their news.

“Okay, who wants to carve the turkey?” Paula called out.

“I’ll do the honors,” Zane said and rose from the table.

Bree wondered if her dad might argue since he usually carved the turkey, but he seemed perfectly content to let Zane do it.

Zane dropped a kiss on her cheek as he went past to get to the turkey.