She looked at her youngest sister and saw the happiness she hadn’t known was missing in her life before she met Sawyer.
“Why didn’t you tell us what was going on with you, Birdie?” Blue said suddenly.
She was the McAllister with the sweetest temperament, which meant her siblings had taken advantage of that nature plenty when they were growing up. They’d also left her here to deal with their father’s illness.
“Nothing was going on with me,” Birdie denied.
“Liar. You were gambling and talking dirty on the phone to make money to pay for Dad’s medical bills. Why didn’t you tell us?”
The argument taking place behind them had now moved into processed foods. Sadie, Blue noted, was on the floor, while Finch was debating with his parents. He was retrieving pots and a wooden spoon from the cupboard for her to bang. The noise in here would be deafening shortly.
“Who told you about that?”
“Sawyer, at your wedding, I just didn’t tell you I knew. He thought your older siblings, and I quote, ‘should get their heads out of their asses’ where you are concerned. He was right.”
Blue had felt guilty and knew Sawyer’s words had been justified.
“What is that noise?” Sawyer stomped into the kitchen dressed like a disgruntled lumberjack who slept in his clothes overnight and had woken to the realization that there was no coffee in the house.
“Did you manage to fix that hose, Sawyer?” Blue’s father asked.
“Yes, but it won’t last. I’ll bring you a new one next time,” her brother-in-law said. “Are you making that coffee or just staring at it?”
“Relax, bud, I’m getting there,” Finch said. “I was just sorting your kid out with something to do.”
Although both big men, they could not be more different. Where Sawyer was un-groomed, her brother was the opposite. Shaved and clean, he smelled good, and his clothes were never torn or stained.
“I’m sorry, Birdie. I should have done more. We should have tried harder.”
Her sister reached out a hand, and Blue took it.
“You didn’t know what was going on because I didn’t tell you. So let’s leave that here.”
She nodded and then squeezed Birdie’s fingers. “I need to tell you all something,” Blue said, her voice carrying over the noise.
Sawyer threw her a look, and their eyes met.He knows.But he hadn’t told Birdie, which would have been hard on the man.
“What?” her mother asked.
“Sit down, Mom, and she’ll tell you,” Finch said from the coffee machine.
“I’ve got the coffee. You sit, Finch,” Sawyer said.
He nodded and joined his family as they all settled around the table, now silent, their eyes on her. Blue then told them about her job and what had happened.
“Those assfaces,” Meadow cried when Blue was done.
“We need to go after them,” Sawyer said, carrying two mugs to the table. “It’s not good enough to walk away, Blue. You need to make them pay.”
“Maybe,” Blue said. “But I have something else to tell you.” She was still holding Birdie’s hand, and now wasn’t the time to let it go. “I’m pregnant.”
The silence was absolute except for the gurgle of the coffee machine.
“How far along?” Birdie finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Fourteen weeks.”
“And you’ve only told us now?” her father asked. She saw the worry in his eyes.
