Julia’s brows rose.“We’re having our tea here? In the kitchen?”
“Works for me,” Frank said. “I’ve always liked this room. It’s functional yet cozy. Hazel and John did a superb job with the renovations.”
“I enjoy this room,” Sasha said. “The colors are striking—the turquoise, the jade green, and the cream. They’re perfect to offset the slate gray. It reminds me of the sea on a sunny day. Now, how do you take your tea?”
“A touch of milk with mine,” Frank said.
Julia sniffed.“We’re drinking from mugs?”
“Stop acting a bitch, Julia,” Frank said. “We’re family, and we’re having a cup of tea in the kitchen where we’re all most comfortable.”
Julia’s glare at her husband promised retaliation.
Sasha spoke fast to cut the tension. “Milk, Julia?”
“Lemon. Please,” the older woman’s politeness came a beat later than it should have.
Sasha plucked a lemon from the fruit bowl and cut several thin slices. She set them in a small bowl and pushed them across the table to Julia.
“Have you set a date for the wedding?” Julia shifted back to the previous discussion.
Sasha picked up her tea and took a seat beside Noel.“We thought about six months from now, but we have no firm plans yet. Max is keen to get married sooner, and I have no objections.”
Julia snorted. “How old are you?”
“I’m old enough to recognize poor manners,” Sasha said in an even tone.
“Max is using you to make the judge presume he’s in a stable relationship and capable of bringing up Noel.”
Julia glare met Sasha’s own. How dare she? And in front of Noel.
“I’m sorry you’ve made a trip for nothing. Max mentioned you have Noel for two weekends a month and reasonable visitation rights. I understood you mutually arranged the visits beforehand, though.”
“You have a cheek! I have every right to see what sort of woman Max is introducing into my grandson’s life. I was right to worry. You’re too young for the responsibility of a child with difficulties like Noel. Max istoo young, and I can’t understand why John and Hazel would think he should be responsible for the boy.”
Noel might be a child, but he understood the tension in the room.
“You’ve acted with the height of rudeness by turning up without following the correct protocol, you’ve searched my room and belongings, you’ve maligned Max—who isn’t here to defend himself—and now you’re insensitive to Noel. I am responsible for Noel and have Max’s permission—my fiancé—to care for his brother. Noel is happy and healthy, but he won’t continue in that manner if you continue to speak as if he’s deaf.”
“Well, I never,” Julia said and sucked in a huge breath as if she was about to start again.
“Sasha is right,” Frank said. “We shouldn’t have arrived here without arranging the visit with Max.”
“We have every right to check on Noel. Sheryl said you turned up out of the blue, and Max had never mentioned you before,” Julia said.
“Sheryl was an employee,” Sasha said. “Do you share details of your personal lives with people you employ?”
“There is something untoward here. I would feel happier if Noel came home with us.”
“Noel has kindergarten tomorrow,” Sasha said. “You would deprive him of the chance to learn and play with his friends?”
“Ooh, good one,”her dragon said.“Max prepared us well.”
“I guess he understands his grandmother,”Sasha said. To Noel, she said, “You enjoy playing with your friends at kindergarten.”
“Shasha is a dragon.”
“He saw us,”her dragon said.“What are we going to do?”
