but they all managed to avert their gazes while crowding closer to accommodate us. Kael filled two more glasses with wine and jumped right back into his high-energy speech on vinegars and olive oils.
I spent the next hour avoiding eye contact with him as well as Amie’s glances at me. It felt like we were in high school again, and she wanted to make sure I knew some guy was checking me out.
Kael was not checking me out.
At least, that was what I told myself, but I had no way of knowing because I refused to look at him.
“More wine, Mrs. Smith?” He pressed his chest to my back as he leaned over me to grab my glass while everyone ate the fruits of their labor.
Amie kept her head down toward her plate, but I didn’t miss her wide-eyed expression as our teacher invaded my space.
“Th-thanks,” I croaked, catching a whiff of his culinary scent. Herbaceous and spicy.
“Are you ladies enjoying yourselves? Would you like me to demonstrate anything else for you tonight?”
“Elsie hoped you were opening a fitness club. Do you happen to have a six-pack under that apron and shirt?”
“Amie!” I coughed, choking on the food that lodged in my throat when I gasped at her comment. “Cut her off, please. She can’t handle her alcohol.”
Everyone … everyone heard her, and the room broke out into laughter. The whole room was high on food, buzzed from a long week, and drunk on wine.
I was ten shades of red, pitting out, and unable to breathe as Kael stayed right behind me where I couldn’t gauge his reaction.
“If Mrs. Smith needs a private trainer, I can check my schedule.”
More laughter. A few really embarrassing whistles. And Mrs. Smith dying. Seriously … I was dying.
I used to be the Queen of Snappy Comebacks, but I had nothing except fire in my cheeks, sweat pooling between my cleavage, and a dry mouth.
“Kidding.” He rested a hand on my shoulder for several seconds before his presence behind me vanished and I could breathe again—but just barely.
My hand gripped Amie’s arm. “You are dead to me.”
She snorted, wiping her mouth before reaching for my wine since he did, in fact, cut her off. “Our teacher likes you. Oh my god … does he ever.”
Way too much wine for her. And I thought chiropractors were a little more health oriented than four glasses of wine on a Friday. I stood, grabbing my purse and hers, slinging both over my shoulder. “It’s past our bedtime. Thank you, everyone, for accommodating us tonight.”
“Our bedtime? Are we sleeping together now?” Amie stood on weak legs and looped her arm around mine. “I knew we would be lovers someday.”
Giggles ensued as I dragged her toward the door.
“Thanks for coming, ladies. Kira is out there if you want to make any purchases before you leave. Everything purchased tonight is twenty-five percent off.” Kael had the nerve to make a last-minute sales pitch as I struggled to get my drunk BFF out the door.
Classic …
Chapter Six
I hated the way he couldn’t make one freaking decision by himself. I’m not saying his mama failed him, but … yeah, she failed him.
* * *
Epperly got its first snow of the season in early November, and it was a big one.
Ten inches.
Like everyone else, I anticipated a dusting but woke to plows on the streets and my driveway covered. After Craig died, Finn made sure he was up and running the snowblower early in the morning. His natural instinct to step up and be the man of the house brought me to tears. He took off a semester of school to grieve and be with me and Bella. But he was no longer at home for the man-of-the-house call of duty.
“I’ll never get out.” I frowned, peering out the window as I sipped my lemon water.
Bella slid her eggs onto her plate. “You have four-wheel drive. You’ll get out. But I’ll help shovel the driveway.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll do it. I need to figure out the snowblower since Finn is not here this winter.”
“Have you used the snowblower before?”
“No. Hence the figure it out. Your dad didn’t like—” I stopped myself. It wasn’t that I was getting ready to say anything that I wouldn’t have said in front of her when Craig was alive, but it suddenly felt disrespectful to say anything negative about him in front of our children—especially since she and Finn knew the truth.