Chris rubbed his hand through his hair and smiled sheepishly. “She told me she and Mr. McGruder weren’t royalty. They weren’t going away, and meeting the in-laws would only get more difficult if I kept up my guard and didn’t face the inevitable. She sounded more royal than Megan Markle does.”
Yvonne chuckled. “Sounds liketantehad been listening toDo I Everby Kensington.” She pulled up the track on her playlist. After a sort of up-tempo intro, a man began to sing about sitting around and holding up his guard.
Kate tapped along the beat on the steering wheel, and Chris listened with his head cocked and his expression that of deep concentration. Yvonne allowed the music and the words about doubt and fear to flow over her.
AsDo I Everended, they were silent for a few moments before Chris asked her to repeat the song. His voice sounded as raspy as Kensington’s lead singer Eloi Youssef’s. Yvonne did as he requested, and they listened to the song in silence. When it ended for the second time, they had almost reached their destination.
“Thank you, angel. I think I understand why this is one of your favorite bands if this song is an indication of their music,” Chris said with something akin to awe.
Yvonne grinned. “You should hearBridges,Sorry,orStreetsby them. I believe those are even better.”
Kate parked the car and switched off the engine, before turning around to Yvonne. “I’d love to hear more of them later, but now I really want to have dinner withohm ’n tantuh.” Yvonne giggled at Kate’s attempt at Dutch and bobbed her head in agreement.
Chris exited the vehicle, pressed his chair forward, and helped Yvonne from the backseat. Luckily, she wasn’t hindered by a big belly otherwise it would have been challenging to get in and out, and Chris would never fit in the backseat with his long legs. Kate was right about the car.
The three of them went to the entrance, and the door opened before they hit the step leading to the entry. Wilma stepped out and embraced first Yvonne then Kate, startling the last somewhat by kissing her on right cheek—left cheek—right cheek. Before Kate could utter a word, whirlwind Wilma had pulled Chris in a hug and shocked him by saying, “I’m so sorry about your parents, Chris, but you and Kate are very welcome in our house and will always be. Thank you for making my niece happy.”
Kate sat at the formal dining table, her mind reeling. After her phone call with Wilma, she had hoped for a friendlier reception than with Chris’s parents, but she hadn’t expected the way Cameron and Wilma were treating them. Now, seated at the table, Kate eyed the strange device in the middle of the table. Yvonne and Wilma kept bringing more things from the kitchen, and she itched to help, but Yvonne had explained the Dutch didn’t expect it. Cameron had pulled Chris into a conversation about his construction company, Kate played with her napkin and studied the strange plate with dividers at her place setting, the wealth of different-size containers with small cuts of raw meat and chopped vegetables, before returning her attention to the apparatus in the center. It looked like a portable grill, but a two-layered one. Under the top were eight tiny raclette pans.
“Okay, that’s it,” Wilma announced before taking a seat beside Cameron. Yvonne placed a basket with baguettes and another bowl with sauce on the table and sat down between Cameron and Chris.
Wilma addressed Chris and Kate, “Do you mind if I say grace in Dutch?”
“Of course not,” Kate said, and Chris nodded.
Cameron, Yvonne, and Wilma folded their hands and bowed their heads, and Kate and Chris followed suit.
“Here, zegen deze spijze, amen.”
Cameron and Yvonne echoed the “amen,” and after “Enjoy your meal,” Cameron flicked a switch on the grill thingy and chuckled. “I hope you’re open to experiencing the Dutch version of Christmas dinner?”
Kate cocked her head and glanced at the device. “I’m open to a lot of things, but I have no idea what we’re going to do.”
Wilma explained, “This isgourmetten. It’s cooking at the table, and we think it’sgezellig—hmm, cozy. We have different kinds of meat and fish, of course veggies and…” Wilma showed two containers. “Eggs for omelets and batter for pancakes.”
Chris grinned good-naturedly. “I don’t know if I was expecting traditional turkey or ham, but I sure wasn’t expecting to cook my own meal.”
Everyone cracked up at his joke.
Cameron winked. “Pretend you’re at Benihana, only you’re the chef.”
They all laughed again, and Kate’s tension ebbed. She kept a close eye on Chris. His father’s rejection had hurt him badly, and she wouldn’t allow Wilma or Cameron to rub salt in the wound. Wilma had sounded genuine over the phone, but Kate was a born-and-bred Missourian and subscribed to the state’s “Show Me” slogan.
Wilma and Cameron showed interest in them all, and if they found their threesome strange, they didn’t let on. Chris was relaxed and seemed happy, and so was Yvonne. While the wordsGourmettenandgezelligsounded odd and harsh, and she wouldn’t try to say the Dutch words herself, the meal was pleasant, and so were the McGruders.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Kate and Chris were both off the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and the three of them spent most of the time together. Sometimes they played, but mostly they talked—about their plans for the duplex, the wedding, the baby, and their various hopes and dreams. It was good for them to have extended time with little outside interference. By New Year’s Eve, they were ready to connect with the world outside Kate’s home.
“The club is open. It’s been open all week. We really ought to go, especially after we ditched our DM obligations the other day.” Before Kate had finished her sentence, she was running through mental lists.
“Sure, but won’t Mitch or Scott try to rope us into working if we show up tonight?” Chris’s foot bounced. He’d never been a worrier, but the experiences with his parents had severely impacted him.
“Not if they don’t know we’re coming. Besides, we put in a lot of time helping out at the club. No one will begrudge us one night just for play.”
An hour later, Kate and Chris were setting up for the scene in the big room on the third floor.
“Angel, we’re in a mood to work you over hard. Are you game?” Kate assessed Yvonne’s body language. Her sub stood with her shoulders low, her hands open, and a small smile, wearing only her play collar, wrist, and ankle cuffs. No clothes obscured her beautiful body, her slight baby bump, or her reactions.
