She’d be right about very little of that—but why ruin the image?
The less she really knew about his feelings, the better. Especially his feelings about her, given the fact that every time they were together, he was unsure of them.
She had this way of looking at him that made him feel completely naked—and not in a good way. He knew that as much as he tried to, there was no hiding from Prudence Sutton. Which meant his tried-and-true keep everyone at an arm’s length approach to life was lost on her.
That comforted and terrified him at the same time.
The McGuire family had been spending summers in Nantucket for as long as Hayes could remember, though he didn’t get back nearly as often as he would’ve liked, and when he did, his stays were short. He missed it. It was calming; like if he let himself, he could imagine being ten-years-old and spending long, lazy days out in the sun, hunting for seashells or building sandcastles right there on the beach behind the family cottage.
His family didn’t come from money, but his father had learned about smart investing, and thankfully, he’d passed down what he knew to his kids. And Hayes had reaped the benefits. He was proud of his portfolio these days.
In all his life, Hayes could only remember spending Thanksgiving on the island two other times, and frankly, he was happy to have a reason to be here. The second he’d stepped off the ferry, something inside him settled, as if that wanderlust that usually drove him forward finally found a reason to park and turn off its engine.
He stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of distant voices below. The room still looked like it belonged to a kid, with its navy blue, white, and red nautical theme. Hayes didn’t even mind, though he could do with a few more inches at the end of the full-sized bed.
He stumbled downstairs and found the house full, as expected. His family was set to arrive on the first ferry that morning, and he figured they’d have Thanksgiving dinner in the works as soon as they walked through the door. How had he slept through their arrival?
Hollis, and his fiancée, Emily, sat on the couch, and at their feet, a lolling Tilly, Hollis’s black lab.
“Morning, brother.” Hollis stood, clapped a hand on Hayes’s shoulder, then gave him a shove.
Emily stood and gave him a hug.
“All right, that’s good,” Hollis said, a tease in his voice. He pulled Emily from Hayes’s embrace. “Don’t want you moving in on my girl.”
Emily rolled her eyes.
Hayes moved into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. His mother kissed his cheek and his father gave him a nod over the financial section of the newspaper.
“When does Pru get here?” his mom asked.
He leaned against the counter. “You said three for dinner, right?”
Mom scoffed. “She could’ve come earlier—we’d love to spend as much time with her as possible. We missed her this summer. And we want to celebrate with her.”
Pru had spent most of this past summer traveling, while employees ran the surf shop. Her absence had been noticed the few weeks he’d been on the island between assignments. Her boards had gotten national attention, and she’d spent the summer attending the pro competitions while he watched on TV for a glimpse of her.
Once, he’d spotted Jackson Dupree, a hard-bodied surfing phenom from Hawaii, with his arm draped around Prudence in a familiar way that suggested the two of them were a little more than friendly. Jackson stuck his tongue out for the camera, sporting the “hang loose” sign with his hand and then turned and kissed Pru, fully on the mouth. When the surfer pulled away, the stunned look on Pru’s face matched the way Hayes felt. Shocked and a little nauseous.
“This girl is the real deal,” Jackson said with a grin.
Hayes had turned the TV off, then thrown the remote, bothered, but unsure why. Pru had dated over the years, of course she had—she was the best of everything—but what he’d just seen felt like disrespect, and he wished he could be there to protect her.
Never mind that Prudence Sutton had been sticking up for herself since long before the day he met her.
“This is quite an honor,” his father said from behind the paper. “Being chosen to create the talking tree.”
Hayes pushed a hand through his messy hair. “Yeah, it is. It’s about time people started noticing how amazing she is.”
He didn’t miss the knowing look that pinballed around the room.
“What?” Hayes set his mug on the counter.
Mom heaved a bag of potatoes onto the counter. “Nothing, dear.”
“We just agree is all,” his father said. “It’s about time people started noticing how amazing she is.”
Hayes tossed his dad a quizzical look and glanced at Hollis for some help. His brother’s blank expression told him to keep looking.
“Look, just don’t make her feel weird,” Hayes said. “She already thinks you guys are crazy for coming to the island at all.”
Mom frowned. “She does?”
“Mom, you changed your entire holiday plan,” Hayes said. “I mean, how long has it been since you’ve done Thanksgiving on the island?”
“All the more reason to do it,” she said. “I had forgotten how beautiful it is here this time of year. Besides, we changed our plans for Prudence. Isn’t she worth it?”
“’Course she is,” he said. “But she doesn’t know that.”
Mom eyed him. “I gather there’s a lot Pru doesn’t know.”
He frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The door opened and Harper, the youngest McGuire sibling and only sister, stumbled in. “I forgot how cold it is here.”
And just like that, the attention shifted from Hayes to Harper. He breathed a sigh of relief and made a note to thank his sister later for her impeccable timing.
Now, to survive an entire holiday dinner with Prudence sitting beside him and this nosy family who didn’t seem as settled on their relationship status as he’d thought.
As a travel writer, Hayes had seen the world. He’d done some serious hustling for more than a decade, and a few years ago, he realized he could slow down a smidge and reap the fruits of his labor. He’d been smart about building his brand. He’d written books and magazine articles on high end travel on a shoestring budget, and with the money he earned from sponsors of his blog and YouTube channel, he’d built up a tiny empire. Multiple revenue streams plus smart investing afforded Hayes the luxury of a few weeks off.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time. After months of roaming, he needed a place to land. The cottage had always felt like home, much more so than his nearly empty apartment in Boston.
Hayes had eaten dinner in so many different cultures, he’d lost count. But nothing—nothing—compared to being with his family on a holiday. In all his time away, he’d made it a point to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas whenever he could, and he could count on one hand how many times he’d missed a holiday meal.
It didn’t matter where they were, Nan McGuire knew how to make a meal special. Today was no different.
The guest list was relatively small—Mom said she wanted time to talk with every person there, and if there were too many, there wouldn’t be time enough—so it was the immediate family plus Prudence, Emily, and Hayes’s Aunt Nellie and Uncle Arthur.