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“She is. I think you’ll appreciate her new temperament.”
“What brought that on?”
Keegan shrugged. “God’s really been working on her. Mom saidshe had to quit being so suffocating and trust that he was going to take care of all of us.”
“Interesting.”
Stephanie appeared. “I need a hug.” She glided over to him and wrapped him in a hug only she could give. He held her, breathing in the lavender scent that had been hers since childhood. “Hey, little sis.”
“Hey. I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you too, squirt.”
She pushed him away. “Don’t start with that squirt stuff or I’ll short-sheet your bed.”
He laughed and held his hands up in surrender.
She hugged him again. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me too.” And he was. He just dreaded walking into the den where his dad was no doubt stretched out in his recliner with a football game on the television.
Lainie walked out of the bathroom and leaned against the doorjamb. “Feels like our teenager days.”
Keegan groaned. “Let’s not revisit that time in our lives. You and Steph were little terrors.”
Lainie sniffed. “I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to.” James and Stephanie laughed, while Keegan rolled his eyes. Lainie grinned at Steph. “I’m thirsty.”
“Mom’s got lemonade.”
“That works.”
Stephanie linked Lainie’s arm in hers and together they left the room, slipping past Dixon, who stepped inside.
James sucked in a breath. “Guess it’s time to take the bull by the horns.”
“We’ve tried to tell him he’s wrong,” Dixon said. “He’s stubborn.”
“Well, at least we know we come by it honestly.”
Dixon patted him on the back as he passed, and James made his way into the den. The room was large, but welcoming, the stone fireplace on the far wall dominating the space. He remembered wellmany a cold, dark night, with snow on the ground and the power out, when his father had fired up the gas logs to keep them all warm.
So many good memories.
And hard ones too.
Like the time he’d stormed out of the room to enlist in the Army. His phone buzzed and he snuck a quick glance at the text from his deputy marshal buddy.
Nothing pinging with your Adam Williams on this end. No record of him, nothing.
Fabulous. Then who was feeding his family this stuff? Or had they just made it up? And if so, why?
Putting thoughts of work aside, he walked over to his father. “Hey, Dad.”
“Refs can’t get a call right to save their lives.”
James shifted, almost crossed his arms, then dropped them, unsure how to interpret that response, but not wanting his body language to show it. “All right if I watch the game with you?”
“What’s going on with Lainie? Heard she was having trouble.”
