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“Don’t be nervous, Mia,” Rafferty said from beside her as Mandy and Hue drove by them, waving and grinning.
“I’m not,” she lied to him as she waved at her cousin, not grinning.
“It’ll be done with soon, and then nobody will be talking about it anymore. You know that. You didn’t have a secret baby or run off on your wedding, and both of those blew over pretty quickly,” Rafferty said of her friends.
“I’ve been married for months,” she pointed out.
“I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone about that one.”
“I told Mandy yesterday, and I think that she has loose lips.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad, Mrs. Brooks.” He bumped her shoulder with his as they saw Natalie and her husband getting out of their car in the parking lot. All waved at each other.
“We’ll just roll with it.” Mia tried to sound like it was going to be easy.
Inside the church, she acted like she brought Rafferty there every week. In reality, she had no idea how to act. She didn’t have to introduce him to anyone; they all knew him. They both said hellos to those around them as Mia led him into the sanctuary to sit down, getting them away from the crowd by the door. Away from people talking.
She slid into the pew with her parents, who were already there. Her mom’s eyebrow went up in question when she saw Rafferty. But she didn’t say anything but a nice hello to him, like he always came with her. Was a part of her.
“Morning, Rafferty,” her cousin Math said from the pew behind them without the usual tease in his voice. Did he know how nerve-wracking this was? Maybe, since he and Tess hadn’t had a smooth time getting together.
“Morning, Math, Tess.” Rafferty turned to the couple in the pew behind them and smiled his sexy smile.
Then it was over, and nobody said anything. Nobody whispered or whispered loud enough for Mia to hear. There were looks, but mostly from her family and the book club members who were there. Which was all of them except Ruth, who Mia was mostly still avoiding.
As people started to leave the sanctuary, her mom leaned over Mia and said to Rafferty, “You two must come over for lunch today. I’ll whip something up for you.”
Before Mia could respond, Mandy interrupted from behind her mom, “Sorry, Aunt Dottie, the book club is having a luncheon for my wedding. I have so much leftover food from the wedding.”
“Oh, I hadn’t heard. Where at?” Dottie asked, hedging for an invitation to the brunch.
“Actually, at Rafferty’s. He has the biggest place.” Mandy didn’t take the bait as she explained, not even looking at the man whose house she was inviting people to. “But I bet Mia would bring Rafferty out during the week, then you can have something ready when they get there. Not be so rushed.”
“That would work out better,” her mom agreed, then turned to Mia and Rafferty and said, “Tomorrow night.”
“We will be there, Mrs. Lawson.” Rafferty grinned at her.
“Don’t be so formal. Call me Dottie.” Her mom giggled under the intense sexy grin.
“I will, Dottie. Now, I have to get my house in order since the book club is coming,” Rafferty said, but he didn’t sound mad.
“We’ll drive you two since you walked,” Natalie said from the aisle as they waited to shake the pastor’s hand.
“That would be great.” Rafferty had completely taken over the conversation, but Mia was lost in the entire thing.
Everything was a blur until Rafferty led her to Natalie’s SUV, and the people around her stopped talking. Because there were no people around her finally. Breathing deep, she closed her eyes.
“Church, Mia, with your mom there? I guess that’s one way to shut her up.” Natalie shook her head as the short drive came to an end at Rafferty’s house. “Why didn’t you just let the town talk for the weekend. Monday they would’ve already forgotten you were never a couple. Church.”
“Come on in,” Rafferty said to his guests.
“I haven’t been in here for ages. Okay, maybe never. But I used to trick-n-treat here, and it always seemed haunted.” Natalie was making up for the fact that the other two weren’t talking at all.
“It’s not,” Rafferty finally said, though Natalie didn’t seem to believe it.
Before they even made it inside, Math and Tess pulled up behind Natalie’s SUV and clambered out with just the baby today. Math’s other children must have gone home with his parents since they had been at church.
In the house, Rafferty showed Natalie and Sam around and then also Math and Tess when they came in. Mia went to the kitchen to see what Rafferty had for serving almost a dozen people. No paper plates or plastic silverware and not enough regular silverware as it was. She should’ve stopped at her place to grab some. She couldn’t host a party under these conditions.
