Nate groaned. How could he have been so stupid?
Sadie frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t worry, honey. He’ll be fine. He’s just realized he’s in love with Ellie.”
“I’m not in love with her. I’m in…” Yeah, that’s not something he’d say to her cousin. “I’m in like with her.” And now he sounded like he was in grade school. He was beginning to wonder if he’d done permanent damage to his brain cells along with temporarily losing his mind last night.
Sadie’s eyes danced with amusement. “I’m glad you like my cousin, Nate. She deserves someone who likes her as much as you seem to.” She glanced at the trays they’d loaded with sandwiches. “You know, we should probably wrap those up and put them in the refrigerator. We’ll need them for the next sitting. You can serve the trays of desserts instead.” She pointed at the counter. “We have more in the fridge.”
Nate had to figure out a way to be gone when his family arrived, or, at the very least, relieved of his serving duties and the kilt he was wearing. Ellie and Sadie looked cute in their uniforms of black T-shirts and plaid skirts. He and Chase just looked like idiots.
“Are Abby and Mallory on duty for the next shift?” he asked Sadie, as if Ellie hadn’t already asked him to take on serving duties for all three seatings.
“I thought Ellie told you. The baby’s fussy, so Abby can’t make it. And Mallory and Gabe took the kids for a hike.”
Since Ryder and Toby had spent the night at the Buchanans’, Nate couldn’t complain. They’d saved him having to explain where he and Ellie had been all night. Neither Joe nor the judge had bought their excuse that they’d taken off early that morning to check out the cabins. Although Joe had given Nate’s idea to fix up the cabins with Ryder next week the thumbs-up.
Thinking about the older men, he asked, “What about Joe and the judge? They should be back from the grocery store by then. They left over an hour ago.”
“If that’s where they actually went, they would be,” Sadie said. “They’re playing poker at Granny’s. She’ll be here as soon as Michaela goes down for her nap. Somewhere around one thirty, I’d think. If you have something to do, I’m sure she’d be happy to fill in for you.”
The last thing he wanted was Mrs. M anywhere near his family. “It’s okay. You can tell Mrs. M to stay home with the baby.”
“As much as she loves Michaela, there’s no way she’d pass up the opportunity to meet your family. We might be able to get Hunter to fill in for you though.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m good.” No way was he leaving Mrs. M to her own devices.
“Great.” Sadie skirted the counter to pick up a dessert tray. Chase joined her, and the two of them started whispering and giggling like a couple of lovesick teenagers.
“You realize everyone can see you,” he said when he caught them sharing a kiss. He was about to tell them to get a room but was afraid they’d take him up on the suggestion and leave him on his own.
With a disgusted sigh, he retrieved the tray before Sadie dropped it and walked to the closest table. “Time for dessert, ladies. What’s your pleasure?” He crouched by the table to give them a better view of the cupcakes, shortbread, and tarts on the tray.
“You are, laddie,” the older woman on his left chortled. “How about a kiss to go with my cupcake?”
“How about two cupcakes inst—” He broke off when the woman on his right pushed back her chair, folding herself in half in an attempt to get a look under his kilt.
He grabbed the back of her leopard-print blouse to save her from taking a header out of her chair while pushing to his feet at the same time, balancing the dessert tray in his other hand. “I warned you what would happen the last time you tried to sneak a peek, Jeannie. No dessert for you.”
“That’s not fair. I didn’t get so much as a little look.” She pouted.
“He’s a big strong lad, Jeannie. I doubt anything about him is little,” the woman to her right said, giving Nate a lascivious grin while the rest of her tablemates, including Jeannie, broke up in peals of laughter.
Nate narrowed his eyes at them before picking up Jeannie’s teacup and bringing it to his nose. His eyes burned from the overpowering smell of whiskey. He shook his head to clear it, then asked, “Which one of you is supplying the booze?”
All five of them reached into their purses and pulled out flasks. “I’ll say one thing for you, you ladies know your whiskey. But you’ve also had enough, and you won’t be driving home.”
“We didn’t plan to. We want a ride on your hog,” Jeannie said.
“On my—”
“Are you ladies giving Nate a hard time again?” Ellie asked, coming to stand beside him.
“Just having a little fun with him, dear,” Jeannie said, helping herself to two tarts. “We heard you’ve been having fun with him too.”
“Um, yes. Nate’s a lot of fun to work with,” Ellie said, her cheeks turning pink.
“I’m sure he is, but that’s not what I was talking—”
Her blush deepening, Ellie handed Nate the teapot. Then she took the tray of desserts from him, making room for it on the table. “There you go, ladies. Enjoy.” She took him by the arm, steering him away from the table.
“Honestly, Grandpa is a bigger gossip than Granny.” She looked around, no doubt seeing the same thing he was, that everyone was watching them. “Maybe it’s for the best. We obviously won’t have a hard time convincing anyone we’re together.”
Right, they were back to fake-dating. And this time, it was his own fault. He couldn’t blame sleep deprivation or wanting a little fun. Granted, being with Ellie had been a hell of a lot of fun. So much fun, he was afraid she’d ruined him for any other woman. He’d spend the rest of his days living like a monk. All because he’d been jealous at the idea of Ellie spending time with another man. A first for him. He didn’t have a jealous bone in his body.
“Is something wrong?” Ellie asked, placing a hand on his arm.
He ran a finger along the neck of his T-shirt, stretching it out. It felt like he was wearing a shirt two sizes too small and a tie that fit like a noose. He needed to put an end to this now. Before it was too late. But looking into Ellie’s beautiful eyes, he couldn’t say the words. “No. It’s all good. But how about we hold off with the fake-dating until your ex arrives?”
She gave him a smile that seemed forced. “Sure. Whatever you want.”
That smile had him backtracking. “At least until we get rid of my family.”
She looked relieved, like that explained his sudden change of heart. “Oh, okay.” She smiled then, a smile that was as warm and as beautiful as she was. And despite the voice in his head telling him he was an idiot for not putting an end to this now—and it was a voice that hadn’t steered him wrong in the past—he returned her smile.
Only she was smiling at someone behind him, waving at them too. “Your family just arrived. I’ll take them for a tour of the guest rooms first. You don’t mind, do you?”