Page 78 of Housebroke

“That’s so awesome, Mrs. Burke,” Linc said. “To find great love not once but twice in a lifetime? I’d say you hit the jackpot.”

Her mother graced Linc with one of her infrequent genuine, warm smiles.

“Oh, you must call me Melinda. And, thank you. I feel very lucky, indeed. Just like my Natalie, who’s married to a real prince of a man.”

Natalie didn’t meet her mother’s eyes, instead staring at her glass of tea and giving a fake half smile. “Yes, he’s a prince for sure.”

Hmm. Definitely a tone of voice that Mom hadn’t picked upon. Hazel wondered what was going on there. Not that Nat would share anything negative about Sean even if there was something. Still, she hated seeing that look of unhappiness on her sister’s face.

These were the times she wished she and Nat were closer. But they weren’t, and they were both at fault. Nat knew where to dig the knife in on all of Hazel’s failings, and Hazel didn’t exactly step up to defend herself like she should, which made her resentful.

Whew. Sibling relationships were complicated. Or at least hers was.

“We should all go out to dinner,” Linc said. “I’m pretty much done here for the day.”

“That sounds fun. Paul is out of town at a conference. What about you, Natalie?”

“Um, I’ll have to check with Sean and see if he’ll watch the kids.”

Mom gave Nat a critical look. “They’re his children, too, Natalie.”

“I know that, Mother. But he’s very busy, and tired when he gets home. Excuse me while I go make a call.”

Hazel rolled her eyes but figured it was wise to keep her opinions to herself since she had neither a husband nor children. But as Nat argued on the phone with Sean in the background, she wondered how bad it really was, and suddenly felt a surge of empathy for her sister. Hazel might have gotten surprised and dumped by her ex, but she hadn’t had children to consider. What the hell was going on with Nat and Sean?

She exchanged glances with her mother, who shook her head and looked just as clueless as Hazel.

Linc stood. “I’ll go clean up. Be back shortly.”

Once he disappeared, Mom inched closer to Hazel, lowering her voice so Natalie couldn’t hear. Not that that would happen since she was currently in a whispered argument with Sean.

“Do you know anything about that?”

“About what?” She was going to try her best not to plop herself in the middle of her mother’s need to know everyone’s business and whatever was going on with Nat and her husband.

“You know what.” She nodded her head toward where Natalie was pacing back and forth, clearly irritated while she continued her phone conversation.

“Oh. Well, no. It just seems like they’re talking. Why? Do you know something?”

Mom shook her head. “Nothing. I was under the impression that she was a Disney princess living a perfect life.”

That pretty much summed up what Nat had always led Hazel to believe.

They separated when Nat returned.

Mom shifted in her chair to face Natalie. “All right. Tell us. What’s going on with you and Sean?”

Natalie lifted her chin. “Nothing’s going on, Mother. We’re fine.”

“You can try and tell yourself that, but I don’t believe it. I can feel the tension in you. Can’t you, Hazel?”

Hazel shifted her gaze between her mother and Nat, who gave her a pleading look. “Honestly? I don’t feel a thing. But what would I know anyway? My marriage failed and Nat’s is perfect.”

“Exactly,” Natalie said.

Their mother gave them a look that told Hazel she wasn’t buying it. Then her phone rang. “Oh, it’s a client. I need to take this.” And then she wandered off and out the front door.

“Thank you,” Nat said. “I appreciate you taking the heat off of me.”

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