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She determined that at some point she would tell Matt she’d changed her mind about going riding and that she shouldn’t have said yes in the first place. Not if she wasn’t planning on being more than friends with anyone. It would lead him on or at the very least give everyone the wrong idea.
Chapter 12
Matt had to admit he’dbeen looking forward to supper and the beach horseback ride with Jubilee all day while he mowed hay in the afternoon and planned on tedding it in the morning and baling it the next day if it was dry enough.
But he wasn’t as focused on the hay as he normally would have been. He was more focused on Jubilee and thinking about their ride. He’d actually gone down to his neighbors, Davis and Kim, and asked to borrow one of their horses. He wasn’t sure where Jubilee’s abilities were and how long it had been since she’d ridden, and he didn’t want anything to happen to her. Their horses were slightly calmer and more dependable, and he wanted everything to be perfect for Jubilee.
His heart sank when he saw Eva was going to be eating supper with his mom. He figured that was probably the way things were going to go for the summer, since she was there.
He wished his mom would have told her no, that she needed to find a different place to live, but if she had done that, she wouldn’t really have been his mom. Since his mom never turned anyone away. He would have thought over the years that she would have run out of money, constantly giving to people, but it seemed like the more she gave, the more God blessed her. And she always had enough. Always had enough for herself, always had enough to share with someone else.
He didn’t ask if Eva was paying for her room, but he hoped his mom at least got something out of her.
He managed to avoid her for all of thirty seconds before she walked to him while his mom and Jubilee continued the supper preparations.
“Matt. I heard you guys were going on a horse ride this evening. I was hoping I could tag along. I thought Nora was probably going as well, and it would be such a fun family thing to do,” Eva said as she settled down to the right of him at the table. He was still standing behind his chair, looking to see if there was anything that he could help put on the table.
Eva had eaten a few times with them over the years and knew that the end of the table was his spot anytime he ate with his mom.
Clara and Jubilee seemed like they had become best friends, and they were both giving things to Scarlett and Penelope and Nora as well so that all the girls could help fill up the table with food.
He was tempted to go somewhere else and sit, just because he didn’t want to spend the meal with Eva, but it would have been too conspicuous for him to leave the seat. How could he make it so that Jubilee would sit on the other side?
But if she did that, it might be uncomfortable for everyone. He wouldn’t wish an awkward meal like that on anyone. He’d seen Eva’s jealous and bad side.
He didn’t really want it directed at Jubilee.
“Matt? Did you hear me?” Eva said, and her voice was laced with irritation, despite the smile on her face. She blinked her eyes at him as he looked down at her.
What had she said?
“I wanted to go on a horse ride with you tonight, along with Nora. It will be a nice family thing to do.”
“I would love that!” Nora said, setting lettuce for their hamburgers down on the table in front of him. “Daddy, please?” She looked so eagerly at him, and then at her mother, then back at him. Like he had the power to restore their family. Like there was ever a family to begin with. It made him feel guilty. Guilty that Nora didn’t have a family, guilty that she wanted one.
“Sure,” he said, knowing that he probably should have checked with Jubilee. “If it’s okay with Jubilee. I asked her first.”
