Page 300 of A Matter of Time

“What the hell’s going on?” Sam growled behind me.

“Listen,” Thomas said quickly, standing up in front of me and pulling me into his arms in one fluid motion. I was crushed against him as he whispered into my hair. “He needs you and you need him. Don’t let something as insignificant as time change your heart. When it’s right, you know, and I think you do.”

I trembled in his arms, and he rubbed the back of my head like I’d seen him do with his grandchildren.

“Seriously, what the hell is going on? Why’re you cryin’, Mom?”

“I’m so happy Jory’s home.”

“Mike?”

“What?” he snapped at Sam.

“Are you crying?”

“In your dreams, asswipe.”

“Mikey, don’t curse in your parents’ home.”

“Sorry, Bev,” Michael said. “I meant to say asshole.”

“Mikey!” Beverly yelled.

“Michael!” Regina yelled.

“Sorry, Mom. Sorry, babe,” he apologized to both of them.

“Oh.” Regina clapped her hands. “I’m so happy.”

“Christ.”

“Samuel Thomas Kage!”

He groaned.

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!” Thomas bellowed at his son, finally letting me go. “You stay with us, Jory. This family needs you,” he said sincerely, his eyes all soft and liquid.

“That’s such a nice thing to say.”

“I know,” he said arrogantly. “Now, this Sunday we’re having deer for dinner. My brother Joe will be back from his hunting trip.”

Eating Bambi. I felt my stomach roll. That was never going to happen. “Great.”

He patted my face.

“Jory, dear, come help me in the kitchen.” Regina smiled, getting up off the couch. “Who wants cake?”

I turned and looked down at Sam. I couldn’t stop smiling. What a weird twenty-four hours this had been.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” he said worriedly, standing up in front of me. “We can go slow and⁠—”

“Why?”

“Why?”

“Yeah. What’s the point?”

He was searching my face. “But you’ve been such a basket case about me coming back into⁠—”