Page 102 of Love By The Falls

Trudy’s cheeks redden and I feel bad that I couldn’t come up with a better compliment, but fuck, what was Brigitte thinking, setting me up like this?

“Thank you,” she says, and adds. “I think it’s incredible you became an owner of a baseball team at such a young age. You must be proud of yourself.”

I smirk and observe her face. I can’t tell if she’s mocking my compliment or not. Her face is serene, so I’m not sure how to respond, so I play it safe. “Thank you,” I say.

Brigitte rolls her eyes, and we’re saved by a staff member serving the first course.

The meal is elaborate for a Sunday family dinner. There’s linguine, lobster, and a caviar spread. Brigitte is peppering questions to Trudy and me with less than enthusiastic responses. By dessert, Brigitte’s frantic questions turn sullen, and it seems she’s lost hope of any sparks between Trudy and me.

“So, tell us about that quaint town you visited this weekend. Oak Falls or something.”

Although I sense her forgetfulness may be deliberate, I try to be polite.

“Cedar Brook Falls. It’s a small town, about four hours north of here.” I turn to Trudy, trying to be nice. “Have you heard of it?”

Trudy shakes her head. “I’ve only been to Paris and Lake Como.”

I clear my throat, covering my smile. “Well, those are very nice places to visit. The town didn’t have quite the same tourist crowd, though, which was pleasant.”

“Oh, yes. I just hate it when I have to wait for my cappuccino in the mornings.”

“It’s truly insufferable.”

She smiles, but Brigitte narrows her eyes at me. “Who did you visit in Cedar town?”

“Cedar Brook Falls,” I say again, but she’s unapologetic for the mishap. “As I mentioned earlier, I met a friend.”

“Which friend?”

“You don’t know her.”

“Her?” She raises her eyebrows, and I realize my mistake. I turn to my brother, hoping he’ll help me out of this, but his gaze is lowered, and I suspect he’s checking his phone. He must have smuggled it into dinner.

Bastard.

“I met her in St. Kitts and we… uh… we connected.”

Brigitte glances in Trudy’s direction before redirecting her gaze to me. “Connected? How quaint. And she lives in a small town near the Canadian border?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s not too far from there.”

She smiles, but somehow it makes the conversation feel less friendly. As though the room grew colder. “What could you possibly have in common with someone like that, Cal? Do you find escaping reality amusing? I swear, the more I get to know you, the more I find you eccentric.” She laughs gaily, as though eccentricity would excuse my bourgeois behavior.

“She’s a nice girl.”

“Oh, I’m sure she is. But she’s not good enough for you, Cal.”

“You’re not my mother Brigitte.”

“Well, of course not. But someone needs to look out for you. Michael and I care about you.”

“Thank you, but I can take care of myself without anyone’s help.”

“Come on, Cal. Don’t be upset. Look, I understand it’s exciting to slum it for a while. But you must realize that’s no place for you. What future could you possibly have with someone who lives there? Unless she’swilling to move for you… which I guess is possible. What would be holding her to a small town, right?”

“She has a child.”

“A child?”

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