“Huh, what?”
I turn to face him, seeing him grinning at me.
“I just said how’s dinner.”
“It’s fine.”
“Thirsty?”
I purse my lips as soon as I see the little grin creep across his lips.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m sure there’s some tequila somewhere you could-”
“I’m fine, thank you,” I hiss.
He grins.
“Get those copies made?”
My face goes red. “Yes,” I mutter.
“Great. So is class still in session tonight?”
I glare at him, my eyes going a little wide at the gall of him to bring this up at dinner like this, even if the room is full of other conversations all around us.
“Um, no,” I shoot back, stabbing at my veggies.
“So, Eva, what do you do when you’re not helping to build ministries outreach centers?”
I look up at Ivy, thankful for the interruption.
“Oh, well-”
“She just got back from missionary work.”
Ivy blinks as my father interrupts, turning to him and nodding before looking back at me. “Oh, that’s great!”
“Where were you-”
“Korea,” my father interrupts again.
A shadow crosses Ivy’s face, but she brushes it off as she pointedly looks at me. “Wow, Korea! That’s awesome. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
I nod. “Yeah it was pretty amazing. We got to visit a bunch of the old temples, and see the-”
“And spread the word of our Lord and Savior, of course,” my father interrupts yet again.
“Right, and that.”
“Sounds fun.” Ivy smiles at me.
“It was! The urban policy stuff really stuck with me. I’ve been thinking about it for a Master’s, if I ever go.”
Sierra looks up with a wry grin. “Good luck,” she laughs. “Forget about sleep.”
“Well, I think it’s a big maybe,” my father says quietly. “After all, Eva has a suitor as well who’s been showing interest in marriage.”
Ivy blinks. “Wow, you’re getting married?” She frowns. “Wait, a suitor?”
“Indeed.” My father beams as he puts a hand over my mother’s. “We’re very proud of her.”
Ivy looks at me with a half raised brow.
I know how this looks. I know exactly how bizarre this looks. It’s just…not, at least, not for where I’m from and who my family is.
“Milton,” I say evenly. “He’s very nice. He owns his own business.”
Ivy nods. “Oh, he and Silas would hit it off, then.”
“Securities firm,” Silas says with a shrug. “Me and Kyle, Ivy and Sierra and Row’s other brother.”
“Good for you, son,” my father says earnestly. “It’s important for a man to till his own earth.”
As if my father has ever tilled anything.
“Wow, well, all sorts of independent business owners at the table,” Sierra says with a laugh. “You know, Rowan actually owns-”
“I’m aware,” my father says flatly, cutting her off. “A bar,” he says with a disdainful look, his brow shooting up as he spears some salad with his fork.
Rowan clears his throat.
“Well, Silas,” my father looks up from his plate. “You and Milton should talk. He’s coming to town in a few days to begin his courtship of Eva.”
“Courtship?” Ivy says quietly. Silas subtly shakes his head at her.
“Yeah, he sure is!” Rowan chirps up loudly, grinning. “Eva here is pretty excited. She is a little nervous, though,” he says with a glancing look at me.
“What?” I nervously clear my throat. “No, I’m not.”
“Which is why I’ve been helping her.”
I freeze, the blood draining from my face as I slowly turn to stare at him.
He’s insane.
He’s going to blow this whole thing up in front of everyone and humiliate me.
“Helping her,” my father says flatly.
Rowan grins widely. “You bet, Leonard! I’ve been giving her relationship advice.”
The entire Hammond family snorts out a collective laugh. Ivy throws her head back, crowing a laugh and wiping at a tear, and Silas is all but doubled over as he shakes his head at Rowan.
“You?”
“Oh, har har, har,” Rowan chucks his napkin at his friend. “I’ll have you know, I can actually be an excellent teacher.”
I freeze, a shiver jolting through my whole body.
Why?
Because Rowan’s just put his hand on my knee under the table.
I swallow the gasp in my throat, my head whirling to stare at him as he calmly just grins at the table.
“I think she wants advice on how to keep someone around, Row, not the opposite.”