A Year of You by A. D. Roland Read Free Book Online Page B

“They’re tropical.”
    Emeline sighed dramatically. “Come sit down and quit molesting the man’s plants, West.”

    The owner shook West’s hand. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m sure you can help me with that...?”
    “Sure. I’ll swing by tomorrow with some.”

    Emeline waited until West pulled her chair out before she sat down. McKendrick pulled Justine’s chair out. The maîtres’d was occupied with showing the wine list to McKendrick.
    Guess I’m on my own , Mattie thought. She tugged the heavy chair out from under the table and sat down. The damn thing was too far away from the table.
    In the process of scooting the chair closer, she bumped the table and jostled the water glasses. Justine and McKendrick both shot her irritated glances.
    “Sorry,” she mumbled.
    A waiter bustled over and recited a long list of mumbo-jumbo. It took Mattie a second to figure out it was another wine list. The McKendricks and even West ordered, all using flawless accents. The waiter turned expectantly to Mattie.
    Her mouth went dry. She didn’t know anything about wine, other than the cheap grocery-store stuff she bought once in while. “Um—uh—”
    The waiter’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Smug bastard, Mattie thought. West saved her by ordering for her.
“Way to go, Borat,” Emeline said.

    “Bite me,” Mattie replied.
    McKendrick cleared his throat. “Girls, please. Mattie, don’t embarrass me.”
    “Sorry,” she said again. Having to spend too much time with this family was going to get real old, real fast.
    The wine arrived. Serving it was a process that quite possibly could have sent Mattie into an anxiety attack, had she not had West sitting next to her, quietly coaching her on the right way to drink it so she wouldn’t look like a total idiot.
    Justine sat on Mattie’s right. She turned toward her and gave her a weak, insincere smile. “So, Matilyn, how has your first day as a McKendrick been?”
    “Oh, um, wonderful, Justine. It’s great to be here.”
    McKendrick leaned back in his chair, wine held in one hand, reminding Mattie of an insane brooding tyrant. “Just realize that everything isn’t final yet. You aren’t the first woman to claim to be my missing daughter.”
    “I understand that. Ruth Ellen told me as much.”
    “Grandmother thinks she sees Elaine in dreams,” Emeline scoffed. “She’s always begging me to go dig up West’s orange grove.”

    Mattie forced out a laugh along with everyone else, who found it to be the funniest thing in the world. On her left, West pushed out a single half-hearted chuckle and busied himself with his phone until they were done laughing.
    File that one away , Mattie thought. West didn’t hold Ruth Ellen in contempt like her actual family did.
    Mattie’s heart flip-flopped when she saw the waiter approaching again. She hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu, although she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to understand it anyway.
    Once again, the waiter spoke in French, detailing the specials of the day with a passion in his voice that vaguely made Mattie feel like she should be aroused. Emeline placed her order. A heartbeat later she excused herself. She hurried to a table across the room and fell into the more-than-friendly embrace of another guy.
    Scandalized, Mattie wondered why West was letting her do it before she realized he had his back to that table. He’d even adjusted his chair when he sat down so his back was squarely to that table.
    Why had he done that?
    Emeline sat down at the other table, leaning all over the other guy. The girl sitting across from them had an unhappy expression on her Barbie-like face.
    West leaned over and whispered, “Chicken, fish, or steak?”
Relieved, Mattie sighed. “Chicken. As normal as possible.”
He bit back a smile and nodded. It floored her when he spoke French back to the waiter, pointing at the menu, gestured toward her, and back to the menu. When the waiter moved on to