There with You (Adair Family 2)

“Why can’t I sleep where I wanna? Ree-Ree got to sleep in your bed for Santy coming!”

Oh, fuck a fucking duck.

Everything stopped. Cutlery, breathing, my heart. There was an awful silence around the table, and I couldn’t look at anyone but Thane, whose expression mirrored my mortification.

“What does that mean?” Mom broke the silence. “What does Eilidh mean?”

“Ree-Ree was in bed with Daddy this morning,” Eilidh whispered it now, sensing the bad energy in the room and clearly not understanding it.

I looked down the table to Robyn and saw nothing but concern in her eyes.

“Does she mean what I think she means?” Mom hissed.

“Mom, not here.” I turned to her, pleading.

But fury and disappointment filled her expression. “In front of his children?”

Her words made me feel dirty and small. “It wasn’t like that!”

“How could you?” Mom pushed her chair back from the table to stand, and I followed suit. “Here’s your father giving me bull about how you’ve changed while you’ve been here, and we should let you just get on with things, that you’re a grown woman! Ha! You’re just as spoiled and selfish and irresponsible as ever, and you are coming back to Boston with us.”

“Mom, let’s go next door to talk about this.”

“We’re talking about it now!”

“Not in front of the kids.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” she guffawed.

The blood rushed in my ears, my cheeks hot with her recrimination. Looking over at Eilidh and Lewis, seeing their confusion and upset, I said to Arro, “Take the kids next door.”

Arro hurried to do so, and Mac strode from his side of the table to help, hauling Eilidh into his arms. Eilidh burst into tears, burying her face in his neck, and my heart plummeted. Mac shot my mom a ferocious glower as he marched away with my girl, soothing her in the way I or her father should be but couldn’t because we had to deal with my inconsiderate mother.

Eredine hurried to follow Arro, Mac, and the kids out of the house.

“You’re ruining Christmas for the children! You couldn’t just leave it alone until dinner was over?” I yelled.

“Are you sleeping with this man?” She pointed at Thane, who stood now, bristling with silent fury.

I couldn’t lie. I wouldn’t. “Yes.”

My mom scoffed. “Then I haven’t ruined anything. You ruined it for them. You ruined it by doing whatever the hell you felt like doing, never mind that there are children to think about. Always spreading your legs for the first inappropriate man you can find!”

“Stacey!” Dad snapped from his seat beside her.

Her words were like a slap. I flinched and gritted my teeth. “Don’t you talk about Eilidh and Lewis. You know nothing about them or my feelings for them!”

“And don’t”—Thane’s voice was a quiet boom around the room—“you dare talk to Regan like that again.”

“Stacey.” Dad moved around me to Mom’s side. “Calm down. Okay? They’re both adults and you’re saying things to our daughter you’re going to regret. How you’re feeling is not about this, and you know it.”

“Of course it is. Regan has proven once again she is not an adult. But you”—she turned on Thane as he rounded the table—“how could you do this? Take advantage of my daughter? A grown man, a father!”

“She’s twenty-five.” Robyn joined the argument. “Seth is right—they are both adults. You’re acting like she’s sixteen and underage. This is none of our business, and frankly, you’re blowing it completely out of proportion. But what’s new, Mom?”

“You knew!” Mom accused. “You knew and you let this go on? You allowed this to happen to your sister?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, don’t start that rubbish under my roof,” Lachlan warned her. “It is not Robyn’s responsibility to police Regan’s behavior. Regan is a grown woman whether you want to accept that.” He turned to Thane. “But you … what the hell were you thinking?”

Thane narrowed his eyes, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Just what Robyn said—that I’m a grown man, and she’s a grown woman, and it’s nobody’s business but ours.”

“I’m not talking about that.” Lachlan shoved away from the table, his brow furrowed with concern. “I’m talking about the secrecy. The sneaking around. Why not be up-front about it? Did you think we would judge you?”

Mom huffed at my back, and it took everything within me not to pour the nearby jug of ice water over her head just to cool off her psychotic ass.

“No.” Thane gave a sharp swipe of his head. “But what was the point? Eilidh finding us was a mistake. It’s not permanent between us. Regan will be leaving in six weeks.”

I physically stumbled away from his words. He had his back to me, facing Lachlan, so he didn’t see my reaction. But my dad put his hand on my shoulder, and he gave me a comforting squeeze. Devastation crashed over me.