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“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t. Are you at least spilling at dinner? Is that why Reed sent me a weird text asking if I was coming tonight? He doesn’t typically care if I’m here or not.”
“That’s not true,” Reed said, coming in behind me with the silverware. “I care when you’re not here, so I don’t have to deal with your intrusive questioning.”
“Excuse me for being curious about how your tour went.”
“You got updates in the group chat,” Reed replied. “There was nothing else to say.”
“Next time you go on tour, I’m going to let Donny eat your roses.”
Reed gasped. “He’ll destroy what I’ve worked so hard to grow. Mom won’t let you. She makes sure they’re watered when I’m gone.” Reed took pride in the roses he grew around the front of his house. He killed the first batch he planted, then Mom got involved and they’ve been growing year after year, but Reed was still afraid they were going to die. Or a deer would eat them.
“Then stop being a dick when I’m asking how my brothers are on the road. Jesus, Reed, you get so defensive.”
“I’m not defensive. I just don’t like every corner of my life pried into by a nosy sister.”
Cadence dropped the last plate to the table with a loudclang. It was a good thing the dinnerware was solid. “See how much you like it when I don’t deter Donny from wandering to your place. Where’s Donny? Oh, I’m not sure.” She put her hand to her mouth and pretended to look confused.
“God, you’re such a bi—”
“Reed,” Rich chastised as he entered.
“Did you hear what she said?” Reed asked, bringing me right back to when Reed was a teenager and he and Cadence fought.
“Yes, and Donny never wanders the property. I don’t know why you let her get under your skin.”
“Who’s Donny?” Elic asked. He put a large salad bowl on the table. It was one of my favorite parts about eating here. The homemade dressing, in addition to the farm-grown vegetables… so good. It was early in the season for some of them, but Mom had a greenhouse to help them flourish.
“He’s a deer,” I told Elic. “He was found near here as a fawn. His mom was hit by a car and killed. Cade took him in and raised him. He lives in a fenced-in area on her property, but she likes to threaten Reed with him.”
“I love that deer,” Reed cut in. “I just don’t want him near my roses.” He glanced down at the table. “Why are there three extra place settings? I thought it was only us tonight.” We’d asked earlier to make sure no one else would be here. It was going to be hard enough for Elic to talk, but with others, he might say nothing at all. His anxiety over this would have been for nothing.
The doorbell rang, cutting off our conversation.
“I’ll get it,” Rich said and left the room.
I looked at Cadence.
“Don’t ask me. I found out as I was handed the plates, but I didn’t ask who.”
Voices carried through the house until three men came into the room beside Rich. “You remember Greer, Dexen, and JJ, right?” We should have asked Mom or Rich, not Cadence. Shit.
Immediately, my eyes went to Elic. He’d been afraid of them that night at the restaurant. My parents wouldn’t have invited them if they thought Elic would be uncomfortable. He’d gotten used to being around people in the restaurant. He had times where he got jumpy or afraid, but usually one of my family members was there to help him through it. Elic didn’t realize how strong he was. Reed and I were both proud of how far he'd come.
Reed stepped closer to Elic, putting his arm around his waist.
“It’s okay,” I heard Elic whisper. “I’m all right.” After a quick once-over, I didn’t see him shaking or trying to sink into the background. He’d been introduced to the men and assured by us they wouldn’t hurt him. Even so, they weren’t small.
Greer slung his arm over my shoulders. He was this big guy who was a giant teddy bear inside. To not know him, I could easily understand how he’d be intimidating, but he was one of the nicest people and would fiercely defend anyone in trouble. “Cas, how’s it going? I saw a solo you did in the studio on the band’s page.” We’d recorded it on Reed’s phone the other day before everything went to shit. “It was for me, wasn’t it? You can’t get my handsome face out of your mind.” He grinned.
“In your dreams.” I elbowed him off me. Greer worked at the restaurant when he was in high school, so he’d known our family for a long time.
Laughing, he said, “You remember my partners, right? Dex wanted to talk business with Rich. He invited us over for dinner.”
“Eat first, talk after,” Rich said.
Dexen’s family owned a farm as well. They provided ours with their cheese and milk. The food served at the restaurant was produced locally. My family wanted to support as many local businesses as possible.
