Page 113 of The Rules We Broke
I tried. But it was hard.
This right here was why I never came back to Kaysville—because I didn’t want to face this kind of behavior again. Those women made Atlanta sound better by the bite.
Maybe Brady’s interview would go well. He didn’tneeda job to make the move, but I knew him—being a breadwinner mattered, and I’d never even dream of suggesting otherwise.
Kendra and I grabbed a table as far from the main area as we could manage. I had a feeling she came armed with juicy details about her mother-in-law. And I couldn’t help but wonder: was it possible to marry Brady and somehow . . . skip the in-laws?
We ordered our food, and before the waitress even left, Kendra gave me a sly smile. “The big guns have been called in,” she said. “Beau and Booker—and their families—will be here for Christmas. Thanks to you.”
I shook my head. “Wouldn’t they come for Christmas anyway?”
Her eyes sparkled. “Oh, no, this was their year for Thanksgiving. They were just here. Butunder the circumstances,plans have changed.”
“What circumstances?”
“Oh, honey. I’ve never seen Elizabeth this out of sorts. She’s beside herself over the impending nuptials and the possibility of Brady moving away. And Isaac refuses to talk Brady out of it, which is only driving her crazier.”
I let out a slow breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. Why did she care so much? It wasn’t like I was asking Brady to choose between me and his family.
Shewas doing that.
“Does Brady know?” I asked.
Kendra folded her hands. “Yes. And . . . Brady told us about Saturday night. His suspicions. As much as it pains Benjamin,he agrees. They’ve both come to believe their parents’ marriage lacked love. But what kid wants to admit that?”
“Kendra, I’d hate to think that’s true. But if it is—why did they ever get married?” I paused. “I mean, aside from the fact that she was pregnant.”
She shrugged. “Benjamin said they’ve never been an overly affectionate family. Their daddy’s always been guarded with his emotions. I think it was just . . . a different time. A different kind of expectation.”
“So, what does she hope to accomplish by having Beau and Booker here?”
“I think she’s hoping they’ll do what they did last time—convince Brady he’s making a mistake. That blood is thicker than water.”
My face went cold.
Kendra reached for my hands. “Don’t worry, Ellie. Brady’s not going anywhere. And Benjamin’s been trying to talk some sense into his older brothers—and their momma.”
“Any luck?”
She gave a half-hearted smile.
“I knew it was too much to hope for.”
“Ellie, who cares what they think? Seriously. Benjamin says they just need to get to know you. Everything they’ve heard is secondhand—from Elizabeth.”
“Hmm. I don’t exactly see them inviting me over for tea while they’re in town,” I laughed, but I was serious. I paused. “Well, unless they think they can get away with poisoning me.”
Kendra grinned. “Oh, come on. You know wicked witches use apples.”
We burst into laughter, the kind that clears the air. And in that moment, I knew—Kendra and I were going to be the best of friends.
I left the restaurant in quite a mood.
On one hand, I felt great—Kendra was hilarious, and there was nothing like girl talk over lunch to lift your spirits. But her news about Brady’s family had me worried and more than a little annoyed. Why couldn’t they just leave us alone? What did they think I was going to do—hex their bloodline?
I was so stirred up, I drove straight to the bank instead of heading home. I needed to see Brady.
My walk through the bank lobby drew plenty of glances. Margaret, the teller manager who’d been so delightfully rude to me before, got a smug little smirk from me as I passed.
