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Her gaze landed on Sienna sitting beside Lance on the opposite side of the table. “Where are Jamie and Becky?”
“Dad decided he wanted just us adults tonight.” Her sister’s mouth turned down. “He needs to meet with Lance after dinner. It could go late.”
And their dad couldn’t have had this meeting at the office? God, he was an ass. She refused to look his way lest she say something to completely ruin Sienna’s evening.
Lance reached over and squeezed Sienna’s hand. “Mom’s with them.” He glanced over at Harper. “They weren’t happy missing out on seeing their favorite aunt. I had to promise a trip to the café for some of your cupcakes.”
The tall, athletic guy with his requisite short brown hair, square jaw and ambitious attitude may have seemed in some respects a mirror of Stanton Fox, but Lance loved her sister and their kids. Showed it often enough, too. Harper was glad Sienna had found someone who valued her.
“Absolutely.” She tamped down her disappointment at not seeing the little ones. “Give them a hug and a kiss from me when you get home. I’ll pop around on the weekend some time with treats.” She stopped beside her mother and kissed her perfectly made-up cheek. “Hey, Mom.”
“Harper.” Elizabeth Fox’s smile was warm-ish. She grasped Harper’s hand as she went to move around her mom to hug her sibling. “Henry is about to serve. Take your seat.” Her mom inclined her perfectly sculptured blonde bob toward the chair to her right.
Harper sighed. Heaven forbid she held up dinner for a second. But, likely Sienna and Lance wanted to get home to the kids without delay. She sent an apologetic glance at her sister and took her seat opposite them. Only then did she turn toward the head of the table. “Dad.”
He sipped from his white wine. “Harper.” His glance was fleeting, before he looked down at the bowl of soup being placed in front of him. “You came alone.”
Why was that a surprise? “Don’t I always?”
A mere flick of his brows signaled his disdain. “Since your love life now merits comment on social media, I thought you’d at least bring the man to meet your mother.”
Heat flooded her face. God, he had to bring that up here, in front of everyone?
“Dad.” Sienna’s frown matched the disapproval in her tone.
Like her dad gave a damn. “Seth’s away on business. And I didn’t think this evening was the best time to introduce him to Mom when it’s Sienna’s night.” She glanced at her mom, hoping for…what, a show of support? She inwardly scoffed. As if.
Elizabeth Fox had never rushed to her youngest daughter’s defense before. Why start now? And she sure as hell didn’t lower herself to thinking of such tasteless matters as the shaming of her daughter. One simply pretended the event never happened but, at the same time, judged the victim guilty for bringing such attention upon herself.
By the time dessert had been served, the muscles in Harper’s neck and shoulders were as tight as a coiled spring. It wasn’t that her father had continued his barbs. He’d struck early, cut deep, and let the wound fester. Now he simply ignored her like she was an uninvited guest. Each time Harper made a comment on a topic that seconds ago he’d been interested in, he stayed quiet while Sienna and Lance worked overtime to make her feel included.
She glanced down at the chocolate covered segments of orange artfully arranged around spikes of wafer-thin toffee and Champagne sorbet. Maybe the crispness of the dessert would help cleanse not only her palette but her mood.
The edge of her spoon grazed the sorbet the moment her father spoke.
“I hear Seth has been working hard to clear his name.”
Clear his name?
She glared at her father. “He’s not a suspect in a crime, Dad.” Her spoon landed on the fine china plate harder than she’d planned, earning an annoyed sigh from her mother. She glanced her way. “Sorry, Mom.” She faced her dad. “He’s working overtime to find whoever’s attacked his family. And when he does, some people will be left with egg on their faces for not supporting him in the first place.”
Stanton Fox sat farther back in his chair. Only the tic at the side of his jaw showed she had hit her target. His voice was calm and controlled as he said, “Seth’s got his family involved in the hunt.”
Her dad’s words weren’t formed as a question.
“Yes. And I wouldn’t want to be up against them.” Harper knew that from first-hand experience.
“Has he spoken to other law enforcement besides his brother?”
She went to deny but paused. For one, she didn’t know. And two, why would her dad ask her that?
“I have no idea, but no one in his family are fools, so I’m guessing they’re canvassing all options.”
“Nobody’s approached you about your…incident?”
She frowned. “You mean the cops?”
“Anyone,” her father answered in a firm voice.
