Page 65 of Just a Plot Twist
Still, it’s different he’s asking me about my feelings. I call him up.
“Hey, Benson,” Thomas says. “I’m about to walk into story time at the library.”
Story time? Where little kid germs and silly shenanigans converge into Thomas’s worst nightmare?
He gives up a nervous laugh. “Well, when your granddaughter asks you to do something for her, you can’t say no, can you?” There’s a smile in his voice.
“So what’s happening at story time?”
“Navie’s in a little play that Sophie and Elianna put together.”
“I bet she’s excited.” Elianna, Sebastian’s wife, has been helping Sophie, the county librarian, with various community events.
“Navie’s not only got the lead part, but she’s helping with the directing, too. Fits her personality, don’t you think?”
“That’s cute. Take some videos and send them to the family photo app, will you?”
“On it. Sophie and Elianna have been working on this with the kids for weeks.”
There’s the slightest hint of pride in his voice.
“And you and Celine are there now?”
He grunts in the affirmative. “Sophie was saying something about inviting Dax and Indie to help with the summer reading program.”
“Yeah, she asked me about it. They’re going to love it.”
Dax and Indie have been getting to know the family. I think they like being the cool older cousins.
“Hey, about Peter’s birthday party,” Thomas continues. “He invited me, as well. But under the circumstances, I won’t be attending.”
“Makes sense.”
Thomas’s sigh is terse. “Someone at the party is bound to ask his daughter, Lora, about the new business.” His sigh is menacing. “If you happen to hear anything…interesting…while you’re there, well, there’s no harm in that.”
I don’t love social events. I can do them, there are just a lot of other things I’d rather do.
Except, there is one thing that might make this more enjoyable.
“Is it alright if I bring a friend?”
Thomas pauses. “Yes. Anyone in particular?”
“I…uh.” Do I tell them it’s Oliver’s sister-in-law?
“Because I might have an idea about who you want to bring,” he adds.
“Oh, really?”
I could take a guess how he thinks he knows. I could take twelve guesses, actually, if I were to count all my brothers and their wives.
His chuckle is low. “Word travels fast in this family, Benson. Milo explained a bit about what happened at that anniversary party.”
“You heard about this all the way from North Carolina, huh?”
Milo moved out there to be with his wife, Rose, and her son, Callum, while she attends nursing school at UNC.
“And then when I mentioned it to Celine, she told me she already knew,” Thomas says.
