Page 50 of The Rules We Broke
“Why don’t we talk about that over dinner?”
“All right,” I said. But inside, I was bracing. I had a feeling I was about to find out what Brady meant by things had changed. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.
Caroline and I set the table while she chattered nonstop about Sunday School. She talked faster than anyone I’d ever met, words tumbling out like spilled jellybeans.
By the time we finished, dinner was ready—roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots, and what looked like homemade rolls.
It smelleddivine. I rarely had a true home-cooked meal, so this felt like a genuine treat.
I caught myself wishing, just for a second, that we were sisters-in-law. Of course, that would mean I’d be married to Brady. And let’s not forget his charming parents, who I wouldn’t put past keeping a voodoo doll of me in their attic just for the fun of it.
“Wow,” I said. “This looks and smells fabulous. Thank you again.”
Kendra reached across the table and gently took my hand. “We’re really glad to have you here, Ellie.”
Why did that make my chest ache? Why did her sincerity—her kindness—make me want to cry?
They didn’t even know me. Not really. Yet they welcomed me like family.
I squeezed her hand back, managed a smile, and blinked against the burn behind my eyes.
Benjamin blessed the food. Short and to the point—just the way Aunt Lu liked her prayers.
I couldn’t stop staring. He looked so much like Brady. All I knew was Brady Jackson was going to be real easy on the eyes in his forties.
Caroline chattered nonstop as the dishes were passed around. It was adorable, right up until—“Did you know that Uncle Brady and Miss Ellie were boyfriend and girlfriend?”
She beamed at me as if she’d just shared the most delightful revelation.
I smiled back because—well, what else was I supposed to do? It wasn’t like her parents didn’t know.
Benjamin looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes, darlin’, we knew that.”
Caroline’s shoulders drooped with disappointment that she hadn’t shared some new revelation. Unfortunately, she wasn’t done. “So, how come you’re not anymore, Miss Ellie?”
And just like that, my cheeks lit up. I had no idea how to answer that.
The truth wasn’t exactly a great dinner topic. How did I tell the sweet thing that,“Your grandparents hated me, and your uncle dumped me for a beauty queen?”
Thankfully, Kendra stepped in. “Caroline, I don’t think that’s something Miss Ellie wants to talk about.”
Caroline didn’t let this deter her. She turned those wide green eyes on me. “But don’t you like Uncle Brady? He told me he really likes you.”
“Of course I like him,” I said gently.
“Then you can be his girlfriend.”
I wanted to tell her,If that’s all it took, I’d sign up in a heartbeat.Did that make me foolish? Probably. But I could never forget what it was like to be loved by him. A boy who, at times, loved us enough for the both of us.
But I didn’t say any of those things to her. Because I loved her innocence—and I hoped she’d carry it with her for as long as possible.
I hoped she’d grow up believing love was simple, without ridiculous rules. That she could marry the person who made her heart skip without worrying whose heart she was bruising in the process. That she’d never be hated by her husband’s family. And never have to see the man she loved love someone else.
Anyway . . .
“Caroline, let’s talk about something else, darlin’,” her daddy said, stroking her head.
That worked for me.
