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“They should be forcibly removed from the village,” Janet said firmly.
“Can’t do that.” She popped a bite of lasagna into her mouth. After she swallowed, she added, “They have the right to assemble, just like anyone else.”
“But they’re dangerous! One of those people cut me off with his motorbike the other day, and I nearly had an accident. They don’t respect the pedestrian crossings. I should think you’d be worried. They’re endangering your son.”
Ellen sat up straighter at that. Janet Clark was now officially getting on her nerves. “No, they’re not.”
“Of course they are. He could be struck by one of their cars, or kidnapped for ransom by one of these crazy people. Anything could happen. Any of a hundred things. Why, I’m surprised you haven’t left town.”
That was when Ellen lost track of her polite restraint and all control over her tongue. “My son is not in danger, because your son has been protecting him. Busting his butt protecting him, as a matter of fact, day in and day out, with next to no cooperation from either myself or my brother, or even Henry’s own father.”
Building up steam, she tapped the table for emphasis. “If you could’ve seen him, you’d understand. He knew hundreds of people were going to show up before even Jamie did, and he got a fence up and barricades on the street in advance. He had people walking around my property all the time, day and night, for days, and he put a team of men over at Henry’s grandmother’s place to keep an eye on him. And the whole time, he let us live our lives, even when that meant letting Jamie do that stupid strip show for all the world to see, because that’s what Jamie had to do to get Carly back. Even when it meant organizing security on the fly to get Carly to the hospital as fast as possible when she was in danger.”
Janet frowned. “That’s hardly professional, taking Carly Short to the hospital. That’s what ambulances are for.”
“I disagree. And so does my brother, for that matter. He’s planning to fire those professionals from Los Angeles and bring your son in to take care of all of his security from here on out. I can’t say that I blame him. Caleb is really great at what he does, Mrs. Clark. As a matter of fact, he’s kind of incredible. And if you can’t see that, you have a serious problem.”
When she finally shut her trap, Henry was watching her, stunned into silence, and so was everyone else. Ellen met the eyes of every adult at the table, daring them to disagree with her. Nobody did. She focused on Janet and silently demanded a rebuttal.
Janet looked at Caleb for a moment and said, slowly and with great care, “No, I can see that. I’m not blind.”
Caleb gave his mother a small, warm smile that made Ellen’s chest tighten painfully with empathy. “Go easy on her, Ellen,” he said. “She’s a real sap, deep down. She just turns into a stubborn, critical pain in the keister when she’s worried about somebody she loves. Isn’t that right, Ma?” His smile widened as he said it, softening the criticism so that it sounded like an endearment.
His mother made an exasperated face, but she didn’t quite pull it off. “Honestly, Caleb. That’s no way to talk to your mother.”
“Yeah, but I think we need a new way of talking to each other. One where we say what we really mean. I think it’ll do both of us some good, don’t you?”
His mother didn’t answer. She glanced at her husband, looking slightly rattled. Derek smiled encouragement at her from across the table.
“We may need some coaching,” Caleb said, “since we’re new at this. But I think what you want to tell Ellen is that you’ve been worried about me, but you love me, and you respect and support my decisions.”
Janet looked back and forth between Ellen and Caleb, as if wondering how she’d gotten herself into this. “Of course I do,” she said. “You don’t need me to—”
“I do,” Caleb said.
She stilled, and they looked at each other. Ellen saw something pass between them—a moment of understanding, of honest exchange. “Oh,” Janet said. Almost a sigh.
“This is my life, Ma.” Caleb looked at Ellen and Henry. “This is exactly where I want to be. Exactly what I want to be doing.” He brushed his hand over Ellen’s shoulder, a touch that warmed her right through. “I want you to support me, and I want you to say so.”
Janet’s mouth quirked into a smirk remarkably like Caleb’s. “Well, Ellen, I am proud of him,” she said, looking right at her son. “I love him. I respect and support his decisions.” The statement came out wooden and awkward, but at least she’d said it. When she smiled at Caleb, she looked shy and proud at the same time.
“Me, too,” Ellen echoed. “I think your son is pretty wonderful, Mrs. Clark. And for what it’s worth, I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Jamie. This is where we belong. You may have to get used to a little extra craziness around Camelot.”
Caleb grinned at that, and Ellen lost her head all over again. It felt like an eternity since she’d seen him smile right at her. It made her giddy. She was vaguely conscious of the conversation continuing at the other end of the table, with Katie chiming in to defend Caleb’s skill and dedication, but most of her attention had been captured by the smile wrinkling the corners of Caleb’s eyes, and the rest of it jumped ship when he found her knee under the table and squeezed.
Carly and Jamie could have their crowds and the public declarations of love. Big gestures and drama had never been Ellen’s thing. One gesture, one moment of connection when her eyes met Caleb’s, and she knew. She wouldn’t trade what they had for anything.
Kind of incredible, she thought. My man.
She got a little dippy with it. Which was why she wasn’t at all prepared when Henry dumped an entire cup of ice water on her lap.
She was still mopping at it with a paper towel when Katie announced, apropos of nothing, “So, everybody, while we’re doing the confessions and Hallmark moments, I should probably mention that I’m married.”
After that, no one paid much attention to Ellen and Henry.
Chapter Thirty-two
Once the presents had been opened and the boys laid waste to the cake, the celebration wrapped up quickly. Caleb’s parents said their goodbyes, Amber rounded up her brood and hustled them out the door, and the decibel level inside the house dropped by a factor of ten.
