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“Can you put those on the table?” Janice asked, nodding toward the bowl of roasted vegetables as she carried the casserole across the kitchen.
Kate picked it up. “Where’s Dad?”
“Washing up. Penny, sweetheart, crayons off the table if we’re going to eat.”
“I’m nearly finished.”
“You said that five minutes ago.”
Penny bent lower over her picture as if that might make her invisible.
Kate smiled as she set the bowl down beside the casserole. “You might have better luck just putting her dinner on top of the drawing.”
Janice opened her mouth to answer, but a knock at the front door interrupted her.
“I’ll get it.”
Kate went through the hall and opened the door.
Wes stood on the porch in jeans and a clean sweater, his hair still slightly damp from a shower.
“Hi.” Kate smiled. “You’re back.”
“I am.” He glanced past her toward the kitchen. “I was thinking about dinner.”
“Good timing. We’re just about to eat, and Mom’s made enough to feed twice as many people as she needs to. Come in.”
Wes smiled, but he didn’t move. “Actually, I was hoping I could take you out.”
“Oh.”
That was not what she had been expecting.
“I know it’s short notice,” he added. “And I wasn’t thinking anything fancy. Pizza, maybe. Or a burger.”
Kate looked back toward the kitchen. Janice was standing in the doorway now, having plainly heard enough to know why Wes was there. “We’re literally about to sit down,” Kate said, more to her mother than to Wes.
Janice gave her a look, then reached for Kate’s jacket from the hook beside the door. “Kate, I think Wes came here to take you to dinner, not to have dinner with your parents.”
Kate felt herself flush. “I know that now.”
“Good.” Janice handed her the jacket. “Go.”
Kate took it, still looking toward the kitchen. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Penny’s staying right here, your father will be down in a minute, and I’m not going to be offended because you don’t eat my casserole tonight. Go and have dinner.”
That was much more difficult to argue with. Kate slipped her arms into the jacket and went back into the kitchen to say goodbye to Penny.
Her daughter looked up from the picture she had finally moved off the table. “Are you going out?”
“I am. Wes has asked me to have dinner with him.”
Penny considered that. “Does that mean we can have hot chocolate again?”
Kate laughed as she bent to kiss her. “You’ll have to ask Grandma and Grandpa. They’re in charge while I’m gone.”
Penny immediately turned toward Janice.
