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“Guys, come on!” Dad called. “The food’s getting cold!”
We exchanged one last look before turning toward the dining room. “I guess it’s time to enjoy our last meal before the execution,” Beckett muttered.
I chuckled. “Nah. Dad’s bark is always worse than his bite.”
“Famous last words.”
* * *
BECKETT
As usual withthe Potter men, food took priority over everything else, and we all fell into devouring Mom’s pot roast. Wes was making these little sounds of pleasure in his throat as he ate that were absolutely indecent.
I kicked his ankle to make him stop before I had an indecent situation of my own.
He glanced at me, confused.
“Slow down,” I said. “I don’t want to have to do the Heimlich on you.”
“There, you see,” Dad said, pointing a fork in my direction. “That’s what you should have done when Wes proposed this ridiculous prank.”
“Told him he didn’t want to do the Heimlich?” Andi asked, eyes dancing with mirth. She was such a little shit stirrer.
“Told him to slow the fuck down,” Dad growled.
“Who wants another dinner roll!” Mom asked, her voice extra cheery in an attempt to counter his glower.
She held the basket out over the table looking so damn hopeful I couldn’t leave her hanging. I grabbed one. “Thanks, Mom. This is all so good.”
“You’re rewarding bad behavior, Carol,” Dad grumbled. “We should’ve served liver and onions tonight.”
My mother tilted her head. “Doyoulike liver and onions?”
“Well, no…”
She nodded. “So you’d punish yourself just to make a point?”
Dad sighed, knowing when he was beat.
I took a big bite out of my roll, watching the mastery of my mother at work. She was quiet and often came across as timid. She hated conflict and always had, which was probably why her marriage to Craig had lasted as long as it had. But she had her way of speaking up, and when she did, she usually hit her target.
As much as I appreciated Mom’s defense, I wished it wasn’t necessary.
“I’m an adult,” Wes said into the quiet tension hanging over the table. “It’s not fair to blame Beck for my poor choices.”
“No, you’re right. You’re an adult, and you need to act like an adult.” Dad reached for Mom’s hand and linked their fingers. “Marriage isn’t a joke. Carol and I love each other. We take our commitment to one another seriously.”
“We weren’t mocking that,” Wes protested.
“You damn sure were,” he said. “But even if that wasn’t your intent, you made people question what the hell is going on in this family. And like it or not, we’ve got a business to run. You get drunk on video, you might as well be telling all our clients that you’re irresponsible.”
“You’re right,” I said. “That video was very bad judgment.”
“It sure was.”
“But no one takes it seriously,” I continued. “It’ll blow over.”
“Maybe,” he grumbled. “But it’s made me seriously question stepping down from the business. I can’t put Potter Landscaping into hands I can’t trust.”
