Dare to Hold (Dare to Love 4)

“Av, are you okay?”

“I’m great!”

Even Meg knew her words were forced and wondered what was bothering her.

“I’d love to chat and get to know you, but Mom said it’s dinnertime, so we need to go into the dining room.” Avery spun around and walked out of the room.

“What’s going on with her?” Meg asked Scott.

He groaned. “I think it has something to do with an old boyfriend.” Scott explained that Grey Kingston of the band Tangled Royal was Avery’s high school boyfriend. “He left her to go find fame and fortune, which he did. According to Olivia, he called her last time he was in town, and they got together. Nobody knows what happened, but she’s been … off ever since.”

“Scott! Dinner!” someone called.

He shot Meg a wry grin. “Let’s go find out what my mother’s big news is.”

Meg had to hand it to Emma, she had a flair for the dramatic, ignoring her children’s questions throughout dinner and holding her news for after dessert.

“So I’m sure you all wonder why I asked you to come here tonight,” Emma finally said.

“Been wondering, Mom,” Avery said.

“I think I know,” Olivia said next with a grin.

“Not playing twenty questions,” Ian muttered to his sisters. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, Michael wanted to be here, but he had a work emergency, which is just as well because I wanted to talk to all of you alone.”

Meg squirmed in her seat, feeling very much like an outsider. As if sensing her emotions, Scott reached for her beneath the table, his hand coming to rest on her thigh, squeezing lightly. The act calmed her, then immediately spiked her pulse, but she forced herself to focus on his mother’s words.

“Michael asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

The women around the table squealed, called out congratulations, and Emma’s daughters jumped up to hug her. The men, Scott and his brothers in particular, sat in stunned silence. Which was what Meg sensed had had Emma so concerned. And why she was glad her fiancé hadn’t been able to make this family dinner.

Meg immediately slid her hand over Scott’s, giving him silent support, as she knew he’d been dreading something like this. Having never met Michael, she couldn’t judge Emma’s taste in men or why her sons were so concerned.

“Isn’t this a little soon?” Ian spoke up first, his dark tone silencing the women’s excitement.

Emma turned her gaze toward her oldest son. “Funny you should ask that. Michael and I have been together now … for about as long as you and Riley,” she said pointedly. “And my granddaughter is asleep in a crib upstairs. “Any other objections?” she asked, her voice strong.

But the wobble of her chin and the sheen of tears in her eyes told a whole different story. She might be a grown woman, but she desperately wanted her family’s approval. Meg didn’t blame her. Though she didn’t know what it was like to have such a large family, with everyone having differing opinions and feelings, Meg envied this group their closeness.

“He’s a nice guy, but do you have to marry him?” Scott asked. “It’s just so permanent, and what if things don’t work out?”

“Are you saying you don’t believe in marriage anymore?” Olivia asked her brother.

“Goddammit, Liv, this isn’t about me,” Scott snapped back.

That was too close to the conversation they’d had about his feelings on family, and Meg slipped lower into her chair. She didn’t know how many gut-punching reminders she could take.

“He’s good to her,” Olivia said to Ian, but the sweep of her gaze encompassed all her brothers. “You’ve all seen it. What do you want? For Mom to be alone for the rest of her life? Dad’s not. He’s off doing what’s best for him. He always has. Why does he deserve to get what he wants out of life with Savannah but Mom doesn’t?” She wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulder.

“Okay, everyone, stop. Right now,” Emma said. “I called you all here to give you the courtesy of letting you know. I wasn’t asking your permission. I’d like it if you could all be happy for me. If not, then at least shut up about it.” Emma’s voice cracked, and Scott jumped out of his seat, followed by Ian and Tyler, who’d sulked in silence.

“I guess it’s just that no one’s good enough,” Scott said gruffly as he reached her. “I love you. Michael’s a good guy. I’m happy for you.”

Or he’d get there, Meg thought, her heart too wrapped up in his feelings and this family drama. She really needed to get out of here and breathe. Except leaving here meant going to Scott’s house, not her own. She pulled in a shaky breath, watching as everyone now congratulated Emma and made their peace with her decision. Meg was the last to step up and offer her good wishes.

Then finally it was time to leave. Exhaustion beat at every bone in Meg’s body. She couldn’t wait to go to sleep.