Chapter 20
Why had he thought this dinner was a good idea?
Tension rippled around the table, just as it had from when he and his parents had first sat down. Mom had agreed to be on her best behavior, but Dad’s upraised brows suggested he’d wait to see if that was possible.
Mom had dressed up to the nines, like she thought this was a charity gala extravaganza. He was pretty sure she had done that to show off and make herself look better in comparison to Minnie and Gen.
And yep, they now entered the restaurant dressed far more conservatively, although Gen’s outfit of a black-and-white dotted dress looked fancier than her usual attire.
He stood, waved at Bella, who gave him a nervous-looking smile, as she gripped Gen’s hand.
“Hey Princess. You look very nice tonight.”
Bella’s smile poked out again. “Mom said we should dress up. But I didn’t know your mom would dress like a movie star.”
His mother’s laugh tinkled behind him. Oh no. Had she heard?
But when she stood and moved to Bella, he caught an expression on her face that he’d never seen before. There was a softness, a kind of wonder.
“Bella, this is my mother, Philippa Tinker. Mom, this is Bella Rivas.”
“Rivas, not—?”
“No.” Please don’t say anything. They’d talked about this.
“Hello, Bella.” Mom’s smile looked edged with tears.
“Bella, say hello,” Gen prompted softly.
“Hello,” Bella said, before twisting halfway behind Gen’s leg.
“Oh my. She looks just like you,” Mom murmured.
Hmm, he didn’t think a little girl would appreciate that comparison particularly, but he knew what she meant.
He glanced at his mom, who still wore that starry-eyed expression. “Mom, you remember Gen and her mom, Minnie, don’t you?”
Mom side-eyed him, then bestowed a not-so-very-gracious nod in their direction, her gaze still feasting on Bella.
“And Bella, this is my father, David Tinker. You can say hello to him, too.”
“Hello, Mr. Tinker.”
Dad squatted down and smiled, holding out his hand. “Hello young lady.”
“Hello.” She shook his hand then smiled. “I was right.”
“Right about what, honey?” Gen asked.
“I knew Kyle’s dad had to be handsome like Kyle.”
“Oh, you’re making an old man blush, young lady.” Dad smiled.
“I think you’ve made his night,” Kyle said to Bella, which earned him a shy smile.
“Yep, she has, and that’s no word of a lie. Now, where is this precious girl going to sit? Want to sit beside me?” Dad patted a chair invitingly.
“Um, can I sit between you and Kyle?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
Of course, that meant Mom now had to sit next to either one of her two least favorite people in the world, Gen or Minnie.
She sat next to Kyle, and Gen sat on her other side, leaving Minnie to sit between her daughter and Dad.
Minnie’s displeasure at being sidelined was obvious in the way she scowled at Kyle, like she blamed him for this entire situation. Which, to be fair, was true.
Awesome fun family times.
The conversation was stiff, awkward, with Mom ignoring Gen and Minnie, and Minnie ignoring everyone, and Gen trying to be polite in asking both women questions to involve them in conversation but getting nowhere.
At least Dad was making an effort, and Bella was lapping up being the star of the show. But it made Kyle realize that there were a million other ways this meeting could have occurred that would’ve been easier, especially out of the public eye.
He caught Gen’s look of desperation, and smiled, hoping to convey reassurance. “So, has everyone had a chance to look at the menus yet? Seen anything you like, Princess?” he asked Bella.
“I like it all. But it all looks so fancy I don’t know what to choose.”
Another miscalculation on his part. He’d assumed her maturity meant she’d like to feel like a grown-up, but should’ve realized the menu options were probably not what she was used to.
The prices were definitely not what Minnie and Gen were used to, judging from the mutterings coming from the opposite side of the table.
But he’d wanted something special, a chance for the two families to really get to know each other, and had wanted a venue that would mean people would behave and not act like they were on Jerry Springer.
So far, there had been no name-calling or hair-pulling, which he’d take as a win.
The waiter came, they ordered, and Bella chose a burger from the kids’ menu.
She looked up at Kyle. “Is that okay?”
“Good choice. I’m gonna get a steak burger, so it’s good to see we have similar tastes.”
“It doesn’t cost too much?” she asked.
“Oh my,” Mom murmured.
His heart ached, and a quick glance at Gen revealed pink cheeks, like she was embarrassed at what Bella’s question revealed about the state of her finances.
He turned to Bella. “It’s one hundred percent fine. You know I’m paying for all this, right? That means you can order whatever you like.”
“Does that mean I can get a dessert, too?”
“Sure thing.” He ruffled her hair.
She grinned up at him, and his heart melted a little more.
Bella was obviously enjoying being the center of attention, but he glimpsed these moments of hunger for real affection.
A man’s attention. She was lapping up Dad’s attention so much that Kyle wondered just who had been the significant male figures in her life, or whether this was an entirely new experience for her.
He stole a look at Gen, caught her pleated brow before she saw him looking and offered a tight smile then looked down.
His chest tightened. Oh, he wished she would learn to trust him, to know he was in this for the long haul. But he didn’t blame her for feeling unsure. This experience had to be so unsettling for her and Minnie.
Another glance across the table saw him greeted with Minnie’s scowl. He offered a smile which earned a huff and glance away. Yep, God was going to have to do a miracle to break down those walls.
Fortunately, Bella seemed oblivious to the tension around the table as the others ordered, and she continued chatting with his parents.
He offered Gen an encouraging smile, but she didn’t look at him, her gaze on her plate, her fingers twisting the linen napkin like she was nervous.
“So, Gen, how has work been this past week?” he asked her, putting a pause on the others’ conversation.
“Busy.”
“It’s always busy, huh?” He turned to his mom. “Did you know that sometimes an emergency doctor works twelve-hour days?”
“Really?” Mom’s voice held zero interest, and the look she shot him held annoyance, like she really didn’t want to have to consider Gen’s role in any of this.
But that was too bad. Mom might find this difficult, but Gen was due a measure of respect.
A lot of respect actually. Exasperation rose on her behalf.
“I think it’s remarkable how Gen and Minnie have managed to raise such a compassionate, intelligent girl, especially when both of them have been so busy. ”
“You’re laying it on a little thick, Son,” Dad murmured over Bella’s head.
Mom still didn’t look convinced, and Minnie’s scowl had not abated, as if she too heard the sycophancy in Kyle’s statement.
But it wasn’t meant to sound like flattery. He was honestly impressed. And so grateful that Gen had helped his daughter find her footing in the world as much as she had.
Fortunately, their appetizers soon arrived, and the next few minutes could pass in conversation about the deliciousness of the cheesy garlic bread, and the chicken bites he’d figured Bella might enjoy.
Mom continued to barely acknowledge Gen or Minnie, which he’d expected.
Her attention remained on Bella, which he supposed was something.
It was nice to think that she didn’t seem opposed to having a grandchild, and in fact, actually looked like she was enjoying getting to know her, asking Bella questions about her favorite subjects at school and hobbies.
He waited, ready to jump in to deflect the conversation in case Mom had missed the memo about topics to avoid.
But when Bella admitted to not doing sports, neither Mom nor Dad waded in with suggestions or offers to pay for tuition, instead simply sharing a little about how Kyle himself had always loved sports since he was a boy.
“But hockey was always number one,” Dad said proudly.
“Even if it meant years of long drives to faraway arenas,” Mom complained.
“It was worth it, though, right?” Gen commented softly.
Kyle peered back at her, heart lifting at her half-smile.
“I’m not saying it wasn’t,” Mom protested.
And there it was. He’d wondered how long it would take for Mom to get her back up. Looked like this was his cue to redirect. “I’m super grateful for all you both did for me so I can do what I do today.”
Mom offered a stiff nod while fiddling with her diamond tennis bracelet. Dad sipped his wine and nodded, as a waiter approached carrying several plates.
“Hey, this looks like our meals.” And praise the Lord for that.
Their meals were enjoyed and exclaimed over, and soon the conversation felt like it had tipped back onto an even keel, with comments about food, the recent rainy weather, and Mom’s questions about the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.
“Do you have plans for that?” she asked him.
“I hadn’t thought about it at all. Sometimes, some of the guys on the team do things like waterski or take boats out on the water, but it’s pretty easygoing, with no expectations to join.” He sipped his drink, eyeing his mother. Why had she asked that?
“Are you allowed to do anything like waterskiing yet?” Dad asked.
“That’s a good question for the doctor.” Kyle turned to Gen, eyebrows raised. “What do you think?”
She shook her head. “I would advise against it. At least for another month or so. You don’t want to be putting yourself in a position where you might end up putting pressure on your surgery site.”
He nodded. “Okay, I guess that rules out waterskiing for me.” Not that it was any great loss. He didn’t like it that much, anyway.
Mom said to Bella, “So, Bella, do you have plans for the vacation? Are you going to go away anywhere?”
“Away?” Bella looked confused.
Mom, no.