“Wha… Why?” Erin sputtered.
Jules sighed. “Erin, he’s still our father. He’s trying to make amends. Can you at least be civil, for Becca’s sake?”
Seeing the plea in her sister’s eyes, Erin released a long breath, her shoulders deflating a little. “Fine. I’ll…try.” Jules gave her a grateful look. “Can I have my niece?” Noah, who sat opposite her, handed Becca to her. The moment she had her niece in her arms, Erin’s mood changed.
“Hi, little cutie,” she cooed, burying her face into the baby’s tummy and blowing kisses. Becca flayed her little arms and legs, a smile on her lips at the attention.
“Hi, Jules, Noah.”
The hairs on the back of Erin’s neck stood up, and her shoulders stiffened once more.
“Hi, Dad.” Jules rose to hug him.
“Hi, Erin,” came the cautious greeting after a few silent seconds.
“Hi,” was all she mustered before turning her attention back to Becca.
“Please have a seat, Joel. I made you a plate,” she heard her mother say. A scowl tightened her lips.
Joel took the offer and sat in the space beside Noah. Erin kept her eyes averted, focusing on Becca and the joy she got from her while the conversations continued over her head.
“So, Erin. How have you been?”
“I’m fine,” she answered in a clipped tone.
“Your mother tells me you’re back in Oak Harbor for a while,” Joel continued conversationally.
“Yes.”
“If you have time, maybe we could do something together,” he offered.
Erin’s head was up in a flash, and she turned to the man she had been avoiding looking at this whole time to fix him with a fiery gaze. “What makes you think I would ever want to do anything with a liar and a cheater who abandoned his family?”
There was a tense silence at the table after this.
“You’re right. I am all of those things, but I’m trying to make amends for my actions. I want to apologize to—”
“Apologize?” Erin screeched. “For what exactly? For not being the man that Mom married? For betraying the trust that Jules and I had in you? For disgracing the family with someone who we considered a member of the family. What exactly are you apologizing for, Dad?”
Joel’s blue eyes filled with shame and regret.
“You know what? You might have Mom and Jules fooled, but I am not playing into your false pretenses. For as long as you are here, Stay. Away. From. Me!”
Erin placed Becca in Jules’s hands, stood to her feet, and marched toward the house, her family watching with wide eyes and slack jaws.
ChapterEight
Erin cautiously made her way out from under the blankets and climbed down from the bed. She made sure to check on her sleeping sister to ensure that she hadn't awoken her by looking over at her. Jules hadn’t moved an inch, and the consistent movement of her shoulder indicated that she was still sleeping.
She went to the bathroom and splashed cold water over her face. She straightened up to survey her appearance in the mirror that hung above the sink and considered going for a run to alleviate some of the stress she was still experiencing due to the barbecue that had taken place the day before. She turned her head and looked over at the window that was located next to the shower. She could see that it was still dark outside because the curtain was only partially closed. She decided against going for a run. She stepped out of the bathroom and walked around the bed to check on her niece. Becca was swaddled in a blanket while she slept soundly in the bassinet. Her beautiful face could be seen poking out from under the blanket. Erin's lips curved upward into a smile.
At that precise moment, Jules began to stir, and Erin began to gradually back away from mother and daughter before moving in the direction of the door. She crept down the stairs and entered the kitchen on her tiptoes after confirming that there was no one else in the hallway. After her outburst the previous afternoon, she’d returned to her room and stayed there while she stewed over what had happened. She hadn’t eaten since then, and she was now hungry. After some time had passed and she'd had a chance to collect her thoughts, she was filled with regret about how she had behaved. It didn't matter how she felt about Joel; that didn't give her the right to behave vindictively, especially at a gathering with her family. She felt an even greater amount of discomfort due to Jules's cautious behavior and words. She sucked in a deep breath to stem the feeling of guilt.
Erin’s head disappeared in the refrigerator as she located Tupperware with cold cuts and prepped lettuce and tomatoes. The containers nearly fell from her hands when she turned to see her aunt observing her.
“You scared me, Aunt Drea,” she said in a shaky voice, placing the containers on the island.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just curious as to why you’re so hungry at two a.m.,” her aunt replied.
