AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Veronica noticed her mother looked down and her cheeks were flushed, and Veronica asked the question she’d always wanted an answer to. “You believed that rumor, didn’t you, Mom?”
Her mother glanced up at her and looked pained. “I feared it might be true. You never dated—”
Veronica peered at the woman, wondering again if she’d been switched at birth. “Yeah, I never had any dates because of the rumor. How could you be so blind?”
Her mother drew herself up wrapping her martyr’s cloak a little tighter around her. In an imperious voice, she said, “I never claimed to be perfect. You were saying, Cord?” she asked, clearly changing the subject. Veronica let out a slow breath and shook her head. Hank’s hand on her shoulder squeezed gently, letting her know they were still there. She’d have to wait and see if there were ever any lasting changes where her mother was concerned. Such hurtfulness astounded her.
Cord grinned, happy to get back to the topic he was warming up to while Jesse and Barry knew the shit was hitting the fan for them. “Veronica told me later she was surprised and happy that Jesse and Barry were nice to her when they taught her to dance but I know they did it to be little”—he popped them both again hard for extra emphasis—“assholes because that’s what you raised them to be by not reining them in better, Mom. The next time I see Phil and Gordon I’m kicking the ever-living shit out of both of them.”
Hank interjected in a deep, steely tone, “Cord, your brother was telling a partial truth earlier when he said that Phil and Gordon would be dead if they’d showed up at this gathering. They’ve already been notified in no uncertain terms that if they ever set foot within sight of Veronica, they will face dire consequences.”
“Well,” her mother said in a huff, “I hardly think threats are necess—”
“Norah,” her father interrupted. “They were little dickheads. Let’s call a spade a spade. Families make mistakes and it looks like we’ve made our fair share of doozies. Is there anything we can do to make this better, Veronica? I know I don’t want to miss my youngest daughter at Thanksgiving and Christmas anymore.”
Veronica took a deep breath. “You could join us tonight for the ceremony that binds Hank and Travis to me.”
“The what?” her mother asked, blinking, looking at the three of them before dawning hit. She slid a glance to Cord, Jackson, and Ari and then back at Veronica. “You, too?”
Veronica nodded. “Me, too.” She reached back to touch both Hank and Travis and introduced them to her family.
“Well, that explains why they seemed so protective of you,” her father said as he cautiously opened his arms to Veronica. “May I?”
Veronica nodded and went into his arms. He was trying, in his own way. “Of course.”
“I love you, baby. Please forgive me.”
Veronica looked up at him. “You know it’s not a switch I can flip, right?”
George Benedict lowered his eyes and nodded. “I know. But it’s a start.”
Her father greeted Hank and Travis while her mother hugged her and they shared a few words. Her mother made an effort to be kinder, complimenting her ring. Veronica wouldn’t call it cathartic by any means but it was a start.
Addison kept her arms crossed over her chest and waited while the others hugged and filtered out of the room until it was just Addison, Jesse, and Barry, with Hank and Travis still standing like adoring, overprotective pit bulls behind her.
Addison lowered her hands and fiddled with the skirt over her narrow hips and said, “I think part of me was always jealous that you inherited Grandma’s figure. You got boobs when you were like ten and mine…” Addison smiled weakly. “Mine still haven’t come in.” She glanced at Hank and Travis and smiled. “Sorry. TMI. Can we start over?”
“We could try,” Veronica said, not offering absolution until she saw sincerity in action.
“And we can stay for the binding…thing?”
“Of course.”
Jesse and Barry looked at her, and at Hank and Travis, seeming like they really wanted to speak openly but couldn’t.
