by Ramona Gray
“Mom, this is Kate Jones, a work colleague. Kate, my mother Barb.” Edward gave his mom a fierce glare that would have wilted Kate on the spot. Barb, however, only reached up and patted his cheek lovingly.
“You look tired, dear. Have you been getting enough sleep?”
“Yes, mom,” Edward said as Barb took both of Kate’s hands in a warm grasp.
“It’s so lovely to meet you, Kate. You’ll have to forgive me - I’m a bit excited to meet Edward’s lady friend.”
“Mom, Kate is not a lady friend - she’s a work colleague,” Edward said loudly but Barb ignored him and led Kate from the room.
“I understand it’s your birthday today, dear. And that child of mine made you not only work on your birthday but took you away from your family and friends as well.” She glared over her shoulder at Edward who stared back defiantly for a moment before admitting defeat and staring at the floor.
Kate, a little rattled by the woman’s warmth and friendliness, said, “Well, I only had to work half a day and then he treated me to lunch and we did some tourist stuff for the rest of the afternoon so don’t be too hard on him, Mrs. Turner.”
“Call me Barb, dear. Do you have any siblings?” She asked as she ushered Kate into the small, warm kitchen.
“Yes. I have a younger sister.”
“And your parents? Do they live near you? Are you close to them?”
“They live a few hours away and we are,” Kate replied.
“Oh, that’s lovely.” Barb smiled at her before turning to stare at the table. “I’m afraid it’s going to be a bit cozy but we’ll manage.”
“Honey, where are we sitting?” Jacob asked as the rest of the family crowded into the kitchen.
“You and Grandpa Joe can sit at the ends of the table and we’ll put the kids on each side and I’ll squeeze in between you and Edward,” Barb said.
Within minutes they were sitting around the small table. Edward’s large thigh brushed comfortably against hers and she gave him a nervous smile when he subtly reached under the table and rubbed her thigh with his warm hand.
“Thank you, Grandpa Joe,” she murmured when the old man passed her a large steaming bowl of potatoes.
“Ayuh,” he grunted softly.
Kate helped herself to some potatoes and passed them on to Edward. As Grandpa Joe passed her a platter piled high with roast beef, Barb said, “Kate, dear, take lots. You’re looking a little peaked and thin.”
“Mom,” Edward sighed with exasperation, “How could you possibly decide she’s looking thin and peaked? You haven’t met her until tonight.”
“A mother knows these things, Edward.” She brushed off his protests with a small wave of her hand before turning to Tory.
“Dear, how did that meeting with that awful woman from the flower shop go today?”
As Tory told Barb about her meeting, Kate accepted the plate of asparagus Grandpa Joe was holding out to her and dished some out on to her plate.
“Are you a lawyer?” He asked abruptly.
“No, I’m an administrative assistant at the law firm,” Kate replied.
“Good, there are too many lawyers in this family already,” Grandpa Joe barked loudly. Jason snorted laughter through his nose and Edward gave him a dirty look.
“Oh, are you a lawyer as well, Jason?” Kate asked politely.
“Me? No, I’m a teacher,” Jason replied, slathering butter onto a bun.
“So your parents are lawyers?” Kate said to Edward.
Edward shook his head. “Dad’s an engineer and mom works part time at a fabric store. I’m the only lawyer in the family.”
She glanced at Grandpa Joe who shrugged. “Like I said - too many lawyers in the family.”
Kate grinned at Edward as Grandpa Joe continued. “Lawyers are crooks, you know, Kate.”
“You don’t have to tell me, Grandpa Joe. I’ve worked with them for the last five years,” she replied.
The old man snorted laughter as Jason choked on a bite of bun and Tory patted him on the back. Once he had stopped coughing and taken a drink of water Kate asked, “What grade do you teach, Jason?”
“High school physics and math,” Jason said.
“Do you enjoy it?”
“For the most part. I’m looking forward to summer break.” He gave Tory a warm look that she returned immediately, reaching out to smooth his hair back from his forehead.
“Tory and Jason are getting married this August,” Edward said.
“Congratulations,” Kate said.
“Have you ever been married, Kate?” Barb asked curiously.
“Mom!” Edward gave her another of his fierce looks which Barb blithely ignored.
“I haven’t,” Kate replied.
“Why not?” Grandpa Joe grunted. “A pretty girl like you should be married.”
“Not every woman wants to get married, Grandpa Joe,” Tory chided gently.
The same thunderous look that frequently appeared on Edward’s face when he was irritated now appeared on Grandpa Joe’s face.
“And why not? In my day, women were proud to get married, raise babies and - ”
Before he could start on what Kate was suddenly sure was a familiar rant, Barb interrupted smoothly. “Do you have any children, dear?”
“No, not yet.” Kate said as Edward sighed loudly again. She took a bite of the tender roast beef. “This meal is delicious, Barb.”
“Thank you. So you want children?”
“Someday,” she said.
“Oh good. Did you know that Edward is wonderful with children?” Barb took a sip of water and smiled at Jacob who gave her an amused look.
At his mother’s statement, Edward turned an alarming shade of red and closed his eyes.
“What are you doing, dear?” Barb asked as Edward inhaled deeply and rhythmically.
“Counting to ten,” he replied through clenched teeth.
“What number are you at now?” Kate asked.
“Four.”
Kate waited a few seconds. “And now?”
“Seven.”
“Kate leaned forward to smile at Barb. “I’ve seen him do this at the office too.”
“He doesn’t deal well with stress,” Jason announced, taking a huge bite of potatoes and roast beef.
“I deal just fine with stress,” Edward retorted before opening his eyes to glare at his brother.
He closed his eyes and started to silently count again as Kate patted his arm soothingly. He sighed with relief when Kate began to question Tory about wedding details and his mother joined in.
* * *
Edward watched silently as, across the living room, his mother showed Kate the latest cross-stitch she was working on. After dinner, Barb had insisted they stay for coffee and his stomach twisted oddly when his mother smiled happily at Kate.
They like her, my love. This is a good thing.
He stared at the floor. His family did like Kate – hell, his mother was treating her like she was his girlfriend for God’s sake – and as the evening wore on, his guilt was increasing. This was the first time in days he had heard Tabitha’s voice in his head. The first time in days that he had even thought of her. His stomach twisted again and he continued to stare grimly at the floor.
His family had loved Tabitha and not once in the last two years had they pushed him to move on. He had thought it was because they weren’t ready for him to find someone else but now, watching them with Kate, he suspected they had only been giving him time and space.
They love you. They want you to be happy, Tabitha said.
I was happy with you.
Was, my love. Our time is over.
He winced and stood up abruptly. Tabitha had always been blunt, it was one of the things he had loved most about her, but now it was like a stab in the back. Mumbling something about needing fresh air, he hurried out of the living room as the rest of the family stared at him.
Kate watched as Edward, his face pale, stood and muttere
d something before walking out of the room. She gave Barb an uncertain look and the woman patted her arm soothingly before turning to Jacob.
“Honey, go check on Edward, would you?”
He nodded and left the room. There was an awkward silence and Kate rubbed her legs nervously. “Um, may I use your bathroom, Mrs. Turner?”
“Of course, dear. And I told you to call me Barb. It’s right down the hallway, third door on the left.”
Kate gave her a weak smile and hurried out of the room. She found the bathroom and used it quickly before washing her hands. She thought the evening had been going well. Edward’s family were obviously close and she had seen a side of Edward she didn’t know existed. Gone was the rather grave and somber Edward and more than once, she had found herself smiling at the sound of his laugh. He was completely at ease, happy and relaxed, and she had loved seeing that side of him. She had been admiring Barb’s elaborate cross-stitch project and hadn’t noticed anything was wrong until Edward had abruptly stood up and left the room. He was obviously upset and that was upsetting her.
His family was being very kind to her and she had found it amusing at first how his mother continually referred to her as ‘Edward’s Kate’ and acted like they were dating, but now she realized how that must have made him feel. It was obviously bothering him that her family had accepted her so readily and she hated that it did. She couldn’t blame him though. He wouldn’t want his family to forget about Tabitha the minute he brought a new girlfriend to meet them.
You’re not his girlfriend.
No, she wasn’t. And it was stupid to wish she was.
She stared at herself in the mirror. Fuck, this had been a bad idea. She really shouldn’t have come here. She rubbed briefly at her temples. Okay, it had been a mistake and there was nothing to do but go forward. Maybe she could pull Edward aside and fake a headache so they could leave.
She opened the bathroom door and started down the hallway toward the living room, glancing absently at the framed photos on the wall. Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped abruptly, staring at the picture in front of her. It was Edward, at least ten years ago, looking young and impossibly happy as he sat in front of a small cabin. There was a woman sitting on his lap, small and petite with curly dark hair and warm brown eyes. She was smiling at the camera as Edward stared adoringly at her and Kate’s chest suddenly started to ache with an intensity that took her breath away.
“That’s Tabitha.” A voice spoke into her ear and she jumped and stumbled back as Tory gave her an alarmed look.
“I’m sorry, Kate. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Uh, you didn’t. I was just um…”
She trailed off and Tory gave her an encouraging smile. “Has Edward told you about Tabitha?”
She nodded and Tory traced the picture with one finger before smiling at Kate. “Did he tell you she was my sister?”
“Yes,” Kate said quietly.
“Brothers marrying sisters. Funny, huh? I actually had no interest in Jason when I first met him. I thought he was a nice guy but that was about it. Then Tabitha got sick and he was so sweet to her and his brother, did so much for them when she was in chemo and radiation and I started seeing him differently. We started dating about a month after Tabitha died. I was worried that it would upset Edward, thought maybe seeing so much of me would remind him too much of Tabitha, but he was happy for us. Falling in love with Jason helped heal the loss I felt when my sister died.”
“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I couldn’t even begin to understand how much you must miss her.”
“I do miss her,” Tory said. “She was a good person, a little too blunt from time to time perhaps, but kind-hearted. She wasn’t perfect but she would have done anything for her loved ones.”
Her throat burning, Kate said, “Edward still misses her.”
“Yes,” Tory agreed. “I imagine there will always be a part of him that misses her.”
“I should go,” Kate said suddenly. “I’m getting a bit of a headache and – “
“Kate,” Tory grabbed her arm before she could leave, “you’re good for him, you know.”
“I – what?”
“You’re good for Edward. We can all see it. It’s one of the reasons why Barb is so taken with you. The Edward that showed up tonight is the Edward he used to be before Tabitha died. You make him happy.”
“We – we’re not dating, Tory. He’s, um, just my boss. I’m sorry but I think your family is seeing something that isn’t there.”
Tory suddenly grinned and Kate flushed bright red. “What you heard in the office earlier today was, um, it was…”
“I don’t need the details,” Tory said with a soft laugh. “Edward likes you Kate.”
“Maybe, but he isn’t ready to move forward,” Kate said. “He doesn’t want a relationship with me.”
“Have you asked him if he’s ready?” Tory asked.
Kate blinked at her before shaking her head. “No, but I can see that he isn’t. We talked about your sister once and the look on his face - it was easy to see he wasn’t ready.”
“I think you should talk to him and – “
“We can’t date anyway,” Kate said. “There’s a no dating policy at the firm. I’m sorry, I should probably find Edward and see if he’s ready to leave. It’s getting late and tomorrow will be a long day.
* * *
“You okay?”
Edward nodded as his father joined him on the front porch. “Yeah, just needed some fresh air.”
They stood silently for a few moments before his father said, “Kate’s a nice girl.”
“She is.”
“Your mother really likes her. I do too.”
“You barely know her.”
His father laughed. “We’ve got good instincts when it comes to people. Are the two of you dating?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Because of Tabitha,” his father said with a heavy sigh. “She would want you to be happy, son.”
“It’s only been two years, dad. I need more time.”
“Kate seems to make you happy. Why not give it a chance?”
“Because I don’t want to forget Tabitha,” Edward snapped. “Already I close my eyes and can barely remember what she looks like. I have to look at pictures. I used to have daily conversations with her in my head and now – now I hardly think about her at all. I spent over ten years with her and now when I close my eyes, I see Kate, not her. What kind of person does that make me, that I would forget about my wife just because someone else comes along that I’m attracted to?”
“You’re being too hard on yourself, Eddie,” his father said. “Your mother and I have been worried about you and tonight, for the first time in a long time, we can see that you’re happy. Give Kate a chance.”
“I’ll just end up hurting her,” Edward said hoarsely. “We both know it. Right now what we’re doing – no one is going to get hurt. We both know it’s not going anywhere and once we go back to California we’ll end it for good.”
“Will you?”
“Yes. We have to. There’s a no dating policy at the firm. If they find out we’re sleeping together, Kate will be fired and I could lose my job as well. There’s no potential for an actual relationship but we’re both well aware of that and know exactly what this is.”
“Do you?” His father said thoughtfully.
“Yes,” Edward said firmly. “Kate isn’t going to leave her job just to date me.”
“Have you asked her if she would?” Jacob said.
“Well, no, but I know she won’t and I wouldn’t want her to anyway. I told you – I’m not ready for another relationship.”
“Edward – “
“I’m sorry, dad, I should find Kate and get going. It’s getting late and we have a long day tomorrow.”
* * *
K
ate glanced worriedly at Edward as they walked toward their rooms. He had been quiet and withdrawn the entire way to the hotel and she had no idea what to say to him. She berated herself again for agreeing to go with him to his family dinner as he stopped in front of his hotel door.
She moved past him to her room and he frowned before joining her. “My room has the tub, remember?”
“Edward, are you sure – I mean, do you want me to stay with you tonight?” She asked hesitantly.
“Yes.” He took her hand and tugged her back to his door before opening it and leading her inside.
The door was barely shut before he was pushing her up against it, kissing her fiercely as his hands worked at the buttons on her shirt.
“Edward,” she moaned as warmth pulsed through her lower body. “It’s okay if you’re not into this tonight. I know it was an awkward evening.”
He pressed his erection against her belly. “Does it feel like I’m not into it, Katie?”
She shook her head and he kissed her almost angrily as he fisted his hands in her hair. “Do you want me?”
“You know I do,” she whispered.
“Good,” he muttered. “Because I have one last birthday gift to give you.”
He stripped her naked before removing his own clothes and kneeling in front of her. She moaned when he draped one smooth thigh over his shoulder and buried his face in her pussy. She leaned against the door, her hands clutching at his dark hair, as he licked her pussy with hard, firm strokes. She gasped his name when he sucked on her clit and made a low pleading noise. He flicked his tongue rapidly before sucking again and she pushed frantically at his head.
“Edward, I’m going to come if you don’t stop. Please!”
He renewed his efforts, pinning her against the door as he reached up with one hand and tweaked her nipple. He sucked harder, his tongue working feverishly over her aching clit, and she clamped her arm over her mouth as she screamed with the intensity of her orgasm. Her knees buckled and he steadied her with one big hand around her waist before standing and carrying her to the bed. She was shaking and trembling and, without speaking, he laid her on the bed, spread her thighs wide and entered her with a hard thrust.