Thankful For Him by Flora Ferrari

ZAK:

After twenty years in the African financial wilderness, I’m coming home.
My life long friend Mark insists I spend Thanksgiving with him at his lake house, the perfect way to settle back into positive US traditions.
A self-made man, I can more than afford to kick back for good maybe, who knows?
But with just money and success under my belt, I still ache for something more.
Someone more.
What’s the good of ten lifetimes worth of money with nobody to share it with?
But it all clicks into place when Misty collects me from the airport.
Mark’s only daughter.
And from that moment on, my only obsession.
My only everything.
She’s the one thing to make this life complete.
I’m just not so sure Mark is gonna be as thrilled as we are about it.

MISTY:

His picture was always on the piano. Dad’s best friend.
He’s overseas, working, but my Dad always talks about him as if he’s in the next room.
God, I wish he was.
His broad shoulders and dark eyes follow me each time I pass his photograph.
Until one day when I’m home on spring break, all those feelings make sense.
I steal his photo, I keep it.
Secret and safe.
Waiting for the day he comes back, comes home to claim me as his own.
Come Thanksgiving and Dad announces that Zak is coming home, for good.
Coming to the lake house for Thanksgiving with us.
And I’m already giving thanks for what I know should follow.