Stepping outside, Blue inhaled deeply before speaking to the three people now standing in a line before her. “You all need to leave now. I’m not coming back to New York, and I’m not designing for you?—”
“If you try to work for anyone else, we’ll sue you,” Christian cut her off. “Give us the designs if you insist on not returning, and we’ll work out the rest when you’re not being childish.”
Blue heard the murmur of voices and knew her family was listening.
“Oh, you’ll sue me, will you?” Blue asked with a calm she was far from feeling.
“Sebastian didn’t mean that,” Shannon said quickly. “We want the designs, but we also want you working with us again, Blue.”
“No. Now leave,” she said, looking to the driveway as she heard the crunch of tires approaching.
They started talking over one another, throwing threats around. Blue listened and watched her sister’s car pull into a park beside the van. Doors opened, and out got Leah, Birdie, Hudson, Ally, and Sadie, her niece.
Sadie ran to the house, and up the stairs on her little legs, and Blue picked her up, hugging her close.
“Hey, baby, you go on inside and see your grumpy uncles and Dow Dow and Mishy, okay?” Sadie had picked her grandparents’ names, and they were happy with her selections.
“’Kay.”
“Are you all good there, Blue?” Leah asked, reaching her with Hudson. Her eyes went from Blue to the New Yorkers.
“Yeah, go on in. I’ll be there soon, Leah.”
Everyone but Birdie did as she asked. Her sister slid her arm around Blue’s waist and stayed.
“Who are you?” she then demanded, looking at the three people who were clearly not locals, before Blue could introduce her.
“They’re from New York and just leaving. I got this. You go on inside,” Blue said.
“No,” Birdie said.
“This is a private conversation,” Sebastian said, glaring at her.
“You don’t get to look at my sister like that,” Blue said. “Have some respect when you’re standing on my family’s land.”
“Blue, we can work this out. I need you for the fall catalog. No one can design like you,” Shannon said before Sebastian could speak. If she was going for a conciliatory tone, she missed the mark by a mile. The woman sounded angry.
“You might want to adjust that tone,” Birdie snapped.
“Who are you?” Sebastian demanded.
“I’ll be your worst nightmare if you don’t start treating Blue with respect and listen to what she’s trying to tell you.”
Her sister was usually the calm one, but clearly living with Sawyer was rubbing off on her.
Sebastian laughed at Birdie’s words. “You don’t threaten me.”
“Well, you just carry on with what you’re doing, and we’ll see about that. Because the next person to arrive will be my husband, and he’s not as nice as me.”
“That’s enough, Birdie,” Blue said, impressed even if she was angry. Her sister didn’t usually stand up to bullies, and she could see now that’s exactly what Sebastian was.
“Call your sister off, Blue,” Sebastian said dismissively. “This conversation does not involve her.”
“Stay!” Blue said to her brothers as she heard the door hinge squeak behind them.
“We’ll pay you more,” Shannon reminded her, trying to bring the conversation back on track.
Blue’d had enough. She was tired and irritable—never a good combination for her.
