quiet too, reserved in a way she’d rarely seen him. She couldn’t wait for this wedding to be over.
No wonder Grant had skipped dinner. Right now she wished she’d done the same. Though she doubted even the most impossible-to-deal-with bridezilla got to skip the rehearsal dinner.
“This is quite a lovely spread.” Her mother smiled over at Gale as she pushed the little bit of food on her plate around in a circle. The comment was intended to be complimentary, but Kate knew her mother better than that. She never said spread. A subtle dig at Gale’s cooking and, in her mother’s opinion, backwoods upbringing.
Gale smiled back, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you, Margo.”
“It is very nice, Gale. It must have been a lot of work.” Kate grinned at her future mother-in-law.
“It’s no trouble at all. You know I’d do anything for you two.”
Kate glanced back across the table to her mother. Why couldn’t her own mother have that opinion? Why couldn’t she want to do whatever was necessary to make Kate happy the night before her wedding, like Gale?
“I don’t know where you got a taste for this kind of food, Katherine.” Her mother used her formal name, as she always did when she was angry but didn’t want to show it. “We never ate like this at home when you were growing up. I made a point of providing a healthy diet for our whole family.”
Her mother glared over at Gale, as if Gale had set out to corrupt her daughter with fat and sugar. If that were possible, Kate would probably be marrying Ronald McDonald.
Heat billowed up into Kate’s chest. What did her mother know about what she’d eaten as a kid? Most of Kate’s meals had been catered by nannies or babysitters while her mother was out at some banquet for any charity that would get her name in the society pages. Kate clenched her jaw, locking down the words she desperately wanted to say. Thankfully, Gale butted in before she had a chance.
“Well, you know how kids are. They always want what they didn’t have.” Gale laughed. “My boys always wanted fancy meals, but you give kids exotic foods and all they want is good home cooking. You can never win.” She winked at Kate. It was always much easier to laugh when you were the one who’d won the battle.
“True.” Her mother humphed in their direction, stirring her mac and cheese like it was about to explode.
“How is the job search going, Kate?” Her father tried to divert the conversation, the tension from the two matriarchs’ silent battle vibrating through the air. Though, of topics to choose, her lack of vocation wasn’t the best one to pick.
“All right.” Kate shook her head, shifting two slices of tomato across her plate, her appetite decidedly absent. “The new school year is starting in a few weeks, and I got a position as teacher’s aide in the town over. It’s only part time, but it’s a start.”
Her mother looked up at her in shock, almost as if she couldn’t believe these hicks wouldn’t see the potential in her daughter, the experience she brought to the table. Not that Kate hadn’t thought the same thing at one time. She’d believed her experience would go farther in Colorado than it had. But she was confident it would work out, one way or another.
“But you were a full-time teacher in Dallas. You had your own classroom for three years.”
“Margo.” Her father growled a warning, but true to form, her mother didn’t take the hint.
“I’m starting over here, Mom. There aren’t any permanent positions open. This job gives me a good opportunity to prove myself to the school board for when another position becomes available.”
“What are you doing for money?”
“Margo.” Her father tried again—to no better success.
Daniel grabbed Kate’s hand beneath the table, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at him, and her heart warmed by the love in his eyes. Even if she didn’t have a job, she had him—and Grant.
No wonder Grant had skipped dinner. Right now she wished she’d done the same. Though she doubted even the most impossible-to-deal-with bridezilla got to skip the rehearsal dinner.
“This is quite a lovely spread.” Her mother smiled over at Gale as she pushed the little bit of food on her plate around in a circle. The comment was intended to be complimentary, but Kate knew her mother better than that. She never said spread. A subtle dig at Gale’s cooking and, in her mother’s opinion, backwoods upbringing.
Gale smiled back, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you, Margo.”
“It is very nice, Gale. It must have been a lot of work.” Kate grinned at her future mother-in-law.
“It’s no trouble at all. You know I’d do anything for you two.”
Kate glanced back across the table to her mother. Why couldn’t her own mother have that opinion? Why couldn’t she want to do whatever was necessary to make Kate happy the night before her wedding, like Gale?
“I don’t know where you got a taste for this kind of food, Katherine.” Her mother used her formal name, as she always did when she was angry but didn’t want to show it. “We never ate like this at home when you were growing up. I made a point of providing a healthy diet for our whole family.”
Her mother glared over at Gale, as if Gale had set out to corrupt her daughter with fat and sugar. If that were possible, Kate would probably be marrying Ronald McDonald.
Heat billowed up into Kate’s chest. What did her mother know about what she’d eaten as a kid? Most of Kate’s meals had been catered by nannies or babysitters while her mother was out at some banquet for any charity that would get her name in the society pages. Kate clenched her jaw, locking down the words she desperately wanted to say. Thankfully, Gale butted in before she had a chance.
“Well, you know how kids are. They always want what they didn’t have.” Gale laughed. “My boys always wanted fancy meals, but you give kids exotic foods and all they want is good home cooking. You can never win.” She winked at Kate. It was always much easier to laugh when you were the one who’d won the battle.
“True.” Her mother humphed in their direction, stirring her mac and cheese like it was about to explode.
“How is the job search going, Kate?” Her father tried to divert the conversation, the tension from the two matriarchs’ silent battle vibrating through the air. Though, of topics to choose, her lack of vocation wasn’t the best one to pick.
“All right.” Kate shook her head, shifting two slices of tomato across her plate, her appetite decidedly absent. “The new school year is starting in a few weeks, and I got a position as teacher’s aide in the town over. It’s only part time, but it’s a start.”
Her mother looked up at her in shock, almost as if she couldn’t believe these hicks wouldn’t see the potential in her daughter, the experience she brought to the table. Not that Kate hadn’t thought the same thing at one time. She’d believed her experience would go farther in Colorado than it had. But she was confident it would work out, one way or another.
“But you were a full-time teacher in Dallas. You had your own classroom for three years.”
“Margo.” Her father growled a warning, but true to form, her mother didn’t take the hint.
“I’m starting over here, Mom. There aren’t any permanent positions open. This job gives me a good opportunity to prove myself to the school board for when another position becomes available.”
“What are you doing for money?”
“Margo.” Her father tried again—to no better success.
Daniel grabbed Kate’s hand beneath the table, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at him, and her heart warmed by the love in his eyes. Even if she didn’t have a job, she had him—and Grant.
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