“He’s protective,” I argue again weakly, though my pulse jumps at the image.
“He’s obsessed,” Cordia corrects. “You’re the only one who makes him look alive, Dove. You’re the only one who challenges him without wanting something from him. Emily wants the Archer name. You just want... him.”
I’m about to retort when Henry and Melanie Archer enter the room, bringing a wave of charismatic energy with them.
“Dove!” Melanie says, spotting me instantly. “So lovely to see you again.”
She bypasses her own children to pull me into a hug. I melt into it instantly. I lost my own mom years ago, and Melanie hasalways filled that space without ever making me feel needy or lost.
“You look wonderful, dear,” she whispers against my cheek. “Yellow is your color. It makes you look like sunshine.”
Then, she straightens, turning to the others. “And Emily, welcome.”
Emily takes the opportunity to stride over to Melanie and link her arm through hers as if they’re old friends with a patronizing familiarity that makes Cordia narrow her eyes.
“Hi,mamma,” Emily says, her voice sickly sweet.
Blood drains from my cheeks. Is it a hint that Shane is thinking of proposing? I hate the thought.
Behind Emily’s back, Cordia makes a gagging motion, sticking her tongue out. Marabella just closes her eyes and takes a long, fortifying sip of her wine, draining half the glass.
Melanie does a double take, stiffening slightly at the title, but then schools her features with a practiced smile. Rather than extract her arm from Emily’s, she gracefully pivots the group toward the dining room.
“Well,” Melanie announces, her voice bright. “Now that we’re all here... Peep Wars has begun.”
Chapter Four
Shane
Peep Wars was a tradition we started when Theo was a kid. The closest Archer in age to him was Cordia, but as a five year old wanting to play mud-pie-worms, nine year old Cordia wanted no part of.
Mom drafted Peep Wars one Easter with the help of Marabella and I. Our first business venture, she said: bringing the family together.
“If you get egg yolk on the Persian rug, Mother will actually kill you, Theo. I’m not speaking metaphorically. She will hide your body in the potting shed.”
“Relax, Cordia. That’s what the tarp is for.”
I stand in the doorway of the dining room, watching the chaos unfold. It looks like a crime scene committed by the Easter Bunny. A clear plastic drop cloth covers the bottom half of the mahogany table and spills onto the floor, protecting the hardwood from the inevitable destruction my siblings call tradition.
“Peep Wars,” Theo announces, lining up a row of neon yellow marshmallow chicks on the far end of the table. “The only time of year where violence against sugar is encouraged.”
Usually, I opt out. I stand on the sidelines with a scotch, checking my emails and waiting for the sugar rush to crash so we can eat dinner. But this year is different.
Because Dove is holding a hard-boiled egg like it’s a grenade, and she looks ready for war.
She’s laughing at something Marabella said, her head thrown back, exposing the creamy column of her throat. She looks soft in that pastel dress, like a watercolor painting come to life. She fits here. She blends into the chaos of my family better than I do.
Emily, I notice, is sitting in the corner armchair, scrolling through her phone with aggressive boredom. She declined to play, citing a fresh manicure. Mom is on the sidelines too, finishing some last-minute Easter baskets, but her eyes aren’t on the ribbons. They’re darting between me and Dove with a terrifying amount of calculation.
“Shane!” Dove spots me, her hazel eyes lighting up. “Are you in? We need one more to even out the number of peeps. It’s me and your sisters against Theo and your dad.”
“He’s not playing,” Emily says without looking up from her screen, her voice bored. “Shane hates games.”
What I hate more are assumptions.
“I’m in,” I say, loosening my tie and stepping into the room.
Emily’s head snaps up. Her boredom vanishes, replaced by a sharp, prickly annoyance. She lowers her phone, her eyes narrowing as I walk past her without stopping.
