“Robert,” I said, forcing a smile.“Come on in.”
He stumbled as he crossed the threshold, and I reached out to steady him.“Whoa there, careful.You okay?”
He waved me off.“M'fine.Where's Livvy?”
“In the living room with my dad,” I said, guiding him towards the sound of voices.“Why don't we get you some water?”
But he was already pushing past me, making a beeline for the living room.I followed, dread settling in my stomach.
Olivia's face fell when she saw her father.But she recovered quickly, plastering on a smile.“Hi, Dad.Happy Thanksgiving.”
Robert grunted in response, his eyes scanning the room before landing on the bar cart in the corner.Without a word, he made his way over, grabbing a beer from the ice bucket.
I exchanged a worried glance with Olivia as he popped the cap off and took a long swig.This was not how I'd envisioned our first Thanksgiving.
“So,” Robert slurred, “this is the famous Carter Cassidy house where my Livvy is shacked up, huh?Bit fancy for my taste.”
I gritted my teeth but forced myself to remain calm.“We’re glad you could join us, Robert.Dinner should be ready soon.”
Robert grunted again before his gaze landed on Ellie as she entered the room.“Well, if it isn't the missus.Finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?”
The room fell silent.I saw Olivia's face flush with embarrassment, and I moved to stand beside her, my hand finding hers.
To my surprise, it was my father who spoke up.“Now, Bob,” he said, “maybe you should be grateful you still have your wife by your side, and show her a bit more respect.”
Robert's face darkened.At first, I was afraid he might lash out.But then, to my astonishment, his shoulders slumped.He looked at the beer in his hand then back at Ellie.
“I...I'm sorry,” he mumbled, setting the beer down on a nearby table.“That was out of line.”
Ellie, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward with a warm smile.“It's alright, Robert.Why don't we all move to the dining room?I think everything's just about ready.”
As everyone filed out, I hung back with Olivia.“You okay?”I murmured, pulling her close.
She nodded against my chest.“Yeah, I'm okay.Just...not exactly how I pictured this going.”
I rested my cheek on her head.“I know, Sunny.But hey, look on the bright side.At least my dad and your mom seem to be hitting it off.”
Olivia chuckled, the sound vibrating against my chest.“Yeah, who would have thought?Come on, let's go make sure they're not planning our wedding behind our backs.”
We were part way to the dining room when the doorbell rang yet again.“I should just hang a sign that says ‘come on in,’” I said on a sigh, turning on my heel to head back toward the front door.
I opened it and found a crowd of familiar faces grinning back at me.Wick, Marco, Meghan, Callie, and Emmett all stood on my porch.
“Happy Thanksgiving!”they chorused, pushing their way inside in a whirlwind of laughter and chatter.
“Whoa, whoa,” I laughed, closing the door behind them.“What's got you all so worked up?”
Wick grinned, slapping me on the back.“We just escaped the Price family Thanksgiving from hell.Let me tell you, Carter, your place is like an oasis right now.”
“That bad, huh?”
Meghan rolled her eyes dramatically.“You have no idea.Mama Price was in rare form today.I swear, if I had to listen to one more passive-aggressive comment about my 'lifestyle choices', I was going to lose it.”
“Well, you're all welcome here,” I said, leading them towards the dining room.“Fair warning though, we've got our own brand of family drama going on.”
Olivia's face lit up at the sight of her brother and friends.“You made it!”she exclaimed, rushing over to hug Wick.
“Wouldn't miss it for the world, Livvy.”
