Free More Than a Man by Emily Ryan-Davis Page B

contact steadied her, grounded her. In just
a few hours he’d become more important than she could have
imagined. It was so fast with him.
    “Steaks are ready,” Rich announced.
    “Dad grills a fantastic steak,” Joy said,
addressing Aya.
    “But not enough unfortunately.” Vivian bit
her lip. “We weren’t expecting more than the four of us for
dinner.”
    “It’s fine,” Aya said before Noelle could
step in. “I’m vegetarian.”
    “Oh.” Her mother wrung her hands before
turning away abruptly. “We’ll figure something out. I’ll just be a
minute.”
    She edged past Aya and into the house, the
click of her heels audible in the sudden silence. Noelle and Joy
stared at one another. The younger woman spoke first.
    “You should’ve called or texted or
something,” Joy said. “You know how Mom gets about hospitality.
She’s going to be a wreck the rest of the night, worrying that Aya
feels unwelcome.”
    Noelle stiffened defensively.
    “Joy.” Her father’s voice held a low note of
warning.
    “I don’t feel unwelcome,” Aya interjected
before she could respond. “Please tell her this is fine.”
    “Aya,” her father called from the grill, “why
don’t you have my girls give you a quick tour of the house so
you’ll know where everything is?”
    The interruption felt like a reprieve. Noelle
latched onto it and steered Aya toward the house.
     
    * * *
     
    Dinner was strained. She couldn’t fault Aya.
He drew Joy and her father into casual discussion, and even tried
to talk with her mother. But Vivian didn’t even make a pretense at
polite conversation. Instead, she answered questions briefly before
pressing her lips together.
    Noelle picked at the meal, pushing small
pieces of steak around her plate and barely nibbling on the salad
and vegetables. Vivan’s disapproval couldn’t have been more
plain.
    By the time Joy brought out dessert, Noelle’s
nerves were stretched tight.
    “Are you fitting in well, Aya?” After being
closed-mouth all evening, her mother’s abrupt question cut sharply
through the tense atmosphere.
    “Mom. He only arrived this morning.” Maybe
she could head off whatever salvo her mother was preparing. Aya,
seated next to her, laid a hand on her knee under the table. She
jolted hard enough to bump the table, drawing curious looks from
her family. Noelle stared at her mother. What was she getting
at?
    “Well, he must have met some of your friends.
Or at least Kendall? She’s at your place all the time.”
    Noelle sucked in a calming breath.
    Aya cocked his head and gave Vivian a small
smile. “No, Mrs. Lytton. I haven’t met any of Noelle’s friends yet.
Though I understand they’ll be over for a party tomorrow
night.”
    “A party? Isn’t it a little early for a
marriage party?”
    Noelle felt heat creep up her neck. She
fiddled with the tablecloth. “It isn’t a marriage party.”
    “You should have a marriage party,” Joy
declared.
    Noelle shrugged, uncomfortable. Kendall’s
original idea had been a combination of wedding shower and
bachelorette party. A surreptitious call to her from the bathroom
had clued her into Aya’s early arrival. Kendall had only rolled her
eyes and muttered about canceling the strippers and sexbots. She
might have been kidding. Maybe.
    “It’s really more Kendall’s deal than mine,”
Noelle evaded.
    Her mother’s face froze. “Oh. I didn’t
realize you’d told your friends you were getting married
again.”
    “I didn’t tell them.” Twisting the cloth
between her fingers, she swallowed the guilt. She hadn’t told them.
Kendall had guessed, but that wasn’t the same.
    Aya pulled his hand from her leg. A quick
sideways glance at his face had her hunching her shoulders. He had
the same look on his face he’d had this morning when she explained
it was easier not to tell anyone. And wasn’t this just proof she
was right? If Kendall hadn’t guessed, she wouldn’t be in this
position. Ignorance was bliss.
    “You