Chapter Twenty-five
Maggie and Audrey had barely stepped through the front door when the shouting hit them like a tidal wave.
“I trusted you!” Cord’s voice boomed through the house. “And this is what you do? With him?”
Maggie and Audrey exchanged wary glances before stepping quickly toward the living room, where Cord stood, face red with fury, pointing a shaking finger at his younger brother. Sandy, seated on the arm of the couch, looked more exasperated than guilty.
“Cord, would you calm down?” Sandy said, arms crossed.
“You were kissing my fiancée!” Cord roared.
Sandy scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re being ridiculous right now, Cord.”
“I saw you!”
Phoebe, standing off to the side, looked frazzled, her eyes darting between the two brothers. “Guys, please, let’s just—”
“No!” Cord snapped. “You don’t get to smooth this over, Phoebe! I walked in, and it sure as hell looked like my brother was kissing you.”
“I wasn’t kissing her!” Sandy shot back.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Sandy let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You know what? Yeah, actually. Because this whole situation is stupid. And you know why?” He stood up, meeting Cord’s glare head-on. “Because everyone in this damn room knows I’m gay.”
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Maggie felt her breath catch slightly, though not in surprise.
She had always suspected. She wasn’t a fool—Sandy had always been different from his headstrong, bull-in-a-china-shop brother.
Cord had always stormed through life, unafraid of confrontation, diving headfirst into whatever situation he found himself in.
But Sandy was quieter, more sensitive. Thoughtful.
More careful about what parts of himself he chose to share with the world.
Maggie had long wondered when—or if—he’d feel comfortable enough to tell her. She never wanted to pry, never wanted to make him feel pressured, but a part of her had always hoped that when the time came, he’d come to her.
And now, standing in their living room, with anger and tension thick in the air, her son was finally saying it out loud.
She exhaled slowly, keeping her voice steady. “Sandy, honey, you’ve never formally come out to me. So I’ve never assumed.”
Sandy huffed. “Well, I assumed you assumed.”
Cord looked shell-shocked. “Wait. What?”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “Come on, Cord. I’ve known for years.” She smirked at Sandy. “Remember that cute guy who used to work at the bait shop? What was his name—Jackson? We both had a crush on him at one point.”
Sandy chuckled. “Yeah. And I let you have him.”
“You did not,” Audrey shot back. “He turned me down and moved to Portland to join a folk rock band.”
Maggie sighed. “So that’s what happened.”
Cord shook his head, still looking dazed. “I—I had no idea.”
Sandy shrugged. “You didn’t want to have an idea, Cord. You never asked, and I didn’t feel like making it a big announcement.”
Cord exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. “Sandy, I don’t give a whit that you’re gay.”
“Great,” Sandy said dryly. “Then maybe we can move on from this idiotic accusation.”
Cord turned sharply toward Phoebe. “We’re not done. Not by a long shot.”
Phoebe’s face paled slightly. “Cord—”
“You did throw yourself at him,” Cord accused. “Did you think I wouldn’t walk in? Or were you hoping I would?”
Phoebe let out a nervous laugh, plastering on a charming smile. “It was nothing, Cord. Sandy and I just have a natural rapport. It was just playful teasing—”
“That wasn’t playful,” Sandy cut in, his voice hard. “That was months of you flirting with me, touching me when I made it clear I wasn’t interested, and now suddenly I’m the bad guy?”
Phoebe’s expression hardened. “Oh, don’t act like you hated the attention.”
Maggie stepped forward, voice calm but firm. “Enough.”
Phoebe’s face twisted. “You never wanted me in this family, did you?”
Maggie raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
Phoebe’s voice rose. “You don’t approve of our marriage. You never have. You’ve been influencing Cord—”
Maggie’s eyes narrowed. “Cord is a grown man who makes his own decisions. If he has doubts about this marriage, that has nothing to do with me.”
Cord exhaled slowly, as if willing himself to stay calm. “Phoebe, I’ve been trying so hard to ignore the doubts I’ve been having. To not let all the half-truths and secrets eat away at me. But I can’t anymore.”
Phoebe’s face tensed. “What half-truths?”
Cord’s expression darkened. “Your family’s legal problems with Chips Hogan, for one.
Every time I bring it up, you either dodge the question or tell me I don’t need to worry about it.
And that’s not how a partnership works, Phoebe.
If I marry you, I inherit everything—your baggage, your mess, your family’s shady dealings.
And I’m not walking into something blind. ”
Tears welled up in Phoebe’s eyes. “Shady dealings? Is that what you think of me and my family?”
Cord held up a hand. “No, I’m sorry, poor choice of words. What I’m trying to say is …” His voice trailed off.
Phoebe’s face went slack for a moment before she scoffed, crossing her arms. “You don’t trust me.”
Cord hesitated, and that was answer enough.
Phoebe’s mouth tightened, her face filled with hurt and something else—something less like heartbreak and more like panic.
Sandy scoffed. “Wow. Guess this is where I exit.” He turned to Maggie and shrugged. “Well. That was not how I was expecting this afternoon to go.”
Maggie’s expression softened. “I would have liked for you to be honest with me sooner.”
Sandy smirked, brushing it off. “Yeah, yeah. I know. We’ll talk later, Ma.”
Sandy seized his opportunity and scooted out of the room.
Cord turned back to Phoebe and let out a deep sigh. “I think we need to put the wedding on hold.”
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “Cord, no—”
“I need to figure out if I can trust you,” he said firmly. “And right now, I don’t.”
Phoebe clenched her fists, face darkening. “Fine. If you don’t trust me, then maybe we should just call the whole thing off.”
Cord, looking exhausted, shook his head and walked out of the room.
Phoebe let out a sharp breath, then turned toward Maggie and Audrey. “I hope you’re both happy!”
With that, she stormed out.
The house fell silent.
Audrey flopped onto the couch. “Man, that was so much worse than I thought it was going to be.”
Maggie sighed, rubbing her temples. “Come on. We need a debriefing.”
Maggie and Audrey headed into the kitchen and settled at the breakfast table, both deep in thought.
Maggie sipped her coffee, eyes focused on the swirling steam. “We might have been looking in the wrong direction.”
Audrey nodded. “Phoebe.”
Maggie exhaled. “Every time someone mentions her family’s legal dispute with Chips Hogan, she loses it.”
“Like she’s guilty,” Audrey said.
“Or scared she’s going to get caught,” Maggie added.
“Or scared she’s going to lose Cord,” Audrey said thoughtfully.
Maggie tapped her fingers on the table. “If Chips had plans for that land—maybe building something, maybe digging something up—who would that have hurt?”
“The Barkers,” Audrey said immediately.
Maggie nodded. “And if someone was willing to kill to keep their secrets buried …”
Audrey’s smirk faded. “Then maybe Phoebe’s not just desperate for a wedding.”
Maggie’s lips pressed into a firm line. “Maybe she’s desperate to cover her tracks.”
A long silence stretched between them.
Then Audrey stretched her arms. “Well. Guess we better start digging.”
Maggie smirked. “Metaphorically. For now.”