Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 22/84
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Part 21
It only took Colby a couple of minutes to check out Abigail Stone. She was, simply, tall, blonde, and beautiful, as Keith had described her.
However, there was more to her than that. Her 5'7" frame was a nice contrast to Keith's 5'10." Her blonde was almost a honey color and her short cut was fun, funky, and still feminine. Of course, it was her crystal blue eyes that stood out. Not only was the color absolutely stunning, they seemed to take everything in and yet, despite their constant movement, they didn't come across as shifty or nervous. No, her eyes were warm, friendly, and intelligent.
Colby for himself immediately liking this woman.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come in, come in." Marie hustled Keith and Abigail into the kitchen. "I'm Keith's mom. I was just getting some pie for myself and Richard," she gestured to her boyfriend. "Can I get you a slice, as well?"
"Uh..." Whatever Abigail had intended to say was cut off by the growling of her stomach.
"Cherry, pecan, lemon meringue or German chocolate cake, dear?"
"Uh..." A blush spread prettily across the blonde's face and she looked around embarrassed.
"Or I could make you a sandwich?"
"No, no, whatever you're having is fine, Mrs. Granger."
"It's Marie or Mom, and it's no trouble if you want something specific."
Keith leaned over to whisper in her ear. Whatever he said seemed to ease her mind because she suddenly smiled.
"Pecan, please."
"Ooh, I'll have a piece of that too."
Keith laughed. "The bottomless pit here is my brother Colby."
"The G-Man," she said with a smile and a nod towards him.
"And next to him are Josh and Jamie, my brother Jason's boys. Then Sarah, my sister-in-law. Jase's out at the barn so you'll meet him in a few minutes. This is my sister, Emily. Over there is Richard, Mom's... friend."
"Nice to meet you all." Abigail smiled. "I'm sorry to butt into your holiday."
"Nfft."
Colby chuckled at Marie's sound. "We're happy to have you. I think we're just surprised you came up from Boise this afternoon."
"Actually, I came from Twin Falls."
"Twin Falls! That's like four hours from here!"
Again Abigail looked embarrassed. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. The day didn't exactly go as planned."
Colby felt his heart go out to her. Even though he didn't know what had happened during her day, it was clear to him she was here because she just wanted to be with someone who loved her and that she loved. He totally understood and commiserated.
"Hey, have my seat so you can have pie. You can sit next to me and our little man."
Abigail smiled and nodded.
Colby plucked Jamie from his seat and resettled on his chair with the five-year-old on his lap. Not to be forgotten, Josh climbed over to sit on his other knee. Keith took the now empty seat next to Abigail leaving a seat still open between Colby and Sarah.
"Whipped cream, Abigail?"
"No thanks."
Marie turned and set a piece of pecan pie in front of Colby and their guest. Colby's had a generous dolup of whipped cream.
"Awesome. Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome, Colby."
"It looks wonderful, Mrs. Granger."
"Wait till you taste it. Mom makes the best pecan pie."
Abigail smiled and started finding out if that statement was true.
Marie returned to the table with a slice of cherry pie and one of the lemon meringue. She placed the cherry in front of Richard before settling down to start her own pie.
"The cherry is good, Marie."
"Thanks, Rich." The reply was paired with a quick peck on the cheek.
Colby looked down at this plate. He definitely had to get over his qualms about seeing his mom with someone other than his dad. After all, if his mom was happy that was what mattered.
"Thanks again for giving your apple pie to the Powells."
"How did they like the food? Jeremiah said thank you at church but he didn't say anything."
"They really appreciated it. They'd gotten a whole bunch of boxed foods but ours was homemade so it was better."
"Good."
Colby saw Keith lean over to Abigail and he could tell he was explaining who the Powells were and why they'd gotten the apple pie.
"So, you came from Twin Falls, Abigail?" Richard asked after they'd been eating for a few minutes.
"That's where my family is. My folks and my brother moved there from Seattle about fourteen years ago. My brother and his wife actually live only about ten blocks from my parents' house."
"So you spent the morning with your family?"
"Well, that was the plan," Abigail said with a big of grimace, "but the day kinda fell through."
"So you didn't get Kissma?"
"Like Don? Like Hewish peepa?"
Colby almost chuckled at the lost looks on his family's face. "No, not like Don. Abigail isn't Jewish so it isn't that she doesn't celebrate it. It's more like... their celebration got cancelled."
"Exactly. That's why I came to join yours."
"Did you still get presents?"
"Yes, I still got some gifts for the holiday," she replied with a soft smile. Her hand went to her neck and she played for a moment with her necklace. "Some really great ones actually."
Keith smiled, looking a little smug.
Colby made a mental note to take a closer look at the necklace, since it was obviously the gift his brother had bought.
Jamie and Josh nodded, satisfied. "So will you play with us afta pie, Unka Koba?'
"Don't you want to finish your game of Candy Land with Aunt Emily?"
"Oh... yeah."
Colby chuckled at the slightly disappointed tone in Josh's voice. "Hey, don't worry, buddy. We can play after dinner and there is always tomorrow."
"Did you forget, Colby? Tomorrow we're skiing."
"Yes, but the boys and I can play in the snow." Colby smiled down at his nephews. "We don't have to play with your new toys to have fun, do we, guys?"
"Nope!"
"Cool!"
Colby grinned and dropped a spot of whipped cream on each of the boys noses before really digging into the pie. He felt more lighthearted than he had in a very long time.
After all, it was Christmas. With group food and good company, what could go wrong?
And then, Jason came inside.
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Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21
It only took Colby a couple of minutes to check out Abigail Stone. She was, simply, tall, blonde, and beautiful, as Keith had described her.
However, there was more to her than that. Her 5'7" frame was a nice contrast to Keith's 5'10." Her blonde was almost a honey color and her short cut was fun, funky, and still feminine. Of course, it was her crystal blue eyes that stood out. Not only was the color absolutely stunning, they seemed to take everything in and yet, despite their constant movement, they didn't come across as shifty or nervous. No, her eyes were warm, friendly, and intelligent.
Colby for himself immediately liking this woman.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come in, come in." Marie hustled Keith and Abigail into the kitchen. "I'm Keith's mom. I was just getting some pie for myself and Richard," she gestured to her boyfriend. "Can I get you a slice, as well?"
"Uh..." Whatever Abigail had intended to say was cut off by the growling of her stomach.
"Cherry, pecan, lemon meringue or German chocolate cake, dear?"
"Uh..." A blush spread prettily across the blonde's face and she looked around embarrassed.
"Or I could make you a sandwich?"
"No, no, whatever you're having is fine, Mrs. Granger."
"It's Marie or Mom, and it's no trouble if you want something specific."
Keith leaned over to whisper in her ear. Whatever he said seemed to ease her mind because she suddenly smiled.
"Pecan, please."
"Ooh, I'll have a piece of that too."
Keith laughed. "The bottomless pit here is my brother Colby."
"The G-Man," she said with a smile and a nod towards him.
"And next to him are Josh and Jamie, my brother Jason's boys. Then Sarah, my sister-in-law. Jase's out at the barn so you'll meet him in a few minutes. This is my sister, Emily. Over there is Richard, Mom's... friend."
"Nice to meet you all." Abigail smiled. "I'm sorry to butt into your holiday."
"Nfft."
Colby chuckled at Marie's sound. "We're happy to have you. I think we're just surprised you came up from Boise this afternoon."
"Actually, I came from Twin Falls."
"Twin Falls! That's like four hours from here!"
Again Abigail looked embarrassed. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. The day didn't exactly go as planned."
Colby felt his heart go out to her. Even though he didn't know what had happened during her day, it was clear to him she was here because she just wanted to be with someone who loved her and that she loved. He totally understood and commiserated.
"Hey, have my seat so you can have pie. You can sit next to me and our little man."
Abigail smiled and nodded.
Colby plucked Jamie from his seat and resettled on his chair with the five-year-old on his lap. Not to be forgotten, Josh climbed over to sit on his other knee. Keith took the now empty seat next to Abigail leaving a seat still open between Colby and Sarah.
"Whipped cream, Abigail?"
"No thanks."
Marie turned and set a piece of pecan pie in front of Colby and their guest. Colby's had a generous dolup of whipped cream.
"Awesome. Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome, Colby."
"It looks wonderful, Mrs. Granger."
"Wait till you taste it. Mom makes the best pecan pie."
Abigail smiled and started finding out if that statement was true.
Marie returned to the table with a slice of cherry pie and one of the lemon meringue. She placed the cherry in front of Richard before settling down to start her own pie.
"The cherry is good, Marie."
"Thanks, Rich." The reply was paired with a quick peck on the cheek.
Colby looked down at this plate. He definitely had to get over his qualms about seeing his mom with someone other than his dad. After all, if his mom was happy that was what mattered.
"Thanks again for giving your apple pie to the Powells."
"How did they like the food? Jeremiah said thank you at church but he didn't say anything."
"They really appreciated it. They'd gotten a whole bunch of boxed foods but ours was homemade so it was better."
"Good."
Colby saw Keith lean over to Abigail and he could tell he was explaining who the Powells were and why they'd gotten the apple pie.
"So, you came from Twin Falls, Abigail?" Richard asked after they'd been eating for a few minutes.
"That's where my family is. My folks and my brother moved there from Seattle about fourteen years ago. My brother and his wife actually live only about ten blocks from my parents' house."
"So you spent the morning with your family?"
"Well, that was the plan," Abigail said with a big of grimace, "but the day kinda fell through."
"So you didn't get Kissma?"
"Like Don? Like Hewish peepa?"
Colby almost chuckled at the lost looks on his family's face. "No, not like Don. Abigail isn't Jewish so it isn't that she doesn't celebrate it. It's more like... their celebration got cancelled."
"Exactly. That's why I came to join yours."
"Did you still get presents?"
"Yes, I still got some gifts for the holiday," she replied with a soft smile. Her hand went to her neck and she played for a moment with her necklace. "Some really great ones actually."
Keith smiled, looking a little smug.
Colby made a mental note to take a closer look at the necklace, since it was obviously the gift his brother had bought.
Jamie and Josh nodded, satisfied. "So will you play with us afta pie, Unka Koba?'
"Don't you want to finish your game of Candy Land with Aunt Emily?"
"Oh... yeah."
Colby chuckled at the slightly disappointed tone in Josh's voice. "Hey, don't worry, buddy. We can play after dinner and there is always tomorrow."
"Did you forget, Colby? Tomorrow we're skiing."
"Yes, but the boys and I can play in the snow." Colby smiled down at his nephews. "We don't have to play with your new toys to have fun, do we, guys?"
"Nope!"
"Cool!"
Colby grinned and dropped a spot of whipped cream on each of the boys noses before really digging into the pie. He felt more lighthearted than he had in a very long time.
After all, it was Christmas. With group food and good company, what could go wrong?
And then, Jason came inside.
Next