As Tabby retrieved the dressing, Andie placed all the ingredients into a large bowl and started to toss it. Then she added the vinaigrette and mixed it some more.
“If you’ll carry the salad, I’ll take the bread and ice tea. I made enough lasagna to feed an army, so Brody will have to get it out of the oven.”
The phone rang.
“Brody will you get that?” Andie stopped and listened for a moment. After the ringing stopped, she gathered the bread and pitcher and stepped out of the kitchen.
Scooping the large bowl in her arms, she once again followed Andie. When they reached the dining room, she set the bowl down, noticing the table had four place settings. She jerked her questioning gaze up to Andie.
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind, but Brody’s brother will be joining us tonight.”
Tabby felt her heart drop to her feet. She had yet to gather her wits before Brody waltzed into the room, Reece right on his heels.
“That was your grandfather on the telephone. Harold said he’s sorry he couldn’t make supper and was glad Tabby could join us in his place. It appears he has some things that needed his attention in town.”
The mischievous grin Brody flashed his wife before he pulled out her chair and she sat down seemed strange to Tabby, but she had bigger things to worry about.
When her and Reece’s eyes met, he came to an abrupt halt. The air between them seemed to crackle and pop with tension that grew thicker with each second they stared at each other without speaking.
“I’ll get the lasagna,” Brody offered, but before he left the room he threw a glance toward Reece. “Cat got your tongue, bro?”
Reece’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down his throat. “Evening, Tabby.”
She nodded warily. “Reece.”
Why did he have to smell so good? Warm. Woodsy. Sensual. A scent that had been all over her skin after they had made love at the high school. No. What they’d had was sex. Nothing more than a moment’s lust.
“So, how are the booths coming along?” Andie began pouring tea into glasses.
Reece accepted a glass and passed it to Tabby, his eyes narrowing on her. “We’re finished.”
Did she hear a tinge of sarcasm in his tone?
“Vic and Josie did a great job on the inside of the sultan’s tent and the outside of the cottage. It’s quite a sight. You should see it, Tabby.”
Yep. Sarcasm. But why?
The framing and wood flooring couldn’t have taken him much time or effort. It was a simple diagram he had to follow. It’s not as if she could have helped them. Sure, he and Devon had to drape the tent, but that wouldn’t have taken more than fifteen minutes at the most. So why the pissy attitude?
“I planned to take a peek tonight when I go back to get my Jeep.”
“Get your Jeep?” Brody asked as he set the heavy pan of lasagna on a hotplate in the middle the table. Bright red tomato sauce bubbled up between the white layers of cheese covering the top. The rich scent made her dry mouth water.
“Tabby walked here from town,” Andie clarified.
“Well, she won’t be walking back. It will be dark by the time she leaves.” Brody pulled out his chair and sat down. “With all the strangers in town, it isn’t safe. Reece will take you when you leave.”
Even though his tone left no room for argument, she thought, Ohhh no he won’t.
She placed her napkin in her lap, curling her fingers around the edges. “I’ll be fine.” More so than being stuck in the same confined space with Reece. No. She couldn’t possibly put her heart in that kind of situation.
“No you won’t,” both he and Brody said in unison.
“Then it’s settled. Reece will take you into town. Let’s eat,” Andie said.
We’ll see, echoed through Tabby’s head as she stared down at her empty plate and wished she’d never come over here to express her concerns regarding Harold. A telephone call would have been better—at least safer.
Dinner went as well as she could expect. Both she and Reece answered direct questions about the sultan’s tent and the cottage. Cautiously, they labored through the evening’s conversation as if they were playing a game of chess, each move calculated and thoughtful in an attempt to avoid each other. She tried to ignore him; still she was advertently aware of him. When their hands accidently touched, reaching for the butter at the same time, warmth spread through her. She hated her body’s reaction and the way her nipples suddenly beaded.
If Brody and Andie noticed the discord between Reece and her, the couple didn’t let on.
Andie pushed her plate away. “So, when do you return to school?”