Page 39 of The One Before

“Maybe we do.” She runs her forefinger around the rim of her glass. “From what I can tell, that’s what has set Regina off. Your interest in what happened back then. She’s very protective of her brother. Roman, too. It hasn’t dawned on my daughter, bright as she is, that you have a right to ask questions.”

What has Regina said to them? We spoke about Celia at the lake and at Nectar; I didn’t say anything off-color. She’s been friendly since, so I don’t believe those interactions have brought out her hostility. It must be something else. There’s a layer of sweat forming between my skin and clothes. It’s like I’m under a spotlight, and I wish one of the angry Douglas children would barge back into the room and end this conversation. “Coop told me everything I need to know.”

“It couldn’t have been easy for you moving to Whisper Falls and hearing the things people still say about him. It certainly hasn’t been easy for us.” She looks at me, her eyes searching. Her throat wobbles as she speaks, as though she’s trying hard to fight her emotions. That’s another skill she must have perfected over the years. “You must understand we’ve all carried this burden for years. It’s made us protective and loyal just as much as it’s made us paranoid and bitter.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” She takes a sip of her wine. “Now all I can ask is that you show us a little bit of patience.”

Twenty-Eight

Madison

Cooper loads the last of the dishware into the washer and slams the door.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.

“Where should we begin?” He slings a dishrag over his shoulder and leans against the counter.

I copy his stance. “What happened out on the porch?”

“Regina and Roman were having it out like two spoiled teenagers.”

“What do you think set them off?” I ask, remembering their bickering outside. “Regina seemed aggravated before they arrived.”

“You rememberTheFalls Reportarticle you read last week?” He crosses his arms, as I nod. “Well, Regina and Bailey have been friends for a long time. Mom and Roman must have been giving her a hard time about continuing the friendship, considering what was written about me.”

That’s not what I was expecting. Regina’s vitriol tonight was aimed at me; I thought she was upset about something I’d done. I didn’t think everyone was mad at her. It’s equally surprising Regina wouldn’t take Bailey to task over what she wrote in the article. During our conversation at the lake, Regina said people in Whisper had to choose their sides and defend their stance. Why would she choose to align herself with someone who openly criticized Coop? Her own brother? What side was she really on?

“I’m no longer as sympathetic toward your sister,” I say, pouring another glass of wine. “That article was ridiculous. If they are friends, Regina should tell Bailey to back off.”

“Regina doesn’t have many friends. If she cut ties with every person who made a snide remark about our family, she’d have no one,” Coop says, sliding his glass toward me. “Her behavior in general irks me. I mean, how many digs did she make tonight? Saying our house looked like a showroom and pointing out you’re not working. Again. Between Regina’s bitchy attitude and Roman’s excessive drinking, there’s a whole pit of drama.”

I look down. “Regina doesn’t know how to communicate without putting others down.”

“She’s my sister. I know how she operates.” He looks at me and his demeanor softens. He pulls me in for a hug. “What I don’t want is you thinking you’re the cause of any of this. This is my family. It’s how we’ve always communicated. Sometimes I think they tire of putting on the Douglas front, that’s why it all crumbles behind closed doors.”

“That makes sense.” It’s clear why he waited so long to introduce me to his family. Anyone who witnessed this behavior before a certain level of commitment could easily walk out the door. The only reason I don’t now is because I love Coop. I see he’s the one hurting in all of this.

“It’s just embarrassing.” He runs his hands through my hair, his mouth close to my ear. “I’ve been away so many years, I don’t think I realized how miserable they’ve all become. They can’t even pull it together for one meal. To hell with the wedding.”

I pull back and playfully slap his chest. “Don’t say that. Anne and I are hard at work to make sure it’s spectacular.”

“I just don’t want my family to mess up our happiness.” He shakes his head as he pours the rest of the wine into his glass. “They really do want what is best for me. They just have the absolute worst way of showing it.”

“That’s what your mom said.”

“Really?” He leans back to get a better look of me. “You two talked?”

“She just brought up what you’ve been through as a family.” I don’t want to mention Celia. Every moment between us can’t revolve around his dead ex-girlfriend. “She said the hardships have made you protective of each other. And paranoid.”

“Quite the psychologist, my mom.” We clink our glasses, and Coop takes a sip. “On the porch, Roman accused Regina of being jealous of us. He said she only wants to tear you down because she can’t handle a relationship of her own.”

“That’s mean.”

“She went after his drinking. Pointed out I probably would have never moved back to Whisper if he was capable of running theGazette.”

“Ouch.”

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