Chapter Fifty
Brady
The table quieted. I caught Elise’s eye and gave her the smallest nod. She returned a faint, grateful smile.
I leaned back. “We met in a garage. I was helping Roy, the guy who owns the place, by doing some oil changes and tires. Elise dropped her purse. I picked it up.”
“I dropped it on purpose.” She paused, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Mrs. Donnelly told me women used to drop handkerchiefs. I wanted to see if it worked.”
My father asked, “What were you doing in a garage, Brady?”
I shrugged. “You know me. I like that kind of stuff.”
“I knew he wasn’t a mechanic.” Elise wiggled her eyebrows. “Grease-stained overalls and handmade Italian leather shoes. Nothing about you made sense.”
“Still doesn’t,” Evan said.
I pointed at him. “Easy on the sarcasm. You’re supposed to be resting. So I have to play nice.”
Evan laughed, then winced and pressed a hand to his side. Nora’s hand went to his shoulder instantly.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” He drew her closer once his breathing eased.
I glanced at Elise beside me and remembered her accusing me of always saying I was fine, even when I wasn’t. Odd how I could recognize that as an unhealthy pattern in my family but not as much in myself.
Bella cleared her throat, pulling us back. “Do you ride, Elise?”
“Never have.”
“Brady should take you to the barn. He’s ridiculously talented with the Friesians. They can practically read each other’s minds.”
Elise smiled. “I’d like that.”
The conversation moved easily until Mom asked about our first official date. Elise lit up telling about the senior center, the illegal-feeling quarters game, and the rule that let you buy back in with a confession.
“I lost all my quarters,” I admitted.
“What did you confess?” Bella asked.
Elise grinned. “That he’d met the wrong—that he’d met a new family and was invited to a birthday party there and wasn’t sure if he should ask me to go with him.”
Her near slip-up surprised me but I tried to focus on the part of the story we could share. “I thought perhaps I should do something impressive before I dragged her to a child’s birthday party.”
Nora’s expression softened. “That’s actually very sweet.”
Evan narrowed his eyes. “So sweet I’m not sure I believe it.”
“I have an idea. How about we teach you the card game we played with the seniors? It’s actually pretty fun.” And would take the heat off of the conversation.
We quickly cleared food from the table. I asked Nora if she could round up some quarters. She returned with a bowl of pennies. Same thing.
Elise explained the rules.
We dealt cards. Pennies clinked. Laughter rose and fell as the confessions started.
Bella lost first. “I hate riding horses. Always have.”
No one laughed. Dad said quietly, “You never had to love horses.”
Okay, the game wasn’t going as well as I’d imagined.
Nora went next. She looked at Evan. “Evan snores louder than my father does.”
Evan chuckled. “Hey, the secret is supposed to be about you.”
Nora shrugged.
Then Dad lost his pile. The usual authority left his voice. “The older I get, the more I see how much I threw away caring about the wrong things. I let pride matter more than people. I hurt your mother. I hurt all of you. I’m sorry for what that cost.”
The room held its breath. Mom blinked rapidly and gave him a small nod. It was real, but incomplete. He still couldn’t say Cody’s name, but it was progress.
Then Elise lost her last penny.
She stared at the empty space. I shifted closer, my hand brushing hers. She didn’t have to confess anything. Not for a game. Not for me.
She drew a slow breath and looked across the table at Dad. “Gabe . . . how do you feel about a man named Thomas Steele?”
Dad’s eyebrows rose. “Who?”
Elise’s voice tightened. “You went to college with him. You were close friends.”
Recognition came slowly. “Oh. Thomas Steele.” He searched old memories. “Good man. I haven’t thought about him in decades. Do you know him?”
I took Elise’s hand. Her fingers were ice cold before they gripped mine hard.
She looked at me, eyes wide and searching, then back at Dad.
“Thomas Steele is my father.”
The snap of her setting the deck down sounded loud in the sudden silence.
“That’s my secret.” She glanced around the table, voice steady but fragile. “So . . . who’s still in for this round?”