Home for the Holidays
Chapter 9

Dominick

“It’ll be okay. Trust me.”

Taking Ally by the elbow, I lead her out of the entryway. I’m only a little bit sorry to put Ally on the spot. Ok, I could have texted Mom I suppose, but then she would have called me. Hoping Ally doesn’t stay angry, I lead her to the living room to find the rest of my family sitting around the coffee table.

“Uncle Dom!”

My youngest niece abandons the game to run and jump up at me. Catching her, I lift Amber up and hug her while accepting a wet kiss on the cheek. She pulls back to exclaim, “I’ve been waiting all day.”

“Sorry to make you wait, munchkin.”

“And who is this?”

I face my dad, who has risen and is approaching with a welcoming smile. I shift Amber to one side to free a hand and gesture to Ally, “Dad, this is my new neighbor Alison. She was kind enough to invite to her family’s Thanksgiving yesterday, so I returned the favor today.”

“Alison, it is good of you to join us.”

Ally is all smiles as she takes my father’s outstretched hand and shakes it, “Thank you. Please, call my Ally.”

“I understand we have another guest today?”

Figures my mother would come to check out the new person. I set Amber back on the floor and take Ally’s hand as we turn together to face my mother. My sister stands behind her, her eyes twinkling with humor. She would find this all funny. Pasting a smile on my face, I say, “Mom, this is my new neighbor, Alison, or Ally, for short.”

Deciding to finish the introductions, I go around the room, “Alison, this is my mother, Julie, my father, Arthur, my brother-in-law, Bill.” I put my hand on top of my youngest niece’s head, “This munchkin is Amber, and her slightly older partner-in-crime is Rosie.”

My mother takes over, “Well, Ally, thank you for joining us. Dominick, I’d like a word, please.”

Damn it.

I ignore the knowing look in Ally’s eyes as I nod and follow my mother out of the room. She continues through the dining room and into the kitchen. The scents of roasting turkey, dressing and fresh bread fill the room. We are well out of earshot of the others before she turns on me, “Dominick Brian Butler, don’t tell me you didn’t invite this woman to avoid talking about Jamie.”

I really hate it when she uses my full name. It always tells me how much trouble I’m in.

Trying to placate her, I lie, “No, not really.”

“Not really?”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair, “Look, Mom. I found her on the stairs crying the other day. She had discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her.”

Mom’s expression changes to one full of sympathy, “Poor thing.”

“We had dinner the next day. She invited me to her family yesterday because she didn’t want to go alone. I thought it was only fair to return the favor today.”

Mom’s eyes narrow on me, “To avoid talking about a breakup?”

Damn, my mother lets nothing get by her.

“I think it was more about not wanting to be the only adult without a partner.”

She releases a noise between a sniff and a snort. Her hands go on her hips, “So what happened with Jamie?”

“She broke it off, Mom. It’s done.”

“And you didn’t tell me why?”

Time for honesty because I’m tired of the inquisition, “Because I didn’t want to talk about it. I was too busy finding a new place to live because I only had a few days to get out of Jamie’s apartment.”

“Okay.”

Surprised that my mother quit just like that, I open my mouth only to close it again. She pulls me in for a hug then releases me. Stepping back, she asks, “What about Ally? I saw you took her hand.”

My turn to sigh. I run a hand over my hair again and reply, “I like her a lot. She is skittish though, considering…”

“She just broke up with her cheating boyfriend,” my mother supplies.

“Yes.”

“You just got out of a relationship, too.”

“Mom, it was over a long time before Jamie asked me to leave.”

She studies me before nodding, “I suppose. I noticed she was standoffish the last time we saw her.”

That’s news to me. I didn’t notice a thing.

Clapping her hands together, Mom turns away, “Okay, I better finish getting our meal on the table. You go back out to your friend. Tell Stephanie to get back in here and help me.”

Wow. Did not expect that. Mom rarely gives up on something that quick. Still a little befuddled, I reply, “Yes, ma’am.”

My mother turns back to arch an eyebrow at me. I smile at her and leave the room. She always hates it when I call her ma’am.

Returning to the living room, I find Ally sitting on the couch with Amber, a book between them. Stephanie walks past me without me having to tell her. The others sit on the floor, waiting for me. Rosie pats the spot next to her, “Come on, Uncle Dom. You take Amber’s spot.”

I sit down as directed and look up to find Ally staring at me. She gifts me with a warm smile, and I feel my heart rate pick up. After smiling back, I turn my attention to the game as Rosie tugs on my sleeve. I pick a card, single blue. I get to take the Gumdrop Pass. Here we go.

Alison

I watch Dom playing that silly game with his niece and my heart swells. It’s almost too good to be true. A nice guy that enjoys playing with children, handsome without being conceited. I keep going over the list of pros. He has a good job. We seem to have a lot in common. Also, I really like kissing him.

The only cons so far, maybe an occasional idiot, but aren’t we all? But the worst con is that it’s only been two days since I broke up with Ian. I shouldn’t rush into this, though God knows I’m tempted to.

I force my attention back to the book Amber is reading to me. Dragons Love Tacos, what a title. But then again, who doesn’t love tacos? Appropriate for Amber’s age though, assuming I’m guessing her age correctly.

A cheer from the table draws my attention as Dominick slaps a hand against his head and falls backward, going, “No!”

Rosie, I think her name was, continues cheering while slamming her piece on top of King Candy. “I win, Uncle Dom!”

He sits back up while exclaiming, “I think you stacked the deck while I was out of the room.”

His father and brother-in-law laugh while Rosie jumps on her uncle, “Nope, I’m just lucky!”

My heart melts a little more as he hugs his niece while replying, “I guess so.”

Amber pulls away from me to get off the couch and jumps on her uncle and Rosie. I watch Dom’s dad push himself up off the floor. He groans as he sits next to me and says, “I’m too old to sit on the floor like that for long.”

As he smiles at me, I notice all the features Dom inherited from him. Especially the eyes, blue as the sky on a clear day. I smile back, “Yet, you were.”

“Guess we all do stupid things at one point or another.”

I’m not entirely sure where he is going with that comment, so choose not to reply. He leans back with a sigh and whispers, “So, just friendly neighbors?”

Smooth, very smooth. I whisper back, “So far.”

“So far… That sounds promising. How long is so far going to last?”

“Probably not as long as it should.”

That slipped out of my mouth without me really thinking about it. But isn’t it the truth? Arthur’s chest moves with silent laughter. His eyes twinkle with mischief as he turns to me and asks, “He didn’t invite you in an attempt to avoid a conversation with his mother about splitting up with Jamie?”

“No comment.”

The laughter escapes him this time as he chuckles, then gestures to his son and continues in a quiet tone, “Dom should have ended it with Jamie a long time ago. I know my son. He was never going to marry her.”

Curious now, I turn toward him, “Why?”

He nods toward Dom as his nieces continue to crawl all over him, “She was nice enough, but she didn’t want children. Dom told me about it on the side. Look at him with those girls. Think he would go through life without them?”

I twist and watch the happiness on Dom’s face as he plays with his nieces. No, I have to agree, someone who enjoys kids that much would never want to go through life without them.

Dom spots us and stops playing to ask, “What are you two talking about up there?”

“You, of course. I was warning her you like to pick your teeth at the table.”

I cover my mouth as a snort of laughter escapes me. Arthur is quick. I’ll give him that. Dom rolls his eyes at his father, then looks at me, “Don’t believe half of what he says.”

“The question is, which half shouldn’t I believe?”

His eyes twinkle with merriment as he retorts, “Only the bad half.”

We all look up as Dom’s sister enters the room and announces, “Dinner is ready. Everyone to the table.” Her gaze moves over her daughters, “After you wash your hands.”

They moan and groan as she directs them out of the room. Dom rises and moves beside the couch. He holds his hand out to me, and I smile as I take it and rise. His gaze moves over his father, “Do you need a hand up too?”

“No, smarty pants, I can still rise on my own. Thank you.”

Arthur rises and slaps his son on the shoulder, “Be good to this one. I like her.”

I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment as Dom looks at me with a smile and replies, “I plan on it.”

As Arthur and Bill leave the room, I whisper to Dom, “Do parents ever stop embarrassing us?”

“No, I think it’s a lifelong commitment.”

“If I ever have kids, I swear I won’t do that to them.”

Dom laughs as he leads me out of the room, “Of course, you will. It’s the only revenge you can get for all the misery they put you through.”

“To torture my own kids?”

“Absolutely.”

I shake my head as he leads me into the dining room. The atmosphere is very different from my mother’s house. Classical music plays quietly in the background. On the table, a normal amount of food for Thanksgiving. It’s very assuring to know you don’t have to worry that the sheer amount of food might break the legs off.

It all smells wonderful. My gaze drifts over roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, fresh dinner rolls, green bean casserole, a fruit salad, cranberries, and sweet potatoes. A respectable amount of food, given the number of people at the table. I mean, there will still be leftovers, but not enough to feed the entire neighborhood like my mother usually has.

I follow Dominick until he pauses and pulls out a chair for me. I smile up at him as I take a seat and he pushes the chair in behind me. He sits beside me and smiles at me. Damn my racing heart. I find I want this thing starting between us more and more. I’m almost sad there is no mistletoe around to hold over his head.

“I want to sit by Ally!”

My attention moves to Amber as she races around the table and climbs up into the seat next to mine. She beams at me until her mother calls across to her, “On your butt, young lady.”

I hadn’t even noticed she was sitting on her feet. Amber reseats herself while making a face. It takes everything I have not to laugh. My attention snaps to Dom when he lightly taps my thigh. I receive a wink, and we all turn our attention to Dom’s mother as Julie clears her throat, then holds out her hands.

Ok, this is new to me. I accept Dom’s hand and take Amber’s with the other. Once everyone is holding hands, Julie closes her eyes and says, “Dear lord, we thank you for this wonderful meal and all of those who have joined us. We thank you for our blessings this last year and pray for those who are less fortunate. Thank you.”

Amber pulls her hand away from me and sits up in her chair. Beside me, Dom is slow to release my hand, the tips of his fingers gliding along my palm. Fighting not to react, I reach for my cloth napkin and set it over my lap.

The next several minutes are busy with dishes being passed around and trying to take a bit of everything without ending up with so much food that I wouldn’t be able to finish it. It’s almost harder than being at my mother’s dinner, as there are fewer options. I take a bit more of the turkey than I normally would, along with the stuffing.

“Making up for yesterday?”

I smile at Dom and notice his plate is holding a healthy amount of food. I arch an eyebrow at him, “You’ve assured me I won’t be eating all day, so yes, I feel safe taking a little more.”

“What’s going on?”

Dom turns to his sister and laughs, “Let’s just say if you ever get invited to Ally’s mother’s house for Thanksgiving, eat nothing the day before and wear something with an elastic waistband.”

I feel the need to defend my mother, “My mother always over cooks and tries to stuff the men like turkeys.” I give Dom a sideways glance, “She takes plates over to the more elderly neighbors as well. She feeds about half the neighborhood.”

“I didn’t know that.”

I smile at Dom, “She lives to feed people.”

He nods, “I can see that. She is an excellent cook.”

“I think it’s lovely she helps her neighbors,” Dom’s mother says. “So, Ally, what do you do for a living?”

Oh boy…here we go.

“I’m a staff accountant at Irving’s and Todd.” Beside me, I watch Amber struggling to butter her bun. “Need some help, honey?”

She shakes her head and I turn my attention back to Julie as she asks her next question, “You mentioned your parents, any brothers and sisters?”

“Mom, do you need to interrogate her?”

“Dominick, I’m not interrogating her, I’m just trying to get to know her and make polite conversation. Something you should try.”

A little voice whispers, “Oops.”

I feel something hitting my lap before I look down to find Amber’s bun on my lap.

“Amber!” her mother cries out.

As I pick up the bun, Dom whispers to me in a laughing tone, “At least it wasn’t cranberries.”

I set the bun back on Amber’s plate while replying, “Why do you think women put napkins across their lap?”

“To save themselves from having a lap full of cranberries?”

Laughter bursts out of me.

Stephanie says, “Sorry about that, Ally. But what’s with the cranberry comments?”

As Dominick laughs beside me, I tell them the tale, “My aunt Sophie is a little…shall we say…clumsy. She dropped the cranberry sauce onto Dom’s lap yesterday.”

“Oh dear,” Julie says while the rest of the table bursts into laughter.

“He ended up wearing a pair of my mother’s yoga pants for a couple of hours while she washed his pants for him.”

“Leopard print ones at that,” Dom adds, “It was that or pink.”

“Fuchsia,” I correct him.

“God, I would have paid to see that,” Stephanie says while wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes.

Dom lifts an eyebrow, “If I am invited back next year, I’m bringing a change of clothes with me just in case.”

“With elastic waistbands?”

He gives me the evil eye, “Definitely. You should have warned me before we left.”

“I was afraid you would bail on me, and I didn’t want to listen to those fart jokes.”

The table erupts into more laughter. Julie shakes her head at me, “Sounds like you have an interesting family.”

“My mother invites all of my relatives, including my older uncles who have reverted mentally to a seven-year-old’s mindset.”

“It’s her brother-in-law, Andy, that you have to watch out for.”

Laughter bursts out of me and I smack Dom on the arm.

“Why?” Bill questions with a raised eyebrow.

“He knows how to hide bodies,” Dom replies with a straight face.

“He is a forensics specialist,” I supply at the looks of horror on everyone’s faces. “It’s a running joke in my family.” Going back to Julie’s original question, I add, “I have my sister and brother, who are both married, one nephew and two nieces.”

“All joking aside, I had a great time yesterday,” Dominick says, while taking my hand.

Warmth spreads through me. Dom squeezes my hand and smiles at me, leaving me wishing we were alone.

“I see,” Julie says as she lifts her fork and begins her meal. Beside her, Arthur winks at me.

I smile back at him. Dom releases my hand so I can pick up my fork and eat. I answer questions when asked. I ask a few of my own and learn a few things about Dominick’s family. Old stories told, most meant to embarrass Dom. As we finish dinner, I find that I like Dom’s family a lot.

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