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“I love your hair,” Daria said while Grant turned his eyes toward Dylan.The boy played with a plastic horse on the floor, neighing and making it buck.“I want to cut mine short, but Mama says I’ll regret it.”
“You will,” Julie said.“Now, look, Bea, it’s just sausage, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and onions.”
“Oh, the whole corn cob,” Bea said.
“Some people call it a Lowcountry Boil,” Julie said.
“My ex-husband used to grill corn on the cob,” Bea said with a light laugh.Grant turned to look at her, recognizing the nervous energy in her tone.“I mean, the one time of year he cooked.”She waved her hand like she could swat her words out of the air, and they’d disappear.“It looks delicious.”
Grant went into the kitchen too, easily sliding his hand along Bea’s waist.“It is delicious,” he said.“Julie makes some of the best Frogmore Stew there is.It’s not too spicy, and not too rich.Plus, the bread.”
Julie glowed under the compliment, and she picked up a stack of wide, nearly flat bowls.“You get to set the table.”
He grunted as she pressed them into his chest.“I’m the guest.”
“Ah, there’s Decker,” Julie said.“Deck, come help Uncle Grant set the table.”
“I’m covered in oil,” Deck said, his face screwed up in irritation and embarrassment at the same time.“I’m going to shower.”
“You don’t have time to shower,” Julie said, whipping her attention toward her son.She looked at her husband as he came inside, calmly closed the door, and faced his wife.
Oh, boy.
Grant turned and made a hasty exit from the kitchen, not wanting to be anywhere near the hurricane about to happen.“Bea,” he said in a near panic.“Grab those spoons.Daria, get the paper towels.”They’d definitely need those, and they got to work, giving Julie and Randall a few feet of privacy at least.
Decker had indeed disappeared upstairs to shower, and because Randall couldn’t say anything at a volume less than eighty decibels, Grant heard everything.Everyone heard everything.
“He had no business bein’ out there,” Randall said.“It’s fine.He’s fast.”
“Randall,” Julie said.“I just think there’s a better time.”
“There always is,” Randall said.“But we’re not late, and now’s no time to be havin’ this conversation either.”
Grant looked over and smiled, and Randall brushed past his wife.“You must be Bea,” he boomed, and Bea nearly dropped the remaining spoons in her hand.Her eyes widened, and she handed the spoons to Grant as she moved to say hello to Randall.
He also wrapped her in a hug, but because he was twice as big as Julie, he could lift Bea right up off her feet.She giggled, and Randall laughed, and all the tension in the house dissipated.“Grant hasn’t brought a woman around in a while,” he yelled, and Grant’s face heated.
“Thanks, Randall,” he said dryly.He looked at Julie.“Seriously?Where’d you get this guy?Doesn’t he remember what not to say when he’s trying to win someone over?”
“I don’t need to win you over,” Randall said, releasing Bea and clapping Grant on the shoulder.He grinned as if he’d just won a million dollars.“And she likes me fine too.”He gave Bea another grin and turned to his wife.“All right, love.Where do you need me?”
Grant didn’t know what to say, and Julie planted her hands on her hips, clearly just as flustered by her big, loud husband.“Where do I need you?Go wash your hands and check on Deck.I can’t even hear the shower running yet, and the stew is done.”
Randall looked past her to the stove, and she raised one hand and both eyebrows.Her husband thought better of whatever he was about to say or do, laughed, and headed for the stairs.
“That man,” Julie half-muttered, but she obviously wanted everyone to hear her.“Dylan,” she barked.“Put the toys away.Come help Mama slice the bread.Daria, get the cream whipped.It can sit in the fridge while we eat.”
At that moment, a black and white streak zoomed into the kitchen, and Dylan yelped.“Bonanza!”he yelled, and that got everyone else all excited too.
Grant hippity-hopped out of the way and over to Bea, barely dragging her to safety before the wild cat got to her.
“What is that?”Bea asked, staring as Julie shooed the cat toward the laundry room and slammed the door closed.
“A cat,” Grant said.“Or at least it has partial feline DNA.”
Julie returned to the kitchen, her hair slightly out of place.She smoothed it back and bent to open a cabinet in the island.Grant realized a moment before she produced the bottle of red wine what she was really doing.
“All right,” his sister said with a sigh.“I think we need a drink first.Then we can eat.”
