“So what? When has that ever been the rule?”
“All in favor?” Lizzie asked.
Everyone but Kate said, “Aye.”
“Fine,” Kate grumbled.
Later, after cleaning up and helping their mother with food prep, they gathered around the table for Sunday dinner. Her dad’s friend Martin and his wife had come tonight, so Kate figured everyone would be a little bit better behaved.
“Katie, where’s your boyfriend?” her dad asked.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, Dad.”
“Yet,” Lizzie mumbled under her breath. Kate used her elbow to jab her in the arm.
“Who was that guy here last week?”
“I told you, he’s a client. And trust me, if I have any say in the matter, you’ll never see him again.”
“Famous last words,” Emma said. Kate hushed her.
Halfway through the meal, Edward used his knife to make a dinging noise on his glass, trying to get everyone’s attention. When that didn’t work, he cleared his throat loudly. Whenthatdidn’t work, he yelled, “Hey!” Everyone stopped their side conversations and gave him their attention. “I have an exciting announcement,” he started. “Guess who’d coming to live with us?”
“Is Daisy coming home?” Lucy asked.
“Nope. Well, hopefully someday, but that’s not who it is,” her dad said. “It’s Nana.”
Everyone laughed and clapped.
“Is she okay, Dad?” Emma asked.
“Oh, yes. She’s as feisty as ever. Her place has just become too much to handle alone, and Uncle Pete and I will feel better if she’s living with one of us. We ran it by her this week, and she’s game to give it a try. Your mom and I are going to move her down here the week after next.”
Yes, that’s exactly what these family dinners need—Nana, thought Kate with a smile.The kooky cherry on top of this crazy pie.
CHAPTER TEN
The next day, Kate stopped by The Drip to get coffee before heading to Jacksonville to meet Adam for their second round of home reviews.
While waiting for her coffee, she went to say hello to the Three Musketeers.
“Hey, guys. How are you hooligans doing?”
“Another day above ground is always a good one,” Walter said.
“That’s what you always say,” Kate said. “Hey, what were you betting on with my client Adam last week?”
“Not sure we should tell you,” Archie said. “It would mess up the odds.”
Waves of uncomfortable guilt rolled off all three of them.
“What?” Kate asked. “Is it about me? Now I have to know. What could you possibly be betting on?”
Gene shot the other two a furtive glance and then shrugged. “We may have a bet going as to whether or not you and your ‘client’ Adam get together.” He exaggerated the word client and rolled his eyes when he said it.
Kate steepled her fingers and tapped the two pointers against each other, thinking. “I want in.”
The three huddled and whispered for a minute and then turned back to her. “We’ve amended the rules, again, and will allow you to bet. This bet goes longer than a week though. It’s sort of open-ended. You can bet, and then we’re allowed to adjust our bets accordingly,” Gene said.