Page 52 of Heal Me
Chapter Fourteen
The meal that night turned into something of a party since Emily’s best friend, Brooke, and Tucker also came over. It was noisy and lively and Kate had a blast. She’d missed the kind of fun chaos a large family brings to a meal and the group assembled at the Jeffries house brought back memories of her upbringing.
Hayley was a constant source of amusement with her bubbly personality and the funny remarks she made about things.
Tucker had been talking about flat tires when she chimed in with, “I don’t know why they don’t make tires out of something better than air.”
Tucker smiled. “What would you recommend, Miss Hayley?”
She narrowed her blue eyes as she thought hard. “Sponges inside the rubber.”
“Interesting. Why sponges?” Ric inquired, his eyes twinkling.
“Well, they’d still be soft so the car rode nice, but if you run over a nail, the tire won’t go flat. See? Problem solved,” she said with an emphatic nod.
Kate laughed along with the rest. She’d watched Ric with Hayley and saw the close bond they shared.He’s a natural-born father. I can’t believe that he’s not married with a bunch of kids by now. He obviously loves them.In her mind’s eye, she conjured the image of the two of them with several children.
Then she chided herself for getting carried away with that kind of thinking. Their relationship was much too new to be daydreaming about marriage. They’d just entered the girlfriend/boyfriend phase. And while she couldn’t ignore what her heart was telling her, they were a long way from exchanging nuptials.
To distract herself from her thoughts, she asked Emily if she could have the recipe for the chicken coating and started discussing cooking in general. When the meal was over, she offered to help clean up, but Emily assured her that she and Brooke had everything under control, so she went to the dining room where an impromptu card game was being set up.
*****
Ric had taken Coco outside to stretch his ankle a little. When he came back in the kitchen door, Emily waylaid him.
“So things seem to be going very well with Kate,” she remarked.
He couldn’t deny that. “Yeah, they are.”
“How well?”
Ric could’ve put her off about it, but he didn’t want to. He actually welcomed her opinion. “Maybe too well.”
Emily stopped loading the dishwasher to look at him. “What do you mean?”
Ric moved closer and lowered his voice. “She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I haven’t felt this way about a woman since Lizzie.”
Emily’s face lit up and she grabbed his arm excitedly. “I liked Kate from the first moment I met her. I think you guys are perfect for each other.”
Ric laughed a little self-consciously. “I can’t disagree with you there. But isn’t it too soon? I mean, we only met a month ago. I don’t want to rush things.”
Emily leaned a hip against the counter. “Does she feel that things are moving too fast?”
“No. In fact, she just gave me a key to her house. I’ll be staying there a lot.”
“That’s awesome,” Emily said. “Look, both of you are adults and if you make each other happy, who’s to tell you what’s too fast and what’s not? As long as it feels right to you and Kate, that’s all that matters.”
“It’s the craziest thing. I kept running from a real relationship because it wasn’t the right time. Our business was too important for me to get tied down with someone. But maybe Lizzie hurt me more than I could admit. Then I meet Kate and we just clicked. She lost a fiancé, a man she shared a home and who she was going to build a life with. If she’s willing to give me a chance I’d be silly not to. She’s agreed to have a long-distanced relationship and is understanding when things come up,” he said. “She’s gorgeous and smart and fun—everything a man could want. I think I could fall in love with her.”
Emily embraced him tightly. “I’m so happy for you! I’ve been hoping that you would meet someone special and I think Kate is a very special woman.”
Ric hugged her back as his heart flooded with happiness. “So do I. I’m glad that you approve.”
“I definitely approve and if you let her get away, I’ll never let you live it down.”
“I won’t. I intend to keep her.”
“Good.”
