Page 35 of Please, Stay

“She does look exactly like Eliza did at that age.” Cameron folded his hands together. “But I don’t like having her lie. She’d have to pretend she doesn’t know who Uncle Hugh is. Y’all have shown her pictures.”

Becky rolled her eyes. “Geez, you’re too goody-goody.”

“It’s called being honest, Becky,” Cameron replied with a deadpan expression. “Some people consider it a good character trait.”

“No, it’s called being a stick-in-the-mud when it doesn’t matter.”

Cameron shifted in his seat. “The truth always matters.”

“Guys!” Eliza rolled her eyes. “She’ll do fine. We’ll tell her it’s a game.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Do you think this is it, Jules?”

“I hope so.”

“I want to move home.” She rested her chin in her hands. “I want Dad to forgive me.”

“He will.”

Becky leaned into the frame, squishing Grayson between them. “Don’t wait any longer. Come stay here. If Mr. Campbell has a problem with it, he’ll be the only one. The whole town is behind you, Eliza. Come back.”

Eliza’s smile grew wide. “I will.” She clasped her hands together. “By Monday. I don’t want to wait. I hate my job, and Carrie can start the new school semester in Statem after Christmas.” She bounced up and down. “I’m coming home!”

A loud knock sounded at Becky’s door before it opened. “Juliana?”

All the oxygen in the room disappeared.

Eliza’s face fell. “Is that Dad?”

Cameron rose and started to block the doorway, but her dad pushed by him and into the kitchen. And she was snuggled up next to Grayson, his arm around the back of her chair.

Damn it!

Juliana pushed back from the table. Grayson’s arm didn’t let her escape as quickly as she’d anticipated. Her legs tangled with the chair, and she fell to her knees. Damn being clumsy.

Grayson’s hands were around her waist, pulling her up before her next breath.

No. No. Her dad was right there. She wiggled and squirmed, but Grayson didn’t release her.

Her dad shoved Grayson in the shoulder. “You again?”

“Hugh!” Ms. Iris moved into the kitchen. “Calm down.”

Grayson’s large body barely shifted from the impact of her dad’s hand, and he still didn’t release her, simply shifted her to the side away from her dad. “I’m Grayson.” His easy answer didn’t cover the storm in his eyes. He wanted to fight, and that wasn’t a Hollywood act. The muscles in his neck jumped.

God, it would ruin everything.

“Dad!” She pushed herself in front of Grayson, holding her arms out to the side as if to block him. “He’s a friend. See, we’re all here eating dinner. As friends. Please, calm down. You’re not supposed to get stressed.”

Grayson’s hands clamped down on Juliana’s shoulders and pulled her back to his chest. His light squeeze didn’t reassure her if that’s what he’d intended. Did he not realize how angry her dad was? Her heart constricted, and her breathing became more labored.

Her dad’s face turned red and then white. She could almost see those blood pressure numbers rising each time his chest heaved up and down.

“Ge-ge-get your damn hands off my daughter.”

Grayson didn’t. He pulled her tighter to him. No one else had stood up to her dad before. But now wasn’t the time. Monday. Eliza would be back on Monday.

“Uncle Hugh, you need to calm down,” Cameron said as he laid a hand on her dad’s shoulder.

Her dad jerked away from him.

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