Page 59 of It Runs in the Family

Stacy placed her hand on Boone’s arm, letting her long fingernails trail down his T-shirt sleeve to his tatted bicep and then the crook of his elbow. “Do you go to T-Birds often?”

“Yeah,” I said resting my forearm on the table and faking enthusiasm. “Do you?”

Stacy gave me a dirty look, making it clear she was staking her claim.

“You can ignore my dumbass cousins,” Billy muttered.

Edward made a hashtag gesture in his direction. “Sinner, repent!”

Billy released a rough laugh. “I’ve already been saved from damnation, kid.”

Trinity gasped. “Must you curse in front of my children, Billy?”

“Must you bring your children to Sunday dinner, Trinity?” Billy countered.

Mary Ellen covered her mouth with her hand and pretended to cough.

This was going to be a long lunch.

“Is someone gonna pass down the mashed potatoes?” Tim asked. He was Uncle Dale’s kid, born when Uncle Dale was just sixteen. Tim usually ignored most of us, not because he was more mature, but because he was too deep into his conspiracy theories to be bothered.

Boone reached over and picked up the bowl, putting a scoop on his plate.

“Can you dish some out for me?” Stacy asked in a baby-doll voice, then batted her heavy fake lashes at him.

“Sure,” he said, digging the spoon back into the bowl.

“Just a tiny bit,” she said. “I’ve got to watch my girlish figure.”

Boone put what looked like a tablespoon-sized amount on her plate, then gave me a questioning look.

“Load me up,” I said. “I’m not worried about my girlish figure.” More like I was gonna get free food where I could—especially since Hillman’s mashed potatoes were pretty good and Garrett had paid for them.

Stacy curled her upper lip. “Those are gonna go straight to your hips.”

Boone looked amused. “Nothin’ wrong with a woman with a little meat on her bones.”

Ava and Mary Ellen both snickered.

I considered calling Boone out on the crack about my curves but decided he wasn’t worth the effort. Plus, the teasing look in his eyes told me he liked my hips the way they were. Two hours ago, I might have blushed at his statement. Now I was just pissed. But if I were honest with myself, I was mostly disappointed. It was hard to admit that I’d really, really liked Boone, but this situation changed everything.

Had he known Billy was my cousin before he’d arranged to come today? He had to know this was my grandmother’s weekly family dinner. How many weekly family dinners were there that typically had fifty-plus guests?

I dug my fork into the potatoes and took a big bite, then gave Boone an obviously forced smile.

Ava and Mary Ellen grabbed some potatoes before Boone passed them down, followed by the other dishes making their way around the table. I’d lost my appetite. I took some green beans and a scoop of Aunt Marcie’s mac and cheese but passed on the greasy chicken and the other sides.

“So, Iris,” Trinity called down from the end of the table, “I have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. You can come over at nine.”

Letting out a sigh, I turned and held her gaze for several seconds before I said, “I’m not watching your kids, Trinity.”

“But you don’t work during the day, and you watched Rita’s baby just the other day. The way I see it, you owe me hours and hours of babysitting.”

“I don’t owe you diddly squat,” I said in a sugary sweet tone. “So, I suggest you find alternate childcare.”

Stacy leaned over the table to look at Trinity, her boobs missing the Jello salad on her plate by millimeters. “You want Iris to watch your kids? She can’t even keep a goldfish alive.”

“Goldfish are actually not easy to keep as pets,” I said defensively. “And I did watch Baby JJ for hours the other day and he was perfectly safe.”