“Hi, I’m the niece. It’s very nice to meet you,” Anna said to Persephone as she pulled Holden behind her. “I’m going to borrow Ashton too if that’s all right.” She nodded at me.
Persephone wore a tiny scowl. “Sure. Of course.”
As my date fled the uncomfortable scene, Anna jammed her finger in my belt loop and yanked both of us along. I glanced over at Holden as we stumbled up the stairs we’d just come down, trying to see if he knew what this was about.
After tripping up five rows, Holden uncurled her finger. “Anna! What in the world?”
Anna whirled. “What are you doing?” she hissed at Holdenwhile thrusting her hand at me. “I specifically told you not to invite Ash.”
I blinked like I’d been slapped. We weren’t that kind of family. We didn’t exclude. Ever. If one was invited, all were invited. “That’s kind of rude, don’t you think?” More than kind of. She was raised better than this. “Whydon’t you want me here?”
“I can’t say.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ve sworn with a blood oath.” Right then her gaze skittered down to Tally and her brow furrowed.
Did this have something to do with Tally?
“I guess I can leave.” I huffed. “I thinkmy datemight find it kind of off-putting though. And I rode with Holden, so no car.”
Anna’s fists curled and uncurled as she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, tears shimmered there. Her hands bobbed up and down with her words, still speaking to Holden. “I texted you. I said, whatever you do,do not invite Ashton.”
My chest tightened as my mind whirled. What was happening that she didn’t want me here? It wasn’t like her at all. She was the most inclusive one of the Dupree bunch. Like she was filling her momma’s—my sister Sophie’s—shoes. The glue that held us together, right behind Mom.
“No. You specifically saidtoinvite him.” Holden fumbled in his pocket for his phone. He quickly found their text conversation. Our heads together, the three of us read the text.
Annadorable: Whatever you do, invite Ashton.
Anna slapped a hand over her forehead. “That’s what I get for using the swipe-typing feature. It left out the worddon’t.”
She sniffed. I noticed her hands shaking. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Uncle Holden.” She turned, her eyes pressing into me like I should be able to read her thoughts. “Ash, I love you. But youdo notwant to be here. Make up an excuse. You feel sick. You forgot about a test you have to administer tomorrow. Whatever. Trust me on this.”
I put my hands on my hips, annoyed. I’d trimmed my beard for this date. Bought a new pair of jeans. I purposely didn’t eat my delicious leftover LemonGarlicShrimp before I left home. I’d driven two hours to get here. First, forty minutes to Holden’s and then an hour and twenty in his cheerio-encrusted van, making uncomfortable first-date small talk with Persephone—who, I was reminded every minute we were together, I was not the tiniest bit attracted to. The least I could get out of all my efforts was a good time at the hockey game. I’d spent the last month feeling dead inside. I needed some happy endorphins. Watching guys slam into each other on the ice was just the ticket. Even if Tally was here.
“What about the Dupree Family Creed?” I asked.
“Duprees never, ever lie.” She repeated the exact wording that had been ingrained in all three of us since birth. She looked at me. “I don’t care. Burn the creed. Forget it ever existed. Change your last name for the night. But you need to leave.Now.” Again, her gaze ping-ponged to Tally.
“But I want to see the game, Anna. And Persephone is a diehard Rockets fan.” Christy had told me that when she set the date up.
Holden rubbed his chin. “Maybe tell us what’s happening and we can figure it out together?”
“I can’t,” she hissed and then muttered something about walking a tightrope.
The announcer asked everyone to head to their seats for the National Anthem that would begin momentarily. Anna groaned and waved at me. “Fine. Do what you want. Butyou’ve been warned.” Then she turned, shoulders slumped and headed for her seat.
Holden glanced over at me, so confused. I shrugged like it was nothing. But a boulder the size of Mount Rushmore settled in my stomach with a hardclunk.
Our seats were wedged in the row between Tally’s family and mine. As I walked down the aisle, my parents fist-bumped me. Then my older brother Silas, his wife, Lemon, and Peyton, a family friend.
Peyton’s boy, Cash, shoved his tiny fist in there and I leaned over to scruff him on the head. The kid had eyes blue enough that he could’ve been a Dupree. But they were his mom’s eyes. Light blue like the sky on a cloudless day. Cute kid.
I smiled at Peyt. We’d kind of been friends in high school. I didn’t know a lot about her anymore except that she worked at Lemon’s Barre studio when she wasn’t busy being a mom. I also knew she was newly divorced. Oh, and that my brother Ford hit on her every chance he got. But the woman had a will of iron. As loaded and famous as Ford was, the guy could get pretty much any woman he wanted. Except Peyton. But it didn’t stop him from trying.
I stood in front of Lemon and right behind Tally’s nephew, Theo. Tally was to his right.
Theo turned around, standing in his seat as he looked up at me. “Ash,” he said through a lisp. “Did you see the Strange Worlds finale last night?”
Tally turned to him and put a finger to her lips reminding him the anthem was about to begin. Her eyes caught mine and she whipped around, the tips of her ears bright red.
Ooh-kay.
