Chapter 40 #2
A hiccupping breath escapes my lungs and Tad’s hand finds my knee under the table and rubs.
Josie’s attention seems split between Norah and hushed whispers with Clay, but when he gives her a gentle elbow to the side, she pipes up too.
“Yeah. Thanks, Norah. It’s so freaking cold I might get hypothermia and the whole miracle pregnancy thing will be for nothing, but at least you got us all together. ”
I suck my lips into my mouth, and Clay guffaws, waving his fork-filled hand. “Don’t mind her, guys. It’s the hormones.”
Tad and I exchange wide eyes before a hush falls over the group, the clinking and clanking of forks and spoons and dishes the only sounds among us.
Logan is on some of his best—quietest—behavior I’ve ever seen, and Clay and Josie are still exchanging many, many heated whispers.
After what he said, though, I’m kind of surprised he’s still alive.
“So,” Randy says, completely clueless to the family dynamics holding the rest of the tongues at the table hostage. “How’s everyone enjoying their visits to Red Bridge?”
Lillian is the first to open her mouth—unsurprisingly, I suppose, since she’s the only true visitor and the most removed from all the other drama.
“I’m having a great time! I mean, there’s nothing to do that I’ve noticed, and everything is literally closed by eight p.m., even on the weekends, but I don’t know, maybe someone with the lay of the land could help me find something…
interesting to do.” She tilts her head toward Randy with a soft smile that borders on flirty mischief.
And Randy looks behind him like it’s possible Lillian is talking to someone else, but eventually, he looks back across the table at her, pointing to himself and asking, “You want me to show you around Red Bridge?”
“Depends,” she says, her tone teasing and her eyelashes fluttering. “Do you know anything fun to do around here?”
Randy laughs. “Fun’s a relative term in Red Bridge. We’ve got the diner, the hardware store, one bar, and a church.”
“Sounds thrilling.” Lillian giggles and leans forward a little. I don’t miss the way her breasts push up against the table and create undeniable cleavage. Randy doesn’t miss it either. “Maybe you could take me on the grand tour and show me all the sights. I promise to act impressed.”
He scratches his jaw, uncertain but clearly flattered. “You’re serious? You want a tour of Red Bridge?”
“Yeah,” Lillian says with a cheeky little smile. “You’re hot and handsome and seem really nice. Not at all like the guys in New York.” Her eyes flick to the end of the table and then back to Randy. “I don’t see why not. I’m not seeing anyone, and I think we could have a lot of fun together.”
Randy struggles to clear his throat at the obvious flirtation, Norah rolls her eyes, and Logan, evidently, sees this as the perfect moment to lay years of repressed regret and resentment out on the table. He shoves his chair back so hard, I startle.
“You know what, Ben? I’m done!” Logan shouts. “Done begging you to hear me out, begging you to give me a chance to apologize, begging you to fucking grow up and get over yourself.”
“Ohh boy,” Tad mutters beside me, and bless him, it makes me laugh. I know things are about to get ugly between my brothers—again—but I swear if I don’t let myself find the humor in these things, I’d be crying all the time.
“Good!” Bennett fires back. “Maybe you’ll actually leave then, and I can stop pretending to enjoy eating in the freaking Arctic Circle!”
“Guys,” I hedge, panicking when tears spring to Norah’s eyes, the defeat of failing at mending their relationship again taking its toll.
“I’m telling you!” Josie shouts at Clay, standing from her chair and pointing dramatically, detracting from the ongoing sibling rivalry with spectacular flair and shocking us all.
“I see something in the bush over there! See! There’s a glare!
” Her chair falls as she shoves away from the table and charges away, her scream escalating.
“Eileen Martin! I see you in that bush, and you’d better get out here and face me right now before I find Ben’s shotgun and start shooting! ”
“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Norah mutters, worried for her sister and the paycheck her bravado might not be able to cash when she catches the person she supposedly sees in the shrubs. “Ben, can you do something, please?”
Clay is already moving after her, but mere seconds later, Eileen Martin actually appears and starts walking as fast as her geriatric legs will take her.
Tad, Randy, Bennett, and Logan all get up and jog in sneaky Eileen’s direction behind Josie, even chasing down the nosy old busybody when she takes off at a run.
Thankfully, the men are faster than Josie and she’s several feet behind them when Tad wrestles Eileen—gently—away from the passenger door of a waiting car on Maple while Randy helps a young woman out of the driver’s side at the same time.
Norah, Lillian, Autumn, and I all watch from the front lawn while Josie catches up to them all and starts shouting threats toward Eileen.