Let It Be Me (Triplets book 1)

Chapter 4

Ophelia placed the final plate on the table in the formal dining room when she heard Sullivan arrive. Sawyer had mentioned that he had invited Giselle as his guest for Thanksgiving dinner, so Ophelia was prepared to see him with a date.

"It looks good, Ophelia," Sawyer said as he flung an arm around her shoulders while popping a deviled egg in his mouth. They were his favorite, and they always made him an extra tray.

Reyna insisted on making the holiday meals herself, and sometimes she enlisted the aid of her children. Now that she had Ophelia, Reyna was always the sous-chef while Ophelia did all the heavy lifting.

"Thanks," Ophelia said as she tweaked the tablecloth then moved back towards the kitchen. She had noted that Sullivan had brought Giselle through the front door and not the back. She didn't know why that pleased her so much, but perhaps it was because he kept it a formal invite.

Reyna was currently sitting in the middle of the very posh living room holding court with her family. It had been a long two weeks. Pops had been filming his part as the detective, Ophelia had been booking hotels, catering, and everything else the movie would need, as well as helping Reyna with all her day-to-day needs.

Reyna's hearing problem had simply been a buildup of wax, and it had taken the doctor less than ten minutes to clear her ear. She was like a new woman, and her hearing had improved by leaps and bounds.

All the children had been in and out of the house regularly, but the family rarely sat down to a meal together, which was why it was odd that Giselle had been invited. Generally, the holidays were for family only.

"Giselle, do you cook?" Reyna asked in a friendly manner as she relaxed into the plush chair next to the fireplace. Sullivan leaned against the fireplace next to his mother while Giselle settled into the sofa next to Pops, who was working a crossword puzzle. Sawyer wandered in and sat on the arm of the chair where Shay was curled up, eyeing Giselle.

Polly had run through the house and found Ophelia in a minute, leaning against her leg as she received the attention due to her.

Ophelia took in the scene and bit back a smile. They were a hard room to win over, even though they were throwing off a friendly vibe. Her eyes met Sullivan's for a quick moment before she turned and walked back into the kitchen to wash her hands and finish up the meal.

"No, hardly ever. I barely know how to boil water," Giselle admitted.

"What's a five-letter word for sag?" Pops asked with a frown. "Reyna?"

"That's a bit rude, Pops!" Sawyer said, purposely misunderstanding him. "Momma doesn't sag!"

Ophelia smiled at Sawyer's joke. She could practically see the look on Reyna's face.

"Sullivan's pants!" Shay suggested with a smile in her voice as she made fun of his recent weight loss.

"Too many letters," Pops said in a serious voice. "Ophelia!" he called across the house.

"Droop!" she called back as she opened the oven.

"That's probably how Ophelia feels being trapped in the kitchen," Reyna insisted as she stood gracefully and joined her in the kitchen. "How does it look?" she asked, looking over Ophelia's shoulder.

"Ready to come out of the oven," Ophelia said as she reached for the potholders and pulled the very heavy and hot turkey out, and put it on the trivets on the center island.

"Come on, children, it's time to carry everything to the dining room," Reyna said as she handed Ophelia the rolls to put into the oven.

The kids all came in, and each picked up a dish to carry to the table.