“Why?”
“Come on, Dad.” Giving him a wry grin, I rolled my eyes. “Our house was tense. Everyone walked around on egg shells. Mom could blow up at any second. And that was when it was peaceful.” Then the explosion would happen. It always happened. “The screaming. Things flying. The yelling. The crying. The threats of leaving and divorcing you. There were the times she actually did leave.” My throat was dry as I swallowed. “Going from that house, to the Kades where I knew nothing would last. Everything was fake with Analise. She was a ticking time bomb. I always knew she would go off, and I would wait for it. Being here,” I shrugged again, “it’s so silent, but no one’s walking around on thin ice. I haven’t heard anyone fight yet. There’s been yelling, but it’s usually Malinda yelling at Mark not to be late or to come eat, or she’s yelling at Logan for some reason. It’s so…”
David supplied, “Healthy?”
“…eerie.” I flashed him a grin. “But yeah, healthy. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, when everything good stops again.”
“Oh, Samantha.” He patted my arm. “It’s not going to. Your mother was sick—”
I gave him a dark look. “And evil.”
“That too, but Malinda is a completely different person. She’s loving. She’s warm. She’s—”
I patted his arm this time. “I know. I love Malinda. I really do. I’m not saying anything bad. I’m just not used to this,” gesturing inside the house and around us, “world. When’s the shit going to hit the fan?”
“Well, I don’t think it’s going to happen how you think.” He was watching me intensely. “I’m sorry about Garrett.”
And the other shoe just dropped. “Yeah.”
“He called. He’d like to have dinner with you, if that’s okay with you? I know I said earlier that I wanted to discuss this.” He sighed loudly.
I laughed shortly. “Why do I feel like running again?”
“I think you should do it.”
“Run?”
“No, you know what I’m talking about. I think you should have dinner with Garrett.”
“Why?” My voice grew louder. I looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “You want me to have a relationship with him? He came here, made a lot of promises, and took off. For a year.” I shook my head. My voice got even louder. “I mean, hello. Look at you. What if I love him more than you? Aren’t you thinking things like that? What if I want a relationship with him, and I don’t need you anymore?”
David was shaking his head as he stood. His hand was held out, as if to calm me. I realized with a jerk that I was standing. When had that happened? Then he said, “Of course I’m thinking those things, but that’s selfish of me. Yes, I just got you back, and yes, I’m trying to mend things with you too, but he’s your father. He left to make things right with his wife and he’s back. He’s trying with his daughter. Analise kept you from him. You can’t fault him for that.”
I turned. I wanted to run, but I gritted my teeth. Balling my hands into fists, I looked back to him.
When he saw I wasn’t going, he lowered his hand. “Samantha, you have more family on his side. Have you thought about that?”
What?
“Yeah. I didn’t think you had.” His voice was so soft, like his heart was breaking. “He has an entire family that wants to meet you. Cousins. Grandparents. Analise had no one. Her parents, who knows who her parents were. They abandoned her at an early age, and she never grew healthy attachments with anyone else. You may never know what relatives you have on her side, but you can with Garrett.”
“I don’t care.” But I did.
“You’ve met my family, but, because of your mother, that relationship is strained too. Garrett’s family is your blood.” His voice dipped to a firm level, “I’m not saying welcome him back with open arms, but you can set the boundaries for what you’re comfortable with.”
“Like what?”
“Like,” he glanced around and gestured to the house, “have him and his wife come here. We’ll have a big dinner, all of us.” He gritted his teeth. “Logan too. That’ll be interesting, but yeah. Have him come here. Get to know him on your territory, and you ask him questions instead of him getting to ask you questions. We’ll be there to enforce the rules if you want.” An abrupt laugh ripped from him. “I have no doubt Logan will enjoy enforcing any rule, just by himself.”
“Yeah.” Was I really going to do this? I heard myself saying, “Okay. Yeah. That’s a good idea.”
“Do you want me to make the plans?”
I nodded. “You call him.” When he stood and grabbed the takeout bags, I stopped him. “But I pick the night.”