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At this point, I wasn’t even surprised.
“Nonsense!” Kate protests. “You should stay for dinner. I put the lasagna Mrs. Santiago brought over in the oven a little while ago. I think it should be done by now.”
“Kate,” Rebecca sighs. “I don’t…”
“C’mon, Becs. We have yet to talk about the party next week.”
I open my mouth to say I’ll just go when Kate turns to me, a stern expression on her face. “None of you are leaving. I have all this food in the fridge that people brought over that I don’t know what to do with. So you’ll sit your asses down, eat the food, and we’ll talk about everything that has to be done for the party once our friends from Blairwood come. Was I clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, just as Rebecca mutters, “Fine.”
“Great. Now I’m going to…”
Emmett gently pushes Kate toward the loveseat. “Sit your butt down while I go check the dinner.”
Kate looks over her shoulder. “I can do it.”
“But you don’t have to.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Be back in a bit.”
Kate is shaking her head, but she doesn’t try to protest.
I could see why Emmett was worried, though. When I first got to their house earlier, she was white like a wall. Apparently, she’s been throwing up again. Since then, some of the color has returned to her cheeks.
“I swear this man drives me crazy.”
“He’s just worried about you.” Rebecca slips into the chair next to Kate. “So, what did you want to discuss about the party?”
I listen with half an ear as the two of them talk about the party and all the stuff that needs to be taken care of by then. Banners, and bows, and balloons, and a dozen other shit like that. At one point, Rebecca pulls out her phone and starts making a list. Like seriously, it’s just a party.
It doesn’t take long for Emmett to come back to the porch, plates and cutlery in one hand, two beer bottles in another.
“Can you bring the booze?” he asks me as he sets the table.
“You know it. Anything else?”
“Nah, I think we have everything else under control.”
He dips back into the house for the drinks and the food before finally joining us.
I grab a piece of lasagna and dive into it. Emmett and I’ve been working all afternoon, and I am starving. Besides, Mrs. Santiago’s food was always delicious, and this wasn’t an exception.
“Here you go.” Emmett hands Kate a plate, but she eyes theplate carefully, that little bit of the color that had returned to her cheeks draining from her face.
“Umm… you just eat.”
Emmett’s eyes narrow as he takes her in. “Again?” He lifts the plate to his nose and smells the food. “It seems good.” His attention shifts to me. “Does it taste funky?”
“No, it’s perfect as usual.”
“It really is good,” Rebecca agrees, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Maybe my stomach is still recovering from earlier.”
“How about I go and make you some soup?” Emmett starts to lower his plate on the table, but Kate places her hand on his thigh, giving it a squeeze.
“Eat, you’ve been working all day. I’ll just take one of these muffins. But please don’t tell your mother I didn’t eat it. She’ll think I hate her cooking, which is not the case.”
“That’s not true. Mom loves you and is worried. She would try to bring something else, though.”
