Page 45 of George’s Big Day

“Toby talked to his principal?”

“He felt it was his place as the older brother.”

“Jesus,” Brad groaned.

“So Toby talked to her because Dennis was being bullied by this Billy kid.”

“Yes. And then she called him and Dennis into her office and told them to fix the situation by talking to their parents and working things out with the families. If that didn’t work, then she would get involved and invite everyone to come in for a meeting.”

“And Dennis didn’t want that?” Brad sounded concerned.

“You were busy with a merger, Dennis said, and you,” I said, looking at Thomasin, “had deadlines. Dennis explained that Brad didn’t have time to play football with him and that you didn’t have time to help him with his solar-system project.”

“Oh my God,” Thomasin huffed, wheeled around, and dropped down onto a love seat.

Brad followed her, head down, face in his hands, looking utterly broken.

Great. This was how I wanted my wedding day to go.

Seeing Kurt come to the bottom of the stairs, looking around, I lifted my hand and waved. He waved back, pointing at Darius and Efrem, whom he clearly wanted to go see, but I gestured at Brad and Thomasin, like presenting the horror, and he jogged over.

“What is happening?” he groused at the two of them. “I’m getting married in about an hour, so could we maybe perk up a bit?”

Thomasin lifted her head to look at her brother. “We’re terrible parents.”

He glanced at me, I shrugged, and then he returned his attention to them. “You’re both wonderful parents who love your children, so what’s the issue?”

It all came out then, how they had both been buried in work, so had neglected Dennis in his hour of need. Toby had stepped in to help because they were not present.

Kurt nodded. “We all get busy. You can make it up to Dennis, and yeah, Brad, if your kid wants you to throw the ball around for a couple of hours, make that happen unless it’s life and death. Same for the solar-system project,” he apprised his sister. “Because no one ever says, looking back on their life, man, I wish I’d spent more time at work. But I can’t tell you how many of my patients, now estranged from their children, wish they had been exactly what you said, Sin—more present.”

They both looked wrung out as Kurt grabbed the box of tissues off the table and held it out to them.

“And so now,” Kurt said, turning to me, “what did you do all the way from Chicago?”

“I had to fly out with Hannah for that event for Sutter in Portland. You remember that?”

“Yeah, that was what, a week ago?”

I nodded.

“And?” he prodded, grinning at me. “Make with the details, Hunt.”

I glared at him. “I went to see Mr. Shelton at the apartment where he spends time with his mistress, to have a talk with him about his son. I told him that Billy was probably acting out to get his father’s attention, as Mr. Shelton had been working so many late nights.”

“And?” Kurt prodded because he knew me.

“He agreed he’d been preoccupied and promised to address the matter.”

He shook his head. “You traumatized the man.”

“I made him aware of his failings where his child was concerned.”

“Oh, that poor woman,” Thomasin sounded horrified.

“No,” Kurt told her. “There’s no way George didn’t let Mrs. Shelton know what was up.”

All eyes on me.