Page 86 of A Tempting Seduction

“Any progress on Ruby's situation?” I asked quietly.

“Some,” Roan said getting up from his chair. “We've been digging into the California connections. Found some interesting patterns.”

His tone was deliberately vague, but I caught the meaningful look he exchanged with Simon. They'd been working on Ruby's case for the past week, though we hadn't heard much about their progress. Ruby had insisted we not discuss it in detail today, wanting one afternoon where we could just be normal people at a normal gathering.

I watched Lisa and Trenda disappear into the kitchen. That was clearly where all the action was. I grinned. The sound of multiple conversations and clinking dishes created a comfortable backdrop of domestic chaos.

“Beer is in the cooler on the back porch,” Simon said. “Or Little Grandma's got sweet tea that'll put you in a sugar coma.”

“Beer sounds good.”

I followed him through the house toward the back porch, passing the kitchen where at least six women were working in choreographed harmony. Ruby stood at the counter beside Miss Gladiola, both of them studying a yellowed recipe card with intense concentration.

“Something about this doesn't look right,” Ruby was saying. “The temperature says 194 degrees, but that can't be right for cake.”

Miss Gladiola adjusted her glasses. “That's what I thought, too. Maybe we’re reading the handwriting wrong?”

“Or maybe it's in Celsius?” suggested Patti Magill, Little Grandma's daughter. At seventy-seven, she still moved around the kitchen with the efficiency of someone half her age.

“194 Celsius would be about 380 Fahrenheit,” said Lettie, Patti's daughter and Little Grandma's granddaughter. “That makes more sense.”

I grabbed my beer and rejoined the conversation in the living room, but part of my attention stayed tuned to the kitchen discussions. Ruby had been excited about today for weeks, looking forward to cooking her mother's recipes with women who'd known her family.

“Ford,” Bella appeared at my elbow again. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think Ruby's gonna marry you?”

The question came out of nowhere and hit me like a two-by-four to the chest. Every conversation in the room seemed to pause, though that might have been my imagination. Florence Horton was staring at me, and Zoe Avery was fighting back a laugh.

“Bella,” Simon rolled his eyes at me and shook his head. I could tell he was kind of amused, still, he did look down at the girl who was his daughter in all but blood. “That's not polite to ask.”

“Why not? Everyone's thinking it,” Bella said with the brutal honesty of a seven-year-old. “Mom said Ruby makes Ford smile different than he used to.”

Heat crept up my neck. “It's complicated, kiddo.”

“Grown-ups always say that when they don't want to answer questions,” Bella said. “But it's not complicated. Either you want to marry her, or you don't.”

Simon choked on his beer. “Bella, maybe we should talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like how you're going to help me fix the loose board on the front porch,” Roan said, saving me from further interrogation.

Bella's attention immediately shifted. “Can I use the hammer?”

“We'll see.”

“That’s another thing grown-ups say when they don’t want to answer a question. We’ll see means no.” Bella huffed and sat down cross-legged in front of the baby carrier and started playing with her brother. That kid didn’t miss a trick. Yep, I wanted only boys. Nothing but boys.

The kitchen erupted in laughter, drawing my attention back to the women. Through the doorway, I could see them gathered around the table, passing recipe cards back and forth and talking animatedly. I wandered over to see what all the ruckus was about.

“Oh shoot,” I heard Ruby say suddenly from the kitchen, followed immediately by, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to swear in your kitchen, Miss Gladiola.”

Bella raced to the kitchen, “Miss Ruby, you owe me a dollar for the swear.”

“Bella, we discussed this, honey. You’re too old for this schtick,” Trenda said with a mother’s sweet, firm voice.