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The furious Minnie turned to Colt as if expecting his support, but he had nothing to offer.
Regan said, “I’ll get the girls.”
After she went into the kitchen, Minnie complained to him, “You should’ve taken my side instead of letting her speak to me so disrespectfully.”
“Why are you here?”
She drew back at his blunt question then gathered herself. “I’m moving back East. I want to take Anna with me.”
“Safe travels.” He had no plans to even dignify that ridiculous request.
“I insist that we discuss this.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
“She’ll be better off with me.”
For the life of him, he didn’t understand why she believed he’d place his daughter back in her care. He knew she missed Adele and a part of him wondered if she was simply lonely, but he discounted that because she never showed Anna any affection or gave the impression that she enjoyed the child’s company.
Regan returned with the plates and the girls. She appeared calmer but remnants of temper simmered in her eyes.
After cutting the cake and placing the slices on the three plates, she passed them around along with forks. A woeful Anna stared down at the tablecloth. Colt wanted to rail at Minnie for stealing her joy; she been so happy earlier. Regan was watching Anna, too. Seeing his wife’s anger, he hoped Minnie left before Regan set her hair on fire.
Felicity ate a couple of bites, looked Anna’s way, and asked critically, “Why are you wearing boy’s clothes?”
Anna, dressed in denims and a shirt like her mama, snarled, “They’re not boy’s clothes.”
“Well, my mama said—”
“Hush!” Colleen said quickly. Having drawn Regan’s attention, she tittered, “This cake is very good, Regan.”
“Thank you.”
Apparently sensing how close she was to incurring Regan’s wrath, Colleen said, “Hurry and finish your cake, Felicity. We need to get home.” She smiled at Colt. “Minnie brought her things, she plans to stay a few days.”
He shook his head. “We don’t have the room. You can drive her back to town.”
Minnie’s eyes blazed, but in the face of her actions today, that she believed she’d be welcomed, particularly uninvited, was laughable.
Colleen’s lips tightened angrily. He guessed she hadn’t planned on making the return trip, but it didn’t matter. He was way too tired for this foolishness.
A few minutes later, the guests were headed to the door. Colt, Regan, and Anna offered polite good-byes. Minnie, for all her fire and brimstone about proper manners, left without a word. None of it mattered.
After their departure, Regan pulled Anna close and kissed her brow. “Don’t let that old buzzard upset you. Come, let’s get the kitchen cleaned up.” And to Colt, she ordered, “Go to bed.”
He didn’t have to be told twice.
At breakfast the next morning, Regan noticed Anna’s subdued manner. Since the wedding, she’d become quite a little chatterbox during meals; asking questions, relating how her school lessons were going, and what she and Livy thought of the antics of Moss Denby’s grandson, Wallace, during class time. But this morning, she picked at her oatmeal and didn’t have much to say.
“Are you not feeling well this morning, Anna? Should we have your papa take a look at you?”
She slowly circled her spoon in her bowl. “Do I have to go to school today?”
Colt replied gently, “But you like school. Why don’t you want to go?”
She sighed. “I just don’t want to.”
Regan said, “We’ll need a better reason, honey.”
