Page 46 (1/2)

Lori looked anxious but Leonard ignored the cohed with relief At least Leonard wasn’t yelling

She gave a curt nod "Lenny"

Linc suspected Kate was the only woman in the world who could address Bella roo for the other two Both declined creaht two kitchen chairs into the s room so there’d be four places to sit Linc and Lori sat down on the chairs, leaving Kate and Leonard no choice but to take the sofa They sat as far away from each other as possible

"Would anyone like a cookie?" Lori asked, hopping to her feet aup the plate

Kate shook her head

"None for me" Leonard held up his hand, palh disappointed She turned to Linc, her eyes pleading with hi to ease the tension in the room

"I’d like to propose a toast," Linc said

The two older people regarded hie" Linc didn’t wait for anyone to chi to his lips

They each took a s handle and focused all her attention on her coffee Leonard, on the other hand, kept staring at his wife as if he couldn’t stop himself

"I didn’t know if you were aware of the fact that I went to see Leonard this week," Linc said to his mother-in-law

"No," Kate told hi about it"

"I would have, Mom, but anytime I ain"

"I didn’t and I don’t," she snapped

Rather than allow the to chat Isn’t that right, Leonard?"

"We, uh, did," Bella was the story of your courtship" Linc paused and waited for sos, but Leonard filled in the blanks"

"That was a long ti and foolish and didn’t know any better"

"We were both young and foolish" Leonard took another sip of coffee and set theaside

For just an instant, Linc feared the other h, Leonard sat back, crossing his arms over his chest

"That conversationfoot" Linc reached between the two chairs to link hands with Lori "Leonard worked hard to prove hireed begrudgingly

"How otten now"

Linc would bet that Kate knew, right down to the day

"Five," Bella years"

"Lori and I didn’t wait," Linc said "We each sae wanted and went for it That was a retme?" Lori asked, wide-eyed with shock

Linc squeezed her hand "Not for one second"

"Give yourself tirets will come"

"Kate," Leonard said in a sharp voice "Can’t you see how much in love these two are? Don’t disillusion theret, Lori," Linc said to clarify his stateive them an opportunity to meet me first"

"I didn’t want you to meet them," Lori insisted

"I know," Linc said, "but I shouldn’t have listened I should’ve followed my instincts"

"You didn’t want hihter, her expression aghast

"No, I didn’t," Lori said again "I was afraid you’d tell ment I’d shoith Geoff and that you couldn’t trust ood man and…and I didn’t want you to try to talkLinc"

"In other words, you didn’t care e thought," Leonard said His arms remained crossed

"I did but…" Lori didn’t finish

"None of that’s important now," Linc continued "Lori and I are o in building a relationship, I believe we’ve come to terms"

"Have we, now?" Bellamy arched his brows

"I believe we have," Linc returned calot off to a rocky start"

"Youe you and your business?" Kate asked aggressively

Linc et it because when I stopped to analyze Leonard’s reasoning I could see his point"

Leonard uncrossed his arhter enough to put an upstart like me to the test Hopefully I passed"

"Frankly, I don’t see why he felt it was necessary to test you at all," Kate said "All he had to do was read the investigator’s report to know you’re a good man But he wouldn’t believe that Oh, no, he was prepared to risk our relationship with our daughter just to prove he was right He was absolutely convinced you’d turn out to be underhanded"

"What investigator’s report?" Lori blurted