“Not sure yet. We don’t always spend the holidays together. When I was in college, she went on a holiday cruise two years in a row, and after that, I started visiting friends.”
Or I stayed home by myself while assuring Gamma I had my own plans. But he didn’t tell Iris that.
“What about Thanksgiving?” she asked.
“I’ll be here. We should get everyone involved. I bet Sally knows how to cook a turkey. Even if she can’t be here, she can teach us.”
Iris smiled. “That sounds fun. I’ll ask who’s going to be around.”
“Does Mira have family in the area?” he asked.
He knew Rowan did, but they weren’t likely to head back for Thanksgiving. To his knowledge, they hadn’t contacted their relatives since moving out. Their family was looking for them, and they’d sent a number of messages demanding that Rowan return home at once. Thankfully Rowan was safe here. Henry Dale had said he didn’t have anyone, so he’d be around. Sally was the big question mark, as she was the most social of butterflies and would likely have invitations from friends and family.
Iris seemed to be considering. “Honestly, I don’t think she ever told me. I know her ex-girlfriend is here.”
“Anyway, let’s ask them about it tomorrow.”
“We can plan the menu together! And then on the big day, we’ll eat until we’re sleepy. Sports or movies?” she asked quickly.
“Movies.” A beat later, he understood what she was asking. “But I think Henry Dale will want to watch sports, so we should take turns voting on the entertainment.”
“Ooh, or we could play games.”
“Cards, board, or video?” he asked.
“Let me think about it.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Night, Eli. See you tomorrow.”
After she dashed up the stairs, Eli touched his cheek, not realizing that he was smiling until Rowan cleared their throat. “You two are adorable. I ship it.”
“You overheard?”
“Uh, you decided to be cute right outside my room. The walls aren’t soundproof.”
“Then what do you think about Thanksgiving?”
Rowan gave Eli a speaking look. “It’s a terrible holiday for reasons that I think I don’t need to articulate.”
“Absolutely true. But are you on board for lots of delicious food?”
“I love turkey. I love gravy. I love gravy on turkey. And don’t get me started on the stuffing. Mounds of mashed potatoes? Green beans, yams. Pumpkin pie? It’s all so good.” Rowan seemed to retreat into their mind for a bit, savoring some private fantasy feast.
“This is the most excited I’ve ever seen you,” Eli teased.
“Gravy,” said Rowan.
“You should come with us to Bev’s,” he suggested.
“What’s that?”
“Only Henry Dale’s favorite eatery. Iris ordered the biscuits and gravy plate when we were there, and she gave me a bite. So good. If you like gravy, you have to try it.”
Rowan briefly affected a lofty tone. “I do enjoy a fine béchamel sauce. Anyway, I’d like to go next time.”
“Movies or sports?” Eli asked.
“What?”
“Oh, Iris was asking what we should do after the big meal.”
“Ah! I don’t want to be that person, but…both. Let’s switch it up. And play games too.” They paused. “Huh. This might be the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever looked forward to. I still kind of can’t believe I’m here, you know? We’re a family, people who care about each other, but it’s low-key. Nobody’s in my business all the time, and I love that.”
“I feel the same way,” he admitted.
“Anyway, good luck with Iris. Night, Eli.”
He was headed to his own room when he remembered he hadn’t switched the kitchen light off. Henry Dale would do it, but he’d also offer a lecture about running up the electric bill. As Eli reached the first floor, a knock sounded at the front door. He went to answer, thinking Sally might have left her keys.
But no, it was Susan from next door, and she wore a particularly nasty smile. “I need to speak with the homeowner, Iris Collins,” she demanded.
He didn’t like this woman, and her tone set off all his internal alarms. “She’s in her room. What’s this about? I can pass along the message.”
“No, this news shouldn’t come through an intermediary. And I want to see her face when she finds out.” The malevolent anticipation this woman exuded truly was worrying.
Just then, Henry Dale came out of the kitchen, and he strode toward the front door like a man on a mission. He stood at Eli’s shoulder, blocking Susan’s route. “I do believe Eli has made it clear that you can leave a message. It’s nearly ten in the evening, and Iris might be asleep. I used to think Robert Frost had the wrong idea about fences making good neighbors, but you’re proving his point.”
“Fine! The rest of you jerks should know too. I’ve filed a complaint with the city. So many cars, so much noise. There’s too damn many people living in this house, and that’s a code violation.” She waved some kind of handbook. “‘No more than four unrelated persons may share a residential domicile, lest they be…’ Well, I don’t need to tell you how you’ll be punished. It’ll be more fun when you find out the hard way.” With that, Susan spun on her heels and stomped over to her house without looking back.
Even Henry Dale seemed shaken. “Are we really breaking the law?”
“I’m sure it’s not a big deal,” Eli said, trying to reassure the older man.
In truth, it might be a problem, though he had no sense whether it was major, minor, or somewhere in between.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sure enough, iris’s instincts had been dead-on.
The day started out well enough. She had a relaxing shower and a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast and she made a few necklaces. Then Eli knocked on the door. Normally, that would be an awesome excuse to chat and maybe kiss him again, but his expression gave away the fact that he wasn’t looking forward to this convo at all.
A man who looked this sad shouldn’t also be that handsome. It was distracting. His dark hair tumbled in gentle waves; it had gotten longer since he’d moved in. His jaw was darkly stubbled, and his light-brown eyes were somber. Even in navy sweats and a purple hoodie with his lips downturned, she still felt like biting him. Just a little.
But her initial happiness at seeing him faded when he said, “We need to talk.”
Oh no. Four super scary words.
Now, she listened, horrified, as Eli summed up the complaint leveled against them by awful Susan from next door. She started searching right away and saw with alarm and bafflement that they did, indeed, exceed the “four unrelated persons” rule for a single-family dwelling, and when she dug deeper, it seemed like they didn’t precisely qualify for a rooming house license, which was a building big enough to rent to more than five people.
That’s us, right there in the cracks. Maybe they could still get a license despite not quite meeting the size requirement? Presuming the house would pass all the inspections. I doubt it would now, but maybe… Panic blanked her mind, and she tried to breathe. Eli took her hand, a quietly calming influence.