Chapter 5: Sunday Dinner

Eldon Ward's dining room had a table for twenty and six chairs set at one end of it.

The housekeeper had put Eli and me at the far corner, nearest the kitchen door.

Eldon sat at the head.

Preston and Zara sat side by side across from us.

Zara had her pearls on. She stood up the second she saw me.

"Mar." She came around the table and took both my hands. "I've been sick about this all week."

"Have you?"

"He told me you two ended things months ago. I swear on my life. I would never have said yes."

Her eyes filled right on time.

I looked at her hands, still holding mine.

Her ring was a pear-cut diamond as big as a grape.

"That's a lot of ring," I said.

"It was his grandmother's."

"It's lovely."

She squeezed my fingers and sat down again, glowing with relief.

Eli pulled out my chair. He did it without a word, and I noticed Preston noticing.

The housekeeper served soup.

Eldon lifted his spoon and spoke to the room in general. "Elijah. I hear you finally found someone willing to live over a garage."

"I did," said Eli.

"I'm sure your mother would have been proud."

"It's the first thing you've ever taken from Preston, and you managed it at a courthouse."

Preston coughed into his napkin.

I put my spoon down.

"Mr. Ward," I said. "Eli didn't take me from anyone. Preston put me down in a hallway and told me to wait until Thursday."

Keep reading free with an account. Start His Love Came Too Late, I'm Already Another's Wife from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.