“You can’t just dismiss everything I say without even discussing it.”
“We have a whole life in Waimea. You just want to rip them out of school?”
“You make it sound like a bad thing. I just want more time with our daughters, and I want them to have more time with our family.”
“You’re the one who wanted to move to Waimea in the first place,” Trent said. “We built a life there becauseyousaid it was the perfect place to raise a family.”
“That was before my sisters moved back to Pualena. I want to spend more time with them, but with our schedule–”
“What about them?” Trent interrupted, his voice cold. “I don’t see Anne driving up here to see you.”
A fierce, protective anger sprang up in her chest. “She works seven days a week. Between making breakfast in the morning and stripping the beds and being there when guests check in, she doesn’t have time–”
“Okay, okay.” Trent put his hands up to stop her. “Jeez.”
“I’m worried about her,” Oakley admitted, her anger fading. “I’m worried about all of them. Anne’s working so hard, and Akemi’s about to have a baby, and Laurie’s trying to extricate herself from a terrible marriage–”
“A terrible marriage? Really?”
That same fire rose up in her throat again. “Yes.”
“We’ve known Chris for, what, fifteen years? Now that Laurie’s done with him, you all want to pretend like he’s some kind of monster? I’m not buying it.”
“He hurt her,” Oakley said, stunned.
“So she says.”
“I believe my sister!”
“Yeah, okay.”
“I don’t trust Chris. I never liked him. He’s manipulative and controlling.”
Trent scoffed. “Is he really?”
“Yes.”
“And what does that make you?”
She froze. It felt like he’d reached out and slapped her. “What do you mean?”
“You want to rip the girls out of school so that you can go hang out with Anne a few times a week? Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?”
She stared at him, speechless.
“And when I stand up for our children,” he continued, “you try to guilt trip me into agreeing with you. How’s that for manipulative?”
“I miss my family.” Her voice creaked, hardly audible.
“Your family’s right here,” he snapped.
“I want Hayden and Harper to have more time with their cousins, with their grandmother–”
“You’re jealous of your sisters?” he demanded. “All down there together in Pualena? Their lives just fell apart. They’re a mess, all of them.”
“Don’t talk about my family that way!”
“I’m sorry, but do you really think those people are good role models for Hayden and Harper?”
