Sarina groaned. “Nana’s sisters and their husbands are staying there, along with a few others from that side of the family. I didn’t think you’d mind or that Mom would pull this,” she said to Sky apologetically.
“Why are you two making such a big deal about it? I thought you two decided to have a truce,” Adele said.
Sky shook his head. “Youdecided that but it isn’t happening. I’m going home,” he turned to leave but Sarina hooked her arm around his, halting him.
“Please, don’t! For Nana,” she added with big, watery eyes. “She said some things to Mason about you—and us—and I think she was worried.”
That knocked the wind out of Sky. “Worried? Why and why would she tell Mason?”
Sarina shook her head, sighing sadly. “I don’t know. He started spending more time with her after Uncle Lance passed. Mason said he wanted to keep her spirits up. I guess they bonded?” She cringed, looking dubious. “Whatever Nana said, it left him pretty shaken.”
“What about one of the inns?” Sky attempted hopefully but his mother laughed.
“They were booked months before your Nana passed.”
Sky pinched the bridge of his nose and shifted his weight from left to right, rocking slightly to ease his panic and the tightness in his chest. “I don’t want to do this and I don’t want to be here! I don’t want to stay with my sister!”
“I’m so sorry and we’ll do whatever we can to make this as easy on you as possible.” Sarina attempted to soothe Sky and threw Adele a hostile glance. “Of all the times, Mom.”
She raised a shoulder. “Too bad Nadine’s not here. I’m sure she’d know just what to do to make this all better.”
Sky turned to Sarina, dismissing Adele. “I’m at peace with this. Nana told me not to waste time crying or mourning her. I don’t think she’dwantme to put up with this shit.”
“Probably not,” Sarina agreed. “Definitely not Mom’s shit, but Nanawasworried and whatever she said to Mason was pretty serious. I think it’s giving him nightmares.”
Serves him right.
But as much as Sky resented all the lies and everything that happened between them, he hated the thought of Mason grieving and possibly being traumatized and he was curious to know what Nana was so worried about.
“Fine.” Sky narrowed his eyes at his sister. “But I’m out if it gets weird oranythinghappens,” he said tightly.
“Really?” Sarina muffled a squeal as she squeezed Sky’s arm.
He jerked it away, shaking his head. “Weird like that. This isn’t a truce.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat and nodded seriously. “I promise we’ll give you plenty of space. Oh! Think of all the time you’ll get to spend with Sam. He has been so excited since he heard you were coming back.”
“Sam?” Sky had almost forgotten about his nephew in all of Adele’s chaos. His mood suddenly lifted and the icky tickle in his center subsided. “Maybe this won’t be totally awful. I’ll hang out with Sam as much as I can.”
“There you go!” Sarina clapped and wiped the corner of her eye. “Mind if we stop and pick up a couple of pizzas on the way? Cheese for you and Sam?” she offered with a wobbly smile.
Sky shut his eyes and took a deep breath before nodding. “As long as it’s from Gino’s.”
“Where else?”
A little over half an hour later, Sky was having second thoughts as Sarina pulled her Range Rover into the driveway of a picture-perfect farmhouse-style home. Mason’s old pickup truck was parked in the driveway and a faded, blue high school graduation tassel hung from the rear view mirror. A tide of memories swept Sky back to his youth. He had practiced driving in that truck and it was always there to save him from walking to school and back in the rain and snow. Skysmelledthe interior despite the pizza boxes on his lap.
Unlike the truck, the house was newer, having been completed right before Sam was born, and Sky had only seen it from a distance. He had never planned to step foot insideMason and Sarina’s house of marital horrors but now it looked like he was trapped there for three weeks.
Not trapped. I can call a cab whenever I want.
“Hey.” Sarina touched his arm. “I’m so glad you agreed to give this a chance. Mason’s probably in shock but he’s going to be thrilled about this too.”
“I was doing okay until you brought him up.” Sky sneered at the house.
“Sky! Just give him a second chance. Whatever you think he’s done…” She bit into her lip, a tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at the house. “He didn’t. Iknowand…” She rolled a hand as she waited for Sky to guess the rest but he shook his head.
“No. I told you, there’s no trust and I don’t want to know. It’s none of my business and I’m hungry,” he said, raising the stack of hot pizza boxes before pushing the door open and getting out.
