Tingles danced down Diana’s spine when she and Luke reached the kitchen sink at the same time and Luke covered her hands with his and lathered them. “Do you realize that it’s only five days until we head for Lawton?” he asked.

She’d known the time was coming, but where had the weeks gone? Nothing would ever be the same again. Carmen was single as of the day before. Joanie was moving. Tootsie seemed to be accepting the fact that Smokey was truly gone. And she was in a relationship.

“We’ve got a lot to do before we leave, but today we’re having Thanksgiving and your birthday. Diana is in charge of making a butter rum cake to celebrate both.” Tootsie picked up the pitcher of orange juice and carried it to the table.

“Yes, I am, but if you’d rather have some other kind, I can make it instead, or I can make both.” Diana rinsed her hands.

Luke handed her the other end of the towel he was using to dry his hands. “Butter rum is my very favorite.”

She pulled the towel from his hands. “That’s great. It’s my specialty. You never mentioned liking it.”

“You never said that you made it.” He leaned in and whispered softly, “I like all of your specialties.”

Diana’s blush was so hot that she covered her face with the towel. He tugged it away and handed her a cold cloth. “It’s the truth.”

“Y’all stop flirtin’ out there and come say grace so we can eat,” Tootsie called out.

Diana felt another wave of heat moving up her chest to her cheeks. Luke followed her into the dining room and took his place at the head of the table. He bowed his head, gave a short prayer of thanks, and said, “Before we begin, Carmen told Sugar this morning that she was thankful for her. Let’s all do our ‘what we’re thankful for’ at breakfast instead of at the dinner. I’ll start. I’m thankful that I ever agreed to come on this trip with y’all.”

“Why?” Tootsie asked. “And you have to answer in one word.”

“Diana,” he said as he laid his hand on her knee under the table.

“Luke,” Diana said.

“Closure.” Carmen nodded.

“Life,” Joanie added.

“Kids,” Tootsie said. “Now let’s eat before my breakfast gets cold.”

“No round of questions?” Diana asked.

“Nope, we’re all just glad you two done figured out what I saw on the first day,” Tootsie answered.

Diana looked around the table at her family—not blood related but heart kin.

Thank goodness you’re not blood kin to Luke. Smokey’s voice was back in her head with a chuckle.

“Amen,” she muttered.

“What was that?” Tootsie asked.

“Just agreeing with all the thanks for today.” Diana almost blushed again.

“And now.” Joanie took two burritos off the platter and put them on her plate. “For my good news. We’ve sold the house. The buyer didn’t even haggle about the price but bought it sight unseen. I was so happy that step was done that I didn’t even think about asking what he was going to do with the place. What if we’ve said yes and he’s going to rent it out to vacationers and y’all get horrible neighbors? I’d just feel terrible if that happened.”

“We won’t.” Tootsie poured a glass of juice and passed the pitcher around the table.

“How do you know?” Joanie sighed.

“I know the buyer,” Tootsie said. “He’ll be a fine neighbor.”

“It’s me,” Luke announced. “Aunt Tootsie told me the agent’s name. I’ve been in touch with her several times, and I made the offer. You’d all have known it when we go to close the deal, anyway, so now you don’t have to worry about me being a bad neighbor.”

“Oh. My. Goodness,” Joanie gasped. “That means . . .”

“That I’ll be living on the same block with Aunt Tootsie so I can help her out when she needs it. And I’ll be close to Diana, so we can see each other whenever we want. I’ll start my new business in the garage as soon as I get it wired and set up for all my equipment.” Luke bit off a hunk of his burrito and gave Tootsie a thumbs-up sign.

“In your garage?” Diana asked out of the side of her mouth. Everyone else was talking at once, so no one heard or even noticed.

“Yep. I reckon it’s about the same size as Aunt Tootsie’s, and that’s plenty big for what I have in mind at the beginning,” he whispered. Then he said in a louder voice, “Hey, anyone want a heat-up on their coffee?”

Three hands raised.

“Hey, Diana, would you please go with Luke and bring out the dessert that I worked so hard over?” Tootsie asked.

With a nod, Diana followed him to the kitchen, and he cornered her by the refrigerator. His lips came down on hers in a scorching-hot kiss. “I’m going to love living next door to you.”

“I can be stubborn and independent,” she said.

“I already know that. Got anything else to throw at me?” He backed away and picked up the coffeepot.

“I’m sure I’ll think of something later.” She grinned as she picked up the chocolate doughnuts that Tootsie had taken straight from a bag and arranged on a lovely crystal platter.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Diana put Nala in the basket with her siblings and Dolly and hurried into Tootsie’s bedroom, where everyone else was gathered for their Sunday-night session.

Tootsie had already brought in the customary cookies and wine. “So this is the last meeting we’ll be having here. The next one will be back home in Sugar Run.” Tootsie passed the plate of Danish wedding cookies and the zinfandel around the group. “We’ve come a long way from the day y’all decided to come with me on this trip, and I don’t just mean in miles. It’s been a good journey for all of us. So now I’m calling the meeting to order. Old business?”

“The butter rum cake that we had for Luke’s birthday was amazing,” Carmen said. “Made me homesick. Diana, you always make those little miniature Bundt cakes at Christmas, and I always look forward to having a slice while Natalie opens her presents. I guess that’s old business since we ate it three days ago.”

“I finished off the last crumbs that were left just before I came in here,” Joanie admitted. “Diana, you’ve got to promise every Christmas to send me a whole Bundt cake or, better yet, to bring it when we meet for our get-togethers.”