But her mother shot her cousin a look and she realized who the culprit was!
Good lord, there were no secrets in this family.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Uncle Mason said. “Your father says you’re happy all the time, but we knew that.”
She turned to her father. “You didn’t tell me anyone was asking.”
Her father shrugged. “Everyone just wants to make sure you didn’t rush in your decision to leave Boston.”
“I should have left sooner,” she said drily.
“But then you might have found someone else to get a piece of ass from,” Penelope whispered in her ear and then kept walking.
Her face lit on fire.
“I think I’ll go talk to Emily,” she said and moved to the other end of the room.
“My sister is being a smarty pants again, isn’t she?” Emily asked.
“Always,” she said. “How are you doing?”
“Great,” Emily said. “Have a seat. If you’re occupied talking to me, Penelope will be forced to watch all the kids. Serves her well since her son winds mine up.”
Alana smirked. “Micah is a wild one,” she said. “But your son is fussier than them all.”
“I’m not sure where he gets it from,” Lucy said. “Crew ate anything you put in front of him. The same with toys and clothes. He never cared. But Cole, he wants what he wants when he wants it.”
“Kind of sounds like my grandmother,” Crew said. “The same person who had Christmas Eve poker last night rather than coming to our house for dinner.”
She tried to keep any expression from her face.
She knew Lucy lived in the retirement community. Just like Brennan’s mother did.
And Sadie Andrews had some Christmas Eve poker game she was part of last night also, which was why Brennan and Becca were alone.
What a small world.
She’d have to bring it up another time to verify, but today wouldn’t be the day for it.
“My poker game was probably more lively than your kids watching movies before bed,” Lucy said. “They are young yet. Give them some years and then we can have our own card games going.”
She laughed when Emily rolled her eyes. “We would have played cards with you,” Crew said.
Lucy waved her hands. “I don’t want to play cards. Poker. I enjoy taking people’s money. New girl in the area is sly though. Sadie is rough to get a read on. Her facial expressions never change. She bluffed me out of three hands last night.”
And there was her answer. Before more was said, she stood to leave. She didn’t want to hear things about Brennan’s mother before she met the woman herself.
“I’m going to see if anyone needs any help in the kitchen,” she said.
She moved past the kids playing and toward the food. Her aunt handed her a glass of wine. Penelope was putting snacks together, her mother and aunt chatting. It was only the four of them.
“Spill it,” Penelope said. “You’re on the clock. Here comes Emily. Wait up.”
She turned to see her other cousin rushing in. “Don’t start yet.”
“Mom,” she said. “How could you?”
Her mother shrugged. “I can’t help it. You look so happy and then went there yesterday and came back with that bracelet.”
