“Oh, good. I need you to go to the store for me.”
Shit. He pushed off the chair and stood, then came around to the stairs to see her standing there.
“Seriously? We already own everything the grocery store has. What could you possibly need now?”
Throwing him a look, she waved a list back and forth. “You just have no idea the things I still need. Would you mind?”
If he said yes, he knew he’d be in one for one hell of a lousy Christmas. “Sure. No problem. Just let me grab my coat and my keys.”
“Great. Thanks.”
He walked up the stairs, taking the list from her on his way. When he got to his truck, he looked at the list and mentally cursed.
Gruyère cheese? What the fuck was that?
Fresh cranberries. He was sure he’d just bought those yesterday. In fact, he was positive he had. He should go inside and double-check. He got out and went inside, and found Liz in the kitchen.
“I just bought cranberries yesterday.”
She gave him a look like he was stupid. “Yes?”
“So . . . you need more?”
“Obviously.”
“And what the hell is Gruyère cheese?”
“Just go to the deli. Melinda is working today. She’ll help you.”
“Fine.”
“Oh. And stop at the liquor store and get one more bottle of that Australian Merlot Savannah and Cole like so much.”
“We already have two bottles of that.”
Again, she shot him one of those looks. “And your point?”
Count to ten. Count to ten. “Okay. I’ll pick up another bottle.”
He needed to get out of this house and away from Liz before one of them totally lost it. And by the looks she was giving him and his blood pressure, at this point he wasn’t sure which one of them was going to explode first.
He was certain his mom didn’t go to this much trouble when she had Christmas. Or maybe she did and he just wasn’t aware of it.
He picked up his phone and dialed. His mom answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Gavin.”
“Hi, Mom. How’s it going?”
“It’s going very well. I’m making a coconut cream pie. And how’s it going over there?”
“Elizabeth is losing her ever-loving mind.”
“Really. What’s going on?”
He filled her in on Liz’s craziness over the past few days, including his current trip to the grocery store to buy some crazy cheese and the repeat trips to buy things he’d already bought.
“Be patient with her, Gavin. This is her first time having the family over and she wants everything to be perfect.”
“I don’t remember you being stressed-out about having the family all these years.”
“Well, not after doing it for thirty-some-odd years. But the first time I had Christmas for your father and his family? I broke out in hives and threw up the night before. Your poor father had to give me whiskey on Christmas Day just to calm me down.”
He couldn’t imagine his never-ruffled mother being afraid of anything. “You did not.”
“I did. I imagine what’s bothering Liz is just nervousness. She wants to satisfy everyone’s tastes, and unfortunately, that’s impossible to do. I’m going to finish up this pie and then drop by and see if there’s anything I can do to help, providing you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all, and I think you can do a lot to ease her mind. Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome.”
After he hung up, he went to the store, got the cranberries and the damned cheese he couldn’t pronounce. Then he stopped at the liquor store to buy yet another couple bottles of that wine that they’d undoubtedly have on hand until the end of time.
When he got home, Liz was bent over her laptop at the kitchen counter studying something in an online cookbook. He stored the wine and put the cheese and cranberries away. His first thought was to go hide in the basement again, but instead, he came up and kissed her on the cheek.
She lifted her face and frowned. “What’s that for?”
“For having the family over tomorrow. I know this isn’t easy for you and you’re going to a lot of trouble to do it.”
“Gavin, I love your family. They’ve been my family for even longer than you and I have been together. You know how much I’ve been wanting to do this.”
“I know. But I don’t want you to be stressed about it.”
She laughed. “Not much you can do about that. It’s a big deal to me and I want everything to be perfect.”
He was about to tell her that perfection was overrated, though she likely wouldn’t have listened to him anyway, when the doorbell rang.
Liz looked like she was about to have a panic attack. “Oh, shit. Who could possibly be here?”
“I have no idea, but relax. Whoever it is, I’ll get rid of them.”
“Thanks. I have to make this casserole.”
He went to the front door and opened it.
“Hi, sweetie.”
“Hi, Mom.” He hugged and kissed his mother, and whispered to her. “I didn’t tell Liz I called you.”