"Speaking of responsibilities, I have the composition finished. I thought maybe we could go over it tonight?"
"Yes, absolutely!" She paused for a moment and then said, "Oh. I forgot to ask. Aunt Vivian said that Mrs. Tucker was going to provide supper for us tonight. She didn't say why. I didn't really ask. Maybe she's going to eat with us. I don't know. But anyway, you're invited."
"That's awesome. I would've invited you to eat with me, but I have nothing ready, and I have no idea what I was going to cook."
"Well don't worry about it any longer. You can eat with me. Even though I'm not cooking."
They grinned together, took one last look around the room to make sure that it was as spic and span as they could make it, and then turned the lights off and walked out the door.
As was their custom, they held hands on the way home, chatting about this and that and nothing important.
On her mind the whole time, though, was the letter that sat on the desk. She wanted to tell him about it, but she just didn't have a good opening. She didn't know whether she wanted his advice orjust wanted to know what he thought. She didn't really know where their relationship was going. And while she hoped that he had meant what she thought he meant when he said what he did at the McBride's house about them having children and a family of their own someday, she didn't know how serious he was. Maybe he meant someday way off in the future, twenty years from now. Of course, both of them would be too old for a family and kids at that point.
Gracious, she tried not to let the slight cloud of that thought infringe upon their happy chatter as they made it to the Victorian house on the corner.
He had opened the gate and she'd walked in, when the door opened and Aunt Vivian came out on the porch.
"You look like you're dressed to go out," Grace said, and she tried not to sound disappointed. She was starving and it was already later than what they usually ate. She had been hoping that they would eat as soon as they got there.
"Oh. I forgot that I had a ladies' meeting tonight. You two go ahead and enjoy the delicious meal that Mrs. Tucker made. It's all sitting on the table ready for you. All you have to do is take your coats off and sit down." Aunt Vivian started down the steps, and she patted their arms as she went by. "You two enjoy. Behave yourselves too," she said, giving them a look.
Grace laughed, but Noah seemed to take her words very seriously.
She wondered what was up with that.
Regardless, they stepped up on the porch, and Noah opened the door for her. She walked in, saw the letter on the desk, and remembered once more that she wanted to talk to him about it.
"I think we're on our own tonight," Noah said.
"I think that's what she meant."
"That's probably a good thing. I... I have something I need to talk to you about."
"All right. That sounds serious," she said, not liking the way his tone was more somber than normal. Usually, he teasedher, or flirted with her, or they laughed and joked together. Even when they talked about the music festival and the business side of things, his tone was still gentle and kind. But there was a note in it now, a serious note that almost sounded ominous.
It gave her a shiver, but she tried to hide it.
"Do you want to talk before we eat?" she asked, and tried to pretend her stomach wasn't growling.
She didn't fool Noah, and he laughed.
"I think we better eat and talk, because it sounds to me like someone is starving."
"Oh my goodness. I am. Is that terrible?"
"It's been a big day. And we had great practices, but they do take a lot of energy."
They got everything together and sat down to a delicious meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
The aroma of the food drifted up. The house was warm and cozy, and Christmas lights twinkled on the tree and mantle.
They ate at the dining room table, which somehow Aunt Vivian had magically cleared of all traces of her gingerbread houses.
"This is kind of romantic," Noah said, looking around.
Grace had to chuckle just a bit. "I think we've been set up."
"Really?" Noah asked, glancing around again as though clues lay somewhere that he hadn't seen yet. "Do you think the town is setting us up?"
