I swear, whatever she’s knitting, she’s been working on the same piece since I was a kid. I’m pretty sure she was eighty then, too.
“Not scowling,” I grumble without heat.
A finely penciled eyebrow lifts. “No? Could have fooled me. What’s got you all scruffy over there?”
“Not scruffy either. Just... enjoying the night.”
Her gnarled hands move and loop yarn over razor sharp needles that catch the firelight with every flick.
“The night or the leggy thing in the cute skirt?” She smirks when I blink at her. “You think you’re subtle?”
I guess we haven’t been, but the thoughts of others seem unimportant on the heels of everything else. Part of me thinks Dom’s right and no one’s going to care, while another part is too tired to care. The last few days have been far too exhausting and stressful and I’m ready to get Isla home.
“She’s a good kid.” Grandma Lee drops her attention down to her task. “Impressive, given her mother.”
I leave Isla-watch to Dom and fixate on the woman beside me.
“What about her mother?”
Her scoff is derogatory. Sharp. “I’m not one to gossip. No mother is perfect, Lord, I know. Mine would make us go pick our own spanking branch. Then she’d give us cookies and tell us not to do it again. It’s all considered barbaric nowadays.” She pauses to tug at her wool when it catches on a knot. “Not sure what you would call Macie’s type of... parenting, but it was never mothering. That woman doesn’t have a maternal bone in her useless body.”
Did everyone see it but me?
Was I really so oblivious and blind?
My gaze drifts to where Isla and Dom are working together to empty unfinished food and scrub the dishes. They’re moving as if they’d done this a hundred times. Each one, knowing their job.
“Why did you never say anything?” I demand, angry at Grandma Lee, but angrier with myself.
Grandma Lee ceases her knitting and fixes me with those unfathomable eyes. “To who? Your father? To you?”
I want to snarl yes, but it’s not her fault I was an idiot. She only saw Isla on random holidays for a few hours. I practically lived with her during those weekends. If anyone should be yelled at, it’s me.
I apologize to Grandma Lee and start to push to my feet when I spot Dad and Macie standing off to one side, heads bent close. Dad has his glasses in his hands, eyebrows furrowed while he listens with bewilderment. Macie seems to be doing all the talking and whatever she’s saying has Dad shaking his head.
Macie doesn’t seem to like that. Her entire head jerks back as if Dad struck her.
Curiosity has me moving to join them.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
Dad’s frowning, but Macie’s expression brightens. She smiles at me with her usual warmth.
“Nicky.” She grips my arm and drags me the rest of the way to join their group. “I was just telling your father that I think for your next Christmas visit, we should do something small and intimate for the holidays. Maybe just the three of us.”
“And I told Macie that wouldn’t be fair to Dominic or Isla.” He stresses Isla’s name as if reminding his wife that she had a daughter.
But Macie flicks a wrist dismissively. “Oh, you know Isla. She’s such a wild and unpredictable card. I bet she won’t even want to join. But of course Dominic is always welcome. He’s family.”
“I don’t see why Dom and I would attend anything Isla isn’t invited to,” I remark, careful to never lift my gaze off Macie’s face.
“Well, of course she’s invited.” Macie titters. “But she’s decided holidays with family just aren’t something she’s interested in doing anymore. She mentioned traveling and some man she’s eager to return to.”
If I was Nick from a week ago, I probably would have believed her. Why would she lie about something like that? It’s insane. Isla’s her daughter. No mother would intentionally sabotage her daughter’s happiness
And yet, here I stand. Watching it happen.
“I guess she told you our plans,” I fabricate. “Isla, Dom and I are thinking about traveling for a bit.”
