Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 05 - Smashed Potatoes and Gravy by Ginny Gold

15
     
    Kori was beside herself with more questions all morning but didn’t want to ask. Mostly because she knew she wouldn’t get answers, but also because Zach was right; it wasn’t his place to tell her. She wasn’t directly involved and really didn’t want to be. But with Jenna and Kyle dragging her in from the beginning, she just couldn’t seem to keep her nose out of it. She had a hunch that the black SUV that was probably Victor’s had something to do with it. But she hadn’t given Zach the photo she had of the license plate so she couldn’t very well ask him about it.
    At one o’clock, families started coming into the café and Kori had to give up thinking about Lou. She had two Thanksgiving dinners to serve instead, and she was excited to get them started. The tables each had a small bouquet of the flowers Zach had brought—Kori had kept her own intact—and place cards with names on them had been set out on each table so seating would be easy. She knew everyone who was coming—she’d personally invited them—so even without place cards it would have been easy enough.
    “Kori, I want you to meet someone,” Gale gushed when she entered the café. She was wearing the same colors Kori had picked out that morning and Kori cringed to think how much like her mom she looked right now. “This is Lucas Wright, my fiancé.” Kori could hear the happiness in her mother’s voice, which was almost a squeal.
    Kori extended her hand and Lucas took it in his, raising it to his lips and kissing the back of it rather than shaking it as she’d expected. “Nice to meet you,” Kori said, her blush darkening. She didn’t know people still kissed hands.
    “The pleasure is mine,” he replied and dropped her hand. “I hear that you’re also close to getting married. You don’t want to have a double wedding on Saturday?”
    Kori was speechless. She was what? She and Zach hadn’t even spent a whole weekend together, or moved in with each other. Marriage was not even on the edges of her thinking. Yet. Finally she stuttered an answer. “I—I want you to meet my boyfriend, Zach,” she said, stressing the word boyfriend, which she didn’t think implied any plans for the future.
    “Zach, you’re a lucky man,” Lucas said. Kori’s discomfort only grew. Was he hitting on her or was this just who he was? It was going to take some getting used to her new step-dad. Whoa, there was a thought she hadn’t yet considered. She was going to have a step-dad.
    “Okay. Jay should be here soon,” Kori said, more to interrupt her own thoughts than the conversations that were happening. “Why don’t I get you seated by the window and I’ll show Jay over when he gets here.”
    Kori retreated as quickly as possible to the kitchen. Once there, she breathed a huge sigh and rubbed her fingers through her hair. Zach came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. Kori let herself relax momentarily into his body.
    “That was really awkward,” she said, her hands over his on her stomach.
    “It could be worse. My parents could have come.” Kori knew his parents from their childhood together in Hermit Cove, but she hadn’t seen them since they were dating. They’d retired to Florida and rarely made the trip back to New England. And never in the winter.
    “They can’t be that bad. I don’t remember them being hard to be around when we were kids.”
    Zach laughed. “That’s because you were never around them. You barely knew I existed.”
    Kori turned around so she was facing him, his arms still wrapped around her body but with space between them. “That’s not true.”
    “Hah. Nora had to convince you last spring that I was worth your time,” he reminded her, a smile on his face. He wasn’t holding it against her, but Kori knew he was right.
    She didn’t answer, just unwrapped his arms and started getting plates ready. Each person was getting the same meal, with minor modifications for any dietary restrictions like