Page 100 of Forsaken Oath

Lucas laughs. “Don’t let him fool you. There are more flower beds than grass back there now.”

“I’ve never been inside a greenhouse before,” Vivie says, nose scrunching a little. “But I’ve read they’re hot. Is yours temperature controlled?”

Lucas’s grin widens, and he looks at my sister. “Tell you what, I’ll give you the grand tour after dinner.”

She rocks forward on her heels, her curiosity officially piqued. “Absolutely.”

Lucas dips his head in a single nod. “It’s a date. Come on in. Mom’s got dinner just about ready, and the gang’s all here. I’ll go grab everyone from the living room, give you a chance to say hello to Mom.”

“Alright, Dad,” Beau says, leading us into his parents’ house. His dad turns right, and Beau heads straight.

Family photographs spanning decades line the hallway, a time capsule of the Carter family. My feet slow without my permission when I spot a particularly cute photo.

Beau looks like he’s five or six, and he’s standing on the hood of an old 50s Chevy, grinning like a loon with his top front teeth missing. There’s an older man, his grandpa maybe, standing behind him with a matching grin, one hand on Beau’s shoulder.

My heart squeezes at the pure joy on young Beau’s face, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief even then. “Is this your grandpa?” I ask softly, pointing to the photo.

Beau leans in, his breath warm against my cheek as he looks at the photo. “Yeah, that’s Grandpa Dalton. He passed away when I was younger, but he’s the one who got me into cars. We used to spend hours in his garage tinkering with that old Chevy.”

There’s a wistful note in his voice, that fateful blend of grief, love, and nostalgia.

“C’mon, Peach. Let me introduce you to my mom.” He tugs me down the hallway, even though I haven’t had a chance to look at everything yet.

The smell of something cheesy and rich wraps around me the moment we step into the kitchen, warm and inviting. But the knots in my stomach double when I see his mom in front of the stove.

“Hey, Ma.”

She spins around, surprise lighting up her face when her gaze lands on me. “Beau! I didn’t know you were bringing anyone tonight.”

She’s stunning. Long dark brunette hair wrapped into an elegant chignon at the back of her head, high cheekbones, and a youthful face.

I cut him a glare, lowering my voice and whispering, “I thought you said we were invited.”

The back of my scalp itches with discomfort and it takes everything I have not to take my sister and walk right back out of this house. I can do a lot of things, but interloping on a family dinner isn’t one of them.

Beau throws his arm around my neck, gently tugging me into his chest. He drops a kiss to the top of my head and murmurs, “Relax, Peach. You’re invited. They’ve been asking about you for weeks.”

I look up at him, aware of his mom’s gaze on us. Surprise lifts the corner of my mouth. “Weeks?”

“Now I know I raised you with better manners than that. Introduce us,” his mom mutters. I can hear the disproving tone across the kitchen.

Beau chuckles, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze before releasing me. “Ma, this is my Eloise. And this is her sister Vivie. Eloise, Vivie, this is my mom, Hazel Carter.”

Mrs. Carter wipes her hands on the blue apron tied around her waist and steps forward, her eyes warm and assessing as they skim over me. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Eloise. Beau’s told us almost nothing about you.”

A stuttered laugh spills free as she envelops me in a hug. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter. Thank you for having us.”

She steps back and grins, her eyes sparkling the same way her son’s do. “Please, call me Hazel.”

I dip my chin in acknowledgement. “You have a beautiful home, Hazel.”

She tsks, sending Beau a sly smile. “And she’s kind too.”

Beau chuckles, his hand resting at the small of my back. “It’s one of her many talents.”

Hazel turns her attention to Vivie, who is standing slightly behind me, observing the interaction with curious eyes. “And you must be Vivie. It’s so nice to meet you, sweetheart.”

Vivie smiles shyly. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Thank you for inviting us to dinner.”

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