Page 54 of Game Change

I don’t have long to wait before they walk through the door. She’s animated as she talks, pulling her phone from her purse while she shows them something on the screen. As they flick through what I’m assuming are pictures, Brynne stands there with her hands clasped together as she looks on with joy. No, it’s not only joy. It’s pride.

Raven and Amira nod in approval, and after they hand her back her phone, they hug her and pretend to bow to greatness. She blushes and laughs at the same time. I haven’t seen her this unguarded since we left the island. At work, she’s professional, but she spent my first two weeks there being angry at me. After what happened a few days ago, she avoids being alone with me. She brought Ernestine with her the two times she had to come to my office. Other than that, when we met in the small conference room, she made it a point to leave the door open. When I entered the kitchen and found her filling her water bottle, she gave me a wide berth as she walked out.

We communicate mainly via email; I think it’s because she’s trying to leave a paper trail. Now, here she is—happy, carefree, and beautiful.

“Yook,” my nephew, Archie, says. He holds up his menu and shows me his messy drawing.

“Did you get a summons from Colin the First?” Lisa asks. “Marilyn texted, too.”

“That family dinner?” She nods. “Yeah, I’m not going.” She eyes me over the rim of her coffee mug.

“Colin the First says he’s tried to call you, and you won’t take his calls.”

“Yes and yes,” is all I say. I grab Archie’s blue crayon and help him color his menu.

“I get it,” she says.

I don’t answer. I will not rehash my history with my brother, who, according to my mother, had a temper tantrum when I was born. He ignored me my entire childhood and competed with me when I got older. I refuse to engage. When he tried to buy Kincaid Architecture, that was the last straw. He was dead to me after that.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say when I feel Lisa’s eyes on me.

“He’s not—”

I look up. “Drop it.”

She purses her lips and nods.

Raven waves and gestures for her friends to follow her. “Hey, there,” Raven says from a few feet away. I stand and hug her and Amira. I hug Brynne last, and she melts into my arms before she pulls away, but she looks at me before averting her gaze and putting a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Ladies, this is my sister, Lisa, my niece, Milly, and my nephew, Archie.” Lisa stands and says hello. “I met these ladies while on vacation, and Brynne works for me.” Lisa gets it and smiles widely at Brynne.

“Why don’t you three join us?” Lisa asks as she gestures at the table. “My kids will behave, I promise. Breakfast is on Paddy.”

“Who's Paddy?” Amira asks.

“That would be me,” I say, raising my hand. “Colin Patrick Kincaid, known to my family as Paddy because my older brother is also named Colin. According to my Uncle Milton, my father, also named Colin, was a narcissist. Please, join us.”

“He’s also known as Paddy Cake,” Lisa says with a smirk. When I glare at her, she sticks her tongue out at me.

The waitress pulls an empty table next to mine, and Raven quickly sits down. She pulls Amira into the seat next to her, which leaves Brynne no choice but to sit next to me.

“Well, we don’t want to intrude,” Brynne says.

“Yook,” Archie says, pointing at his menu. “Ouse.”

“Well, Brynne is building a house,” Raven says. “Show Colin the pictures.”

Brynne looks shocked by the suggestion. “I’m not building it. It’s just getting a makeover.”

“Bull. She designed it, and now the contractor’s working on it. It’s her family home that she had to buy back,” Amira says. “We’re kinda proud of her.”

I wonder if that has anything to do with the former stepbrother who was at the office a couple of weeks ago.

“I’d love to see it,” Lisa says.

“Well, okay, but first, I’ll show you the before photos, and then I’ll show you the pictures I took today. It’s still a few months away from being ready, so I’ll have to explain my vision.” Then she must get a thought because her eyes light up. “Let me show you my plans. I have them on my phone.”

Chapter 28

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