Page 43 of Taming I Do
“Abby, let Ms. Stone answer for herself,” Mrs. Taylor chastised.
Abby’s cheeks flushed. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Please, all of you, call me Delilah.” I didn’t need the extra layer of formality, especially not after witnessing a burping contest as a couple of Jasper’s brothers finished setting the table.“And Abby is correct. Unfortunately, I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
I took the plate of homemade fried chicken and passed it to my left.
“Don’t you like chicken?” Abby asked, her fingers wrapped around a drumstick.
Jasper wiped his mouth with his napkin before slipping it back in his lap. “She’s a vegetarian.”
“Oh, honey, you should have said something.” Mrs. Taylor pushed back from the table. “I’m sure I’ve got something I can whip up for you.”
“There’s plenty here to choose from.” I crumpled the napkin in my lap, hating how my choice in diet made other people feel responsible. “I’m used to making do with what I’ve got, and this salad looks delicious.”
“It’s okay, Mom. If she’s hungry later, I’ll build a fire out back and stuff her full of s’mores.” Jasper nodded to his mother.
“I wish you’d said something, Jasper.” His mom scooted her chair back in, then eyed him over the rim of her sweet tea.
I didn’t want to cause a scene. “I’m really quite fine but thank you so much for offering.”
“Do you eat fish?” Davis asked. I remembered his name but hadn’t been able to keep the others straight yet.
“No, no fish.”
“How about eggs?” another one of the boys asked.
“No, dumbass,” the brother with the buzz cut said. “An egg is a baby chicken. If she doesn’t eat meat, she doesn’t eat eggs either.”
“We’ve got a wonderful farmers’ market that sets up every Friday morning on the town square,” Mrs. Taylor said. “Jasper, you ought to add that to your list of places to take Delilah.”
“That sounds wonderful.” I helped myself to some of the green beans being passed around the table.
“What other places are you going to visit while you’re here?” Abby asked. “Can you come speak at my school?”
Jasper eyed his little sister. “What would you want her to speak about?”
“I’ve done seminars for girls on ways to empower each other. If your school would be interested in something like that, I’d love to take part.” The few times I’d been asked to speak to preteens and tweens, I’d enjoyed it. I’d experienced my own fair share of the “mean girls” at my school and used my pageant platform as an effort to spread kindness and understanding.
Abby bounced up and down on her chair. “Can I ask my teacher, Mom?”
“Of course, if Delilah’s sure she doesn’t mind.”
I shook my head. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Where else are you going to go while you’re here? You’re supposed to visit places that are romantic, right?” Davis asked. He was the only brother whose name I’d remembered so far.
“That’s right.” I glanced to Jasper. “But I don’t get to decide. It’s up to your town to show me the places all of you think are romantic.”
“Well, there’s the cove down by the river,” Davis said.
Buzz Cut joined in. “There’s also the Sunday night movie on the side of the Hamptons’ barn. That’s got to be pretty romantic since I saw Mitchell mashing lips with a certain brunette there a few weeks ago.”
Mitchell’s cheeks flamed red, and I felt sorry for him for a moment but also a bit relieved since now I’d been able to deduce that Buzz Cut’s name was Trent. “Do they have it every Sunday night?”
“Most of the time,” Davis said. “They’re planning on showing some cheesy chick flick tonight, aren’t they, Mom?”
“As soon as the sun goes down, which this time of year seems to be getting earlier each week”—Mrs. Taylor grinned at me—“they alternate between showing family films and lighthearted comedies more appropriate for an older crowd.”
