“I forgot about the wedding. How was it? Was Grant a major pain in the butt?”
“It was the perfect wedding for Ivy and Preston.” Her cousin didn't know Ivy super well, but she'd met her a bunch of times, and Tory had spoken about her, so Leah knew how much the couple loved the beach. “Grant wasn't as annoying as he could've been. Having Duncan there forced him to keep his distance.”
“Hold on a minute, Duncan went with you? It sounds like things are moving fast between you two. I mean, the wedding was, what, three weeks after the auction?”
At the moment, they were the only ones in the room, but that could change at any moment. “When I bid on Duncan, I planned to ask him to come with me to the wedding and pretend to be my boyfriend.” Even though the room was empty, she kept her voice close to a whisper.
“That doesn't sound like something you'd think up.”
Tory shook her head. “I didn't. Ivy did.” Come to think of it, she owed her friend a thank-you. If not for her outside-the-box crazy idea, she wouldn't be here with Duncan now.
“That makes more sense.”
“Anyway, it never felt fake, even before we left for the wedding. Things between us progressed from there. I even joined his family Thursday for Thanksgiving. In two weeks, we're having dinner with my mom and dad.”
“How did your parents take it when they found out you were with someone?” Leah asked.
Leah knew what Tory's parents wanted, and much like Tory, she couldn't figure out why.
“Mom wasn't thrilled. She called me at one o'clock in the morning after she found out from Mrs. Castillo. I haven't talked to Dad, but I'm sure he's not happy.”
“Grant's mom should mind her own business.”
Mrs. Castillo was a little nosey but still sweet. “I should've realized Grant's parents would be there and told Mom before she found out from someone else.”
“How do you think it'll go when Benjamin and Shannon meet Duncan?”
Excellent question.Tory didn't expect her parents to be blatantly rude. That wasn't either one's style. But they wouldn't be warm and welcoming either. Not when, in their eyes, Duncan stood in the way of the outcome they wanted. Hopefully, they'd be polite and eventually come to welcome Duncan into their lives, because she didn't see him going anywhere.
Tory heard Reese and Erin's voices before they entered the room, followed by their fathers and Duncan.
“No idea,” Tory answered.
* * *
Although Judith hadn't preparedthe meal, Thanksgiving dinner today was much more like the one she'd enjoyed with Duncan's family than any she'd experienced with her parents. After everyone finished eating, Reese and Erin convinced the younger guests, Tory and Duncan included, to join them outside for a soccer game. According to their fathers, both girls loved soccer. Although Tory wasn't the best player, a backyard game provided her with a way to burn off all the extra calories she'd get while eating dessert.
The moment they'd stepped outside, it'd been obvious how serious the two girls were about the sport. Two full-size nets occupied the yard. After they decided which goal would be theirs, the girls assigned the adults to a team and named themselves captains. Although it was only a backyard family game, the girls took every second seriously. They'd correct the players when they'd made a mistake and offer praise when they did something well. The two girls were natural leaders.
After exactly how long, Tory didn't know, the game ended; the final score was 2 to 1, with Reese's team winning. At first, the girls objected when told it was time to head inside. But then Curt reminded them that chocolate molten lava cakes were waiting inside, and they'd sprinted across the yard. Tory couldn't blame them. Chocolate molten lava cakes were yummy.
Now the two youngest guests were enjoying their second serving of dessert and once again watching something on Erin’s tablet while the adults sat in small groups having their own conversations.
One particular group kept grabbing her attention. She couldn't say Duncan and Brett had been inseparable, but it seemed like when he wasn't with her, Duncan was with Brett. Sometimes Curt would be with them, and other times Gavin was with them. Andonce he'd even been talking with Brett and Harrison, Leah's uncle, who was a former United States senator.
Right now, Duncan, Curt, and Brett were sitting across the room, enjoying drinks and dessert.
“What about you, Tory?”
Jennifer's voice pulled Tory's attention back to the woman sitting near her.
“Sorry, my mind wandered.”
Leah gave her a knowing smile. “Gee, I wonder where?”
Her cousin wasn't wrong. Her thoughts were on Duncan, just not in the way Leah thought. Duncan and her cousins could be discussing a million different things. But, unfortunately, every time she looked over and saw Duncan with Brett, she heard Grant's voice in her head.
“What was your question, Jen?” Tory forced her eyes to focus on Brett's wife rather than the men.