Page 79 of More Than Words
“No, she didn’t,” Quinn announced.“She didn’t change her mind,” she snapped.“You hurt her, Dad.”
“Quinn.”My voice held a warning.
Everyone at the table went still.All eyes turned to me.
Brody cleared his throat.“Kiddo, I?—”
“You didn’t see her,” Quinn went on, ignoring her uncle.“She was trying not to cry and Dad won’t even talk about it.He told me it was nothing and not to worry about it.But Iamworrying about it.”
“Quinn,” I tried again.“That’s enough.”
“It’s not!”She shoved her chair back.It fell with a bang on the hardwood, but she didn’t care.“Ilikeher, Dad.”Tears streamed down my daughter’s face.“I told you not to be gross.”Her voice cracked.“I didn’t say you had to screw everything up.”
And then she was gone.
I flinched as the sound of the bathroom door slamming down the hall resounded through the silent house.
For a moment, everyone was still.Avery stood a beat later, dropped her napkin on her plate of untouched food and, with a disapproving glance in my direction, followed her out of the room.
The rest of us sat in heavy silence.
Grayson was the first to speak.“So,” he said slowly.“Are you going to tell us what the hell happened?”
I ran a hand down my face and took a breath.“It’s not a big deal.”
“Doesn’t look that way from where I’m sitting,” Preston said.
Reid crossed his arms and stared me down.“It’s clearly a big deal to Quinn.”
My eldest brother pushed his plate out of the way and leaned forward, elbows on the table.His voice was calm but firm.“Ethan.What did you do?”
I exhaled, already exhausted, but there didn’t seem to be any way out of discussing this with my brothers.“Honestly, I don’t know.”Before they could object, I continued.“She showed up to the community meeting, but she got there late.Right after the vote on the patio.I didn’t even notice she was there until afterward, and when I saw her…well, she was upset.”
“Upset?”
I nodded.“I caught up with her in the parking lot and she laid into me because I didn’t tell her about the whole thing.”
“You didn’t tell her?”Reid asked.“Seriously?”
“So Delaney found out you were putting a patio out front of both your storesafterthe vote passed?”
I had to admit, it sounded even shittier when Grayson laid it out like that.
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you talk to her about something that major?”Brody shook his head incredulously.
“I don’t know women,” Preston chimed in.“But,damn, brother.”
“What?”I raised my hands.“I didn’t even think about it, and I certainly didn’t think it would be a problem.”I hated how defensive I sounded.“It’s only a few tables.It’s not really even in front of her space.It’s just…”
“You’re missing the point,” Reid said.
Grayson nodded in agreement with his twin.“Completely.”
“She’s not mad about the tables,” Brody added.“Well, she might be.But I don’t think that’s the problem here.”
“Then what?”
I truly wanted to know, because every time I thought maybe I was getting close to understanding how I’d managed to screw things up so badly, it still didn’t make any sense.
