Christmas Homecoming. Lenora Worth

look, just to see if he could make her blush again. “I do love tamales.”

      “You’d have to get in line,” Gabi said, very pragmatically. “I have four brothers and a sister. We know the boardinghouse reach very well at my parents’ table.”

      “I know that same reach, even if I was only allowed to do that whenever my mother wasn’t looking,” Jeremy said, then he looked down at the table. “Although it’s been a while since I’ve been to a Hamilton family dinner.”

      “All the more reason to try dinner somewhere else for a change,” Dawn suggested, shrugging. “You don’t have to mind your manners so much at the Marquez house.”

      “We have manners,” Gabi said, grinning. Then she looked from him to Dawn, clearly confused at her friend’s suggestion. “My mother will feed anyone who wants a good meal, though.”

      Jeremy laughed again. “Such a nice way of saying c’mon by anytime, right? I think I get the picture. Maybe I’d better stick to my own family dinners, even though they can be a bit stuffy at times.”

      Gabi was about to answer when Betty’s daughter, Justine, came over to take their orders. “Hi,” she said, her tone low. “What can I get y’all today?”

      Jeremy let the women order first, then said, “I’ll have the Betty Burger, with the works.”

      Justine smiled down at him, her eyes holding his for a minute, some unreadable emotion there in their depths. “Glad you’re home, Jeremy.”

      Jeremy thanked her, then turned to Gabi and Dawn after Justine walked away. “Is it just me, or are the Owens women acting a bit odd today?”

      Gabi shrugged. “You know how Betty likes to gossip. Maybe she’s just trying to keep her thoughts to herself for once. So you won’t feel awkward.”

      “Regarding my paternity?” he asked, comfortable enough to be honest with these two at least.

      “That and all the other rumors about the Hamiltons,” Dawn replied. “I guess you’ve heard the latest one, right?”

      Jeremy glanced around then lowered his voice. “You mean, about my father possibly having an illegitimate child out there somewhere? Yes, I’ve heard and if I get my hands on the person spreading this stuff—”

      He looked up to find Justine standing there with a tray full of tea glasses, her eyes centered on him. The look she gave him this time was full of doubt and anxiety.

      Jeremy had to wonder if maybe Betty and Justine knew something he didn’t know, after all. But then, that was nothing new around here, he thought with a bitter resolve. He’d promised Tim he’d try to look into this mess. Maybe he should start right here at Betty’s Bake Shoppe.

      He waited for Justine to put down their drinks, then glanced over at Gabi. “Maybe coming here was a bad idea.”

      “No, it wasn’t,” she said. She leaned close enough for him to get a faint whiff of her exotic perfume. “You have nothing to be ashamed about, Jeremy. Nothing at all.”

      Her words held a conviction Jeremy couldn’t feel. “I’m not used to being the center of gossip,” he said. “This has all been very difficult—for my entire family.” He thought of his mother and how she’d held her head high throughout his father’s illness, through all the rumors and embarrassing gossip. Then he thought of Wallace, a shard of piercing guilt hitting his heart. He pushed that guilt away, not ready to examine it just yet. “People don’t stop to think how this is hurting my mother. She’s done nothing to deserve this kind of pain.”

      “I know how that feels,” Gabi replied. Then she looked away, her hands fluttering in the air. “I mean, nobody likes to be talked about. Especially when half the people talking don’t know the truth.”

      Jeremy didn’t ask her how she knew this. Firsthand experience, maybe? Her words only added to her mystique and allure. He wondered again about that trace of sadness he’d seen now and then in her dark eyes. She was probably still mourning her husband.

      He looked over at Dawn, and saw an encouraging expression on her face. Then Dawn said, “Let’s change the subject. Let’s talk about Melissa and Richard’s wedding. Gabi, are you coming?”

      “I hadn’t thought about it,” Gabi said. “I thought it was only for family, considering the circumstances.”

      “Yet another family scandal to overcome,” Jeremy retorted.

      “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” Gabi quickly replied. “I—I just wouldn’t want to interfere. I’m sorry, Jeremy, but I don’t know your family very well.”