Page 112 of Smoke and Roses

The table runs the length of the dining room and halfway into the living room, with a card table on the end for the overflow. Martin is at the head and Nolene is at the foot. Caleb and his wife. Rob and Cassia, who end up sharing a chair because Cassia lost hers to Novak. Devin, arguing football with Martin.

Novak, who brought six ornamental gourds as a centerpiece and is very proud of them. Carol Hayes, in a sweater with a turkey on it, who drove up from the airport this morning after putting Danielle and the girls on a plane, and who has already told me twice that they’re coming back for Christmas.

And Hank. Hank Simmons is at the corner of the table in his suspenders, right next to Lindsey, sneaking the crispy skin off his plate onto hers every time Nolene turns her back. She’s letting him.

Lindsey looks at me down the length of the table. She’s wearing a dark red dress with her hair down, and the half of a cheap gold heart is on its chain around her neck. She mouths something at me.

I love you.

I mouth it back. She laughs into her water glass.

“Okay,” Nolene says, clapping her hands. “Before anybody eats, we go around the table. One thing you’re thankful for. Martin starts.”

“I’m thankful for gravy,” Martin says.

“Martin.”

“And my wife,” Martin says. “And gravy.”

It goes around the table. Caleb is thankful nobody died this year, which is such a Caleb answer that half the table laughs. Novak is thankful for gourds. Carol is thankful her daughter came home. She says it plainly, and then she says it again, like she’s making sure it’s still true.

Hank takes his time when it’s his turn. Then he says, “I’m thankful I don’t have to keep a secret anymore,” and pats Lindsey’s hand. Everybody at the table looks at their plates for a minute.

Then it’s Lindsey. She looks down the table at me.

“I’m thankful,” she says, “for whoever invented the alarm clock.”

Half the table looks confused. Rob snorts. Cassia elbows him.

Then it’s me. Every face at the table turns toward me, and the back of my neck goes hot. I don’t like being looked at. I never have.

So I look at Lindsey.

“I’m thankful,” I say, “that Rob called.”

Rob puts down his fork.

“He called me in Colorado,” I say. “I almost hung up on him. He said, ‘Sarge, they need a guy.’ ” Rob is looking at his plate. “I almost didn’t come.”

Lindsey is watching me down the table with her chin in her hand.

“I’m glad I came,” I say.

That’s all I’ve got. It’s more than I usually have.

Nolene dabs her eyes with her napkin and says, “Well, damn.” Martin says, “Language, Nolene,” and Nolene throws a roll at him. That’s the end of the speeches.

Halfway through dinner, the front door opens, and Nate Folsom comes in with Bruno at his heels and a bakery box from Marlene’s. He’s on shift, still in his station jacket, and Bear came in to cover for him for two hours so he could eat. He stops under Nolene’s dining room arch and looks at a table full of people like he’d rather be back on the call.

“Sorry,” he says. “Call ran long. Hell of a day.”

“Sit down, dear,” Nolene says. “We saved you a plate. There’s a chair at the end.”

Nate sits down stiff as a fence post, with the bakery box on his knees and Bruno flopped across his boots. Novak says something about the gourds, and the table laughs. Nate smiles a beat late.

Lindsey gets up and fills a plate for him, turkey and potatoes with a roll on top, and sets it in front of him. Then she slides the gravy boat over and goes right back to arguing with Devin about the Broncos.

After dinner, Martin and Caleb fall asleep in front of the football game, and Nolene runs the dishes like a general. I find Lindsey on the Strongs’ back porch with two cups of coffee, looking out over the pond. It’s cold. The clouds have come in low over the Ogden Valley, and you can smell snow in the air.