Page 62 of A Return For Ren

Reese had never wanted to be a part of the family business and for that reason, he didn’t have that close of a relationship with his parents.

He’d ended up rebelling after college and becoming a professional poker player that his mother had looked down on.

From what she’d heard, it wasn’t until recently that Reese decided to come back to Mystic and seek Poppy out again. The girl that gave him one of the best weeks of his life.

In the process of falling in love again, he’d gotten closer to his family.

It occurred to her that Reese and Ren had a lot of similarities there. Though Ren would never be able to reconcile with his father. The best he could do was form the relationship again with his mother and he was trying to do that.

She wasn’t going to get in the middle of it even though there was part of her that wanted to invite him here today. That would be wrong on her part when he had family in the area.

And since it was the first holiday since his father had passed, she imagined Tess was still grieving and would want that time alone with her son and grandson.

“You’re right,” she said. “But we’ve got a great group here.”

“We do,” Zane said. “And lots of food thanks to my wife.”

“What about us?” Rose said. “I brought snacks that you’re eating.”

“Dad brought the desserts,” Thomas said, looking at his father. Tom Klein had a reputation of being somewhat cool around people in his earlier years. She supposed she understood that being a lawyer and staying professional, but in the past year or so she’d seen another side to him that she enjoyed being around.

Maybe his semi-retired lifestyle and having his son run the business relaxed him.

“I did,” Tom said. “I ordered exactly what everyone said they wanted and slipped an extra chocolate peanut butter pie in there for Willow.”

“Yay,” Willow said, jumping up. “Daddy likes it too, but he’d rather have blueberry pie. Not me. Not apple either. I wanted chocolate and peanut butter and don’t care that it’s not a Thanksgiving flavor pie.”

“Pumpkin all the way,” Thomas said. “Really, people. Where are your holiday taste buds?”

The room soon turned to food talks when she’d heard a ringing. “It’s Grandma and Grandpa,” Willow yelled and got the laptop out of the kitchen and came running back.

“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone,” her mother said as Willow was turning in a circle so the room could see her mother.

They all said it back, Zara saying, “Are you dizzy, Mom, from Willow’s twirling?”

“I shut my eyes,” her mother said. “Sorry if I missed you all.”

“I can do it again,” Willow said.

“No,” Zane and Lily said at once. Zane reached for the laptop and set it down. “We can move in closer to talk if we need to. How’s the weather there?”

“It’s seventy,” her father said. “Retirement sure is a wonderful thing. It’s going to be hard to fly there for Christmas and the cold, but we can suck it up for the week.”

“It will be nice to see you then,” Zara said. “Are you going out to eat later?”

“We are,” her mother said. “I do enjoy not having to cook that big meal anymore.”

“I enjoy doing it,” Lily said. “I’ll continue for years and years.”

“Thank God,” Rose said. “I’m not sure I ever want to do it and can come here.”

“I’d love to do it one year,” Poppy said. “I’ve got the room. Maybe when Lily has a baby and needs a break I can have my turn.”

“I want Mom to have a baby,” Willow said. “And I like Aunt Poppy’s house too. It’shuge. And I can get lost in it if I’m not careful.”

There was some laughter there. Poppy and Reese lived at the McGill Estate. The house was stunning and out of a fairytale.

Those three girls had come a long way from almost being orphaned to owning a multi-million-dollar business that continued to keep blossoming just like its name.