The look on Grayden’s face… There’d been a glimmer of hurt before he shut down, turning to stone.
Then Ashford stormed into the house, and Grace tried to follow and argue with him. By the time Grayden had left and everyone else was back inside, it felt like a bomb had dropped in the middle of our Thanksgiving.
What the heck had Grayden been thinking, showing up like that?
But also…wow. That had taken some nerve.
Emma, Zandra, and I dished up pie for the kids and put on a movie for them in the guest room. Then we joined the adults gathered around the dining table. Half-eaten plates of food sat haphazardly at our places. The gravy had congealed.
The wine glasses, though? Those were empty. Any minute and Dane would break out the expensive whiskey.
Grace glared across the table at Ashford. “It didn’t have to be like that,” she said.
“Agreed. It would’ve been better if he didn’t show up and ruin our night.”
“Not what I meant. If anyone ruined our night, it’s you.”
“Me?” Ashford leaned back in his chair. Emma put her hand on his leg, and I wasn’t sure if she was comforting him or trying to stop him from saying whatever he was about to say.
“Grayden’s trying to fix things,” Grace said. “So we can all be a family again.”
“Not my family.” Ashford’s volume rose. “He’s a killer, Grace.”
“It was involuntary manslaughter,” Callum said calmly. “A bar fight that got out of hand. You already know that. He served his time.”
“But has he explained everything else that happened back then?” Ashford glanced from Callum to Grace and back again. “After he got arrested, he refused to defend himself, shut us out,wouldn’t even talk to us. Probably because he was guilty as sin. Grayden cuthimselfout of our lives. Has he said one single thing to excuse any of it?”
For several long seconds, there was no sound except breathing and the faint sounds of the kids’ movie in the other room.
“No,” Grace muttered. “We forgave him anyway, and we’re letting him tell us the rest when he’s ready.”
“Then nothing has changed. I don’t want him around my kid. You invited him inside with zero regard for how I’d feel about it. What the fuck was that?”
Dane put his hand on Grace’s shoulder. “Hey, could you not talk to her that way?”
“This is between me and my sister, not you,” Ashford snapped at him.
“If it involves Grace, it involves me.”
“Guys, can’t we just let it go for now and try to enjoy the rest of the evening?” Callum asked. Zandra opened her mouth like she wanted to speak, though she held herself back.
But Grace and Ashford were getting into it again. I’d never seen them so angry at each other. And Dane and Ashford looked ready to come to blows, even though they were supposed to be best friends.
Geez, this was going downhill fast.
Maybe it was a good thing Teller wasn’t here too. When it came to Grayden, I didn’t know which side Teller would be on. But I could guess.
I jumped up, grabbed my wine glass, and whacked my spoon against it. Everyone’s head turned at the high-pitched clinking.
“Okay, okay! Quiet, please! We’re all going to shut up and stuff our faces with pie for the next hour, or so help me, you’re all banned from Silver Linings for the next week.”
Grace frowned at me, and Ashford’s jaw stayed tight.
Zandra stood. “I’m with the coffee lady. I can’t live without my pistachio lattes.”
“Agreed,” Callum said, taking a deep breath before his usualgrin slid into place. “I made a killer pumpkin pie. Everyone needs to try it.”
Zandra poked his shoulder. “You seem to forget I made the pies while you sat on your ass and played with our new kitten.”
