Chapter Thirteen
Mortified, Maisy’s face blushed red hot. “Patrick Gallagher! What a thing to say. Apologize this minute.”
Looking crestfallen, Patrick stared down at the ground. “I’m sorry, Maisy and Mr. Chase. I shouldn’t have said that, even if it’s the truth.”
“Apology accepted,” Chase said, and laid his hand on the youth’s shoulders as if to assure him all was forgiven.
Patrick immediately looked up with bright eyes and a wide smile. “Are you going to marry Maisy?”
Chase grinned and seemed to enjoy Maisy’s embarrassment. “I’ll give it some thought.”
“Great. She might be bossy, but she’s a good cook like Mom.”
Maisy wanted nothing more than to stuff a sock in her little brother’s mouth.
“Meatloaf is my favorite, as well,” Chase said quickly, thus refusing to let Maisy break up the conversation with her little brother. “You say Maisy is bossy?” He smiled over at her as if he found Patrick highly entertaining.
“Worse even than Sean. He’s my big brother. He’ll be home for dinner, so you’ll meet him, too.”
“I look forward to hearing what Sean has to say about your sister.”
Maisy closed her eyes and tilted her head to look at the sky, groaning with mounting frustration. Her mother and Patrick returned to the house. Needing to talk to Chase, Maisy reached for his arm, delaying him. “You don’t need to do this.”
He frowned. “Would you rather I leave?”
She would, but to say so would be rude. “Not really…but please remember we’re just regular people.”
“That’s what I like best about you,” he told her. “You’re not looking to impress me or use me in any way.”
Maisy hadn’t realized how true that must be. With his wealth and position, he must have encountered those who were interested only in what he could do for them.
“You told your mother about me?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Well, yes. Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“Honestly, I didn’t know if you would or not. I’m pleased you did, though.” He reached for her hand, and they headed into the house.
Maisy looked at the family home as if seeing it from Chase’s point of view.
She could only imagine the difference between their two residences and inwardly cringed.
The front porch steps that led to the house were chipped and the red paint had faded over the years.
Once inside, her gaze fell upon the living room with its bulky, outdated furniture with cushions that sagged in several places.
Chase didn’t seem to notice any of that, and she was pleased.
Maisy was proud of who they were and had no reason to be embarrassed but was still relieved by Chase’s reaction.
“Maisy, would you make the salad?” her mother called, as she stepped into the kitchen.
“Sure thing,” she said.
Patrick was already setting the table.
“Chase, make yourself at home,” her mother said as she removed the meatloaf from the oven.
Chase looked around and then pulled up a chair and sat at the kitchen counter. “Anything I can do?”
“How are you at mashing potatoes?” Her mother removed the oven mitts from her hands and set them back in the kitchen drawer.
“I guess we’ll find out,” he said, sliding off the chair.
Sophie handed him an apron. He looked at it as if he’d never seen one before, then looped the strap over his neck and tied the back. Maisy and her mother exchanged a smile.
The potatoes had been drained, and her mother had set out milk, butter, and salt. Chase glanced toward Maisy and raised his brows in confusion before he grinned and went to work. It was the biggest smile she’d seen from him. He was enjoying himself. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was.
Sean arrived a few minutes later, and Maisy introduced him to Chase.
“Sean is an apprentice electrician,” Maisy explained proudly. “He’s in his second year.”
Sean nodded at Chase, kissed his mother’s cheek, and headed into the other room to wash up. When dinner was on the table, the family took their seats. Sean sat in their father’s place and Chase was next to him, with Maisy across from Chase.
“Would you say the grace, son?” Sophie asked Sean.
Everyone bowed their heads and Sean said a few words of appreciation for the Lord’s blessings in the same way their father had once done.
Right away the bowls of food were passed from one person to the next. Sean took a bite and then looked at Chase.
Patrick seemed to think he should be the one to explain Chase’s visit.
“Chase is dating Maisy. I told him she’s a good cook and he said he would consider marrying her.”
Sean arched his brows and then looked directly at Chase. “Is that true? You’re dating my sister?”
“Sean,” Maisy said with a groan. “I don’t think…”
“Yes…” Chase answered.
“No, he’s not,” Maisy responded quickly, contradicting Chase. Then, realizing what she’d said, she blushed. “We’ve only had lunch together one time. Today,” she added.
Sean ignored her, focusing on Chase instead. “You’re interested, though. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here with that fancy car parked outside with the driver waiting.”
“Sean,” their mother warned softly. “Chase is here for dinner, not an inquisition.”
“I know,” her brother continued. “The fact that he’s here, meeting the family, says a lot.”
“I admire your sister a great deal,” Chase admitted.
Maisy blushed profusely.
“Good to know,” Sean said, as though satisfied.
Chatter continued throughout the meal, Patrick being the most verbal. “I got an A on my spelling test today, and a dog followed me home from school for two blocks before his owner called him back.”
“Patrick would like nothing more than a puppy,” Maisy supplied.
“Not happening,” Sean inserted, as he dug into the mashed potatoes. “Not when we’re all out of the house most of the day.”
“I know,” Patrick said, with a sigh loud enough to be heard around the table.
“Someday,” their mother promised, giving Patrick a warm smile.
“Tyler is in Little League baseball, and he said it isn’t too late for me to sign up,” Patrick said, with such hope it hurt Maisy’s heart.
“Can I, p-l-e-a-s-e?” he added.
This wasn’t the first time Patrick had brought up his desire to join the Little League team. It bothered Maisy that he didn’t have many of the same opportunities afforded to Sean and her.
Maisy shared a look with her mother and knew she was thinking the same thing.
“Maybe we can find a way,” Sophie said with a frown, as though trying to work out the details in her head.
“There’s always carpooling with another parent,” Sean suggested.
Patrick sat up straighter. “Could I? I mean, I could walk to the practices if I had to…”
“The field is over two miles away, Patrick. I don’t want you—”
“I could ride my bike and—”
Their mother held up her hand, cutting him off. “I’m not having you ride your bike, especially on busy streets.”
Patrick dipped his head in frustration.
Reaching across the table, Maisy patted her youngest brother’s hand. “We’ll work something out,” she assured him, and they would. Patrick loved baseball. If he wasn’t out riding his bike, then he’d be throwing his baseball with whomever he’d wrangled into playing catch.
“Maybe I can help,” Chase inserted. “I could have a driver…” He paused mid-sentence at the fierce glare Maisy and Sean sent him. His gaze shot between the two before he said, “I can see that wouldn’t work.”
“We appreciate the offer,” Sean said, “but we don’t need you stepping in.”
“Sean,” their mother said softly in warning. “Chase was only being thoughtful.” Then, looking at Chase, she added, “It’s kind of you to offer, however, this is a family issue, and as a family we’ll resolve it.”
Properly chastised, it seemed, Chase nodded. “Understood.”
The discussion flowed around a way to get Patrick to and from practices and games.
Everyone seemed to have a suggestion, and before long it was sorted out.
By trading cars and rearranging their work schedules they should be able to make it happen, especially if they were able to find another family to carpool with.
Chase appeared to be listening intently to the banter as the family exchanged ideas.
After dinner, Maisy and Patrick cleared the table while their mother put away the few leftovers. Nothing was wasted. Maisy was busy with her task and didn’t realize Chase had disappeared with Sean.
This wasn’t good.