“I’ll go.”
He exhaled heavily withrelief. “Thank y—”
“But if they sayanything, I won’t be able to stay quiet,” I warned. “I won’t put up with it.”
His brow furrowed beforedipping his head. He studied the floor, unblinking and mindful, and then,without saying a word, he nodded.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JON
Ilooked at myreflection in the mirror, mygut knotting and quaking with the nausea only felt when facing my in-laws.Ex-in-laws.The last time I had worn the dress shirt and slacks was at Beth’sfuneral and the irony of that wasn’t lost on me, as I tightened the pinstripedtie.
“Daddy, Annabel won’tstop biting me!” Lilly complained, rushing into my room with her littlestsister at her heels.
“Annabel, stop bitingyour sister before I remove your teeth,” I muttered absentmindedly, focusingintently on the knot. Making sure it was centered and perfect.
“Lillybitedme!”Annabel screeched, and I winced.
Groaning, I shot astern glare at my oldest daughter. “Lilly?”
She stood her groundfor all of three seconds before stomping her foot. “She took my doll!”
“That’s no reason tobite your sister. She’s a lot smaller than you, and you know better.”
“I’m older. I deserverespect.” Lilly crossed her arms andpouted to prove her point.
“Okay, Aretha.” Icouldn’t help but smile despite my resolve not to. “Both of you, say you’resorry.”
“Sowwy.”Annabel was the first to apologize, and Lilly followed with her own mumbled,“Sorry, Annabel.”
“Good,” I praised.“Now, hug each other.”
“Daddy …” Lilly rolledher eyes, but Annabel quickly launched herself at her big sister, wrapping herarms tightly around her neck. It didn’t take long for Lilly to hug Annabelback, complete with a gap-toothed grin.
I sighed withsatisfaction and turned back to my reflection. I studied the man in the mirrorand wondered when it was that the dark circles under his eyes had begun tofade. His shoulders no longer slumped forward under the weight of the world andhis heavy heart. His shirt fit him well and his pants no longer dug into hiships. When did that happen? When had this man gottenbetter?
With narrowed eyes, Idecided my hair looked all wrong. I could just hear the baritone voice of myfather-in-law, commenting on appearance being the first key to a lastingimpression.“That’s why you haven’tgotten yourself a job, Jonathan,”he’d once said at Christmas dinnerseveral years ago.“The people you wantto attract take one look at you and assume you flip burgers. Is that the typeof impression you want to leave?”I snarled at the memory, threading myfingers through my hair and brushing it up and back. The strands had a mind oftheir own though, and I resigned myself to looking like a bum.
I had a job, anyway. Agood one. And I had nothing to prove. Not anymore.
It wouldn’t be longuntil I was laying down tracks with a million-dollar superstar. Amillion-dollar superstar who also wanted to recordmysongs and put them on the next album, with full credit to thesongwriter:me.
I’d learned veryquickly that Devin was a great guy, and I was blessed to know him.
The front dooropenedand I heard Tess call, “I’m here!”
It was time to leave.“Here goes nothing,” I muttered to Beth’s picture. I double-checked my tiebefore leaving the room and found myself staring at what could’ve been anangel, had I not known better.
“Daddy, Tess lookssopretty,”Shelly gushed.
“Oh, stop.” Tessdropped elegantly to crouch in front of Shelly. “You lookbeautiful. Look at this dress! Is this new?”
Shelly twirled in theprincess dress that was, in fact, new. My mother had taken the girls shoppingearlier in the week. Despite me insisting that I could afford to get them newclothes, Mom had bought each of them a dress and shoes that might’ve cost asmall fortune. While Lilly and Annabel came home with more socially acceptabledresses and cardigans, Shelly showed off a glittery pink number, complete witha full and frilly skirt and sparkling shoes.
I wouldn’t haveexpected anything less from her.
And she was right; Tessdid lookso pretty. Her hair hadgrown since I first met her and now it hung in loose ringlets just above herslight shoulders. The dress she wore was a little offbeat, with its black andgauzy asymmetrical hem, but it suited her, as did the strappy black heels onher feet.
