A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods Page B

dismissively.
    “Obviously it does. Connor, please reconsider and come home today,” she said hurriedly, sensing he was about to hang up. “It’s not too late for all of us to be together. It’s one day. Can’t you do that much? We don’t have to talk about our relationship or the wedding. Families should be together on Thanksgiving. We can deal with all the rest another time.”
    For the space of a heartbeat, she took hope from his silence. Unfortunately, it didn’t last.
    “No. I don’t want to be where I’m not welcome,” he said.
    Though he sounded like a stubborn kid, Megan heard the hurt just below the surface. He’d always been like that, covering his deepest feelings so no one could detect his vulnerabilities. For many years he’d covered with wit and laughter. Now he relied on belligerence.
    “Connor, before I let you go, I want to make one thing absolutely clear,” she said, hoping she could get through to him. “No matter how angry your father was, no matter what he said, he loves you with his whole heart. So do I. And as long as either of us is around, this will be your home and you will be welcome here.”
    She could tell he was taking in her words, probably deciding whether he could trust them. She kept talking.
    “Families fight,” she said. “People say things in the heat of the moment. You must know that, given the number of arguments you and Kevin had growing up. But when push comes to shove, O’Briens stick together. We’re bound together by love. I know what it was like to be outside that circle. I was outside, because I chose to be, just as you’re choosing to stay away now. When the time comes and you’re ready, you will be welcomed back, just as I have been. I promise you that. Just, please, don’t stay away too long, because as time goes by, it gets harder and harder to go back.”
    She waited, desperately wanting her words to sink in, praying for a response.
    Instead, all he said was goodbye.
    “I love you, Connor,” she said, hoping he’d stayed on the line long enough to hear her, hoping he believed she meant it.
    She closed her cell phone, tucked it in her pocket, then let her tears fall.

    By the time Megan gathered her composure, a few early-bird family members had started to arrive. Nell had once again taken charge in the kitchen, ordering everyone around with the efficiency and determination of a drill sergeant.
    The kitchen table groaned under the weight of pies, bowls of homemade cranberry relish, trays of rolls ready for the oven, casseroles filled with sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows or green beans. Megan breathed in the once-familiar scents with satisfaction.
    “I’ve missed this,” she told Nell. “Nothing smells like your kitchen on Thanksgiving morning.”
    “You don’t object to me taking over?” Nell asked. “This should be your domain now.”
    “It will always be yours,” Megan contradicted. “Even if you decide to move back to your own cottage, when it comes to family occasions, I will always gladly defer to you. I never did have the knack of organizing meals for a family this size, especially on holidays. I could barely get supper on the table when it was just the kids and me.”
    Nell gave her a disbelieving look. “Don’t be downplaying your cooking skills just to placate me. You’re a fine cook.”
    “Maybe of a few basics,” Megan conceded. “But you’re the one with the real flair for entertaining so many people and making it look easy. Now, tell me what I can do to help.”
    “The twins set the table last night. I didn’t want to insult them by hovering, but I took a look after they went home,” Nell said with an amused shake of her head. “It could use a finishing touch. Would you mind?”
    “Absolutely not,” Megan said, grateful to have a task that would give her some time on her own. Her emotions were still raw after her conversation with Connor. The longer she had to pull herself together before facing Mick or