Thanksgiving in Connecticut E-Book

May McGoldrick

• Herausgeber: Book Duo Creative
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 104

Beschreibung

 "IN TRUE MAY MCGOLDRICK STYLE, A TIMELY AND HEARTWARMING STORY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!"   Paige Coleman has stayed away from her beloved seaside home in the Connecticut village of Stonington ever since being mortified by the 'viral' YouTube video that captured her in the buff at the top of a whaling ship at Mystic Seaport.  Now, four years later, Paige decides that the time has come to face up to her past when her quirky, eighty-six year old grandmother throws the mother of all Thanksgivings to celebrate her recent marriage to 'younger man' Ed Fenwick. But with hometown god and former flame Stanley Fenwick, grandson of the groom, sure to be a part of every event, Paige must now protect her heart as well as retain her sanity, even as her cougar-turned-matchmaker grandmother uses every resource at her disposal to rekindle old fires of passion.  As Thanksgiving dinner looms, Paige must decide if the sacrifice of a little dignity is worth the New England home and family she has missed so much.

Leseprobe

THANKSGIVING IN CONNECTICUT

MAY MCGOLDRICK

Book Duo Creative

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Edition Note

Author’s Note

Recipe: SWEET POTATO AND APPLE CASSEROLE

Preview of MADE IN HEAVEN

Preview of TROPICAL KISS

Also by May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey & Nik James

About the Author

Thank you for choosing this book. In the event that you enjoy it, please consider sharing the good word(s) by leaving a review … and connect with the authors. Thanksgiving in Connecticut

Copyright © 2012 by Nikoo & James McGoldrick

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review or face-to-face educational use, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Book Duo Creative.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

CHAPTERONE

Connecticut

Saturday, November 17th

“Should Bob take the exit for Mystic?” Ryan asked, sending the driver a sly look. “We can drive to the Borough along the water.”

“No,” Paige croaked at her younger brother from the back seat. Her yogic breathing had quickly devolved into hyperventilation when she saw the highway sign for “Tall Ships and Mystic Seaport.” She closed her eyes to the scenic panorama of crystal-clear water and quaint cottages.

Just ten minutes past Mystic and they’d be in Stonington Borough, the homey little village situated on a narrow, mile-long peninsula jutting into Fisher’s Island Sound. From the old stone lighthouse at the Point, visitors could see Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. A couple of blocks away, the last commercial fishing fleet in the state still brought in fresh lobster, scallops, and flounder to the Town Dock.

Paige loved the Borough. She’d grown up here. But she felt a lot different about the place since “The Incident” four years ago.

“Twelve million, three hundred thousand, forty-five views.” Ryan's announcement sliced through Paige's brief moment of nostalgia.

“I may have to kill you,” she whispered.

“Seriously, Paige. That’s really impressive.” Bob was looking at her in the rearview mirror. “My producer would cheerfully sacrifice a choice part of his anatomy for that kind of coverage on YouTube.”

Bob Morse was a famous celebrity chief on the Cooking Channel. Paige Coleman was a hard-to-make-ends-meet photographer who, because of this video, had been too embarrassed to come back to the only place she considered home.

As they passed the exit for Mystic, she turned her gaze away from the view of the seaport and the masts of the tall ships down the river. But she couldn’t stop her mind from recalling that disastrous ten-year high school reunion four years ago.

Always a bit of an outsider at school, Paige didn't know what possessed her to go solo to the reunion they held at Mystic Seaport the Friday of that Thanksgiving weekend. What made things worse was drinking way too much and falling prey to a prank her classmates played on her.

Naturally, the fuzzy YouTube video showing Paige climbing butt-naked up the rigging of the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, and carrying their class banner, was a hit.

Even more horrible, ten seconds after reaching the very top, she'd suddenly remembered her fear of heights. Screaming, crying, and begging for help only made for better entertainment, of course, and the cellphone video continued to capture the pathetically frantic, comically naked creature clinging to the mast.

Four years later, she still had splinters in her thighs.

The four minute, nineteen second video had gone viral after being posted. No names, no location, no close-up of her face, nothing that categorically tied Paige to the incident, but somehow, everyone in the world seemed to know.

The greatest personal embarrassment for Paige wasn't even captured on video. After what felt like an eternity, Stanley Fenwick had left his gorgeous girlfriend on the dock, climbed the rigging, pried Paige’s fingers and legs off the mast, tucked her under one arm, and carried her sobbing and slobbering to the dock.

She was such an idiot.

Paige had given away her virginity to Stanley Fenwick the night they'd graduated from high school. She’d been totally in love with him for as many years as she cared to remember.

But what good is it having a ‘knight in shining armor’ when you can never bring yourself to look him in the face again?

“Okay, we’re almost there,” Ryan warned.

Paige realized they had already exited the highway. She glanced at the familiar stone walls lining the country road leading to the Borough.

Trying to fight the rising panic, she envisioned her grandmother’s face.

Tough, quirky, full of life and surprises, Grandma Shirley was Paige's absolute favorite person in the world. She idolized the old woman for the way she lived her life. She had no fear. Nothing embarrassed her. Clichéd or not, “Live every day to the max!” was her mantra—and be remembered for the love you have for everyone and everything.

Getting the call last month that her eighty-six-year-old grandmother was eloping to Vegas with her “younger” man, a seventy-six-year-old retired minister from Stonington, was hardly a shocker. It was right in line with Shirley’s personality. The only problem was that the groom was Edward Fenwick, Stanley’s grandfather.

Now Shirley planned to have a weeklong post-wedding celebration at Thanksgiving to celebrate the union. As the only granddaughter of the older woman, Paige was given no choice. The same way that she wasn’t given an option as to where she stayed. The whole family had to room at the house on Fenwick Point.

Minutes later, they were driving down the causeway that connected Fenwick Point to Stonington Borough. Paige picked up the camera from the seat next to her and held it against her as a shield. The old house, sitting solidly among the storm-battered oaks and maples, loomed over the sparkling waters of the Sound.

Paige suppressed a shudder. Acrophobia might be her number one fear, but right now she'd consider jumping off the Woolworth Building rather than getting out of the car.

CHAPTERTWO

Flinging her arms around Paige, Shirley held onto her granddaughter as if she hadn't seen or talked to her for a lifetime. Paige hugged her too, enjoying the embrace. This was the way it always was with them. They were the only two in their family who didn't mind showing their affection.

They didn't have to say anything. No small talk about how they looked. Or about sleeping enough. Or about what's good or bad with life. Shirley's hug made everything seem right. Of course, it was always a contest as to who would hold on longer to the other. Paige always lost.

“Okay, that's enough. I'm here too, Gram,” Ryan interrupted.

The corners of Shirley's warm blue eyes crinkled as she smiled, but as she drew back, her face took on an “I’m here for you” look.

“Get it over with now, honey, and you'll be okay.”

Puzzled, Paige stared at her for a moment. Shirley cocked an eyebrow, and the significance of the look and the whispered words hit Paige. Her gaze drifted over the shoulder of her grandmother to the person coming out the front door to join them on the gravel driveway.

Stanley.

Paige's arms turned to rubber and dropped to her sides, her heart kicking into double-time. Her face was suddenly on fire. In spite of herself, she thought of how she'd left New York with no makeup and her long brown hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. Faded skinny jeans, an old sweater, and knockoff Doc Martens. She hadn’t rehearsed what to say or how to act. She hadn’t even practiced digging a hole to bury her head in.

He was looking at her, a full-body scan, starting with her hair and then taking in the whole picture. If he broke out laughing, she might just crawl back to New York.

Paige was certain she'd clipped the wings of every one of those “crazy-in-love-with-Stanley-Fenwick” butterflies years ago. Only maimed, apparently, they were back at full strength in her gut now, and making sure she knew it too.

She smiled weakly as Shirley moved around her to greet Ryan and Bob. Thankfully, Ed Fenwick stepped in, momentarily blocking her.

“Paige. Welcome. It's so good to see you.” The retired minister gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then looked past her. “I see I’ll have to talk to you later. Right now, I have to make sure my wife doesn't run off with your handsome friend.”

And then it was just Stanley. When it came to looks, Paige could honestly think of only a few men who were touched by the hand of God. The last time she saw him four years ago, he'd been at the top of that ladder. He now shattered the ceiling. Stanley only seemed to become more handsome with age. Damn him.

He was wearing his dark hair shorter. There were just a few more lines defining his chiseled face. Dressed in jeans and a dark green sweater that matched the color of his eyes, he took a step forward to greet her. A hug? A friendly kiss? A handshake? Like a dork, she stuck out her hand about an hour before he reached her.

His large, warm hand enveloped her icy fingers, holding her captive for a few heartbeats before letting go. “Been a long time, Paige. How have you been?”

Some bullfrog seemed to be drowning out her reply, but Paige quickly realized the croaking was coming from her. She tried again. “Great. Busy. You?”

“The same.”

She searched for something to say. “Are your parents here already?”

“No, they're in Florida. Flying in Wednesday. How about yours?”

“California. They're coming on Wednesday too.”

They were both doing a great job with the small talk. She noticed that Stanley's gaze moved a couple of times to the commotion that was taking place behind her. Shirley was an entertainer by nature, and it was obvious that Bob was being made to feel right at home.

Seizing the opportunity, she turned around and Ryan pushed past her. He wasn’t standing on ceremony and gave Stanley a man-hug before exchanging friendly greetings with him.

As townies, the Colemans and the Fenwicks were never part of the summer-only crowd. Their families—and the three of them—were all socializing long before the kids hit those awkward teenage years. And long before Paige developed a secret crush on the popular captain of the rowing team. But when her feelings suddenly changed, it hit her hard. Even now, an ache of longing burned in her chest, thinking of their time together. Ice skating every winter and laughing as they huddled by the bonfires they’d build by the frozen pond. And all those golden summer evenings on the beach, sitting together after swimming, talking about everything as the sun went down. She could still recall the glint of sunlight in his gorgeous green eyes.

That crush survived a veritable parade of his girlfriends, but it wasn't until a month before their graduation that Stanley noticed her as anything other than a “buddy” he liked to hang out with. Ryan and Stanley's relationship, on the other hand, had remained unchanged. Through the Dark Ages of high school and the occasional bullying that took place there, Ryan grew up safe and free under Stanley’s ever-protective wing.

“Come on, Gram. You have Bob for the entire week,” Ryan said, walking back to the trunk of the car to get their luggage. Their guest hadn't been able to move two steps from the driver's door.

* * *

Stanley stood next to her, eyeing the television chef.

“New boyfriend?” he asked quietly.

“Not too new. But . . . yes,” Paige answered.

“I never took you for one who would give the time of day to a celebrity.” Stanley realized he was glaring.

“What? Oh, but—"

Before Paige finish though, Bob broke free of Shirley and walked over to them.