Page 37 of Modern Persuasion

I looked up to see Tommy reading over my shoulder, and he looked concerned. Seth and Fredrick were standing close by.

"Nobody, it's nothing," I said in practically one word.

"We were wondering where you disappeared to. We actually argued. Mary insisted you were in the kid's section, and I thought maybe the baskets. Fredrick actually suggested we look in the yarn section. After a month together, he clearly discovered your weakness," Tommy said with a grin.

I wondered if Fredrick had told Tommy about our history.

"It really wasn't that difficult to guess. She always had knitting with her on tour, even if she never touched it," Fredrick said with a shrug.

"Come on; we're hungry. We're a table for six at lunch, and Seth is treating. He's going to learn what it means to be part of this family," Tommy said, leading the group away.

Tommy wandered around the store just like his sons. He was easily distracted by something and needed to touch it. Seth and I walked together, moving slowly towards the front of the store. Fredrick brought up the rear, typing on his cellphone. I assumed he was text messaging someone important.

"Don't let Tommy intimidate you," I said to Seth.

Seth silently laughed. "He's trying to force years of intimidation into a few weeks. I can take it. I only care about what Louisa wants."

"What does she want?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "We're debating whether to move to LA or New York. We're both happy to live in either city. We just can't decide."

I smiled, happy that they were talking about this in a way Fredrick and I had never been able to. "I thought she was going to take over for me with book tours? She's willing to give that up?"

"We are actually talking about living on both coasts. She wants to try spending most of the year in LA and then summer out here. That way, she can see her family but not be around them all the time. She thinks her parents drive Mary and Tommy crazy."

"Mary may pretend they drive her crazy, but she really loves the attention."

"I figured that," Seth said, tilting his head to the side. "Your other sister, Elizabeth, she is a real piece of work."

"You can say it, Seth. Elizabeth is a bitch."

***

I felt uncomfortable during lunch. I felt out of sync with Fredrick there, watching me around my family and friends. It had been easier on the book tour when we had both been out of our element or back in New York, where our lives overlapped for moments. With him as a guest of the Musgroves, I felt like there was no escaping him. He would see a version of me that he had never been exposed to in our relationship. As a result, I shut down, getting quieter as lunch went on.

It seemed to go unnoticed around me. While Seth and Louisa only had eyes for each other, Mary and Tommy had a fight about their evening plans. My father had decided to host a dinner party. I wasn't sure how he would manage that and who was going to cook, but the invitations had gone out in a flurry of text messages. Mary wanted to go to the dinner in case someone important came. Tommy wanted a date night away from the family. He had arranged to take the family boat out for a romantic dinner and (although not said) sex. Fredrick and I both spent lunch looking at our cell phones. I was playing Scrabble. I tried not to pay attention to him, but he seemed to be sending text messages to someone. I wondered if the other person was Patrick or a woman who had been unmentioned so far. There was no reason to think that, but the more I did, the more irritated I got. Fredrick was mine. We were supposed to be together.

"Emma," Tommy said, pulling me into the argument. "What would you rather do? Go to your father's dinner or go out on the water in a boat and have a romantic dinner?"

I blinked a few times to process the question and decide the best answer. "Who is going to be at dinner?" I asked, trying to buy myself time.

"Everyone!" Mary said, raising an eyebrow. "Even Dave will be there."

Everyone was looking at me, even Fredrick. I was irritated that people kept thinking I wanted Dave. Yet again, Penny knew the good gossip before I did. I opened my mouth to answer but glanced at Fredrick, who looked at the table and shook slightly. He was afraid of what I might say. I thought about everything Fredrick might have seen in the past few days and Mary's penchant for talking without thinking. Did I still have a chance with Fredrick?

I took a deep breath, ready to take a chance. "I would rather have an evening on the boat than spend another evening with Dave. Wait, let me clarify. I would rather spend an evening on a bed of broken glass than spend another night with Dave."

Louisa and Seth both laughed. I hoped that would shut down any family's expectations or any fear Fredrick had about my future with Dave.

"Would you rather re-do the entire book tour than spend another night with Dave?" Louisa asked, narrowing her eyes and pointing at me.

I turned and looked at Fredrick; he looked directly into my eyes.

"Anything would be better than another night with Dave."

***

I had to spend another night with Dave. I also spent another night with Fredrick, so... it wasn't the worst night.