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Beth’s father sighed and sratulations, you two Now, I’ve been s before we eat?"

"Phillip?" Ellie cried "Are you insane?"

"Nope I’ry"

"Just need to mash the potatoes and slice the turkey and we’re ready to eat," Sunshine said "Sa the bird?"

"I’d be honored" He headed into the kitchen, pulling Beth in with hi board in the kitchen with a knife and a pronged fork

Phillip returned to reading his book and Ellie stood in the center of the rooan placing food on the table Sa as she moved about the kitchen

"I refuse to be a party to this farce," Ellie announced

"Don’t be ridiculous," Sunshine told her sister "It’s Thanksgiving We both have a great deal to be grateful for Come sit and enjoy the bounty"

"Mother, please," Beth added, gently pleading with her mother

For his part, Saht not appreciate the suggestion

"Ellie," Phillip added forcefully "Sit down and keep your ood man"

"Ato tell my friends?"

"What friends?" Phillip asked "Far as I can see, you associate with a bunch of gossip- his book aside, he stood, hugged his daughter, and shook Sam’s hand before he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table As though paralyzed with shock, Ellie re room After several le, and joined the others

Saed to hold herself together Phillip rubbed his hands and s the turkey, I’ll say grace"

"Dad," Beth whispered, and it sounded a little like a plea

Ellie closed her eyes "Phillip, please"

Beth’s father waited until he had everyone’s attention and then instructed theh he had no idea what had concerned both of the women in the other oodto get along just fine with Beth’s father He opened one eye and snuck a look at Beth, as grinning, too

Thanksgiving had gone as well as could be expected, and Saiving dinner had turned out far better than she’d expected This was her first experience cooking a turkey, and she’d spent copious a instructions off the Internet Thankfully, it had baked to perfection and her stuffing wasn’t half bad, either This Thanksgiving was vastly different from years past It was the first time since their parents’ deaths that she had shared the holiday with family

Correction--shared the day with blood relatives In previous years, she’d spent major holidays with her artist friends andthe silence and the co roohts wandered to Peter She suspected he’d spent the day alone Perhaps one of his daughters had invited him to join her or he’d been with friends

Did Peter have friends? Her heart ached for him, for the bitterness that seemed to eat at his soul Part of her yearned to reach out to hiood, especially if he was in the sa their dinner She illing to give him a pass for the cruel words he’d said Like her, he’d been in shock at the trick played on theht of their aard dinner, all she was able to do was send hihts

Exhausted now, Sunshine headed into her bedroo with Saht, as she undressed and slipped between the covers

Sunshine saw the way Beth’s eyes had widened when Sam declared his love for her to Phillip and Ellie The look on her sister’s face had been priceless Ellie had been horror-struck, as if Beth had completely lost her mind

Phillip was Sunshine’s hero She had never fully appreciated her brother-in-law until these last few ht not wear the pants in the family, he controlled the checkbook Phillip wasn’t about to let Ellie have her hen it ca up in bed, Sunshine reached for the novel she’d been reading for the last several nights It was a whodunit and she’d gotten deeply involved in the plot No sooner had she opened the book when her phone rang

Friends had called on and off all day, but it was after eleven--too late for friends to touch base She reached for her phone and didn’t recognize the nuo to voiceo

"Hello," she greeted tentatively For no reason she could decipher, her heart raced at the speed of an Indy 500 car

Silence