“I’m happy to see you, too, but I hear there’s a surprise of some kind. Such a pretty girl; such a good girl. You have to stay here. I’ll see you later. Stay.”
Kaylee ran back to Landry. “Okay, let’s do this. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
“There could be food involved in this surprise,” he said.
“I hope so.”
She told him about her day of delivering food boxes with Mel as he drove right through Virgin River. “We’re not going to Jack’s?” she asked.
“Not this time,” he said. “Haven’t you had enough of Jack’s after the last two days?”
“Probably, but did I mention I’m starving?”
“A time or ten,” he said, laughing at her.
Just a few minutes later they pulled up to the Templetons’ house.
“What the heck, are the Templetons back in town?”
He parked his truck right in the driveway. “Why don’t we have a look?” he said. “This is your surprise. Go ring the bell. I’m right behind you.”
“You’re so cute,” she said. “What a nice surprise. They must be here for Thanksgiving and you set this up.”
She ran up the stone walk to the front door and rang the bell, but it wasn’t a Templeton who answered. It was Janette. “Well, hello, cookie,” she said. Right behind her was Korby. “Hey, girlfriend.” And crowding in were Michelle, then Terri and Maggie. And then there was a group hug and of course, tears.
“Oh my God, my God, my God, what are you doing here? You’re here, you’re here,” Kaylee exclaimed. She couldn’t stop crying.
“We’re going to have a replay of last Thanksgiving, our last one all together and one of the best ever!” Janette said.
“But how did you get this house?” she asked.
“I got a call from Bonnie Templeton and she said it was all arranged. There’s not quite enough room at your place, so we needed something larger. This place is great! I may never leave.”
“But your families?” Kaylee asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
“Everyone is taken care of,” Janette said. “It was a little last-minute, but sometimes the girl squad has to step in and make it happen. Now, don’t you be expecting a reunion every year, but this was a good idea.”
“I’m blown away,” Kaylee said. “Wait! Where’s Landry?” She pulled out of her girlfriends’ arms and saw his back as he was leaving.
“Hey, you!” Janette called. “Where do you think you’re going?”
He turned and waved. “You girls have a good party. I’ll get Kaylee’s bag.”
“I have a bag?” she said to Janette.
“I asked him to throw a few overnight things together for you. Anything he missed I’m sure one of us has. But don’t you let him get away. He doesn’t have to sleep over but he stocked the place with food for us and he’s very cute so he stays to eat. And I won’t hear any argument.”
“You won’t hear one from me,” Kaylee said.
When Landry handed over her small duffel, she said, “You have to stay. At least through dinner.”
“And come back for the feast tomorrow,” Michelle said. “You can be our mascot.”
“I should probably be your chaperone,” he said.
And there was a loud pop as the champagne was opened in the kitchen. Six women shouted, “Woo!”
* * *
Landry flipped burgers on the grill for the sisterhood, who put together the side dishes. It was cold and dark outside and he stood alone, but the women were not far away and he thrilled in hearing the talk and the laughter. They got a fire going in the big stone fireplace right away and lit candles all around the great room. “Be careful of those,” he heard Kaylee say. “This place already burned down once.” He chuckled and shook his head. She was pretty bossy. He loved it.
Janette had contacted him. She’d had a call from Howard Sloan, Kaylee’s father. He wondered what it would take to bring all of Meredith’s friends together for Thanksgiving for Kaylee. Janette then called Landry and the Templetons and of course she called the tribe together. Only Korby had kids around for Thanksgiving and her husband happily agreed to take them to his parents’ house for the holiday. Janette’s kids were married and spent their holiday with in-laws, so it all fell together. She had explained the plans a half-dozen times as he scribbled notes because there was no way he’d remember everything.