Chapter 18
eighteen
. . .
Maddox
I arrived just in time for dinner and jogged up the walkway with bags in my hands.
I didn’t even know what Georgia had ended up getting everyone.
I’d given her ideas for my family members and told her my father might be bringing a random woman with him, although I hadn’t known at the time that it was going to be his new wife, who I’d yet to meet.
But I couldn’t really be expected to bring a gift for a woman I’d found out about yesterday.
Bentley opened the door and greeted me, as he’d been working for my grandparents since I was born. Their home was massive, with a large crystal chandelier hanging over the grand foyer. White and black marble covered the floors throughout the space.
“Maddox, it’s so nice to see you,” the older man said as he reached for my bags.
“Thank you. It’s great to see you, too. Merry Christmas.” I slipped off my coat, and he traded me the bags for my black trench coat. I leaned close and whispered, “Any drama yet?”
He chuckled. “No. They’re in the parlor having cocktails and appetizers, and the newlyweds seem very happy.”
“Wyle’s here, right?”
“Yes. And the first thing he asked when he walked in a few minutes ago was if you were here yet. I think he’s anxiously waiting for his—” He paused as he thought it over.
“Wingman?” I teased. We’d always said that when we were young.
“Yes. That’s it. Would you like me to bring the packages in for you?” he asked, as he slung my coat over his arm.
“I’ve got it, but thank you. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
He nodded, and I made my way down the long hallway.
Their home was very formal, but it was the one place that felt like home to me because I’d spent so much time here when I was growing up.
My father had sold the home I grew up in shortly after my mother passed away, as none of us wanted to be there.
This had become home base. Wyle had lived here during his last two years of high school, and this was where I came when I visited during college.
When I walked into the parlor, my grandparents were talking with my brother, and there was no sign of my father or his… new wife.
“Maddox!” my grandmother shrieked when she saw me and pushed to her feet.
She had gray hair that was always in some sort of stiff hairstyle ending at the nape of her neck, and she wore her trademark black skirt that ended below her knees and a white silk blouse.
I dropped the bags beside me on the floor just before she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight.
She was the closest thing that I had to a mother now, and I loved her fiercely.
The only thing we ever disagreed about was my father.
Her only child.
She loved him despite all he’d done, and she desperately wanted Wyle and me to repair our relationship with him.
I would do almost anything for this woman.
I’d walk through fire. Take a bullet.
But being close to my father was not something I would consider.
I didn’t trust him. I didn’t like him.
Hell, I held him partially responsible for my mother’s death. Because even though ALS had claimed her body and sucked the life from her day after day—her broken heart also contributed to that brutal experience.
There was no coming back from that.
After hugging her, my grandfather was next, followed by Wyle, who hugged me so tight it was bordering on painful and then leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Buckle up. You aren’t going to believe this shit.”
Here we go.
Mrs. Winters, who’d been working for my grandparents for the last decade, came around with a glass of champagne and handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said, noting that everyone had a glass sitting on the table in front of the couch as they all returned to their seats and reached for their drinks.
I sat on the blue velvet chair beside the couch and took a sip of the bubbly when my father walked into the room from the other entry on the far side of the room, with Claire Strauss beside him.
“Maddox, my boy. I figured you’d be delighted to see your new stepmother is a dear friend of the family. ”
I spewed champagne from my lips, and my brother barked out a laugh.
Claire was the daughter of John Strauss, who was my father’s closest friend.
We’d practically grown up together, and my mom had always pushed for me to date her.
But Claire had always felt more like family than a possible girlfriend, and I’d never considered crossing that line.
Obviously, my father’s moral line in the sand was nonexistent.
But I did not see this coming. She was my age, for starters, and I highly doubted John would be okay with this.
I pushed to my feet as Mrs. Winters hurried over to hand me a few napkins and helped me clean up. “Excuse me. You caught me off guard.”
I cleared my throat and reluctantly took his hand when he extended it to me. Because that was as close as our relationship went. A handshake was a struggle.
“Hi, Maddox. Nice to see you,” Claire said as she walked in for a hug. I patted her on the back, trying to figure out why in the hell she would be with my father. “It’s been a while. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
Obviously. You’re boning my father and carrying his evil spawn.
“Nice to see you, too.” I stepped back and forced a smile.
Wyle had a big grin on his face when my eyes found his. He thought this was hilarious. He despised my father, but he didn’t take shit as seriously as I did. He laughed most things off, even when he was angry.
And my grandparents were acting like this wasn’t the strangest fucking thing on the planet.
“Isn’t this wonderful news?” my grandmother said.
I don’t know if wonderful is the right word.
I wouldn’t bring up the fact that Wyle and I had actually taken bubble baths when we were kids with our new stepmother.
“Yes, it really is. Right, brother?” Wyle asked, and he couldn’t hide the mischievous grin on his face.
“It’s definitely… very unexpected. How have your parents taken the news?” I asked as I sipped my champagne.
“They were, um, surprised at first. But now that we’re expecting our first baby, I think they are more open to it.
” She smiled and reached for my father’s hand.
Claire was smart and kind and confident, always had been.
So, this was baffling. She wasn’t doing it for the money, as she came from a very wealthy family.
I didn’t have a fucking clue what she was thinking.
I had to give it to my father, he was putting on a good show. Like this was the happiest moment of his life.
I had a brief flash of a moment when my mother and father were laughing when Wyle and I were young.
I occasionally remembered happy moments when love and laughter had filled our home.
But I also remembered him demanding my mother travel with him often while we stayed with the nannies or with my grandparents.
My father was a controlling man, and he expected a lot of the people in his life.
And after his wife got sick, he pulled away more and more each day. He’d be gone for weeks at a time. And life was easier when he wasn’t home, so we’d settled into our new normal during those years.
“They’ll come around. We’ve always been family, and now it’s official,” Dad said.
I didn’t know that he grasped the severity of knocking up and marrying his best friend’s daughter. It certainly wasn’t the best way to officially become family.
“Dinner is ready,” Mrs. Winters said, and I’d never been so grateful to end a conversation.
There was a tall Christmas tree in the parlor, and there was usually one in the formal living room, as well. I hadn’t been in there yet. Otherwise, my grandmother kept things simple this time of year, knowing that Wyle and I struggled.
It hit me in the moment that today was Christmas Eve, and normally, I wouldn’t be thinking of anything other than the loss of my mother.
But I’d been so distracted in Cottonwood Cove, shopping for Georgia’s family and then making out with her like a fucking teenager in her parents’ driveway.
I was almost in too good a mood to be bothered by the fact that my father had married my childhood friend.
Nor was I feeling the darkness that usually overwhelmed me on this day.
We settled around the dark cherrywood table, set with sterling silver, linen napkins, and my grandmother’s fancy plates.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket, and I pulled it into my lap and turned off the ringer, knowing my grandmother would blast me if she saw it.
She had a strict rule about not using phones at the table.
However, knocking up your best friend’s daughter, who’s half your age, wasn’t a hard line for her.
The rules were always bent for my father. My grandparents tolerated him, and my mother loved him until she took her last breath. She never said a bad word about him, even though he’d been terrible to her. I’d never understand why he was the only one who didn’t have to live by any rules.
I looked down to see a selfie of Georgia. It was the bottom half of her gorgeous face with her slender neck and the necklace on display.
Tink
I love it so much. I hope you made it there safely. My family can’t stop gushing about you. And Gracie expects you to attend the tea party now. #anothertriptothetipsytea
I need to see your face.
That was all I could think to say, because it was true. Something about her face, her eyes, her smile—it calmed me.
Comforted me.
The photo came through, and she was clearly laughing because her mouth was wide open, and even her eyes were smiling. And my heart rate slowed. My anger dissipated.
She was better than a shot of whiskey.