He peeked out the window again. Nothing. He was worse than a kid. When he told the family he’d invited Stephanie, her dad and Macy to Thanksgiving, they’d acted excited, but none had successfully hidden the concerns in their eyes. He and Claire texted most days, so he knew she’d be fine. But Libby and Sam hadn’t been around much, and Bryan clammed up every time Tom mentioned Stephanie. How would they all react to his ex-wife and child? “There you are.” Hands in his pockets, Dad ambled toward him, then stared out the window at the vast lawn complete with pine trees and the occasional birch. A cardinal flew from one tree to the next. “Nervous?” Tom shifted to face him. “Yes.” “Don’t be.” He patted Tom’s shoulder. “We’ll make them feel welcome. What’s past is past. We can be thankful for right now. I still wish you’d have let us get Macy some gifts, though. This is my granddaughter we’re talking about.”
