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“Did she lose everything? Where is she staying?”
Shit. He hadn’t thought about that when he’d said earlier he was staying at Asher’s apartment.
“You let her know she’s welcome to come stay here with us for as long as she needs,” Mom declared.
He frowned at the assumption everyone kept making that he would relay their messages. “You let her know. I’m not going to talk to her.”
“Because you’re a jerk,” Merit chimed in.
“I don’t know why you don’t like her,” Celia said as she lifted her juice for a drink. “It’s not her fault Lisa turned out to be such a flake.”
And just like that, his distraction shifted in a direction he hadn’t expected. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. The family got on Merit for his lack of ambition. They got on Loyal for his dislike of Roxanna. He didn’t care—not much, anyway. Besides, it didn’t take long for the conversation to morph in a different direction, so he kept quiet and rode it out.
With Grayson and Remy gone, the meal settled into their regular family rhythm and ended with a lengthy discussion of the upcoming Halloween fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital on the thirty-first.
His mom was hoping to top last year’s totals, and since it would be one of the last big events before election night, she was going all out. Loyal had been able to get away with a large monetary donation in the past, but now that he was home, she made a point of letting them all know they’d be expected to attend for the sake of the children and their father’s campaign.
Which meant in addition to a place to live, he’d also be looking for a costume that would keep him incognito from the rest of the crowd after he put in the obligatory appearance with Mom.
As was customary, the staff had gone home after serving, and the kids were in charge of cleanup as their parents and grandparents shared one last cup of coffee. And, as was usual, Merit carried his plate into the kitchen, but quickly disappeared, leaving the rest of them to pick up his slack.
A half hour later, Loyal wiped off the kitchen island counter and tossed the washcloth to Robert at the sink. His brother-in-law had stepped up in cleaning duties from the first brunch he’d attended over seven years ago.
“I’m gonna take off,” Loyal said. “See you guys around.”
“I’m so glad it’ll be more often now,” Shelby said with a grin.
“Like you’ll even notice with your nose stuck in your books all the time, Bells,” he teased with a tug on her dark ponytail.
She side-ducked out of his reach. “I’m just following my plan, like everyone else.”
“Like everyone else? And what’s Mooch’s plan?”
“To not have a plan.”
“Can’t argue that he’s not following it,” Robert pointed out.
“No,” Loyal agreed. “Definitely not.”
“You’ll have to come over for dinner soon,” Celia urged. “I want you to see the new house.”
“Text me and let me know when,” he said as he backed out of the kitchen. “I gotta go before Dad corners me about that CFO crap again.”
“You know, Grayson’s not so bad,” Shelby said. “And Remy is a sweetheart.”
Of course she’d say that. Their soon-to-be veterinarian loved any animal, no matter what.
“That dog doesn’t like me anymore than he does,” Loyal said. “Feeling’s mutual,” he added over his shoulder before moving out of sight.
He almost made it to the front door when his dad’s voice stopped him in the foyer. “Loyal. Your mom wants to talk to you before you sneak out.”
Crap.
He halted and turned back. “I wasn’t sneaking.”
“No? Then where’s my goodbye?”
He rolled his eyes and stepped up to give the old man a hug. Despite the eye roll, he didn’t actually mind one bit—as long as he didn’t bring up working with Grayson again.
