Page 75 of Why Not Forever?
ThanksgivingatTanner’sparents’house is as boisterous as all the other family gatherings I’ve been to. Everyone brings something and, because this is the first time I’ve been to an event with the intention of staying with Tanner long-term, I want to impress them. So, I bring two pies I asked Lis to help me make.
When we arrive, Tanner’s mother, Annette, says, “Did you make these?”
I hand her the pumpkin pie. “I did. Though, in all honesty, I had some help.”
“Oh, sweetie, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble.”
I can tell she’s pleased, which makes me happier than I reasonably should be. I mingle with the family, chatting with Tanner’s sister about Blue Vista and our Date Nights on Fridays. I mention that Tanner and I attended the dance class the other day and we also have cooking and painting classes, which Tanner had brought a couple of his nieces to a few times before we got together. They had been Adalie’s idea last year, and we’d had to hire more instructors because of their popularity. Brooke asks if there are any spots available in the next few weeks and I tell her she’ll need to ask Spencer.
“I don’t keep track of the dates or what capacities we’re at,” I explain.
“I thought you could do everything,” a disdainful voice says from my right. Tanner’s brother Keith is standing there, his expression full of loathing. “You can bake pies from scratch, run successful businesses, take over my brother’s finances. A real Wonder Woman.”
“Keith!” Brooke says. “Leave Vic alone.”
He steps a little closer and I can smell the alcohol on him.
“Is she our sister now, or not?” he asks. “She should be able to take a little teasing. Can’t you, Vic?”
I give him a small, humourless smile. “Of course I can. But you’re not here to tease me, are you, Keith?”
“Why else would I be here?” he sneers.
“Considering you’ve been to two of the last ten family gatherings, I’m going to guess you’re here because you need to ask someone for money.”
Brooke gasps at my bluntness, but I’m not afraid of Keith, and I’m tired of watching Tanner and his family walk on eggshells around him for fear of his outbursts.
“Am I right?” I ask. When he scowls at me, I assume I am. “And you’re mad at me because you asked Tanner for money, and he said no. You assume he said no because I told him to, don’t you?”
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
I tilt my head a bit and give him my coolest look. I’ve been called an ice queen before, and it won’t hurt my feelings if that’s what Keith thinks of me. “It is.”
“What gives you the right to tell Tanner what to do with his money?” Keith says, and he’s raising his voice now so other people, including Tanner, are looking over at what’s going on.
“You mean other than the fact I’m his wife? You haven’t ever been married, so maybe you don’t know this. When two people get married, their finances often combine. So Tanner’s money is now our money, just like mine is now ours.”
“Yeah, and you guys have enough of it. What are you worth? A million dollars?”
I smirk. “A million? Please.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Brooke’s mouth drop open in shock. I’m not sure how much Tanner’s family thinks I have, but now that our net worths are combined, we are comfortably millionaires.
“So you have enough. You’re just not going to give it to me.”
“That’s right.”
I don’t say anything else, standing there, staring at him, hands propped on my hips, waiting for whatever he’ll say next. The thing is, I’ve spent my life learning how to diffuse hostile negotiations from my father. Stay cool, don’t let emotions factor into anything. And if the answer is no, never waver.
I don’t usually do it in front of a room full of people who have given in to this man’s demands, but if I back down now, I’ll seem weak to Keith. I can’t be weak.
He grits his teeth and snarls, “How am I going to pay rent? It was due at the beginning of the month.”
“You should have considered that before you went to the casino.”
I hear another gasp, because while everyone knows Keith is addicted to gambling, no one says it. Maybe I shouldn’t either. I’m not really part of this family. I married into it less than three months ago. I hadn’t even been dating Tanner before we got married, so to most of these people, I’m brand new. I wanted to make a good impression, and yet here I am, stirring the pot, making things difficult.
On the other hand, Keith doesn’t get to come in here and try to bully me. He’s bullied every member of this family, and I refuse to be another.
