Page 62 of Reckless
Willa:I’ll bring the mimosas. Cade is cooking.
Winter:Yep.
Summer:I heard you’re driving with Theo?
Willa:I like him a lot better than Doctor Douche.
Winter:We’re not together.
Willa:But if you were, you’d be trading up.
Summer:Way up.
Willa:Way WAY up.
Sloane:Leave her alone, you guys.
* * *
“How’s the physio?” Rhett asks as a lull in conversation around the table hits.
“Good, actually. Got the go-ahead to ditch the sling. Not that I’ve been wearing it anyway,” Theo replies with a chuckle.
Theo, who refused to sit anywhere but next to Vivi. Not that I can blame him, but still. I’m not oblivious to the quick looks people are shooting at him. Shooting atus.
“So, when is your mom coming? Summer and I should have her out for dinner. She hasn’t seen the new house. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her in quite a while.” Rhett leans back in his chair, eyeing Theo up.
It all feels very obvious, especially with Theo winking at me every time I nervously clear my throat. It’s like I’m about to say something, and then get washed out into the tide of the conversation.
“Of course. She’d love that. I think she’s going to come out a bit early. Stay at my place.”
Everyone continues eating the prawn and lemon pasta that Cade whipped up. A heaping bowl of watermelon and mint salad sits in the middle of the table. It’s the perfect summer meal and everyone is here to partake.
Willa, whose shrewd eyes jump between Theo and me. Cade, who is managing their daughter Emma and their son Luke, who has barely lifted his head from shoveling the pasta into his mouth like his parents haven’t fed him in days.
Sloane and Jasper, who might as well be eating with her on his lap for how close they’re sitting.
And Beau, who’s doing his best to steal the asshole crown from me, is opposite Harvey at the head of the table, spinning a bottle of beer and peeling the label off. Not saying a word.
Even Sloane’s mom, Cordelia, is here.Still. She moved in for a safe place to stay after she left her dickwad husband over a year ago and just...hasn’t left.
And the way she says, “Harvey, you need some salad too. You can’t stay healthy only eating meat and carbs,” while primly blotting at her lips and glancing away is adorable.
Harvey rolls his eyes and reaches forward, serving himself a few scoops of the fruit.
That everyone keeps looking at Theo and me suspiciously while being so willfully ignorant of what’s going on between Harvey and Cordelia blows my fucking mind.
“That’s good. I’d like to meet her too.” Harvey’s gravelly voice cuts in as he stares down at the fruit on his plate like it’s his enemy. And then he blurts something out that I shouldn’t be surprised by—but I am. “I reckon she’ll wanna spend a little extra time getting to know her new grandchild.”
The table goes silent, save for the clatter of Summer dropping her fork on her plate.
It feels like time stretches out, accentuated by the thump of my heart in my ears. I was planning on saying something, but I just hadn’t found the moment yet. I was still gathering my courage, trying to work it in, not just blurt it out with zero tact.
“What?” Harvey says over a mouthful of watermelon. “It’s been a couple of hours now. Are we all just gonna keep sitting here pretending Theo isn’t Vivi’s dad? I mean,look at them.”
My lips twitch and my cheeks heat.
Fucking Harvey.
