Page 148 of The Imperfect Marriage

He downs half the glass and sighs in appreciation.

She begins to melt away, but he snaps his fingers, still without looking at her "Don’t go, I’ll need you to pour." He holds out his glass again.

My jaw drops. What the fuck? Clearly, being obnoxious runs in the Davenport bloodline. That is, until these men are put in their place by the right woman. I open my mouth to tell Knox off, but before I can speak, the blonde pipes up, "I don’t think you want to get drunk, sir."

Knox frowns. Staring in the direction of the house, he keeps his arm outstretched. The silence stretches. The tension in the air ratchets up, but Knox seems oblivious. He’s too busy scanning his surroundings, as if he’s looking for something… Or someone?

The blonde purses her lips, then relents and pours a dollop more into the glass. "Thanks." He tosses it back, then looks around as if wondering where to keep it. She takes it from him, and he nods again. "Don’t know what I’d do without you, Sierra."

"It’s June," she mumbles under her breath, but he doesn’t seem to hear her.

He knows her name but purposely got it wrong. Why would he do that? Does he want to rile her up?

I exchange glances with my husband, who shakes his head. Without saying anything, he communicates what I’m thinking: Knox is a cunt. And she’s way too good for him.

"Anyone know what Gramps is up to?" Tyler prowls over to join us.

Man’s the tallest and the biggest of all the Davenports. His features could be cast from granite. His eyes are cold. His expression is both bored and lethal. Something about these Davenport men. They’re not what you’d call handsome… Not when their features have that hint of cruelty which marks them out as men who have few scruples in life. And yet, they have the kind of charisma that makes women throw their panties at them and compels men to turn envious.

While Ryot is the one I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley—I've seen what he can do—Tyler’s the guy who’d come at you with such stealth, that despite his bulk, you wouldn’t see him until he’s too late. He looms over the rest of us. In a suit and tie, he looks barely civilized for this gathering.

Zoey waves to me from the other side of the garden, where she’s talking with Summer and Sinclair Sterling. She’s become close to Arthur, who treats her like the daughter he never had. Brody and Connor stand at a distance, smoking, without bothering to hide their cigarettes. Ryot is nowhere to be seen.

Lizzie is talking with Felix. The two have become good friends. I was worried there might be something romantic between them, but Lizzie laughed it off. She hinted, I'm not the only one who has a thing for silver foxes, a comment I chose to ignore.

My father was invited but declined the invitation, preferring to spend the evening with his caregiver-turned-girlfriend. He's happy, and she seems like a genuinely sweet woman.

Tiny ambles into the backyard, making a beeline for the long table packed with foodstuffs. He surveys it, and his ears droop. The mutt looks crestfallen, then walks back to Arthur.

Guess he’s unhappy he didn’t find any champagne. The dog has a weakness for the bubbly drink, it’s true! But since Arthur’s diagnosis, Imelda has banned all alcohol and cigars from the house, and to my surprise, the man didn’t protest. Is it true love? Watching him walk out with an arm around the woman, who’s wearing fatigues today, the pairing seems incongruous. But when she guides him to a chair at the head of the table, he complies. Which is telling.

According to Q, you wouldn’t have caught Arthur listening to anyone else before she came into his life. Now, he seems less hard on himself. She takes the seat to his right. It’s a signal for the rest of us to take our places.

June turns to leave, but Knox points to the chair on his right. She hesitates, then complies. The chair to his left stays vacant. The rest of us take our seats. There’s a general buzz around the table. Otis tops up our glasses with more of the non-alcoholic beverage then stands to the side.

Arthur clinks his knife against his glass, and the chatter dies down.

"No doubt, you're all curious about why you’ve been summoned."

"Why should we be? We only had to drop what we were doing in the middle of a working day and attend to your summons," Brody growls under his breath.

"Something you want to share with the table?" Arthur arches an eyebrow in his grandson’s direction.

Brody shrugs. "It’s a working day."

"And I am the patriarch of this family… Still. So, you boys and girls will come when I call." It’s a statement which brooks no argument. Arthur glances around the table, the look on his features implying my-word-is-final.

Then Imelda pats his arm. "Don’t be a dick, dear."

A titter runs around the table, then there’s full blown laughter. Next to me, Q chuckles. Zoey snorts, then slaps a hand over her mouth.

A vein bulges at Arthur’s temple. He clenches his jaw. I’m sure he’s going into a full-blown meltdown, but as he and Imelda glare at each other, something magical happens. His features relax by degrees and then a reluctant smile curves his features. Imelda’s shoulders relax. Something passes between the two of them, then Arthur nods. He turns to the table. "And that is why each of you need to find the right woman."

Brody groans. Connor chugs down water from a bottle like it’s going out style. Tyler’s expression is as immovable as ever. And Knox? His gaze is focused on the house.

"Is he waiting for someone?" I whisper.

Quentin shakes his head. "Don’t think so."

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