“We haven’t seen you since the wedding,” Cole says.
“I thought Sheila?—”
“I did tell them,” she cuts in, pouring him another cup of tea.
For some reason, she’s joined us in the breakfast room, all dolled up, glowing, and insufferably pleased with herself while I’m still trying to get Willow to take our calls. No luck just yet, but Asher managed to get some updates out of Jamie to let us know that she’s at least safe and never on her own.
Cole gives Sheila a hard look. “You did tell us. And now, you’re excused.”
“I beg your pardon?” she scoffs, visibly insulted.
Dad looks at Cole, then back at Sheila. “What is going on with you two now? I thought I asked you all to put your skirmishes to rest.”
“Not for lack of trying, Dad,” Cole bluntly replies. “This is supposed to be a brunch between a father and his sons, though. I’m sure Sheila has better things to do with her time.”
“You mean other than doting on my husband? I think not.”
“Enough of this,” Dad snaps, his hand shaking as he tries to lift his cup. Gently, I stop him and give him a smile.
“You don’t need the aggravation,” I tell him. “Deep breath, you old coot.” I look at Sheila. “We would really appreciate it if you could give us a moment with our father.”
Her persistence brings me closer to the edge, along with that steely defiance in her green eyes. “I’m not leaving Bill’s side.”
“What are you afraid of?” Asher asks her.
I think I know what it is. After the fallout with Willow, it must’ve dawned on Sheila that one or all three of us might spill the beans about Cole and her to our father, just to get even.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Dad gives her a curious look. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“She thinks we’re terrible people like her,” Asher replies with a cold grin, “which is pretty fucking rich at this point. She’s afraid we’ll retaliate after what she didto Willow.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“What’s wrong, Sheila? Are you afraid?” Cole chimes in, picking up on Asher’s energy. I’m not sure this is our best course of action, given our father’s heart condition, but the more Sheila tries to manipulate and lie her way out of this corner, the more tempted I am to add my own voice to the pile.
“Bill, honey, nothing’s wrong. Your sons aren’t thinking clearly. They’re letting their emotions get the better of them, as usual. They’ll never accept me; I’ve made peace with that.”
“Sheila knows that’s not what this is about,” Cole says, cool as a cucumber. “It bothers her that other people might do to her what she does to them.”
“Wasn’t it a verse in the Bible? Do unto others, yadda, yadda,” Asher teases.
I witness the color drain from Sheila’s filler-infused cheeks as she squares her bony shoulders at us. “Don’t do this. Your father’s health?—”
“I think our old man is stronger than you give him credit for,” Cole replies, cutting her off again. “Case in point, he’s been married to you for quite a few years, and he’s still kicking.”
“Barely,” Dad tries to crack a joke in a bid to defuse the tension, but even he can see it’s not enough. His silvery brow furrows as he looks at each of us with genuine, growing concern. “What’s going on, boys? Sheila, darling? What are you all holding back?”
“Something I should’ve told you a long time ago, Dad,” Cole says.
The whole time, he keeps his eyes on Sheila, feeding on her swelling misery as she squirms in her seat and tries to think of ways to stop this disaster from unfolding. But her fear only serves to fuel us.
“Cole… Enough,” Sheila says.
Cole is on a roll, and I understand his fury, his pain. Asher and I have been dealing with Willow’s absence as best as we could, but Cole has taken it hard. He’s out for blood. And Sheila had to run her mouth, the gloating, shortsighted fool that she is.
“Long before you met Sheila, she and I had a thing,” Cole says.
