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Marcy nodded. “That she did. There are times I am envious of her life. She lives in a small apartment with her husband and has never traveled. Yet she has something so many people don’t.”
“What is that?” Shanda asked.
“A smile on her face all the time,” Marcy said. “I think you and Carole would get along wonderfully.”
It sounded like it, but Kenneth’s aunt was one thing. She wanted to get along with Marcy as well. “Maybe the three of us could go to lunch one afternoon.”
“Me?” Kenneth asked.
She smiled. “No. Your mother and your aunt.” Shanda turned back to Marcy and said, “That is, if you’d like to.”
Marcy hesitated, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and smiled. “I’d like that. Maybe Carole and I can drive here and you pick the place.”
Should I invite her to my house?She laughed internally. No. Don’t want to ruin a good thing. “Oh good. I know just the place.” It was someplace that both Marcy and Carole should enjoy.
David said, “I do hate to cut our dinner short, but I have an international call I must be on tonight. I think we should return to Boston.”
Marcy’s demeanor changed and back to the dutiful wife, she responded, “I guess the time slipped away from us this evening.” Marcy and David got up and she added, “Thank you for the invitation to dinner. I will be in touch soon regarding lunch.”
Unlike with her parents, there were no hugs goodbye or I love you. But she was beginning to understand the Heart family wasn’t one without love, they just loved differently.
“Well that was…different,” Kenneth said.
“Definitely not what I had expected either. And I’m really sorry about my sister. I have no idea what got into her.” But I’m going to find out when I see her next.
“I’m glad she stopped. The table needed a jump start,” he laughed. “And my mother’s reaction, well let’s just say, I’ve never seen her speechless before.”
“You’re not making me feel any better,” she said.
“It’s a good thing. Aunt Carole hasn’t been over in a few years. My mother kept saying there was no time.”
“Do you think she’ll really come down here and have lunch with me?” Shanda asked.
Kenneth nodded. “One thing we Hearts all have in common. When we say something, we do it.”
“It’s a good character trait to have,” she replied. But I already knew I could trust you.
“Since we’re talking about parents, I should tell you that I met yours,” Kenneth said.
It was the first she’d heard of it. “Really? I’m surprised my mother didn’t call me. When did this happen?”
“The night I didn’t call you?” he said. “I was actually having dinner with them.”
“Why would you do that and not tell me?” Maybe her trust had been misplaced.
“They called and invited me. And since you hadn’t spoken to me beforehand, I assumed that it was a little payback for Monday night with my parents. I realized I was wrong when you weren’t there.”
Shanda shook her head. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would they call you and not invite me? I haven’t told them anything about you,” she stated adamantly.
“They didn’t want to talk about you. They wanted to know my plans for Home Blown. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that and may have informed them about our relationship. Actually, I know I did. Your father gave me the talk,” he said.
“He didn’t threaten you or anything, did he? I mean, he can be overprotective,” she said. He really was more like a gentle giant.
“Threaten might be too strong of a word, but he made sure I knew he wasn’t going to tolerate anyone hurting his little girl.”
She laughed. “I can only imagine what you said.”
“I told him the truth.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you’re happy.”
