I loom over him, fuming. “You damn well better not be. Ivy has nothing to do with this.”
Reed leans his head back, his expression serious. “But it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve been led astray by a pretty face.”
Blowing out a breath, I step away from him before I do something I’ll regret. “Unbelievable. Always getting one more hit in… You’re never going to let that go,” I say, shaking my head. I turn back to face him, hearing the menace thickening my voice almost into a growl. “Ivy is my girlfriend; you should show her some respect.”
Like he’s been cut off his strings, Reed’s expression crumbles, and he lands back in his chair with a thump. My hands are shaking with frustration, but at the sight of him slumped over in defeat, my pulse calms.
“You’re right, you’re right,” he says, rubbing both hands over his face. “Fuck, I’m sorry. If you trust her?—”
“I absolutely trust her,” I insist. There’s not a doubt in my mind.
Reed backs off, nodding, pained. “Then I believe you. It’s not her.”
“Jesus, Reed. And you wonder why I never told you about her,” I huff. I need a drink.
“Christ, Reed. I love you,” Darcy says from her perch. “But you really can be such an arsehole.”
As I walk over to where I know he keeps his whiskey, Darcy throws me a nod, and I figurewhy the hell not?and pour us all one.
“I’m aware,” Reed replies, thumb and forefinger digging into the corners of his eyes with one hand as he takes the offered drink from me with the other. It’s a big sign that he’s not as pulled together as he’d like everyone to believe. “I shouldn’t have accused you. Or Ivy.”
“Thanks, love.” Mum says when I pass her a glass. Then she shocks me by throwing two fingers of aged scotch back like its water. “Reed, you better get this nonsense out of your system before the reunion. I don’t want you making Ivy feel unwelcome.”
I can practically hear the record scratch in the room.
Fuck.
It’s not that I forgot about it. It’s impossible to in our family. Deacon never let us miss an occasion to celebrate his birthday, and now that he’s passed, Joe’s been bullied into carrying on the tradition for him and his long-gone twin.
But I didn’t account for Mum inviting Ivy, and I should have.
Shit. The last thing she needs is to be dragged farther into the depths of our drama.
“Of course I won’t. What do you take me for?” he says, to a resounding silence from the rest of us. “Yes, yes, all right. Arsehole, I know. I’ll apologize.”
“You damn well will,” I stress, knowing it’s the first thing I need to do when I get out of here, because dammit, I have so much more to say sorry for.
Namely, the disaster of today.
“It’s these fucking tariffs that have me on edge. Bloody two-faced politicians trying to force us to cut our benefits. That’s not an excuse.” He holds a hand up, stopping my argument before I can start it. “And now this breach.” He leans his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry I accused you. It’s my responsibility to look after this family, and I take it very seriously.” Yes, and water is wet. “If there’s anything I need to know, tell me now. I can’t do anything if I don’t know.”
Darcy pins me with a challenging look. “Now where have I heard that today?”
I throw back my drink. Coming back here was meant to be complicated, not a complete disaster.
CHAPTER21
ROSES ARE RED
IVY
When I blink awake the next morning, I’m convinced I’m still dreaming.
When I was twenty-one, a guy started our date by telling me he didn’t believe in buying a girl flowers. Our server looked me right in the eye and said, “I really hope there isn’t a second date.”
There wasn’t.
So waking up to find a bouquet of red roses on my bedside table is confusing but nice. Then I realize I’m surrounded by them.
