Page 102 of Claim to Fame

“With Cheryl and Ricky,” Tessa said, coming around the table to greet him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Adults only tonight.”

“What’s going on?” Uneasiness rippled over his skin, raising goosebumps as his senses kicked into overdrive, looking for the threat.

“Come sit down, Dad. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

Tessa led him to a seat at the table, taking the chair beside him. Gavin’s eyes shone with pity and Baz wouldn’t even make eye contact. “Someone needs to tell me what’s going on right now,” he demanded.

Caleb glanced around the table before locking eyes with Ethan, as though he’d come to some sort of decision. He wore his priest’s collar—he rarely wore his collar to family dinner—and somehow that fact sent dread sinking into Ethan’s gut more than anything else.

“We’re all here because we care about you,” Caleb began.

“And because it’s family dinner,” Ethan said uncertainly.

Caleb nodded. “And because families need to be honest with each other, even when it’s hard.”

“What, is this an intervention?” he scoffed. Jamie and Tessa exchanged a nervous glance and Ethan barked out a laugh. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me? An intervention for what?”

“For you,” Tessa said gently. “Because we’re all worried about you.”

“You’re knocking down walls in your house,” Caleb said.

Ethan shot Jamie an accusatory glare. “I’m renovating.”

“You didn’t tell us about the audiobooks,” Gavin said.

“I like my privacy,” he shot back.

“There’s privacy, and then there’s shutting people out,” Jamie said. The wounded edge to his voice caught Ethan by surprise, made him hesitate.

“The fewer people that knew, the better.” He huffed an incredulous laugh. “Look what’s happened since people found out? I was trying to protect the vineyard.” He turned to Tessa. “To protect you, and Julie, and—”

“Shutting us out isn’t protecting us,” Tessa said.

“I’m your father. I’m never going to stop trying to protect you.”

“You’re missing the point,” Jamie said.

“Then what’s the point?”

At the other end of the table, Baz raised his head and skewered him with a look. “Where’s Hannah?”

The sound of her name here, in a room full of the people he loved, a room she belonged in where her absence was so noticeable it was a physical thing, rocked him. “She left.”

“You sent her away,” Kyla corrected.

He shook his head. “No. It wasn’t like that.”

“You didn’t tell her you couldn’t be with her anymore?” Molly asked, shooting him a challenging look.

“I think we’re getting off track,” Caleb said. “The point is, we’re concerned about you, Ethan.”

“Oh, are youconcerned, Father West?” Ethan spat.

Caleb flinched, but Gavin picked up where his brother left off. “We think you should talk to someone.”

“We’re talking right now,” Ethan said.

“What you’ve been through, with the press and your life coming under public scrutiny, it would be a lot for anyone. Having someone to help you process it could be helpful,” Caleb continued.

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