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I recognize the number on the call display.

“Mancuso. Working on Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah, I shoulda planned that better,” the agent replies. “I’m actually back in town for some follow-up interviews. Got to the B&B late last night to discover the whole place decked out in decorations for the holiday. Clearly, I haven’t been paying attention, I thought it was next week. I was hoping to talk to the mayor’s secretary, for one, but of course the damn office is closed today, as is the pharmacy, and even the bloody diner.”

“Yeah, not much is open. I’m actually surprised The Carriage House is taking guests.”

“Well, they gave me a room, but I’m the only guest, and the kitchen is closed today for a family gathering. I’ve been trying to decide whether to head back to Spokane and do some work at the office, or work from here, and try to get those interviews in tomorrow so this wasn’t a wasted trip. I was kind of hoping you might be working so we could talk through some of the loose ends I’m trying to tie off.”

“I’m off. Up at Dana’s place waiting for family to show for the ridiculously elaborate meal Dana is putting on. I don’t think it would end well for me if I bailed on her.”

Behind me the door opens and Dana sticks her head outside.

“Who is that?” she mouths.

“Hold on one sec,” I tell the agent, quickly hitting mute on my phone.

“Mancuso. He’s in town and is finding doors closed. He didn’t realize it was Thanksgiving.”

“Does he not have family?” She wants to know.

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

“Well, I’m sure he wouldn’t be here if he did. Invite him here. We’ve got plenty of food, and no one should be alone today.”

With that she returns inside and shuts the door.

“Mancuso?”

“Yeah.”

“Dana wants you to come here and join us.”

“Oh no, that’s very kind of her, but I couldn’t possibly⁠—”

“Sure you can. Dana is on a mission to take in all the strays and you now fall into that category. Look, we’ve got enough food for a football team and at the moment only five, maybe six to eat it.”

In the end it doesn’t take much to convince him, and he says he’ll drop in a bit later.

Just as I’m heading down to the barn to see if I can chop a few more logs to add to the wood stacked on the porch, I hear a vehicle come up the drive.

The van is easy to recognize with the word veterinarian and a phone number plastered on either side. I walk up as Buck Wilson gets out. The usually jovial and friendly man looks gaunt and haunted. As if he’s aged years since I saw him just a few weeks ago.

“Dana’s gonna be happy you came.”

Dana

* * *

The alarm chime, alerting me a vehicle is coming up the drive, has me rushing for the front window.

I’d expected Pops, or even Rick’s mother and her boyfriend, but I wasn’t really counting on Buck showing up. He never called or messaged me back, and he’d been dodging Pops as well this past week, so, as much as I wanted him here, I wasn’t holding my breath.

But I’m thrilled when I see his van pulling up to the house.

I rush back to the kitchen, turn down the flame under the potatoes I just put on the stove, check on the pie in the toaster oven, and then dart to the front hall to shove my feet in my Crocs and open the door.

“…not staying,” I just hear Buck say.