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My eyes meet Owen’s, and I’m hard pressed not to show through my smile how good it is to see him, even though we only separated an hour ago. It’s not a big deal. Friends are happy to see each other.
Marianne comes up beside me. “Good morning, Layla. How did you sleep?”
“Very well, thank you. How about you?”
“Well enough eventually. Brady and I rummaged in thekitchen for a midnight snack. I find traveling always wakes up my appetite.”
I turn away so she doesn’t see my cheeks pink from the memory of what happened to me when I tried to do the same thing.
Now that I have my breakfast, I have the dilemma of figuring out where to sit. The same end spot where I sat last night seems like a safe bet. A few moments later, the Clark family does the same and sit in their seats across the table. Which means my friend Owen is directly across from me. I meet his glance and we share a smile.
By the time Spencer, Dorian, Ginger, Ellory, and Gerald enter, we’re half done with our breakfast.
Spencer’s hair is wet, and he wears a fresh shirt and slacks, but there are bags under his eyes and he yawns. I wonder if he got any sleep last night. The other three look well rested. This case might be important, but they could take the night off. It’s unfortunate Spencer didn’t do the same.
His eyes find mine, and I smile and stand as he walks over and kisses the top of my head.
“You look lovely,” Spencer says.
“Thank you. I wish I could say the same. Did you get any sleep last night?”
“A few hours.”
When Spencer goes to the sideboard, I go with him. I want to grab another biscuit. They’re heavenly. The last one melted in my mouth like it was fifty percent butter.
Tori enters, her daughter skipping beside her wearing a blue Cinderella dress. The moment Sadie sees Ellory, she runs over and wraps her arms around her grandma’s leg.
“I pooped in the potty!”
Everyone chuckles while Tori covers her eyes with a hand. “Sadie, remember when I told you we don’t talk about such things during breakfast? Or in public, Ever.”
Spencer frowns at Sadie, as if such a display of pride in her accomplishment is unacceptable. I think it’s cute, and turn his attention back on me so the little girl doesn’t notice his censure.
“How is the trial prep coming?” I ask.
“Not great. I wanted to get caught up on all the latest developments and do what I could before everyone gets involved. It was a solid case two days ago, and now it’s falling apart. We’ll all be working overtime on this one.”
Knowing Spencer, I expect nothing less, but it makes me wonder. “Do you need to go back to Salt Lake?”
I can feel Owen looking at my back. I would miss my new friend if we had to leave. And my roommates would have easy access to me. It’s better for me if we stay here.
Spencer shakes his head. “No, we have to stay. Grandmother wants us here, and if we leave, she might change her will again. Right now, the best course of action is to do what we can to make her happy. It will annoy her that half of us will work during the week, but at least we’ll be present for meals.”
He fills his plate with meat, and I grab my biscuit before we sit down. I glance up to see Owen studying me. I widen my eyes, asking silently what he’s staring at. He grins and shrugs.
When Rheta enters, everyone stops eating and talking. The room is silent as she sits at the head of the table. Hannah disappears for a few seconds before returning witha bowl of what looks like runny oatmeal and lays it on the table in front of her.
“It is lovely to have my family with me this morning,” Rheta says. “I hope everyone is looking forward to our visit to York today. As stated in our schedule, we shall leave at ten-thirty.”
Dorian is the one to break the bad news to her. “Mother, we have an issue with a case that arose yesterday and unfortunately, Ellory, Gerald, Spencer, and I need to work on it today.”
Rheta’s smile instantly disappears. “Yes, well, I can’t say that’s unexpected.”
“You demanded we visit only a few days ago,” Ellory says. She’s in another tailored business suit, this one a deep burgundy. “You can’t expect us to spend all week without working.”
Rheta nods. “I understand.”
“I’m sorry, Grandmother,” Tori says, “but Sadie doesn’t sleep well in new places and kept me up most of the night. Miles found me a sitter for a few hours so I can take a nap.”
