He glanced at the bandage on my forehead with a wince before his gaze met mine.
揑抦 fine,?I repeated.
He nodded and pressed a quick kiss to my temple before tucking back into his food. His mouth against my skin was comfortable, easy and normal.
Wait. Wyatt had kissed my temple in front of his entire family.
My gaze widened and I glanced around the table but no one had seemed to notice. Everyone was pointedly not looking at us. Holden stared at his plate. Emmett was very interested in the label of his beer. Sam studied something on the fence. Avery and Elizabeth抯 gazes locked on each other.
Huh.
Sam asked Holden about his latest construction project and they began discussing town permits. Emmett jumped in to explain all the bureaucracy he was eliminating from town hall. Wyatt抯 hand settled on my knee. When I glanced up at him with curiosity, he winked at me.
That wink shot right down to between my legs.
揥hen do you pick up your rings??Emmett asked Avery.
She inspected her bare hand. 揑抣l drop by tomorrow and see if they抮e finished cleaning them.?
He made an unhappy noise. 揋ood.?His eyes lit up. 揥e should renew our vows. I should get you another ring.?
She laughed. 揥hat??
Emmett nodded. 揂s a backup. I don抰 like seeing your hand without a ring.?
Holden threw his fork down on his plate. 揥e get it, Emmett, you抮e happily married.?Disdain dripped from his tone. 揋ood for you.?
The table went silent and everyone gave Holden a strange look.
揌olden,?Elizabeth chided. 揝top being so dramatic.?
When we finished eating, the boys stood to clear the plates. I began to stand and Wyatt put a hand on my shoulder to keep me seated.
揥e got it,?he told me.
揃ut厰 I started but he walked away with a handful of dishes.
Avery shook her head at me across the table. 揇on抰 bother.?
Elizabeth poured another glass of wine with a thoughtful expression. 揑抦 still learning about the patriarchy, but my takeaway is, we抮e dismantling it by not doing the dishes.?She held the bottle out to Avery. 揟op up??
Avery nodded eagerly. 揧es, please. I抦 not working tomorrow.?
Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at me with a glimmer in her eyes. 揘o more for you, my dear, or my previously laid-back son will have my head.?She wiggled her eyebrows with delight, like she couldn抰 imagine anything she wanted more.
I swallowed and a blush creeped over my face. Was it my imagination or was Elizabeth enjoying Wyatt抯 weird display of protectiveness?
揥hat are you reading these days, honey??Elizabeth asked me and the endearment made my heart twist.
I began telling her about the historical romance I was reading, how it was so funny and inspiring and silly and the love interest made me swoon. She took down the title and I made a mental note to bring her my copy in case she wanted to read it.
The men returned to the table with plates of key lime pie, and Wyatt settled into his chair beside me before his arm came up around my shoulder. My skin prickled with awareness but I didn抰 dare move. I noticed a couple glances our way but perhaps Elizabeth抯 words in the kitchen had made their mark on everyone because no one said a thing.
If you ruin my chance for another daughter-in-law, she had said.
Daughter-in-law.
I nearly laughed at the idea of Wyatt and I married. Married was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Wyatt was all about impermanence and no tether.
Marriage was a legal tether, and an emotional one. Wyatt and I getting married would mean something.
Alarm spiked in my head and my gaze flared while I stared at my pie. What the absolute hell was I doing, thinking about marrying Wyatt? Maybe I had hit my head harder than I thought.
Elizabeth was just excited because she wanted good things for her sons. She was getting ahead of herself and dragging me with her. This is what moms did. Mine would have. A little smile grew on my face. My mom would love watching Wyatt wrap his arm around me and press kisses to my temple and bark at people that I couldn抰 drink.
揝peaking of town news,?Emmett said, and the look he gave Wyatt was full of mischief before he glanced around the table with an innocent, concerned expression. 揇id they ever find that missing hiker??
I froze.
揥hat missing hiker??Holden took a pull of his beer.
Emmett glanced between Wyatt and I, gaze snagging on Wyatt抯 arm around my shoulder, before he shot us a wicked smile. 揟hat missing woman shrieking in the woods.?
Avery抯 chest shook with laughter but she stared at her plate, Holden put a fist against his mouth but his eyes were bright, and Emmett beamed openly at Wyatt and I. Sam chuckled and Elizabeth glared.
My face was red like a stop sign. 揇oes everybody know??I asked the table, mortified all over again.