“Her name. Indy. Short for Indigo. I’d appreciate it if you’d get it right. I think it’s a sore spot for her. Sounds like a lot of people get it wrong.”
Austin nodded. “Indy. Got it. Anyhow, we’ll need to talk to her about the network and what to look out for. We don’t need them setting her up for something. Sounds like the kid could use a break.”
“I’ll let her know.” I pushed away from the island and edged toward the door. This had gone better than I’d hoped, and I didn’t want to push my luck by staying any longer.
“Bring her to family dinner tomorrow night. It’d be good if we all got on the same page before the cameras start rolling.”
I froze. I hadn’t been to family dinner since before all the shit went down with the drug trafficking and the feds and…I really didn’t want to face Aunt Wendy. I imagined she had more than her share of shit to unload on me too.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Indy hasn’t met any of the family aside from Maddy. I don’t want her first intro to everyone to be the same one you all murder me at.”
Austin laughed. “Oh, she’s got nothing to worry about. If she’s as nice as you say, I’ll make sure everyone’s on their best behavior…for her.”
I’d almost relaxed until he finished his sentence. Turning to face him, I leveled him with my not impressed expression.
Austin lifted a shoulder. “What can I say? You reap what you sow, and you really—really—owe Aunt Wendy an explanation and an apology. Bare minimum.”
I shook my head and looked away. Austin didn’t know. He didn’t know anything about me or what I was feeling.
“You can’t keep running forever, bro. She deserves a face to face. She raised us. She did everything for us. And you—”
“Oh, I know. Believe me, I know all the ways I screwed her over. Why do you think I’ve been avoiding her?”
“You gotta grow up sometime.” Austin shook his head like I was the biggest disappointment ever.
That wasn’t news to me.
I dipped my head, unable to meet that look in his eyes for another minute. “Thanks for giving Indy a chance. Despite me being the asshole who asked for it.”
And then I walked out of his house, letting the door softly close behind me.
The weight of his disappointment in me was heavy on my shoulders. But I knew it was nothing compared to how I’d feel tomorrow night after I saw Aunt Wendy. I almost didn’t even notice the rain spraying down on me. If anything, it matched my mood perfectly.
* * *
Indy was less than impressed when I informed her of the itinerary for tomorrow.
“I don’t understand why I have to go?” She blinked her shockingly bright blue eyes up at me from her sprawl on my couch. “I’m not family.”
“When you work for us, you’re one of us. Or something. Pretty sure that’s part of the family motto. I know I heard Aunt Wendy say it a million times when she’d bring a waitress or cook home from her restaurant.”
“She owns a restaurant? That’s pretty cool. Must mean dinner will be good, right?”
I winced. “Sheowneda restaurant. My, uh, sperm donor burned it down a few months ago…while Sabrina was inside.”
Indy’s eyes widened. “Is she okay?”
“Sabrina’s boyfriend was a firefighter so he helped her get to safety. And uh, I don’t really know how Aunt Wendy’s doing with the whole thing. We haven’t really talked much lately. I don’t even know if she’s rebuilding or what.”
“I thought you were close with your family.” The envious note in her voice was obvious.
And telling.
Indy was all alone. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by the very family I was trying so hard to avoid. Was that irony? I couldn’t really remember how that song went.
I shook my head. “I, uh, burned a few bridges over the past few years. And I don’t really know how to build them back.”
“I’m pretty sure step one requires you to talk to them.”
