One More Time

“It just seems strange that he'd mention a brunette named Casey, and then bring her over for the next family dinner,” Danielle argued.

Adam stayed remarkably quiet, which was unusual for him. I watched him closely, and I noticed him stealing glances over at Danielle. The two shared a lot of stares – just quick glances here and there. I wouldn't have picked up on it had I not noticed that Adam was being extra quiet tonight and letting the drama unfold without his input.

Finally, when Danielle wouldn't let it drop, Adam sighed. “Fine, I met her at Crane Enterprises, yes, but I may have been wrong about her leaving Malcolm's office,” he snapped. “Happy now, Danielle?”

“No,” Danielle spat.

She shot a look of death in Adam's direction, but then replaced it with her normal, non-emotional expression.

“But I'll let it drop, for now,” she said. “Since I'm not rude and would hate to ruin this fabulous meal.”

“Yes, let's eat,” Mom said. “I'll go see what's taking Alba so long.”

Mom stood up and went into the kitchen, and we could hear the two women talking. No one at the table said another word, even though Danielle was sighing left and right, clearly demanding attention in her passive-aggressive way.

She wanted someone to notice. I'd noticed, but I wasn't about to ask her what was wrong, because quite honestly, I couldn't care less what was wrong with her. My focus was on Casey – and getting her through the minefield that was my family, unscathed.

Casey stared down at her fingernails, picking at the polish on her thumbnail. The strapless dress she was wearing showed off her shoulders, which were dotted with an array of freckles I'd never noticed before. Even though I'd seen her naked, I'd been too caught up in her and the moment and had somehow missed them. She caught me staring and looked up, a nervous, shy smile on her face.

I smiled back at her, hoping to let her know it would be okay. This was my family, it was normal for us to fight and snipe at one another whenever we were together in the same room. I adored my mother and Alba. I respected my dad but being in the same room with him always lead to us butting heads. I knew there'd be no escaping at least one argument between the old man and I tonight, I just hoped it was nothing too bad. Not in front of Casey. I cared about what she thought of my family. It mattered to me.

Danielle grabbed my hand while I shared a moment with Casey. Before I knew what was happening, she placed it on her belly and beamed.

“Feel it this time, Malcolm?” she asked, her voice high and bright. “Please tell me you felt that kick. I thought this little guy was going to kick my bladder across the room.”

Casey's smile faded, and she went back to picking at her fingernail. The moment we were sharing had obviously passed.

“No, still feel nothing at all,” I muttered.

The kitchen doors swung open, and Alba came in pushing a tray loaded with plates of food. Steam rose from the plates as she set them down on the table in front of each of us.

“Casey, you're not allergic to shellfish, are you?” my mom asked

Casey.

“No, Mrs. Crane,” she said. “I'm not.”

“Good, because tonight we're having one of my favorites – shrimp scaloppini with a white wine reduction,” Mom said, beaming with absolute joy.

“It sounds delicious,” Casey said.

Once everyone was served, dad and I talked about Crane Enterprises, while Adam sat idly by, listening and picking at his plate, not saying a word. Danielle poked at the food on her plate too, but hardly ate a thing. Given that it was pasta, I wasn't all that surprised. She's never been too comfortable eating carbs, but you would have thought that pregnancy might have changed that. Casey, on the other hand, finished her entire plate. My mother smiled over at her, seeming to be appreciative of the fact that someone was enjoying the meal besides her. Adam clearly wasn't. Something was off, and the entire thing with Casey made me less inclined to trust him. I kept my eye on him, and the tension in the room was palpable. It felt like it was growing until the very last plate had been whisked away by Alba and the rest of the kitchen staff.

“Stayed for the entire meal this time, I see,” Dad said to me.

“Yes, figured it would be rude to leave early while we had company.”

I smiled at Casey. She didn't return the gesture. Instead, she stared down at the blackberry cobbler in front of her, which remained untouched. I'd made a note to ask her later if she didn't like pies or blackberries, or maybe even both when she pushed the chair back and looked around at us apologetically.

“Excuse me,” she said. “I'll be right back.”

She hurried out of the dining room, practically running down the hallway. I looked over at Adam, and he shrugged. When I tried to urge him with my eyes, it was clear that he still didn't get the hint. Letting out a long breath, I excused myself as well.

“I'm going to make sure she's okay,” I said and cut a glance at Adam. “Somebody should.”

“Shouldn't Adam do that?” Danielle said, her tone icy.

“Malcolm is already up,” Adam said with a shrug. “Let him do it.”