Page 50 of Yours Temporarily

I bite into my steak, letting myself savor the meal. There’s just the right amount of salt and garlic, and hmm, it’s tender.

Sara’s every question orchestrates the conversation between Jeremy and Sonya, and with how fast he’s eating his steak, he must be uncomfortable. I slip my hand under the table and place it on his free hand, squeezing it. He looks at me, and the wordless thank you in his eyes reveals an endearing vulnerability.

Sara, watching my every move, shifts her focus to me. “If I remember correctly, Jeremy’s fiancée is an aspiring chef, isn’t she?” she probes, her untouched meal forgotten. “Something along those lines?”

“She’s not just aspiring.” His defense catches me off guard, and the protective edge to his words warms me from the inside out. “She’s an exceptional chef.”

“Because you’re not a picky eater.” Caught in a moment of self-doubt, I downplay his praise. “Anyone can whip up spicy food and appetizers.”

“My Jeremy doesn’t eat spicy food.”

“Only in this house I don’t,” he says. “You don’t ever want Morgan to cook anything you don’t add to the menu.”

Jeremy had said his mom liked micromanaging, but I didn’t realize she controlled whatever the chef cooked.

“Zuri’s food would make you want to try spicy food.” He gives me a sideways glance, smiling. Wow, that’s the first time he’s smiled since his mom came onto the scene—that alone becomes the highlight of this night.

“Hmm.” Sara pinches her wineglass stem, then touches Sonya’s arm. “Remember that time you and Jeremy took a cooking lesson from Morgan?” Apparently, she’s sticking to her agenda—her obvious intent to rekindle the flame between Jeremy and Sonya.

“It was Jeremy’s idea.” Sonya glances at Jeremy flirtatiously. “I’m not sure why he thought we could pull off making pizza from scratch.” She inspects her fingers as if searching for something. “I still have the scar from the oven burn.”

“That was your first year together, right?” Sara lifts her wineglass toward Jeremy. “I knew then you two belonged together.”

“Well, that was then.” He draws out a sigh. “Now, we’re all looking forward to making new memories, aren’t we?”

As the final course brings in a more relaxed dessert session, the atmosphere changes. Laughter mingles with the clicking of silverware on dessert plates and the scent of chocolate and coffee. Gavin and Hope have taken the seats across from us, and Sonya has relocated to the table’s far end next to another sophisticated woman probably her age. The lack of formal introductions at the beginning of the night leaves many faces still unnamed.

Patty strolls to our table, dessert plate in hand. “What do you two lovebirds plan for this week leading to your wedding?”

“Speaking of plans…” Sara, seated next to Gavin’s left, swirls her chocolate-covered fork. “We’re all going to the ski cabin tomorrow. We’ll ski for the next two days.”

“What?”

Gavin and Jeremy’s simultaneous protest cuts through the nearby chatter. “Jeremy and I were planning to take Hope and Zuri—”

“That’s perfect,” Sara cuts off Gavin. “The cabin can accommodate twenty-five. It’ll allow us plenty of family bonding during the wedding week. With Jeremy staying at your house, Gavin, I figured we’d plan a different location for all of us to reunite.”

Jeremy gapes at me, then raises a hand. “That sounds great, Mom, but did you consider everyone’s plans? Zuri and I had discussed exploring the town.”

“Oh, pshaw.” Sara brushes aside his concerns with a dismissive wave. “There’ll be plenty of time for town exploration later. This is about the family reconnecting.”

His eyes narrow. “By reconnecting, you mean…?”

“Most of our friends here.” She flutters her hand around. “It’s been a while since we all spent time together at the cabin.”

“What better time to connect with everyone than at a wedding?” Hope touches her groom-to-be, probably to convince him Sara’s plan is all right.

By the time we leave for Hope’s house, I’m so ready for a break from Sara. I underestimated her. Now I’m wondering how I’d fit into Jeremy’s family should Sara ever become my mother-in-law. The question weighs on me when I sit with Hope at her dining table, sipping chamomile tea at ten o’clock.

“I always need a cup of tea after being in Sara’s presence.” Hope cradles her delicate cup, the steam from it curling into the air as she tests a sip. Her need for tea is understandable after the emotions Sara stirs up.

“How did she manage to convince you to let her take charge of your wedding?”

Hope shrugs, her silhouette blurry with the dim lighting barely reaching us from the seating area. “Sara is controlling, but she loves her children.” She nods to an African art piece on the wall. “I grew up with my father and stepmother. I still doubt they ever loved me.”

She then shares her upbringing, challenges, and struggles, and facing Sara’s overbearing involvement in her children’s lives pales in comparison. “Even though Sara tried to reunite Gavin with his ex and is still hoping she’ll convince Gavin to leave me for her idea of a perfect woman, I’d never come between them. I love Gavin, and it’s important that he doesn’t have a broken relationship with his mom because of me. Sometimes, it puts a strain between Gavin and Sara, especially when he ignores his mother’s calls out of frustration.”

She settles her cup back on the table. “I had to realize this isn’t just my wedding. It’s her oldest son’s wedding, and she wants to be part of planning it. I couldn’t take that away from her. At least we’re getting married at a different venue, not his childhood home.”

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