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“Dad and Uncle Jack sure appreciated my input when the rickhouse needed an upgrade. Copper stills cost money. So do condensers and bottling equipment…” Gray folds his napkin in his lap, not meeting his brother’s gaze.
“Thank god you saved the day,” he throws back. “Or we’d all be out of a job.”
“Boys!” Mama Bassett interjects. “We’re not going to have a repeat of our last family dinner, and we have a guest tonight. So keep your manners in check or I’ll throw you both out. Bob, tell them.”
“Listen to your mother,” Mr. Bassett says, a warning in his voice. “This is neither the time nor the place. If you want to have at it, wait until dinner is over.”
“Preferably outside,” Jack says, giving them a wink.
“Or not at all,” Patti tuts. “You two should be working together, not against one another.”
Suddenly, a girl comes running in, panting. Probably good timing too, to break up the tension before anything erupts. “Sorry I’m late,” she says. “I had to help Easton feed the horses since Gaitley had the day off.”
“Hurry and wash up, Trudy,” Patti says. “Then you can meet Hartley, Grayson’s new lawyer.”
Trudy looks young, maybe twenty or twenty-one, with a tan and light blonde hair that’s tied back into a low bun.
She leans over and shakes my hand on the way past. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” I say.
“Where are Celeste and Callan?” she asks her mom, snatching a slice of corn bread as she stuffs it into her mouth.
“They’re having a naughty weekend up at Ridgeback Mountain,” Brooklyn laughs.
Patti gives him a stern look as all the boys laugh.
“They’re having a romantic weekend away. Callan has tirelessly worked for the last five years straight. Your dad and Jim made him take a weekend off.” Patti rolls her eyes.
“They took Sunny too, obviously?” Trudy asks.
“Of course.” Patti glances at me. “That’s Callan’s beloved Amstaff that we all adore,” she explains.
“Let’s hope they’re up there making some babies. That’ll keep you and Mom nagging the rest of us for more kids,” Brooklyn laughs.
“Eww.” Trudy screws up her nose as she takes off toward the other side of the house.
“What about you, Hudson? Anyone new on the horizon?” Mrs. Bassett asks.
Hudson almost chokes on his mouthful of roast beef, Beau giving him a helpful slap on the back.
“Just because Hudson has a reputation, doesn’t mean we’re going to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet anytime soon,” Georgia pipes up, before he can answer. “Right, GP?”
“I forgot why I love these family dinners so much.” He gives Georgia a tight smile as she laughs.
“Hudson works hard,” Gray says. “He doesn’t have time to be skirting around town during harvest. Y’all keep giving him stick, he’ll never leave the damn farm.”
“One day some girls gonna knock you off your feet,” Patti warns.
“Or off the Raging Moose’s scoreboard,” Georgia laughs.
“You’ve been trying for years, Blue belle. You’ll give up some day,” he snarks.
“Never! Us Bassett’s are stubborn, right Dad?”
“You got it, honey,” Mr. Bassett says, giving me an apologetic smile.
I roll my lips.
