The Makeshift Groom by Lori Wilde & Pam Andrews Hanson

Author:Lori Wilde & Pam Andrews Hanson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: L&P

9

“My aunts are terrific cooks,” Tom whispered to Jude when they were seated side by side at the long dinner table. “Their menus can be a little strange—all three are uber-creative—but I promise everything tastes good.”

Jude didn’t mind. She found his boisterous family quite interesting, and she’d been enjoying their conversations where they talked over each other, interrupted often, and laughed with abandon. By comparison, her own family was much more placid.

Tom ladled some pickled beets and a big purple egg onto his plate beside the main dish of meatballs and spaghetti. Not a combo she would have served, but hey, she was open to new experiences.

He winked at her. Luckily, his family was deeply engaged in their reminiscing about past birthday celebrations that they didn’t notice what was going on at Tom and Jude’s end of the table.

Jude eyed Tom with a speculative smile. “Does your family have a lot of these kinds of celebrations?”

“Oh, yeah. At least once a month someone is having a birthday or getting promoted or having a baby or graduating. We keep the party supply store in business.”

“I think that’s sweet,” Jude said. “It’s nice having a big extended family close by. You’re lucky.”

“It can be annoying too,” he confessed. “When they decide to get all up in your business.”

“Oops,” Jude murmured. “I dropped my napkin.”

“I’ll get it,” he said, but playing Sir Galahad wasn’t as easy as he made it sound.

For one thing, Tom’s aunt had put extra leaves in her dining room table, and too many folding chairs were crowded around it, so he bumped into people as he maneuvered. For another thing, with a wall behind them, he could wiggle back only a couple of inches, and he had to bend his body at an odd angle to peek beneath the tablecloth for her errant napkin.

He ducked his head and reached down.

Jude felt fingers against her skin, and she jumped at his touch. Her pulse rate scooted upward, and she hissed softly, “That’s my shin.”

He rooted around, then came up for air, his face flushed and hair tousled. “Sorry. I couldn’t find it. You can have mine.”

“Let’s share. Your aunt’s napkins are as big as bedsheets.” Jude chuckled.

“Thank you for being so gracious and understanding,” he whispered close to her ear, although it was unlikely anyone could hear him. It took a top-of-the-lungs shout to be heard across the table in the din of several dozen people talking at once. “Would you like to leave as soon as we have cake and ice cream?”

“No, I’m having fun,” she said.

“Really?” Tom looked surprised.

Even as she said it, Jude realized it was true. Her family was smaller and widely scattered. Tom’s relatives talked too loudly, laughed a lot, and seemed genuinely fond of each other. They also made her, a stranger, feel welcome and liked.

But they kept talking about the happy marriages among their clan and eying Jude with curiosity. She could see their mental gears clicking—especially with Tom’s mother—wondering if Jude might be the one to tame him.

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