Back when we were in high school, most of the boys were still in the house. But Roman—the oldest—had moved out and Graham was in college. Every Sunday night, Raleigh made sure to gather her family for dinner.
I had always been welcome and it was the highlight of my week—sitting around Raleigh and Warner’s table, listening to the family chatter and eating a full, delicious meal.
But so much was different now.
I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was to visit the Ramsey home.
But…seeing Raleigh awakened the ache in me. Although I was scared to face the rest of the family, part of me longed to see them.
I stared at Raleigh, who waited patiently for my answer.
I wasn’t sure I was ready for a Ramsey family dinner. I didn’t know how they’d receive me now—or how it would feel to sit at that table without the one person who used to light up the entire room. Thea. The baby of the Ramsey family, and the heart of their home.
Without even thinking, I started picking nervously.
But as I gazed into Raleigh’s eyes, she seemed so reassuring. So certain. And the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint her again.
I nodded before thinking more about it. “I would love to come to family dinner.”
15
Skye
Raleighstayeduntilthefood was warmed up. She portioned out two plates, setting one in front of me at the small dining table, and then gave me one last squeeze.
“I’ll see you Sunday,” she said excitedly before leaving for the night.
The cabin was quiet and empty when she was gone. I stared down at the plate of food, mouth watering. The tortellini looked delicious and the garlic bread was made completely from scratch. I’d had it many times in the past and it was the best.
I picked up my fork, ready to dig in, when the bathroom door opened. A billowing cloud of steam rolled out, followed closely by Fox. He had a towel around his neck, his brown hair wet and dripping. His duffel bag hung from his hand and our eyes met from across the room.
“Have a nice shower?” I pretended my stomach didn’t tighten at the way his white T-shirt clung to his damp skin.
He tossed his duffel bag onto the couch, and looked around the cabin quickly.
“Mom left,” he said, more of a statement than a question.
“She did.” I nodded. “She also invited me to family dinner on Sunday.”
Sunday. Today was Monday, so I had almost a whole week to prepare. Still, the thought had a pang of nervousness shooting through me.
Fox used the towel to tousle his wet hair. “Okay,” he said flatly.
I waited for a follow-up comment, wondering whether he would ask if I had accepted the invitation. When he didn’t, I glanced away. He didn’t seem too excited about having me for dinner at his childhood home.
My mouth went dry. The delicious tortellini suddenly did not sound so appetizing. Fox walked over to the plate of food Raleigh had left on the counter. Tension wound tight in my gut as I anticipated him coming to sit down.
But he didn’t. Instead, he leaned against the kitchen counter, plate in one hand, fork in the other, as he ate his food.
I stiffened, cheeks flaming. He didn’t even want to sit at the same table with me to eat.
My jaw clenched.
This was ridiculous. For once, it wasn’t guilt that overtook me. It was anger. Frustration. Annoyance.
I placed both my hands on the table, palms down, a little harder than I intended. The sound wasn’t exactly loud, but it wasn’t quiet either.
Fox stilled, fork almost to his mouth.
