Page 152 of Happily Never After

“Initial testing indicates that it was ketchup.”

“Awesome.” Well, at least it wasn’t actually blood. “Any news on the dig site by the Colonial Bank building?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss?—”

“I figured.” What good was having a detective’s cell phone number if they couldn’t even tell you when a missing victim was located? Honestly.

“Never mind. Have a good day, Detective.” She hung up without waiting for a response.

“Same shit as usual?” Luke asked. They were elbow to elbow in front of the master bathroom mirror. His California house was cute, but it needed some serious updates. His green eyes seared in the mirror as he fixed his bowtie. He looked like an international spy setting out to seduce a foreign enemy.

“Same shit as usual,” Claire parroted. Yet another reason why catching bad guys couldn’t be left to the men.

She leaned forward and brushed another coat of mascara over her lashes. The one-shoulder amethyst cocktail dress she had picked out for the occasion had better be comfortable to sit in. Or run away in, depending how angry Charlie got.

Their handful of days in West Haven had been a veritable whirlwind. She had managed to drop off her business plan for Tender Hearts rescue, locate a murder victim, test Heather’s instincts, and plan the majority of Luke’s premiere. There was no rest for the weary.

Luke grunted and frowned at himself in the mirror. “I don’t understand your obsession with awkward family dinners. You don’t think Charlie suffered enough at Thanksgiving?”

“You don’t understand because you have a velociraptor instead of a mother and your brother…well, you know.” They were leaving in five minutes. It wasn’t the time to remind Luke that his brother pulled the plug on their dad before he had a chance to say goodbye.

Luke grunted.

“Sorry. You’re right. But family is very important to me, and now that I’ve been able to at least partially put my anger toward Jack aside, I want Charlie to try too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It was different for her, though. She was way older than you when she left. She was practically an adult.”

Claire shot him a dirty look. “She accepted Bri after a little bit of persuading. They went out for sushi together while we were in West Haven. Whose side are you on, anyway? Stop trying to crap on my blended family fantasy.”

Luke titled his chin toward the mirror and appeared to be inspecting for rogue nostril hairs. “Why is it so important for you that they all get along? Your dad cheated on your mom.”

“Yes, and my mom was able to forgive him.”

“Only after he jumped in front of a bullet for you.”

She dabbed a bit of perfume on her wrists. The GPS watch she had been wearing since her first abduction didn’t really go with the dress or the gold stilettos she was wearing, but thanks to the near-constant threats on her life, it was staying on.

“It was pretty decent as far as apologies go.”

“And how does Roy feel about you starting up a relationship with your bio-dad?”

She turned to stare at him. Why was Luke being such a dick? “Why are you so upset about this dinner? Is it because I’m making you dress up two nights in a row? I promise we will veto dress clothes for a whole week after Bri’s premiere tomorrow. Sweatpants only.”

He shook his head. “I’m just trying to prepare you for all the arguments Charlie’s going to fling at you tonight.”

“Really? Because she already agreed to come, and it kind of just sounds like you have a problem with Jack.”

He glowered. “I don’t have a problem with Jack. Well, beyond the fact that you seem to be doing his job for him.”

She groaned. “Don’t remind me. Speaking of families, your mother RSVP’d ‘maybe’ to your premiere.”

“Classic Rachel.” Luke ran his hands through his hair once more and turned away from the mirror. “Are you ready for this shitstorm?”

Claire glanced at her clunky GPS watch. “I guess I have to be.” She took his arm and followed him downstairs.

“Hang on.” He pulled out his phone and opened the app for their security system. He studied the screen. Apparently ESA was not tailgating outside, as he ushered her into the car a moment later. With the dogs safely checked in at daycare, they set off for the restaurant.

Forty minutes later, the tension was already sizzling at the dinner table. Claire sipped the rest of her glass of wine and picked up a roll from the bread basket. Today was definitely an exception to cutting back on alcohol.

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