“Let me guess—you told her Anita would be there.”
“I didn’t tell her she wouldn’t.”
“Did you tell her I would be?”
She paused. “No. But you will be. I’ll have a lovely supper prepared, and afterward you can practice dancing with her.”
He sank back against the seat. “Is this a setup?”
“Heavens, no.” But she was furiously polishing her spoon with a paper napkin. “Why would I do something like that?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“I’m trying to help Olivia. I would think you’d want to help her too. She’s Anita’s best friend, after all. And...”
“And what?”
“Oh, here’s my tea.”
Bailey set the tea in front of Mother, and she took a huge drink. “That hit the spot. Now, supper will be at six sharp, so arrive a little beforehand.”
He didn’t answer.
“Did you hear me? Six sharp. And wear something blue. It brings out the color of your eyes.”
His gut clenched. He had no idea why she was setting him up with Olivia, and she was as subtle as a truck plowing through a glass wall. And when Olivia discovered the real reason for his mother’s supper invitation, it would ruin their truce, especially if she thought he had something to do with it.
Tanner delivered the food himself, and Kingston stared at his steak while Mother dropped several anvil-size hints that he and Anita should be more open to accepting her help. Tanner nodded at the appropriate times, and once gave Kingston a “help me” look, but all Kingston could do wasshrug. He had his own problems with her that he needed to figure out.
During the rest of lunch, he half listened as his mother picked through her salad and talked about her social calendar while he tried to figure out what to do about Saturday. He could tell her no, but her nose would bend so far out of joint that he’d have to get his medical bag. One thing he didn’t want to happen in public was her getting upset. She wouldn’t make a scene, but she had a way of side-eyeing him that made him want to crawl under a rock. And even then, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t try some other matchmaking scheme.
“King. King.” She snapped her fingers in front of him. “You’re not listening to me, are you?”
“Sorry,” he said, starting on his pecan pie. He’d eaten only half his food, even though everything was delicious. “I was distracted.”
“As I was saying...”
She kept talking, and he fell back into his thoughts again, and— Wait. He could just tell Olivia what was going on. Then she would decline the invitation, and that would take care of that. He grinned.
“Why are you smiling?” Mother said. “I just told you Bernice’s second cousin died. They were very close.”
He flinched. “I’m sorry for her loss.”
“You’ve been acting strange this entire lunch. Are you okay?” She leaned forward, worry creasing her brow. “You’re not sick, are you? Or having financial trouble? Please don’t tell me you’ve been gambling, Kingston.”
He’d laugh except she’d probably take it the wrong way.“I’m not sick. I don’t gamble—where did that even come from? My finances are fine.”
“Then why do you have so much time off work? I asked your father if it was normal for doctors to take monthslong vacations, because he never did.”
“What did he say?”
“That some doctors do, if they want to.”
Good. Dad had kept his secret—
“Or need to.”
Or not.
