Page 54 of Dark Side of the River

“That’s a lie,” Holly Jo accused. “My mother wasn’t your friend. She hated you.”

“Holly Jo,” Holden said a little too loudly. “We will talk about this when we don’t have company.”

“Company?” She looked at Tilly. “She’s company? Then what am I?”

“You’re not company. You’re family now, and I won’t hear another word.”

She shot him a rebellious look. “I’d like to be excused.”

“No.”

She shoved back her chair. “If I’m family, then I should be able to do what Treyton did, right,Dad?”

“I’m not your father.”

“Then why did my mother hate you so much?”

“We’ll discuss this at another time,” he said through gritted teeth, then sighed as the girl stormed off.

“I’d like to hear the answer to that too,” Bailey said. “She does look like us. So who is this child who is now...family?”

“At another time,” Holden said under his breath. He shook his head. “Again, I am sorry, Tilly. This family hasn’t found their manners after all. We’ll work on that.”

Elaine brought in the food with the help of the other staff.

“There’s no reason for you to be sorry, Dad,” Cooper assured him. “Elaine, this looks delicious,” he said as she put down a huge plate of beef pot roast, potatoes, carrots and onions, and a bowl of homemade warm dinner rolls straight from the oven, given the way they smelled.

“This is beautiful,” Tilly said. “Thank you for inviting me to join you.”

“Why do I feel like I’ve missed something?” Duffy asked, looking around the table. “First, family meetings, and now this?”

“Don’t be an ass, Duffy,” Bailey said. “If you weren’t always thinking about women...”

“Unlike my sister who—”

“Not you two also,” Holden interrupted loudly. He turned to Tilly. “Again, I apologize for Treyton. He was raised better than this. Also, for the rest of my family.”

“It’s all right,” she said, smiling as if she was amused. “I understand, believe me. If it was Cooper at my family’s table, I’m afraid my brother CJ would do a lot more than refuse to eat with him. Treyton’s right. Our families are at odds, and we can’t pretend that they’re not. They have been for a long time. I’m not sure our generation can fix it. But we don’t have to continue fighting among ourselves.”

Holden smiled. “You’re a very smart young woman. I’m glad you’re having Sunday supper with us.” He looked around the table. “I’m sorry about that outburst, but let’s have a pleasant meal. You know Elaine,” he said to Tilly as Elaine brought in a large fruit salad in a watermelon bowl. The two women exchanged pleasantries and Elaine started to leave. “This is such a special occasion, Elaine, please join us. Elaine is the best cook in the county and has blue ribbons to prove it.”

Cooper saw the surprised look on Elaine’s face, but also the pleasure and apprehension at being invited. She started to say something about it just being family, but his father interrupted. “You are family, Elaine. Please take Treyton’s place.” As she took off her apron and sat, he said to her, “Maybe a prayer?”

Again, Elaine seemed as surprised as everyone else at the table. Holden nodded to her, and they all bowed their heads as she said, “God bless this food, this family and our neighbors and friends. Amen.”

Bailey and Duffy looked in shock as their father began passing the food around the table. Like Cooper, he was sure they couldn’t remember the last time grace had been said at their table. Then again, he couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a guest. He looked at his father with both pride and concern.

What was going on? Cooper knew this wasn’t all about Tilly joining them. It had to be the addition of Holly Jo that had brought this on. It seemed his father was trying for a new beginning that he hoped would include peace between the families. While Cooper applauded his efforts, he hoped his father knew that this would be an uphill battle, if Treyton’s response had been any indication.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

HOLDENCOULDN’TBELIEVEthe rebellion he’d witnessed at dinner. He’d lost control as the head of this household. “A house divided cannot stand.” The proverb had never seemed truer than now. For years their adversaries had been the weather, the economy and the Staffords.

The ranch had always been his sanctuary. He’d felt safe here, thought his family was. When Oakley had been shot on his ranch... He felt as if he was at war. What he hadn’t realized was that there was an underground uprising going on right here within his family.

He looked up as Elaine came into his den. She was petite and slim, everything about her understated, including her beauty. She went straight to the bar and poured him a bourbon. As she handed it to him, he smiled up at her from his chair in front of the stone fireplace.

“Thank you for today,” he said as he motioned for her to join him. Only a few years younger than him, Elaine had been his confidante for years. He trusted her with his home, his family, even his life. As usual, her strawberry blond hair was in a knot at the nape of her neck. He’d only glimpsed it down once and had been surprised how long it was. He wondered if she ever truly let her hair down. He hadn’t seen it, if she had. She was all business, running her area of the house quietly and efficiently.

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