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His expression was unreadable, al or not “I did wonder,” he mumbled to himself, but didn’t finish what he wondered
“Hey, you two,” Jackson said “Knock it off and let’s eat”
I noticed then that Nathaniel’s arms were around me, and to anyone else, we probably looked like a couple in a lover’s eave a short nod of approval and went about pulling plates from the cabinets
“Come on,” she said to Jackson “Let’s take the plates and steaks outside I’ht them back inside in the first place” She s the salad with you when you come”
“Will do,” I told her, my arms still around Nathaniel
Felicia and Jackson left, discussing the potatoes left on the grill and whether or not they’d be ready
“Sorry,” I said to Nathaniel, when they were out of earshot
“Whatever for?” he asked
“I didn’t mean to slip there When I said—
“I want you to do soizing for everything Matter of fact, I want you to go the rest of the evening without apologizing for anything” His eyes sparkled “Can you do it?”
“I’ll try I don’t knohat happened there,” I said “Hearing you ask if I was okay just triggered souess”
“It was me,” he said “I need to find neords” He pulled away and took two bottles of dressing froerator “She has only Italian and ranch? No bleu cheese?”
I shrugged “Hasn’t stocked up the refrigerator yet, I guess Think you can do Italian for one night?”
He didn’t answer, but instead went back to our previous conversation “When I walked into the kitchen and saw you at the sink, you just looked”—he wrinkled his brow—“perplexed or confused or so” He took a cucuhtfully “I wonder if we should have stayed at ht”
I wondered the saular” couple after such an intense weekend
“I know,” I said “But I think it’ll be good Jackson’s such fun and I want”—I took the salad bowl and moved toward the door—“I want to show Felicia we’re fine”
We had gone out with Felicia and Jackson a few tiether While part of me wondered if Nathaniel and I should have stayed at his house for the night, a larger part of me wanted to be back around Jackson and Felicia To prove, somehow, that ere able to do the dual relationship
Nathaniel and I ht as Jackson took the potatoes frorill
“Right on time,” Felicia said
Nathaniel placed the dressings on the table and took the bowl from me Then he came behind my chair and pulled it out for me
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” I told hi a seat as he pushed the chair under the table
“Huers downto rest at the nape of my neck with a soft squeeze It was as if he feltme Needed a physical connection with me
I glanced over to Felicia and Jackson They stood by the grill, talking Felicia balanced a plateful of potatoes
“I like taking care of you,” Nathaniel said, taking his own seat
“You took care of me all weekend,” I countered
“No” He smiled “You took care of me”
I placed a napkin in ree that we both took care of each other?”
“I’ll go with that,” he said “But you need to accept the fact that I will always pull your chair out, open your car door, and stand when you leave the table” He leaned over to whisper, “It’s the way I was raised My dad and uncle did the sas for mom and Linda, and they never served them the way you serve me”
“That you know of,” I shot back
He laughed “I’ to think about that”
Jackson and Felicia walked to the table
“So,” Jackson said, sitting down “What have you two been up to this weekend?”
Felicia’s eyes bugged out I aloing to do? Launch into a running commentary on the ins and outs of e had done?
“Abby treatedof the breakfast I’d lass to me “Superb, as always” He looked over to Felicia “Has she shared her recipe with you? Jackson loves French toast”
Felicia shook her head “I’m not much of a cook I’m afraid Jackson will have to do without that particular delicacy”
And just like that, the conversation drifted away from our weekend I placed a hand on Nathaniel’s knee and he reached down to intertwine our fingers
I squeezed his knee Thank you
He returned the squeeze You’re welcome
“I’d better head home,” Felicia said two hours later, when the last dish had been put in the dishwasher, following the high-spirited dinner “Abby proements”
Jackson leaned against the countertop “Explain to ain e care where people sit?”
Felicia huffed and picked her purse up froerator “We just do”
“But, baby, you’ve gone over the table arrange pushing this particular button of Felicia’s “We’ll be just as married if the Tompkinses sit beside the McDonalds or not”
She ignored hi into town?” she asked me
“Thursday before,” I answered, slipping my hand inside Nathaniel’s He hadh my head: will he mention the collar if I have it on?
She put her hands on her hips “Think he’d like to sit with the Tompkinses?”
“Even I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Nathaniel said Of course he wouldn’t think that would be a good idea Who wanted his current girlfriend’s parent to sit next to and have dinner with his ex-girlfriend’s parents?
“In that case, I guess Abby and I have a lot of work to do,” Felicia said