Page 87 of An Endless Memory

Jasper had confirmed that Eliot would be too busy to go anywhere. “He gave everyone the weekend off. Hope there’re no emergencies, but I guess he can call Chambers if nothing else. And I can get there in under four hours.”

I didn’t feel any better hearing Eliot was alone. Tova and Aggie had their babies a week apart, and Vienne was hoping she’d have her baby before Christmas. None of them were surprising Eliot with a visit.

When I entered the massive kitchen with an island big enough for me and all my siblings to sit behind, Kellan waved his hands toward me. I picked him up from the high chair and pressed a kiss into his dark curls. Cali was cutting shapes of sugar cookies on the other side with Mom and Clover.

“Are you getting a jump on Christmas cooking?” I asked Mom.

“We sure are.” She beamed at Cali. “I’m sending several tins home with you.”

We’d have more cookies than Cali and I could eat in a year. I’d make sure Eliot got a ton. Would he want a picture of Cali baking? I snapped one to send later.

Violet entered and immediately took Kellan from me. Willis also didn’t like kids, so she hadn’t been holding Kellan if she was sitting next to her boyfriend.

“You sure Willis is okay out there by himself?” I asked.

She scowled at me. “He’s fine. Why?”

Clover snickered but pressed her lips together as soon as Violet shot her a glare.

Jasper wandered in. He stopped next to Violet and leaned down. “You’d better warn that phone that man is taken. Whatever is on it is going to seduce him away.”

“We can only hope,” Clover muttered. Mom shushed her. Thankfully, Cali was too ensconced in cutting her Santa shapes just right to be paying attention.

“Stop it,” Violet hissed. “No wonder he’s not comfortable around any of you.”

“No, that’s not it.” Jasper went to the fridge. He nodded at me before he opened the door. “Her husband jumped right in.”

Eliot did, but he was used to a big family. He was also amazing, and Willis was not. I might be biased.

Violet narrowed her eyes at him. “It was his first and only time meeting us.” She blinked at me, the epitome of innocence. I had enough time to stiffen before she spoke. “Speaking of, where is Mr. Knight on this fine Thanksgiving Day?”

“Giving me the weekend off,” Jasper said.

“Mmm.” Violet wasn’t going to let it go. It wasn’t like her. “He couldn’t take a holiday off to spend time with his new wife? What’s Aunt Linda going to say?”

“She’s going to think it’s as thoughtful as I do that Eliot took the holiday weekend so our whole crew can be together.” I didn’t care about my aunt’s opinion of my relationship. Mom and Dad hadn’t invited her for Thanksgiving since the uproar over the trust was still fresh. Nothing was Linda’s fault, and we all knew that, but we needed time.

Though it would’ve been an excuse to get Eliot to Billings. Resentment built like a brick wall around me. Aunt Linda wanted me to stay married. She wanted me happy. Sure, it might contribute to her own chance at gaining her inheritance, but she was more invested in the long-term outcome of me and Eliot than Eliot was.

“Thoughtful?” Violet’s challenging gaze was still on me.

As the youngest and oldest sister, we could have a volatile relationship. Yet I was closer to her than Poppy or Clover, so I wasn’t afraid to turn the tables on her. “Aunt Linda is waiting to see which one of you is getting married next. Maybe the one with the boyfriend?”

Violet managed a nonchalant shrug that didn’t match the hope deep in her eyes. Did she realize she settled for Willis? I couldn’t imagine what was so redeeming about him, but I wasn’t his girlfriend. Therefore, it wasn’t my business.

But I worried about her.

“I’ve gotta go potty.” Cali darted out of the room.

“You never know,” Violet said once she was gone, back to sweetly innocent. “Jasper or Clover could meet someone tomorrow and be married by the New Year.”

Jasper pulled a face. Clover shuddered.

Mom cast an exasperated look at all of us. “Just how a mother loves to see her children react.”

“Not all of us want to be trad wives,” Clover said.

“What’s a trad wife?” Mom asked, exasperated.

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