“Thank goodness.”
I looked over at Miss Elliott.
Katharine.
Mrs. VanRyan.
My wife.
Holy shit. I was married.
“Richard? What is it? You’ve gone pale.”
I shook my head. “Thank you. I mean it, Katharine. I really do.”
“I know.”
“I don’t suppose I could—”
“No.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“You were trying to get me to forget about hearing the story of your childhood.”
“It’s the usual parental BS, Katharine. Why dredge it up?”
“I feel it’s important.”
I dropped my head in my hands with a groan at the way she used my own words back at me.
“Please, Richard.”
“Fine.” I huffed. “Later.”
“I’ll wait.”
“All right. Let’s get this shit over with.”
She rolled her eyes with a huff of impatience. “Well, that effort lasted all of three minutes.”
I gripped the back of my neck. “This is not an easy subject for me.”
“I’m gathering that, but we’re not talking about it at the moment. Right now, your new boss and his family are having a celebration dinner for us. Get your head out of your ass, smile, and act like you fucking adore me,” she insisted, once again throwing back my words at me.
With those words, she got out of the car and bent down.
“Are you coming?”
Stunned, I could only nod.It was probably as toned-down as the Gavins could handle. The back deck was set up with an extravagant table, with tulle and small lights wrapped around the area, flowers and candles flickering in the light breeze. In the corner, there was another small table with a wedding cake. Katharine’s eyes were huge when she looked at me. “How did they do this in a day?”
“The benefit of money and connections,” I muttered. I had to admit, I was impressed.
Our hosts beamed at us when we arrived, Laura wrapping Katharine up in a tight hug. Graham clapped me on the shoulder, congratulating me, and I suffered through the hugs and handshakes from the rest of the family. They were certainly a touchy bunch. I stepped back, grabbing Katharine’s hand like a talisman. Maybe if I touched her, they’d all stop hugging me.
Dinner was extravagant, the champagne was plentiful, but this time, I kept my head. I only sipped at the wine, and consumed water most of the evening. There might not have been any pictures at the ceremony, but Jenna and Laura made up for it with their phones, constantly snapping pictures and calling out for kisses. Luckily, Katharine had drunk enough this time, she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she tilted up her face eagerly, smiling and accepting my caresses. Copying the other couples at the table, I kept my arm around her most of the time, running my fingers over her exposed skin. On occasion, I would turn and drop a kiss to the softness of her shoulder or neck and whisper some inane comment into her ear, making her smile or laugh. We were the picture of a happy couple in love.
Jenna turned to her at one point. “Oh, Katy! I almost forgot. I teach yoga classes and a new one starts next week! Please come! You’ll love it.”
Julia nodded. “Adam looks after the kids. I go to all the classes—even the beginners—I love it so much. Jenna is an amazing teacher.”
Katharine’s eyes flared with interest. “Oh, I’d like that! I’ve always wanted to try it. When?”
“Tuesday nights—it’s an eight week course for beginners. There’s a break, then we move onto the next level.”
The light in her eyes dimmed. “I can’t—Tuesday is music night at the home. Local groups come in and entertain the residents. I take Penny to all of them; she loves going. I would hate not to be with her; she might not go without me.”
I had noticed the list on Penny’s bulletin board while I was there. This week was jazz night. I loved jazz music. The fact going to yoga was something Katharine wanted, made me want to give it to her, so I spoke up. “I’ll go with her.”
“What?”
“You go to the class. You’ve been saying you wanted to try yoga. I’ll go have dinner with Penny and take her to the lounge.” I nudged her carefully. “You know I love jazz music.” I winked, teasing her. “Maybe it will help you with your balance.”
“It’s great for that!” Jenna enthused.
“It’s every Tuesday,” Katharine pointed out.
“That’s fine.” I liked all types of music, except heavy metal, and I doubted that genre would be included in the lineups. “I guess Penny and I have a date every Tuesday for a while.”
She leaned closer, and whispered, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I murmured back. “I’d like to spend some more time with Penny.” I met her eyes. “Honestly.”
She kissed my cheek. “Thank you,” she breathed in my ear.
Turning, I caught her mouth. “You’re welcome.”
I sat back with a sigh. I was pleased I could do something for her. I saw Graham looking at me, nodding his approval. I looked down, almost flustered over his silent support.