When Paul entered Grady’s spacious living room prior to the family dinner, he discovered he was the last to arrive. In a matter of seconds he noted the placement of all his relatives throughout the room and had taken two steps toward Lia, following the instinct to be close to her, when his mother intercepted him.
“How was Ryan and Zoe’s wedding?” Constance asked, seeming oblivious to the fact that she’d just stopped him from a huge blunder.
“Very nice.”
“I never thought she and Tristan Crosby were well matched,” his mother continued. “She seems much happier with Ryan.”
“They’re both happy,” Paul declared.
“I don’t suppose I’ll be helping to plan any weddings in the near future,” Constance muttered, casting meaningful glances from Paul to Ethan.
“Isn’t wedding planning usually left up to the bride and her family?” he countered, skillfully turning the conversation to less fraught waters. “You wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
“When have I ever overstepped?” Constance asked with studied innocence.
“Never.”
But the truth was, Paul’s mother was known for getting her way with the various charity events she helped organize. Was it any wonder both her sons had such strong leadership skills? They’d learned how to be in charge from a master.
Dinner was announced before Paul had a chance to do more than wave at his cousins and offer a smile to his aunt and uncle. Paul found himself seated between his father and Dallas, relegated to the opposite side of the table from Lia.
As always, Grady sat at the head. Tonight he was flanked by Lia and Lenora. Grady was in high spirits. Although he still struggled to speak, his eyes twinkled as he observed his family’s interaction. The stark contrast in his vitality two weeks earlier lent an even greater festivity to the meal.
From his family’s effusive remarks, Paul gathered the food was delicious, but he noticed little of what he tasted. He was preoccupied with Lia and pretending to maintain his interest in the twins’ chatter or his father’s concern about the imbalance in imports and exports due to the recent tariffs.
As dessert was served, Grady clinked his glass to gain everyone’s attention. With each day, he gained more control over his words, but sometimes still relied on singing to produce certain sounds. Having gained everyone’s attention, he began in a singsong rhythm.
Reaching for Lia’s hand, Grady fixed his gaze on her. “I changed my will to include Lia.”
Suspicion ran like poison through Paul’s veins while Lia sat in stunned silence, wide eyes glued to Grady’s face. Around the table, there were exclamations of approval. Paul locked gazes with his brother and saw his own concern mirrored there.
“This is quite sudden,” Constance murmured with a slight frown. “I mean...” She seemed at a loss as she glanced from one son to the other.
Paul shook his head in an effort to communicate that this wasn’t the moment to come clean. If they explained about the testing mistake on the heels of Grady’s bombshell announcement, everyone would want to know why the delay in bringing up the issue. They couldn’t afford any of the family asking questions that would clue Grady in to their scheme.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lia said, shaking her head. Her dismay seemed genuine. “It’s... I don’t...”
Her gaze darted Paul’s way and just as quickly fled, leaving him unsure that she’d manipulated Grady into changing his will.
“You don’t know me,” she argued, her panic visibly threatening to choke her.
Grady shook his head, squeezed her hand and gave her a lopsided, reassuring smile. “You’re my granddaughter,” he announced in definitive tones, suggesting what was done was done.
As everyone finished off the red velvet cake, it was pretty obvious that Grady was fading. Although no one summoned her, Rosie appeared and wheeled him out of the room. Lia followed, but before she could escape upstairs, Paul drew her through the living room and out onto the side terrace.
Lia looked shell-shocked and near tears as she scanned his expression with near-frantic eyes. Paul balled his hands into fists to stop himself from taking her into his arms and soothing away her distress. He had so much to say, but didn’t know where to start.
“This is a huge mess,” Paul declared, his gut tight with conflicting emotion.
Before Lia could respond, Ethan appeared on the terrace. Her gaze went straight to him and clung like he was her lifeline.
“I had no idea he intended to change his will.” Lia’s voice was filled with anguish.
“You’re sure he didn’t mention it at all?” Paul demanded. “Because with a little warning we could’ve headed off his decision and saved us all a lot of grief.”
Seeing her woeful expression, Ethan threw a protective arm around her shoulders and shot Paul a hard look that warned him to back off. “I’m sure if Lia knew she would’ve told us.”
When Lia slumped against his brother’s side, Paul felt like he’d been slapped.