Page 15 of Sour Layer

Chapter 9

Dinner was right at seven, just like Dorothy had proclaimed. I jogged down the stairs to the sound of voices coming from the dining room. My stomach grumbled as I turned the corner and froze in my steps.

It wasn’t just Dorothy and Clark at the table. There were seven other men in the room and two women. One of which I had already met and had been in my room. Clara smiled at me and gestured to the guys around her. “Mercy, I’d like to introduce you to my brothers.”

She went down the line saying their names, and I should’ve been taking notes, but I was in too much shock to say much of anything.

“And this wonderful dear right here”—Clara rested her arm around the shoulders of the other woman in the room— “is my sister in law, Milly Weller-Bennett.”

Her pronouncement knocked the shock right out of me. I pinned a sharp glare on Clark. “Your sister is married to a Bennett.”

“It’s a long story,” Milly said as she crossed the room and held out her hand.

I slid my hands into my pockets. “I’m sorry I don’t shake hands.”

The Bennett brothers stared at me as if judging me. All this time we had been looking for them, searching for others like ourselves. Family that we are related to. And in all that time I had never worked out in my head what I might say upon meeting them.

“I know you guys don’t know me or trust me, but my sisters and I have been looking for you guys for a long time. Specifically, Clara. We thought she might be in trouble.”

“When is she not?” one of the Bennett men said with a chuckle.

Clara was quick to jab his ribs with her elbow.

“My aunt and cousin from the other family line have been searching too.”

I unabashedly stared at them. I could see the resemblance. One of them had the same Bennett blue eyes. Another the sharp cheekbones, and one of the others had dimples for days that reminded me of my sister, Faith.

“You’ll have to forgive my brothers. Most days I can’t shut them up, yet today they have nothing to say,” Clara said.

I held up my hands in surrender. “Clara mentioned that there was a family feud. None of the remaining Bennetts are even aware there was a tiff in the family. None of us hold any grudges for stuff that happened before we were born.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” the tallest of the Bennetts asked. He had sharp knowing eyes as he stood protectively next to Milly.

“I guess you don’t. But over time, you’ll see that we’re good people.”

“If I didn’t already believe that, none of us would be here,” Clara said.

Dorothy clapped her hands together. “Okay, now that we got that out of the way, who all is staying for dinner?”

My heart clenched and then fell in disappointment as all of the Bennetts gave excuses as to why they couldn’t stay, including Dorothy’s daughter.

“Well, that was awkward,” I said.

Clark pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit. “I’m sure they’ll warm up to you. They don’t take to strangers, much less anyone that their family has been feuding with for generations. But now you know, just like we promised.”

I slid onto the chair as Clark took the one across from me and his mother sat at the end of the table. There are only three place settings, and yet I still couldn’t help myself from glancing at the end of the table where Clark’s father should be. “Are we waiting on Mr. Weller?”

Clark and his mother shared a look before Dorothy grabbed a basket of rolls and handed them to me. “He died a few years ago in the line of duty.”

My appetite diminished as I took a roll and set it on my plate, passing the basket to Clark. “I’m so sorry.”

“I tried for years to talk Clark out of following in his daddy’s footsteps, but the stubborn mule decided he’d rather keep justice in the community after attending law school.”

“It’s a noble profession. I’m sure you would be proud no matter what he decided.”

“I am. I just hate for him to succumb to the same fate.” Dorothy dropped her gaze to my hands before returning to the task of dishing out stew into my bowl.

I could touch him. I could know when and where Clark’s life would end. Hell, I could warn them; I’d done it before. But there was something so slimy about doing it without permission if his life wasn’t in some type of danger.

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