Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

listened. Then he laughed just a little. "Yes, ma'am." Mom talked some more. Alan frowned. "Stuffing?" he said; then he listened. "Uh— that one sounds good," he said.
    I stifled a chuckle in my coffee. Traditionally, Will and I alternated choosing the dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, but apparently Mom was shaking up the rotation.
    "I— never ate that stuff," Alan said. He listened then said, "Pie? Umm—what are the choices?"
    "Apple!" I whispered. "Caramel apple!"
    Alan stuck his tongue out at me. "I— really like pecan…" he told Mom. She spoke, and he answered, "Ooh, caramel!" She talked and his face went serious. "No, ma'am," he said. "Bea can't make it and— and there isn't anyone else." Mom talked. Alan's eyes came to me. "Yes, ma'am," he said. His eyes widened. "Yes, Mom ," he said. "Uhh… sure. Um— hello, Will." He talked a bit about climbing. Then he said "Hi!" and asked after Twiggy so I knew he was talking to Lilia. Finally, he closed the phone.
    "Lukas," he said, handing it back, "tell me your family isn't just luring me closer so they can spend a traditional Thanksgiving ripping me into little quivering—"
    "Not my family," I promised, catching his hand, phone and all. "That is not a tradition, holiday or otherwise, in my family."
    "What—" He shook his head and laughed. "Then what do you guys do for fun?"
    "We act out Norman Rockwell paintings."
    Alan snickered, but his eyes were still wide. "Lilia said I can be chief cook and bottle washer," he said. "That she wants me to come live with you guys. And— and if I'll take laundry too, I can have a whole room to use as a closet. I—" His own phone cut him off. Alan winced and answered it.
    "Hey, Bea. Yes, we're in— yes, we got— what? No. I mean, yes, but—" He rolled his eyes and offered the phone to me. "She wants to know where we are. They're here."
    "They?" I asked, but I took the phone and gave Bea the address of the town clerk and told her we were in the coffee shop across the street. Alan attacked his coffee and the cupcake.
    "Oh hey," Bea said. "Sheena had it right."
    "You know it, baby-doll, Sheena is right," said a voice. "Listen to Sheena, doll."
    "Be there in five minutes," Bea said, and hung up.
    I told Alan that. He ate faster.
    Not three minutes later, a shiny black Hummer with New York rental plates backed into a space in front of the coffee shop. I'd had an image of Bea Lacroix as an angry-faced Amazon with no-nonsense hair and bulging muscles, but "Viking goddess" seemed more appropriate when she stepped out the passenger side of the SUV. I knew it was her because she had Alan's eyes, but the resemblance ended there. With long blond hair and bright red lips and incredibly long legs, she dominated the shop as she came in the door, five foot eleven on top of stiletto heels. She wore a red halter-top dress that showed her cleavage and her curves and her legs, and I wondered if she'd mastered body slams by fighting off high school boys. Around her were the Amazons— she'd brought four large, beautiful friends. I stood up, but the goddess and her maidens overlooked me to greet Alan with hugs and coos and coddling. All I could think was how many straight guys would kill for a welcome like that. Of course, they'd have to be really brave straight guys.
    Alan's response, naturally, was different.
    "God's sake, Bea, get your boobs out of my face."
    "Get taller, little brother." Bea tugged at the collar of his black and grey striped shirt. "Is this what you're getting married in? Where's the brilliant plumage, pretty bird?"
    "It was kind of— spur of the moment." Alan flung out a hand from the ring of women, caught my hand. "Bea— this is Lukas."
    I kept his fingers in mine as I met Bea's stare. The ladies went quiet— the whole coffee shop seemed to go silent— while she stared at me. Alan slipped from the circle of Amazons to put himself half in front of me.
    "Bea, I had it all wrong. Because I'm an idiot. It's not Lukas' fault, and I'm sorry I freaked out on you, but now I'm sure— I mean, I think I'm sure, but I can't—"
    "Shh," Bea said. She grabbed his shoulder, put a hand over his eyes. Her hand covered much of his face. Alan calmed instantly, magically. The agitated energy just vanished. "Shh," Bea said again. "Now tell me."
    "I love him, Bea," Alan said, his eyes still covered. "And he loves me. Lukas doesn't lie."
    "Gotcha." She took her hand from his face, but used her grip on his shoulder to push him back into the