Page 61 of Sudden Summer

I thought Birdie might be upset at my sister’s offer, but she smiled, her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter.

“I appreciate the offer. You know this is how she is. I’m just not in the mood to deal with her. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day. But not today. Not right now.”

“Well, I don’t want to overstay when I know you need rest.” Jessie’s hands went flat to the floor before she pushed herself up. “But if you need anything—help with Juniper, someone to make a few meals, a friend to just talk to about what happened or how you’re feeling—I’m here. Anytime, okay? Beckett’s been waking us up at like three-thirty or four almost every day for the past month, so if you wake up early, I’m probably already up, too.”

“God, that sounds awful.” I laughed.

“Oh, just get ready! He was a great sleeper at this age, and then he hit eight months…I haven’t slept through the night since.”

“Jess?” Birdie interrupted our laughter. “Are you guys doing anything for dinner tonight?”

My sister looked at me before shaking her head. “No. I don’t think we have plans.”

“Okay. Will you bring Hawk and Beckett over? I’m going to invite everyone else. I know Lach won’t come, but I don’t think I can manage going out today…”

“Baby, no. We don’t have to—” I started to say before her hand went up and she effectively cut me off.

“I know we don’t, I want to. I need to think of something other than yesterday, and what’s happening at work.”

“Okay,” Jess nodded, “family dinner, it is.”

Jesus Christ, this was a bad idea.

“I’ve got it,” Ma offered as Birdie hissed from trying to pick up the pot of boiling water with pasta in it. I was going to have a fucking heart attack, watching her hobble all over the kitchen while everyone in the family shot glares at me. It wasn’t my fucking doing! She was like a goddamn hurricane that wouldn’t take no for an answer. And if she needed this…if she needed to be in control of the food for everyone, as long as she didn’t hurt herself, I was gonna try and give it to her.

Her phone buzzed on the counter for the fifteenth time since my parents had walked through the door. I watched her eyes dip to the phone, narrowing as she began furiously stirring the sauce and meatballs in front of her. It didn’t take a genius to know her mom was popping back in to try and get something from her.

“Hi!” Violet’s voice rang out from the front room. “Sorry we’re late. Hey there, beautiful girl.” She tickled Juniper’s cheek as she walked into the kitchen. “Alright. Put me to work! Birdie, you should be resting.”

Violet’s hand came up and smacked my shoulder. “Ouch.”

“Why is she in the kitchen?” she hissed, not hiding her words very well.

“I want to be here. Family dinner was my idea. I’m fine, and I wanted to make sure everyone had a good meal after fussing over me yesterday.”

“Oh. Okay.” Her brows furrowed as she turned to Jessie, who gave an apologetic shrug.

“Where’s Colt?” I asked.

“He decided to go talk to Lach for a minute before dinner.”

“We should have had it there…” Birdie’s voice carried through the commotion.

“No,” I said. “Lach knows why we’re hosting tonight. He said he understood. He just wants you to feel better.”

“I feel fine!” The wooden spoon in her hand smacked against the counter, sauce splattering on the back splash. “Shit. Can I have the dishcloth?”

“I’ll clean it, honey.” Ma moved to the sink to wet the cloth before hustling back to the red disaster all over the wall. The kitchen fell into the most uncomfortable silence I’d ever felt in my life. I fucking hated that Birdie was hurting, and I had no idea how to fix it.

“So…uh, is Lainey coming out tonight?”

Jessie’s question snapped Birdie out of her sauce-splattered fury. “Uh…no. I didn’t think…” Her eyes bounced to mine—wide and sparkling with rapidly gathering tears—as I rocked Juniper, who was trying to wiggle out of my hold. “I didn’t even think to call her.”

“No, of course. Why would you?” I glared at Jess, who shrugged as I moved around the counter toward Birdie. “She’s always been welcome to come out and join, but she never does. It makes sense that it would just be all of us tonight.”

“Oh my God. She’s my family, and I didn’t think to invite her. I haven’t even talked to her about what happened….”

“Birdie! Birdie! I make dis!” Beckett bounced into the kitchen, waving a paper around. “Nate help-ded me wiff my words!”