Page 48 of Our Sweet Destiny
Rex lowered himself to his chair across from Max and Treat. Max reached over and wiped the edge of Treat’s mouth with a napkin, then kissed him on the lips. His father reached out and draped his arm across the back of Max’s chair. The tug on Rex’s heart spurred his jealousy. He narrowed his eyes, watching his father whisper something in Max’s ear. He yearned for his father to accept Jade in the same way.
“Rex, hello?” Savannah tapped his arm.
“Sorry, what?” he asked.
“Ketchup, can you pass it, please?”
He handed her the ketchup while looking up toward the driveway again, feeling Jade’s absence like a missing limb.
“Hey, what’s that?” Savannah said, touching the chain around Rex’s neck.
He swatted her hand away and rolled his shoulders forward. “Nothing.”
“Oh, come on. Let me see. You never wear any jewelry. What is it?” Savannah was being her normal teasing self, and if she’d have done that two weeks ago, he’d be laughing right alongside her, tickling her ribs until she stopped badgering him. But tonight he was all kinds of stressed out.
Rex’s biceps flexed, and he gritted his teeth. A hush swallowed the din of his family, and he felt five sets of eyes on him. “It’s just something I bought in town,” he said gruffly.
Savannah reached up again, and his father growled, “Savannah, leave the man alone.”
She arched a brow. “O-kay then.” She picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of broccoli.
Treat caught Rex’s eyes and held them. Rex read his brother’s message loud and clear:Idiot. Are you trying to get caught?At this point, he wasn’t sure that wasn’t exactly what he was doing. He pushed away from the table. “I’m gonna get some water.”
“Actually, that sounds good to me, too.” Treat rose to his feet.
“Me too,” Savannah chirped.
Josh was right behind Treat, leaving their father and Max alone at the table.
Rex stood in the kitchen against the counter, drinking a glass of water, one ankle crossed over the other. He watched them file in and knew he was in for an inquisition.
“Too bad Hugh and Dane couldn’t make it. We could have had a full house,” Rex said in a serious voice.
“Hugh had a race, and Dane got some lead on a major funding initiative for the whale sharks. Max’ll keep Dad busy. She knows how this goes by now,” Savannah said, winking at Treat. “So, what’s the scoop? And what’s around your thick neck?”
Rex shook his head.
Josh leaned against the fridge next to him. His black slacks were perfectly pressed, his white dress shirt pristine. He was narrower than all of his brothers, as lean and sleek as they were thick and rippled, and every bit as handsome. His dark hair was just as thick, though he kept his much shorter. As a fashion designer, Josh was more interested in his appearance than any of them. Treat used to rival him with his Armani suits, but now that he was spending more time back home, Rex noticed that Treat rarely broke out anything more formal than a pair of jeans or dress slacks.
“Anything I can do?” Josh asked.
Rex shook his head. “Not unless you can end a forty-year battle,” he said honestly. It felt good to get it off his chest. What had his father said?Guilt’ll eat you up and spit you out, then stomp on your writhing body until there’s nothing left but a broken shell of a man.Rex wasn’t about to let that happen.
“You mean the Johnsons? What’s going on with them?” Josh asked.
Savannah grinned mischievously. “Josh!” she said in an excited whisper. “Jade!”
Rex lifted his eyes to his sister and couldn’t keep a smile from his lips. He’d expected a modicum of support, but he’d also expected a rage about his breach of loyalty.
“Jade Johnson? She was eyeing you the day of Max’s accident in the driveway.” Understanding dawned in Josh’s eyes, and he cracked a smile and elbowed his brother’s ribs. “You dirty dog, you. Did you eat the forbidden fruit?”
You could say that.“Hey, let’s keep it clean,” Rex said. “Aren’t you guys gonna ream me out for going against Dad?”
“Ream you?” Savannah asked. “I’ve known you were in love with Jade since high school when I caught you staring at her during that 4H auction. Remember?”
He hadn’t remembered until now, and now he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten. Jade and her girlfriends were hosing down the animals in skimpy little bikini tops and cutoff jeans, and her father was standing guard with a scowl so deep, Rex thought he’d stab anyone who came near her.
“I do,” he answered Savannah.
