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I nod and we let go of each other.
“If she didn’t tell you about the farm, I bet your Mom also never told you what happened to Lady Collingwood, once she evicted you?”
Cold dread spreads through me at the mention of that witch of a woman. “No?”
“Once the full extent of her hand in your eviction came out, she left town and never came back again. She was gone within a year.” May shakes her head in disgust. “Which was for the better, to be honest, because nobody would talk to her. We’d left the kids out of it as much as we could and there’s to this day still a lot of speculation about why she evicted you—”
“At least I can try to understand her actions better now.”
“Yes, maybe, but it was a bit extreme. If you were wondering why those Collingwood brothers aren’t banging down your door about the farm, you have the reason right there.”
To think that all these years I lived under a bog of insults and scandal I never understood until Mom passed, only to hear now that the person responsible for all of that trauma skipped town? Was forced to leave like we had been?
“Hey, Mom.” Derek leans over the backrest and pecks May on the head. “What’re you drinking?”
May turns her head to look up at Derek and with a last squeeze of my hand lets go. Our time for sharing secrets is over. “Just a soda, dear,” May says. “Where’s Hannah? I haven’t seen her today.”
“Out playing with Raiden’s puppy… aaaaand we already know what she’s going to nag me for this Christmas.”
I smile and surreptitiously wipe at my cheeks. The time to revisit and digest this conversation will come later. “You have to admit Mycroft is very cute. Why Mycroft?”
“Cute he is.” Derek sighs. “As for the name, I have no clue. Let me get you that drink, Mom. You’re still good, Beth?”
“Yes, thank you.” I reach for my wine and take a sip of liquid courage as Derek walks off to the kitchen.
May chuckles. “The last thing Derek needs is a puppy. He needs a wife!”
Oh. Ohhh. “Where’s Hannah’s mom?”
“In Boston. Almost done with her medical residency and busy with more important things than raising her daughter.” May’s tone lets everybody know what she thinks about that as she shoots a glance to the front door. “Here’s Hunter with the wood. Thank God. With all the people in and out of the house all the time it’s getting chilly in here.”
I look up and meet Hunter’s gaze over the pile of chopped wood he’s carrying. God help me here already. Hunter looks like a rough and über-sexy lumberjack, what with a red checkered flannel shirt and his unshaven jaw, his hair tumbling over his forehead as his forearms flex where he’s rolled up his sleeves. He walks straight up to us and goes on his haunches to let the logs tumble off into a heap by the fireplace.
“Beth,” he acknowledges me with a nod and leans in to squeeze May’s hand. He starts to stack the wood between the pinecones in the fireplace in a neat teepee, methodical and precise, and I’m hypnotized by the movement of his hands, how he gently holds and nudges the smaller kindling between the bigger pieces into balance.
“You weren’t at the office today?” May asks.
“Nope. Thought you knew?” Hunter brushes at his two-day shadow that’s giving his secrets away. “Uncle Bill and I are still trying to sort out Simon’s situ—” He breaks off and shoots me a glance. “Are you both sorted with drinks and some snacks?”
“Derek’s on it,” May says, but it’s Raiden who arrives seconds later with a soda for May and a bowl of chips in his other hand.
Raiden puts both down on the coffee table and without ceremony squeezes into the space between me and May. His arms wrap around each of us and he pulls May closer for a peck on the cheek. It’s my turn next and I get a kiss too. It’s quick and innocent, but I squeak in surprise.
“And just look,” Raiden announces to the world. “Here are Hunter’s all-time favorite ladies sitting together like the old days.”
Hunter scoffs under his breath and shoots his brother a killer glare. “Back in town for only two ticks and you’re already stirring up shit.” He tosses another log on the stack, not paying heed to his carefully constructed log teepee anymore. “No surprises there.”
“Boys,” May reprimands, but Raiden just chuckles.
“It’s great to have you here, Beth,” Raiden says, then closes in on my ear and whispers, “We need to talk.” He scoots off the sofa and stands and Hunter stretches up to his full height too, almost as a challenge to his brother. This move only reminds me how tall and built Hunter is, rugged with his legs hugged in those faded work jeans and the boots he didn’t bother to take off at the door. “She looks great, doesn’t she, Hunny?” Raiden says. “Hell, what a great turnout for a random last-minute birthday party.” To me, he signals with two fingers, pointing to his eyes and then to mine, reminding me that he wants to see me face to face, probably alone, before he hurries away with a groan. “Mycroft! Not inside!”
But it’s too late. Mycroft is leaving a puppy puddle right in the middle of the traffic flow, smiling up at Raiden, all innocent relief on his face.
“He’s in good spirits,” I say, trying to cut through the tense aura Hunter gives off.
“Raiden’s in love,” May fills me in. “One down, only six to go,” she adds with a wink.
“Where’s Uncle Bill?” I try to steer the conversation away from love and Raiden’s remarks that seem to have a hard time exiting the stage.
