A Newport Christmas Wedding Read Free Page B

hand me that butter dish?”
    Nora turned, her elbow knocking the glass she’d just filled. It bobbled then fell over, drenching the table and nearby dishes.
    â€œOh no.” She looked around for a place to put the pitcher. Put it on the table and tried to pick up the glass and ice cubes. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Gran said, snatching a towel off the peg by the sink and tossing it over the spill. “This table has seen its share of overturned water glasses and worse.”
    â€œIt’s not okay. I’m so clumsy. I can’t do anything right.”
    â€œNora!” Meri said. “What’s with that? It’s so not true.” She took a plate that had gotten the worst of the spill and tipped it over in the sink. “There. Like new.”
    But Nora just stood there, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
    â€œYou’re very graceful,” Gran said. “We’re none of us at our ease these days. It’s bound to happen when big changes are coming. Good changes,” she added.
    An audible gulp escaped from Nora.
    Meri frowned and glanced at Alden. He was concentrating on the chicken.
    The spill was quickly cleaned up and the dishes replaced. Alden brought the chicken to the table.
    Meri dropped a big chunk of butter on the beans, and Gran brought wineglasses for the three adults.
    â€œMilk or juice?” she asked Nora.
    â€œNothing, just water.”
    Meri looked more closely at Nora. Was she getting sick? Was something bothering her? Something at school? Should she try to have a girl-­to-­girl talk with her after dinner? They’d always been able to talk before. But that might change, too. Being stepmother to two teenagers was unknown territory. Would Nora still want to talk to her?
    Maybe she should mention something to Alden. Sometimes he could be so clueless, she thought, exasperated. Just as she thought it, he stepped behind his daughter and gave her a quick squeeze.
    Okay, so not so clueless. Actually, to be fair, he was usually very with it. Gran was right. They were all a little on edge. Meri knew she was. Big changes.
    N ORA THOUGHT DINNER would never end. Gran had made her favorites and she barely remembered eating them. And to make it worse, everybody kept asking her if she felt all right.
    Well, she didn’t. But she wasn’t getting sick. It was something else.
    She went straight to her room when they got home. Meri hadn’t come with them. She said she wanted some alone time with Gran. But Nora heard her tell Alden that he should spend some time with her, Nora.
    She groaned and threw herself on her bed. Now she was a chore.
    She didn’t give him the chance to spend time with her. When the two of them got home, she said she was tired and went to her room. She even locked her door, not that he would ever come in without knocking.
    He was good that way, not like her mom, who used to pop in at the oddest moments. Nora knew it was because she was trying to catch her doing something wrong. But her dad wasn’t like that. He trusted her.
    She tried to imagine Meri sneaking up on her. Searching her drawers and backpack for contraband. Putting her on restriction for her bad attitude. Taking her cell away because she talked back. But she hadn’t done anything to make Meri or her dad angry . . . at least that she knew of. But that might change.
    Especially if Meri had a baby.
    Nora turned over on her stomach. A baby . Of course, they would want to have their own family. Then it would start all over. But she would be gone by then. Another few months and she’d be eighteen. She could get her own apartment. Or maybe she’d go to college. Then it wouldn’t matter . . . except on holidays. But what about Lucas?
    She reached in her jeans pocket and pulled out her cell. Opened the text app.
    We nd 2 talk. Pressed send.
    Waited.
    Five minutes. Ten. Where r u.
    Nothing.
    Another ten minutes