“No. Plenty of addicts aren’t terrible people, and plenty of terrible people aren’t addicts,” Maile said sourly. “I don’t know what her deal was. She seemed fine at first glance, had friends and a social life, but there was always something... off with her. At least it seemed that way to me. Don’t you think so, Tani?”
Tani was silent for a beat, but then she spoke. “That woman was cruel and evil.”
The suppressed emotion in Tani’s voice had them both looking over at the small woman. She took a deep breath. “I never liked her either.”
Eve wondered why it had taken years for Gabe to be removed from the care of his birth mother, if she was so awful, but she didn’t know how to ask that without totally invading Gabe’s privacy.
“Anyway, then Sonya came along, and the universe made up for his terrible mother with an amazing one, along with a fantastic father for as long as Reggie was alive, and a devoted sister.” Maile nodded at Tani. “Plus, you and Robert were more than generous, sending him and Rhiannon to private school.”
From her vantage point, Eve could see Tani’s fisted hands on her knees. “It wasn’t generosity. Sonya’s father worked for mine. She was family, as were her children.”
Had Eve not been aware of the secret, she wouldn’t have picked up on how rehearsed and pat that answer was. She took another drink from her iced tea.
A groan arose from Gabe and Nicholas as the game halted. Jackson and Livvy gave each other a high-five. “Told you I’d kick your ass,” Livvy crowed.
“I kicked their ass. You were along for the ride.” Jackson flicked his twin’s bundled-up hair. She growled and swatted at him.
“Guys,” Sadia snapped, and glanced meaningfully at her son.
Jackson and Livvy both looked shame-faced. “Kareem, don’t use the word ‘ass,’” Livvy said, as they moved toward the patio.
“Never?” Kareem hugged his puppy.
Jackson swiped his hand over his brow. “I suppose, if you’re discussing donkeys—”
“Never,” Sadia emphasized, and gave her boyfriend a quelling look.
“Never,” he parroted, and dropped into a chair at the table.
“I’m thirsty,” Kareem said, and leaned against his grandmother. His puppy sniffed Tani.
Tani exploded into movement, grabbing the pitcher of iced tea. “I’ll get us some more drinks.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Don’t do that. I’ll have someone refresh it.”
“You have a bell pull out here for help?” Livvy asked with a hint of bite in her tone.
Her fiancé glanced at her quizzically. “There’s an intercom system.”
Livvy rolled her eyes. “Jeez, the kitchen is right there, Nicholas. No need to drag Jeeves into it.”
“I’ll go,” Tani interjected. She disappeared into the house before they could argue any further, Kareem and Sadia following her.
“What’s your problem?” Eve heard Nicholas ask Livvy as the couple walked inside.
Jackson twisted around to look at Gabe. “You wanna get a beer and play some more poker?”
Gabe perked up, and Eve wondered if he knew how obvious it was, his hunger to spend time with Jackson. “Yes. Yeah.”
“You’re only allowed to talk for a total of ten minutes, though.”
Eve widened her eyes. “What a brilliant idea.”
She meant in general, to force people to adhere to a time limit of talking, but Gabe made a mock outraged sound. She knew it was mock, because his eyes were twinkling.
How she adored his easy-to-read face. She didn’t have to worry if he was mad or pissed at her. She could just tell.
“I can’t believe you all have such a problem with my mouth,” Gabe retorted.
