said, clearly not entirely over her earlier defection to his family’s way of thinking.
She stiffened. She hadn’t been prepared for this extra performance. “I didn’t know we were going to dinner with them tonight.”
He worked the shampoo through her hair and helped rinse it out again. “Well, that’s what we’re here for—family dinners.” Gabe turned her to face him, but her dark eyes slipped away from his. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face toward his. “You’ve been amazing at the dinners. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” She smiled, the nervousness disappearing from her face. But it didn’t disappear from her body. Her shoulders seemed tense as she dried her hair and put on her makeup. If she didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t press. Not when they were about to walk out the door.
The hotel’s restaurant was on the opposite side of the building, a five-star affair with low lighting and white tablecloths.
“Is your grandmother going to eat with us tonight?” Anna murmured as they breezed by the hostess.
“No. Jonas sent a message saying she was still too tired.” Gabe squeezed her hand. “I thought you had a good time with Chase and Tana today.”
“Of course,” she said as if she was trying to convince herself, too. “It was a great lesson, and they’re good teachers.”
“Then—” It was too late to finish the question, so he stopped himself. They had come to the round table where Tana, Chase, and Jonas were waiting. Jonas and Chase stood up to shake hands with him. It was all very formal. Tana came around to embrace Anna, and then they all took their seats. “Lindsey’s at a friend’s house,” Tana said, explaining her absence.
“Now that the lovebirds are here, we can order,” Chase said, shooting Anna a wink.
She laughed, the sound too loud and bright for the moment, and an intense awkwardness flooded over Gabe. “What are you going to have, Jonas?”
“Steak,” his brother’s answer came without a second’s hesitation. “It’s my favorite thing on the menu.”
“You don’t want to broaden your horizons?” Chase needled. “Anna did. She’s basically never been skiing before, and she spent a good two hours on the slopes today.”
“Will I lose all my credibility if I also order steak?” Anna asked, her smile too full. Almost forced.
Chase and Jonas chuckled, seeming not to notice.
“Because it sounds good after all that exercise.” She glanced at Gabe as she said it, her cheeks going pink, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what she was trying to do. Could his brothers tell? That was the key at this moment.
Tana said something about roast chicken, and the rest of them chattered about it until the waiter came back and took the orders.
“Now that that’s done,” Chase said, folding his hands on the table, “what do you two have in mind for the wedding? Because I have some ideas.”
This earned him a look from Tana. “You have ideas? About weddings?”
“Yeah.” Chase grinned. “But I want to hear what the plans are first before I jump in with suggestions.”
“Oh, we—” Anna glanced at Gabe. “We haven’t had time to talk about plans for the big event yet, what with the holidays, and the engagement.”
“What’s your dream wedding?” Tana said, reaching for a roll in the basket at the center of the table. Those rolls were one of Gabe’s favorite things in the restaurant, but he didn’t want one now.
Something had gone horribly wrong, and the direction the conversation was headed left him reeling. He should get up and make some excuse. But then his brothers would know something was wrong, and their questions would only intensify.
“I always thought I’d like a summer wedding,” Tana mused, stealing a glance at Chase. “But winter weddings can be beautiful, too. All those warm wraps...”
“I can’t see us getting married before the summer. Right, Gabe?” Anna’s gaze landed on him, looking for confirmation, her eyes wide with panic. Gabe grabbed her hand.
They hadn’t come up with a fake wedding plan, but the conversation shouldn’t send her into a tailspin. Unless there was something else about wedding planning that he was missing completely. “That’s right. Not before summer at the earliest.”
The waiter stepped in with their salad course. He’d never seen Anna look so relieved. She seemed to be intently focused on dressing the salad, and he was grateful for the lull in conversation while everyone else did the same. Except for Jonas, who didn’t like dressing.
“What about your family, Anna?”