AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She bends down to pick up the fruit salad and is out of the truck before I’ve turned it off.
I do my best to adjust myself and then give up, knowing I’ll just have to hope the pies are enough of a distraction, and I guide her around the icy sections as we walk toward the door.
“If you make any better of an impression than you already have, you’re going to be Mother Fucking Teresa,” I say, as Grinny opens the door wide.
Of course, it’s just in time for her to hear my last three words.
Her mouth drops. “Callum Henry Landmark, that is sacrilegious!”
If she only knew.
“Sorry, Grinny,” I mutter.
Ruby snorts as she tries to stifle her laughter and it gets worse when I pretend to glare at her. Grinny takes the fruit salad from her and Ruby tries to take one of the pies from me.
“Nuh-uh-uh,” I say, stepping out of reach. “You go ahead.” I nod for her to go in front of me. “I need to see the view from here.”
Her mouth drops and she looks at me wide-eyed over her shoulder. “That isnotbehaving.”
I grin. “And it feels fucking fantastic.”
“What feels fucking fantastic?” Jamison asks as he steps in behind me carrying two casseroles.
Scarlett shoots us both a look. “Don’t let Grinny hear those f-bombs coming forth so early in the day. She needs a little wine in her before she lets them roll off her back a little easier—” She pauses and her head tilts as she studies me, her lips pursed and then her eyes brighten and she leans around me to get a better look at Ruby. “Why, hello, you two,” she says.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Scarlett smile so big, and she’s a smiler.
“Scarlett,” I warn under my breath.
“What?” Sweet,phonyinnocence. “I’m just saying hello!”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her laugh is a little deranged as she moves past me to walk next to Ruby down the hall. She puts her arm around Ruby’s shoulder and squeezes.
“You’re looking particularly gorgeous today, Ruby,” she says. She looks back at me. “You too, brother. Such a healthy glow.”
She winks at me and I give her a murderous look, which only makes her laugh. She turns back around to Ruby and says something too soft for me to hear. Ruby glances at her and smiles.
“I’d love that,” I hear her say.
I don’t know whenIbecame the nosy bastard in this family, but I want to know what they’re saying. When we make it to the kitchen, it’s too loud to hear anything butrowdy hellos for the next few minutes. I set the pies down and look around for Owen when I see Sutton.
“He’s with his mom,” he says. “I’m missing the hell out of him.”
“I was certain you had him for Thanksgiving,” I say, disappointed to not see my nephew today.
“That was the plan, but a big opportunity has opened up for Tracy. She’s going to check out this new job in Arizona. If she takes it, she’ll be moving there soon.”
“Owen would go with her?” I try to keep the alarm out of my voice because Sutton already seems to be in rough shape.
“No, but we’re still talking out the details. She’s ready to focus on her career, and she’s not saying it, but I’m reading between the lines that her divorce with Jeff hasn’t gone smoothly. I don’t want Owen to get lost in the shuffle.”
“That’s fair. Keep me posted, man.”
He nods. “Want a beer yet? I brought Laughing Lab for you.”
“Sure.”
