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“Sure, Mia, but remember it takes nine hours to get home. So, we would leave at six on Friday night and will get in around three on Saturday morning. You will have to sleep on the floor at my niece’s house—I get the couch. And the kids get up before 6:00 am, after which I cannot promise you a ride to the cities,” Tess said, and Mia was shaking her head in the negative already. “Oh, and with no ride, you will have to go to church with me. It will be at least three hours long, and some of it is in Latin.”
“No, thank you. Enjoy your weekend,” Mia replied, holding up her hands in defeat.
Tess laughed at her friend. She didn’t mention that the rest was in Russian or that there would be eight children, none of which were quiet. Or that lately they usually had at least two friends over at once, making it even worse.
Movement behind her caught her attention as Math left the room. How long had he been standing there listening? Watching?
CHAPTER11
Math foundhimself between Tess and his sister, Mandy, for the meal. Since there was not enough room around the table, his and Tess’s chairs were touching. And so were their legs under the table. He quickly realized that Tess was a lefty, which made it nearly impossible to have any room to eat. On Tess’s other side was Mia.
He looked over at his cousin, who had all the room in the world, and he was stuck bumping her elbow with every bite. How had he never realized Tess was left-handed? He had noticed everything else. Her eyes are gray, her hair is ash blonde, she can’t form words when she has an orgasm…. Everything important.
After passing bowl after bowl and platter after platter, he noticed she was not taking a lot of food. Though she arranged it nicely, she didn’t take much of anything. A little of everything, but very little.
“Why aren’t you eating?” he whispered to her.
“I am.” She gestured at the food on her fork.
“That’s not enough,” he whispered.
“Yes, it is,” she hissed back.
Mandy looked over at him. “Quit fighting.”
“We are not fighting,” Math said to her.
“Yes, you are,” Mia said from the other side of Tess.
Looking at the women beside him, he would have lost his appetite if it wasn’t after one in the afternoon. Mandy was now talking to Kit, and Tess was whispering with Mia, leaving him nobody to talk to.
“So, Tess, how is the bank?” his dad called down the table at her.
She tore herself from her conversation with Mia. “Good, Mr. Nordskov.”
“Good to hear, that’s where I keep my money.” His dad laughed at his own joke.
“I like to hear that.” Tess smiled at his dad.
“Tess comes from New Paris. It’s down by Rochester,” Dolly told her husband, apparently making her an expert on the subject.
“I’ve never heard of that town, but Rochester is far away,” Mick chimed in.
“It is not very big,” Tess said to the group.
“Didn’t you say you went to private school? Was it in your little town?” Mia asked.
“It was not in the town I lived in. It was in the next town over. I drove.”
“Wow, private school. What did your dad do to pay for that?” his uncle asked, adding more potatoes to his plate.
Tess stiffened at the question. If they hadn’t been pressed together, he wouldn’t have felt it. He quickly said, “Tess, you don’t have to answer that. It’s none of our business.”
“No, that is okay. Mr. Lawson, I paid for my own schooling. My father farmed but did not make enough to send me to school,” Tess replied, sitting up straighter.
“What?” Math looked at her. Her father farmed, really? No wonder she hadn’t complained when he had her help on his farm.
Tess turned her gray eyes to him as she whispered, “Sorry, you were having so much fun that day. I did not want to ruin it for you.”
