Both of my sisters' eyes go wider than they already were. Wordlessly asking,What the hell is happening?I curl my lips in and just shake my head, trying to keep it together.
Julian shifts his body closer, I flinch slightly as his hand finds my waist. I’ve gotten better with being touched, but alongmy left side, it’s still a sensitive spot. A phantom pain any time something brushes against it. He must notice because he lets go almost immediately and instead just leans close enough to whisper, “You have so much explaining to do.”
Dammit, the way he says it makes a shiver run through me.
“Wyn, are you just going to stand there?” Birdie asks, even though every seat in the room is taken.
“Wyn, you can have my seat. I need to head out anyway,” Jameson says as he wipes his mouth with his napkin and stands.
“Jameson, I feel like it’s been too long since we’ve all been able to have a meal together. When will you be back?”
“I should be leaving tonight,” he says, looking at Nash, and then Theo. “I have a case that’s been keeping me on my toes, but the sheriff called my team in, so I might be here a day or so longer.”
Birdie turns her attention to Julian and feels the need to add, “Jameson is a homicide detective for the county sheriff’s department.” She raises her glass to Jameson. “Very busy. We enjoy his company whenever we get the chance.”
“Nash,” Jameson says to my nephew, circling the table and holding up a fist for him to bump. “Love you, kid.”
“Can you please butter this for me, Sonny? You do it the best,” Nash asks him. So instead of moving toward the door like he planned, Jameson shares the chair with my nephew. Nash looks at the side of his head and says, “You have more grays now than last time.”
Jameson only nods trying to keep from smiling as he helps butter his roll.
“My mom says gray hair just means that?—”
“Bah bah bah,” Stevie cuts in. “Nash, out of context, it’s not a good idea to repeat the things I ramble on about.”
Jameson turns to look at her, eyebrow quirked just slightly. “Now I’m interested, what does gray hair mean?”
Theo snorts out a laugh as Stevie tries to find words. It’s rare that my sister is left speechless, but my nephew has gotten good at calling her out lately.
There’s history there, more than my sister’s willing to share, but I know her relationships with the Bishop men are complicated.
“Dad, when's the next guys’ night?” Nash asks, moving on.
Theo leans over to ruffle his son’s hair. “We’ll make sure it happens. Just need to coordinate it with your mama when she’s busy or working at night.”
“Mom, aren’t you working tomorrow?”
And I don’t even realize I’m smiling as I watch the exchange until Stevie claps her hands at me. “You can have guys’ night whenever you want, baby. Speaking of work...Wynnie?—”
I glance at Julian, whose eyes seem to have stayed on me. But I ignore it and shake my head at my sister, knowing what she’s going to ask.
“Don’t say nooo,” she says dramatically, throwing her head back.
Jo rolls her eyes and proceeds to ignore all of us while she keeps eating.
“Jo, tell her that we need another set of tits behind the bar,” Stevie adds.
“You literally just said it. I’m not repeating it.”
I smile at Stevie, but then Jo adds, “Wyn, if you’re not busy, I wouldn’t mind the help. Aside from one of the shot girls always calling out sick, and then our newest bartender disappeared and just stopped showing up, I can never catch time off.”
Stevie exhales and glares at Jameson. “Missing people is quite the trend around here.”
“Technically, not my department,” Jameson says without interest. He glances at me, knowing all about my missing persons case.
When I look over at Birdie, she’s having a quiet exchange with my mother. For as loud as this dinner table is, there’s plenty unsaid.
Jo kicks her feet up on the table. “All of my inspiration has been coming at night, which really is incredibly inconvenient if I want to duck out and paint. There’s no one to cover for me. Wyn, do me a solid here?” She takes a bite of her piece of bread. “I know you hate bartending, but?—”
