“I bet you are an accomplished cook.”
“If I have any cooking abilities, I’m going to soundly deny them. I have no housewifey skills whatsoever—or any that I will admit to.” She shoved the bowl in Spence’s direction.
Was that amusement sparkling in his eyes? Her fingers brushed his as she released the bowl. He was a marvel. The scowl on his face looked genuine, but she knew it wasn’t. For a moment their gazes met, sharing the private joke. He understood without words what she was trying to do.
“That’s too bad.” Spence dumped peas onto his crowded plate. “Lucy, there’s no way I can date you now.”
“It’s a blessing we’re not together, then.” She watched the faces around the table. The sisters were sharing knowing looks. Dorrie shook her head, her eyes full of love for her son, as if she wasn’t buying any of it.
Mary chuckled. “None of us are blind, dear. We can see what you cannot.”
“Help.” Lucy turned to the man at her side. “I don’t know how to make this stop.”
The corners of his frown threatened to turn into a grin. “Neither do I. Welcome to my life.”
“Now I understand the scowl.” She watched his sisters dissolve into laughter.
“We’re just curious,” Ava spoke up, cheerful as always. “We can’t believe you’re here. With Spence.”
“You are a brave woman,” Aubrey chimed in.
“Spence has never brought a young lady to meet the family before,” Dorrie added.
High hopes. Lucy understood what that was like. She had been there before, wishing for a happy ending even when all signs pointed in the opposite direction. That was why she was alone and why she’d returned an engagement ring. She couldn’t bear to dishearten the McKaslin family, but it had to be done. “Spence, they know that I came with Rebecca, right? Not technically with you.”
“Technically doesn’t matter to them. They are women.” Spence grimaced, looking like an angered grizzly.
“What exactly does that mean?” Lucy set down her fork.
The whispers around the table silenced.
“Uh-oh,” Katherine winced. At her side, Jack hung his head, shaking it from side to side. Their teenaged daughter rolled her eyes.
A pained look swept across Dorrie’s face. Spence’s father, John, sighed in disappointment. Brice and Ava shared a sad look. Aubrey and William gazed at one another with lost hopes. Lauren, Caleb, Rebecca and Chad seemed horribly pained.
“Spence, I told you not to say anything like that.” Danielle’s admonishment came gently, with love.
“I’m just saying the truth.” Spence looked formidable.
Lucy saw the crinkle of humor in the corners of his blue eyes. She couldn’t help coming to his rescue. “It’s a free country. Even a man like Spence is entitled to his opinions.”
“He doesn’t mean it, Lucy.” Dorrie’s motherly affection bordered on desperation. “Spence is the sweetest man—”
“Dorrie.” Spence scowled. “Don’t spread lies about me.”
“Why, I would never lie. I—” Dorrie seemed truly distressed. “He’s not so bad, Lucy. Trust me. You stick around, and you’ll see.”
“I’m terribly sorry, Dorrie, but I don’t think I want to stick around and see.” Lucy’s gentle tone layered her words with kindness and understanding.
“She doesn’t like me, Dorrie.” He said the words as if they didn’t hurt a bit. “It’s not going to happen.”
“Oh.” Dorrie dipped her chin as if she had taken a blow but her voice was still loving. “That’s too bad. I won’t give up hoping for you.”
I wish you would. He kept the thought to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint Dorrie more. Sadness had crept into her eyes, and he hated that. “You might want to think about what you’re doing, trying to fix Lucy up with me. Some women might take that as an insult.”
“True. Poor Lucy.” Ava was the first to agree.
“Yes, poor me! Maybe you all have been going about marrying off your brother
“If I have any cooking abilities, I’m going to soundly deny them. I have no housewifey skills whatsoever—or any that I will admit to.” She shoved the bowl in Spence’s direction.
Was that amusement sparkling in his eyes? Her fingers brushed his as she released the bowl. He was a marvel. The scowl on his face looked genuine, but she knew it wasn’t. For a moment their gazes met, sharing the private joke. He understood without words what she was trying to do.
“That’s too bad.” Spence dumped peas onto his crowded plate. “Lucy, there’s no way I can date you now.”
“It’s a blessing we’re not together, then.” She watched the faces around the table. The sisters were sharing knowing looks. Dorrie shook her head, her eyes full of love for her son, as if she wasn’t buying any of it.
Mary chuckled. “None of us are blind, dear. We can see what you cannot.”
“Help.” Lucy turned to the man at her side. “I don’t know how to make this stop.”
The corners of his frown threatened to turn into a grin. “Neither do I. Welcome to my life.”
“Now I understand the scowl.” She watched his sisters dissolve into laughter.
“We’re just curious,” Ava spoke up, cheerful as always. “We can’t believe you’re here. With Spence.”
“You are a brave woman,” Aubrey chimed in.
“Spence has never brought a young lady to meet the family before,” Dorrie added.
High hopes. Lucy understood what that was like. She had been there before, wishing for a happy ending even when all signs pointed in the opposite direction. That was why she was alone and why she’d returned an engagement ring. She couldn’t bear to dishearten the McKaslin family, but it had to be done. “Spence, they know that I came with Rebecca, right? Not technically with you.”
“Technically doesn’t matter to them. They are women.” Spence grimaced, looking like an angered grizzly.
“What exactly does that mean?” Lucy set down her fork.
The whispers around the table silenced.
“Uh-oh,” Katherine winced. At her side, Jack hung his head, shaking it from side to side. Their teenaged daughter rolled her eyes.
A pained look swept across Dorrie’s face. Spence’s father, John, sighed in disappointment. Brice and Ava shared a sad look. Aubrey and William gazed at one another with lost hopes. Lauren, Caleb, Rebecca and Chad seemed horribly pained.
“Spence, I told you not to say anything like that.” Danielle’s admonishment came gently, with love.
“I’m just saying the truth.” Spence looked formidable.
Lucy saw the crinkle of humor in the corners of his blue eyes. She couldn’t help coming to his rescue. “It’s a free country. Even a man like Spence is entitled to his opinions.”
“He doesn’t mean it, Lucy.” Dorrie’s motherly affection bordered on desperation. “Spence is the sweetest man—”
“Dorrie.” Spence scowled. “Don’t spread lies about me.”
“Why, I would never lie. I—” Dorrie seemed truly distressed. “He’s not so bad, Lucy. Trust me. You stick around, and you’ll see.”
“I’m terribly sorry, Dorrie, but I don’t think I want to stick around and see.” Lucy’s gentle tone layered her words with kindness and understanding.
“She doesn’t like me, Dorrie.” He said the words as if they didn’t hurt a bit. “It’s not going to happen.”
“Oh.” Dorrie dipped her chin as if she had taken a blow but her voice was still loving. “That’s too bad. I won’t give up hoping for you.”
I wish you would. He kept the thought to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint Dorrie more. Sadness had crept into her eyes, and he hated that. “You might want to think about what you’re doing, trying to fix Lucy up with me. Some women might take that as an insult.”
“True. Poor Lucy.” Ava was the first to agree.
“Yes, poor me! Maybe you all have been going about marrying off your brother
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