The room got quiet. “They’re about to start,” her mother whispered. “I’ll see you when the lecture is over.” She got up and rushed back to her seat near the front, hunching down as if she didn’t want to be seen.
When the president of the symposium introduced her father, he said the speech was on the coexistence of the internet and the small newspaper. Adam took her hand as her father walked to the podium and began his speech. Neither she nor Adam had anything to do with newspapers. The subject sounded boring, but her father had a knack for entertainment and he had the audience laughing as he delivered anecdotes on his experiences as a newsman from the big papers to the one he managed now. His lecture was followed by an active question and answer period.
The crowd thinned until only Adam, Teddy and her mother remained in the audience. Several organizers of the event cornered her father and congratulated him.
“Are you going back to work after this?” Teddy asked Adam.
“I thought we might have an early dinner with your parents.”
“You’re ready to endure my mother again so soon?” Teddy’s eyebrows went up while her voice went down.
“I can take it.” He smiled, glancing at the woman sitting in the first row.
“They’re not staying,” Teddy told him. “They decided to return home right away. My father can’t be away from his paper too long. He gets withdrawal symptoms.”
“So, it’s just you and me?”
“If you can endure me so soon after the last time,” she teased.
Adam’s eyes turned dark and hot. She meant to be flippant, get a laugh out of him, but the impact of her words after the night they’d spent together came to her in a rush of heat. By the look on Adam’s face, he was obviously remembering that night, too.
“Teddy?”
She didn’t even hear her mother until she’d called her name twice. Turning, she looked at her, hoping it was too dim in the room for her mom to see her clearly.
“We’re going to head for home as soon as your father finishes up.” She glanced at the three men still talking at the front of the room.
“We want to get there before dark,” her father was saying.
It was only a couple of hours to Bentonburgh. They should make it with time to spare. But it was rush hour and that would slow them down a bit.
Teddy and Adam stood up and went to the end of the aisle. Adam followed. Teddy hugged her mother. And then her mom hugged Adam. It appeared as if she was welcoming him to the family.
“Adam, it was good seeing you again. And I spoke with Ann this morning. We agreed to spend Thanksgiving as a family.”
“Mom,” Teddy warned again.
“What?” She looked at Teddy. “It’ll be good to spend the day with friends and family.”
“Thanksgiving is a month away.”
“But these things must be planned, the same as weddings.”
“Mrs. Granville, I’m looking forward to it,” Adam cajoled, slipping his arm around Teddy’s waist. She let go of her rising anger.
Her mom stepped back. “You two do make a lovely couple. And I can see how much you love each other.”
Teddy grabbed Adam’s hand and squeezed. Neither of them agreed or disagreed with Gemma Granville’s comment.
Finally her father joined the group. The four of them left the auditorium and walked to his SUV.
“I wish we could stay longer, but I have to get back to the paper,” Merle Sullivan said. He reached around her to Adam and shook his hand. The two men nodded mutually. Both knew it wasn’t necessary. Then her dad kissed her on the forehead and climbed into the driver’s seat. Her mom got in the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. With a honk of the horn, they pulled out of the parking lot and headed south toward Maryland. Teddy stood with Adam’s arm around her until the SUV was out of sight.
“What do you think they’re planning for Thanksgiving?” Teddy asked.
“I have no idea. But I realize this was just a warm-up. The main event is being planned as we speak.”
“I can only hope we’ll be ready for it,” Teddy said.
“We’ll surprise them.”
Chapter 6