𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬.

Chapter forty two.

Tessa

Thanksgiving Day

Ciara and my mother quickly moved about the kitchen. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them talk and laugh. I also couldn't help the small amount of guilt I had for insisting my mother not talk to me about Ciara or any of the Scotts. She eventually stopped spending time with Ciara and that broke my heart. They had been the best of friends and the reason I met Hardin at such an early age. Our families had traveled together. Vacations, Sea World, Six Flags, and Hardin and I were always joined at the hip. Then one day...we fell in love.

Ciara placed a dish of stuffing on the island and stopped to look at me.

"Tessa, are you feeling okay?"

My eyes lifted from the yummy cornbread stuffing to meet hers. "Yes! Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, then tilted her head. "You seem flushed."

Lifting my hands to my cheeks, I smiled. "I feel fine. Just thinking of how we used to spend our family vacations together."

Ciara smiled. "That was fun. But still, you seem a bit off. You're sure you're okay? All that cooking last night got to you, didn't it?"

"No! I loved it!" I answered as Chloe climbed up on the stool next to me.

"Tessa spent the night in the guest room," Chloe busted out as my mother and Ciara looked at Chloe, then me. Little stinker ratted me out.

I had told Hardin I didn't think I should stay, but he wanted to celebrate the baby and since I had the cooking party with his family yesterday afternoon, Hardin said he needed to be with me. Who was I to say no?

"Is that so?" my mother asked with a huge smile.

"Yep. Aunt Meli stayed too."

I grinned. Ha! Take that! Hardin only had to pay her two hundred dollars for that little favor.

"Yep, but poor Tessa was throwing up this morning before Daddy took her back home. Daddy had to pull over, and she got sick again. Ain't that right, Tessa?"

"Isn't that right. Ain't isn't a word, Chloe Cat," I said, attempting to keep my voice still and unaffected.

She snapped her fingers and peered up. "Darn it. Why don't I ever remember that?"

A quick survey of the area, and I saw Emmeline. I went to call for her when my mother said, "Not feeling good, huh?"

Don't. Look. In. Her. Face.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was something I ate last night."

Ciara leaned over and said, "Chloe, sweetheart, will you go find Uncle Ace? I need him to do me a favor. He's around here somewhere."

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Okay, Grammy! I'll go find him."

Watching her run off, I slid off the stool. A voice stopped me.

"Stay, Theresa Lynn Young."

Shit.

I took in a deep breath and blew it. Act normal. Just be yourself, I chanted to myself.