“She’s just worried about you.”
He plopped down in the vacant rocker next to her with a sigh. “I promise you that after we eat you can lock yourself in the bedroom and do as much work as you want. I’ll tell them you don’t feel well.”
“So that your poor mom thinks I got food poisoning?”
“I’ll lock myself in the bedroom with you. We can both get some work done.”
“And let them think we’re participating in some sort of sexcapade?”
He grinned. “Sexcapade? That sounds promising.”
She punched him in the arm. “Stop.”
His lips twitched.
“Or they will think I don’t like them,” she said. “I’m not sure which is worse.”
“Give me time to come up with something else then,” he said. “I’ll find a way for you to avoid them without anyone getting hurt feelings or getting embarrassed.”
The truth was she didn’t want to avoid them. For the first time in years, she felt at home. Her thoughts returned to what Becca had shared with her and what she’d shared with Becca. Should she tell Skylar about her family? It only seemed fair considering she knew stuff about him. Maybe he would open up and tell her about his loss in his own words.
She opened her mouth.
The screen door swung wide and struck the white siding. “Time to eat,” Dottie said in a loud voice. Her blue eyes went from Skylar to Anna. She stared at them as if trying to find something wrong with the picture they made. “I hope you’re both hungry.”
Skylar grinned. “Starving.”
He jumped up and pulled Anna up with him. His arm went around her shoulders, and he kissed her temple. She forced a smile. His grandmother made her extremely nervous. The woman was determined to catch them lying.
Anna looped an arm around Skylar’s waist. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to put on the greatest show of her career, of her life. Somehow she’d convince everyone including his grandmother that they were indeed a loving couple headed for the alter. All she had to do was convince herself first.
♥♥♥
Thanksgiving dinner went a lot smoother than Anna expected. There were inside jokes that made everyone laugh, everyone that understood them. Skylar and Becca teased each other about the silly things they did during childhood. John tried to steer the conversation to work a few times, but Joann reversed the direction to more pleasant topics. To Anna, the best thing about the evening was feeling like part of a family again.
When it was over, she and Becca offered to do the dishes. They cleared the table while the men and Joey went to the living room to watch football. Before they could decide which of them should wash and which should dry, Joann cleared her throat to get their attention.
Joann sent Becca out of the room saying, “I want to spend some time with my future daughter-in-law.” As soon as Becca was out of earshot, Joann said, “Grandma Dot tells me Skylar hasn’t talked to you about Clare or the boys yet?”
Anna filled the sink with soapy water and washed a plate in silence. She wanted to keep her hands busy and have something to focus her gaze on so Sky’s mother couldn’t read the truth in her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders. “I understand his reluctance.”
“I do too, but it’s not healthy.” Joann took a wet plate from her and dried it. “He needs to open up to someone. If it can’t be me, then I want it to be you.”
Anna frowned. “He hasn’t talked toyou?”
“As far as I know Skylar hasn’t spoken of the tragedy to anyone. He likes to bury stuff. He’s like his father that way. Getting John to share his feelings is difficult but not impossible. Perhaps you can get Skylar to open up.”
Anna sighed. “I don’t want to push him.”
“Well, no. When you push Skylar, he either pushes back or retreats into himself.” They fell into an easy rhythm with the dishes as though they’d been doing them together for years. “Did Becca tell you he was in court that day? He felt so guilty about working when they were dying that he hated his job after that. He started drinking. When I found out, I forced him to quit and return to work.”
Anna scoffed. “How do you force a man like Skylar to do anything?”
“I’m not proud of it, but I used his father’s health against him. I told Sky about John’s high blood pressure and insinuated that his father had had a mild cardiac event.”
Now she knew where Skylar got his deceptive gene. Apparently, his mother was okay with lying for a good cause. The knowledge made Anna feel a little less guilty about her own deception. She was also lying to help Skylar. “But his father wasn’t sick?”
“Not at the time, no. Maybe I made it happen by saying it out loud. I don’t know. He’s had problems since then, and that’s why he’s finally agreed to retire.” Joann turned away, blinking a few times as though trying to hold tears back. “Anyway, my plan worked. Sky returned to his job, reluctantly. He was still the best when it came to trying the hard cases. But he didn’t enjoy it anymore, and I could see the pressure eating at him.” A sad smile slightly curved her lips. “That is why I am so glad he finally found someone he can lean on.”