Teddy started to laugh again. Tears cornered in her eyes and she used her fingertips to wipe them away.
“Quinn.” She paused, taking a sobering breath. “When Quinn asked your mom where she was hiding my wedding gown and the room went deathly quiet, I thought she might answer that it was in the coat closet.”
Adam laughed. “Then Galen joined with…” He stopped as they both remembered his brother coming up with the same thought about where the gown was located. “And then adding that the minister was probably coming in for dessert and would perform the nuptials.”
“The look on your mom’s face was priceless, even though I was totally afraid my mother might say it was all true,” Teddy said.
The gales of laughter continued. Teddy held her head. All the laughing was making it throb. She forced herself to control it and went into the kitchen.
Adam followed her. “Can I help with anything?” he asked as she opened the refrigerator.
Teddy stopped and stared at him. “Can you cook?” she asked.
“I’ve been known to boil water,” he said. “And I make a mean macaroni and cheese. If pushed, I can boil spaghetti and open a jar of sauce.”
Teddy smiled. “I’m not used to having anyone in my kitchen, so why don’t you set the table?” She pointed to the cabinets holding plates, glasses and silverware. “Does your mother also find dates for your brothers?” Teddy asked.
“Often,” he said. “They threatened to accept jobs far from home if she didn’t stop.”
“And that worked?” It seemed an easy solution. Teddy knew it wouldn’t work for her. Her mother still found blind dates for her and she lived two hours away, plus she worked a lot of weekends.
“For about a week.”
“Who were the women at the anniversary? Were they mother-finds, too?”
Adam shook his head. “During the planning process, they both stated they were bringing their own dates. Even though we were only going to be a family, we knew our mother would do something unexpected.”
“Me,” Teddy said.
Adam nodded. “I should have had a clue when I noticed the extra place settings, but I never thought I’d see you come through the door.”
“My mother let me believe we were going to a dinner with the university organizers. The fact that it was in Smithville was a little unusual, but I wasn’t expecting to join in on your parents’ dinner.”
Minutes later they were sitting down to a meal of omelets, sausage, toast and decaf coffee. It only took a few minutes to cook and even less to eat. Filling their cups with more coffee, Teddy added cream to hers. Adam drank his black.
“This is a better meal than the steak I had earlier tonight,” Adam said.
“Last night,” Teddy corrected. “It’ll be daylight in three hours.”
Adam took their dishes to the sink and rinsed them. Teddy got up and joined him. Together they finished the dishes and took their cups to the living room.
“Tired?” Adam asked when Teddy sank into the sofa. He joined her there.
“A little,” she said, stifling a yawn. “You’re going to have to go straight to the office, if you shouldn’t already be there.”
“I checked in before we left Smithville. I imagine the world of finance won’t collapse before morning.”
He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. Teddy started to giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Adam asked.
“My mom, when she asked me if I could imagine being married thirty-eight years.”
Adam laughed, too. “I’m sure your answer wasn’t ideal for her, but you weathered it.”
“I wonder what she would have thought if I’d really said what came to my mind first?”
“Which was…” Adam prompted.
“Thirty-eight years with the same man. I shudder to think.” She mock shuddered and laughed, but Adam didn’t join her despite his arm being around her shoulders.
“Have you ever really given it thought?” His voice turned serious. He was holding Teddy in his arms and she couldn’t see his face, but she could feel the tension that had somehow crept into his body.
Teddy moved back to look at Adam. “I never thought of being married,” she answered.