Page 105 of The Usual Family Mayhem

About that... “Did you say—”

“I know everyone is upset with me.” Harlan’s gaze traveled around the room. “But I’m not wrong.”

“You clearly don’t think much of me or my decisions, fine. We’ll battle that out later.” Jackson hadn’t moved or blinked since Harlan dropped his bombshell. “But leave Kasey out of this.”

“How can I?” Harlan turned to me. “You understand my position. If you care about him, and I think you do, you’ll back off.”

“I’m not the problem here.” I really wanted to go back to thelovepart, but the conversation had rolled on and showed no signs of slowing.

Harlan didn’t listen. He kept right on talking. “I’m not saying anything we all don’t know already. Kasey is what some might call flighty and unpredictable. Not me, but others. And, yes, that can be endearing but someone who can’t hold a job for more than a few months isn’t the right partner for someone trying to carve out a political future.”

Listing out my failures in such vivid detail shook me out ofthelovecomment confusion. His facts weren’t wrong, but how was my life his business? He was out of line.

Gram tried to slip out of Celia’s hold. “I’m going to hit him this time.”

“I might let you.” Celia let go of Gram’s arm while she said it.

While I’d love to see Gram take Harlan down, and she would, this ugly mess needed to end without Gram-induced bloodshed. “Everyone stay where they are for a second.”

Harlan being Harlan, he kept pushing. “You told me you knew what the report said about you. That isn’t my fault. I didn’t write it. I didn’t conduct the investigation. I’d hoped for a more positive conclusion, then none of this would be necessary.”

“Necessary?” Jackson looked like he’d started a silent countdown in his head to keep from blowing up. “Dad, we’re leaving.”

I appreciated Jackson’s attempt at a ceasefire, but no. “Not yet. I’m done with Harlan taking me aside to pressure me in secret. We’re all here now. Let’s get this out.”

The next ten minutes could get nasty.

Harlan held up a hand as if to ward off the rage directed at him by the rest of the room. “I gave you a hypothetical. Nothing more.”

No. He wasn’t getting away with that bullshit. Not this time. “You insinuated you could ruin Gram and Celia’s business.”

“That’s it.” Gram looked ready to throw a punch.

Jackson took a step and put his body between me and Harlan. Between all of us and Harlan. Jackson looked more like a man on a mission than a lawyer doing a job. “What else did you say about the business?”

“And why are you issuing warnings to my granddaughter?” Gram asked a second later.

I appreciated the assists, but I had this. Harlan counted on being able to sway the crowd because he wastheHarlan Quaid. That didn’t fly in this room. It was time for him to learn that, and I intended to help. “When we talked you made it sound like Gram and Celia owed their clientele to you and that you could turn off that spigot any time you wanted.”

He said a lot of other shitty things, including insinuating they could lose the house. I stuck with the highlight because that was crappy enough.

“He said what?” Celia’s voice sounded soft. Furious. The same tone she used when she’d reached her limit. It didn’t happen often, but when she let go, her temper was a thing to behold.

I tried to keep everyone from rushing in and going after Harlan, although I’m not sure why I bothered. “Gram and Celia wouldn’t let you destroy their business. I won’t let you. Jackson coming here with Micah today shows he won’t let you. I’m also not leaving town just because that’s what you want and because it would be easier for you to pressure Jackson without me around. Though, honestly, you’re underestimating your son because he absolutely can hold his ground with you.”

“Starting right now,” Jackson said. “Dad isn’t going to do anything to you, Kasey, or to the business. Mags and Celia are safe from any threat. I promise you. Right, Dad?”

Harlan didn’t answer.

He was determined to make this day suck.

Gram took over before anyone else could yell or point fingers. “You are no longer welcome here. Get out.”

Oh, shit. Gram’s voice stayed even but I could hear the crackle of the fire burning underneath. I wanted to sit back and enjoy Harlan being told off, but an exploding fireball ofanger wouldn’t resolve any of this. Diffusing an incendiary situation was not one of my skills. I tried anyway.

I moved over and with a gentle hand on Gram’s back pulled her closer to me. Selling this next part would be harder than when I pretended to do work at NOI. “Harlan understands your anger. You’re being protective. He loves Jackson. He cares about Celia. He tolerates the two of us. Despite whatever he’s saying now or told me in private, we’re the people in his life. The ones he could go to if he needed something. He’s smart enough not to blow that apart.”

“Within certain parameters,” Harlan said. “If Jackson would be willing to consider—”

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