A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn(34)

Leona Kaufmann, who was standing nearby, interrupted her thoughts. “Don’t worry. You two weren’t doing anything wrong.” Smiling at her new husband, Zack, she said, “It’s just that most parents don’t like to think of their kinner doing the things they used to do.”

Ben grinned. “I don’t believe my parents ever held hands. I can’t imagine such a thing.”

“My daed is always giving my mamm a hug or teasing her,” Zack said. Clasping Leona’s hand, he grinned. “Once me and my sister Violet caught them kissing in the kitchen late one night. I thought my sister was going to fall on the floor, she was so stunned.”

When Tricia chuckled, Ben raised his brows. “Really? I can’t remember anything like that happening at my house.”

Zack glanced over at Ben’s daed. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing, but maybe your father will be holding a lady’s hand one day in the future.”

Ben frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Gently, Tricia said, “It’s becoming fairly obvious that your father and Emma Keim like each other.”

He looked at his father for a few minutes and mused, “They sure were having an intense conversation.”

Tricia thought of asking Ben what he thought about that, but knew he wouldn’t want to say anything while they were standing next to other people.

But almost an hour later, when he was walking her back to the Orange Blossom Inn before taking the SCAT to his farm, she gathered her courage and asked, “Would you be upset with your father if he started seeing Emma?”

“Why would I be upset?”

“You know why. Because of your mamm. You might not want him ever having another relationship. If you don’t, it’s okay,” she said quickly. “I am simply curious about what you are thinking.”

“I’m starting to get the impression that you like to talk about things. A lot.”

“I’m afraid so. I don’t like to guess how people are feeling,” she replied. Of course, she was also thinking about her volatile argument with Aunt Beverly a week ago. She’d been caught so off guard by her aunt’s comments, she’d practically accused Beverly of not caring about her—which she knew couldn’t be further from the truth. After all, Aunt Bev had taken her in when Tricia had arrived in Sarasota unannounced.

Since then, things had been a little strained between them, but they were getting better every day. Tricia had come to realize that she wasn’t perfect and her aunt Beverly wasn’t, either. Everyone sometimes blurted things they wished they would have said with more care.

Tricia was determined to use that strained conversation to her benefit now. She wanted to talk about things in a quiet, meaningful way. As often as she could.

After they walked another half a block, he answered her earlier question. “I don’t mind if my daed likes Emma, Tricia.” After another couple of paces, he continued. “My mother was the best. But she was sick for quite a while before she passed away. I don’t know what my daed wants to do in the future, but if he chose to not remain alone, I wouldn’t blame him.”

Everything Tricia could think to say seemed a little too bold and blunt. Though Ben didn’t talk about his mother much, she knew he still grieved for her. Therefore, she did the only thing she could think of to show her support. She reached out, took his hand, and gently squeezed.

He turned to her in surprise. Then carefully took her hand in return.

They walked the rest of the way to the inn hand in hand, neither of them caring that they made quite a sight.

All Tricia knew was that she didn’t want to let go anytime soon.





Chapter 12


A whole lot of people were coming over after church and Emma was pretty sure she wasn’t going to have enough food.

“You shouldn’t have invited them over in the first place,” she chastised herself as she chopped up another stalk of celery. “You should have left well enough alone.”

But her practice of leaving well enough alone seemed to be a thing of the past. On Friday when Jay had stopped by to pick up William, they’d wound up sitting on her front stoop for a good hour, talking about nothing important, simply catching up on their week.

It had been so nice.

Remembering how comfortable she’d been, what with the porch’s overhang shielding her face but allowing the sun to shine down on her bare feet and calves, Emma knew she hadn’t felt so relaxed in ages. She and Jay had conversed about all sorts of topics, none of them taxing or particularly important. She’d smiled a lot and laughed some, too. As their easygoing conversation meandered along, each comment had led them off on another tangent. Before she’d known what she was doing, Emma had found herself inviting Jay and his family over after church on Sunday.