Page 20 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
“Why else would you be here?”
“I told you. Kat wanted—”
“No.” Henry thunked his coffee down on his desk. “I’m talking about here. This office.”
A rumble of thunder sounded over the trailer. “Maybe because my brother works here, and sometimes brothers—I don’t know—like to see each other?”
“So then why didn’t you call ahead of time? What if I’d been busy?”
“It was an impromptu trip.” Nick strode to the window and looked out. The rain beat down harder.
“It’s a six-hour drive. You had plenty of time to give me a heads-up.”
Nick released the blinds, turning. “And why exactly wouldyou need a heads-up? You got something going on you don’t want me knowing about?”
“What? Like driving the family business into the ground? Hate to disappoint you, but we’re still turning a profit.”
Peg made a small sound and Henry shot her a warning look. It might be a small profit—switching out cabinet handles didn’t exactly make for big paychecks—but they were still putting food on the table.
“You want to know why I came back? Fine. I’ll tell you. It’s not the profit I’m worried about. What I’m worried about is the integrity of this business.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Henry. Even Peg couldn’t mute her snort on that one.
“I may not run it anymore, but that’s still my name attached to it. Dad’s name too. You’re carrying on more than a business. You’re carrying on a family legacy. I thought you understood that by now.”
Henry had started to pick up his coffee but slammed the mug down. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about your personal life.”
Henry belted a humorless laugh. “And what concerns do you have about my personal life, considering I have no personal life?”
“Really? So you’re not still dating Angela?”
Peg shifted in her seat and eyed the fake tree in the corner as if she wanted to hide behind it again. Henry was certain the only thing keeping her from bolting outside was the storm. His brother seriously drove six hours to ask him about Angela?
“What’s it to you if Angela and I are still dating or not?”Henry grabbed his mug and marched to the sink. After dumping it out, he refilled it with hot coffee just to give himself something to do.
“I went by the house today.”
“So?”
“I went inside.”
“So?”
“Wow.” Nick shook his head. “You really don’t ever grow up, do you? You’re still the same dumb idiot making the same dumb idiot mistakes you made fourteen years ago. But hey—” he clapped his hands—“I applaud you. Your acting abilities have improved tremendously. I almost believed you were ready to settle down and be an honest man. I mean, I left you in charge of this place, didn’t I?”
“Are you ever going to tell me what this is about?”
“Yeah, I’m kind of wondering the same thing.” Peg shrugged when Nick twisted to look at her. He’d probably forgotten she was there, observing the whole thing. “What? You can’t expect me to leave now. Besides, I’m pretty sure there ain’t a thing about either one of you I don’t already know. I used to change both of your diapers, remember?”
Nick twisted to face Henry while still speaking to Peg. “Well then, I’m sure you already know Henry here has someone living with him.”
Henry and Peg shared a quick look. She appeared just as confused. Good. Then he wasn’t the only one not getting it. So what if he had an old lady living upstairs in his house?
“Stop the act, Henry. I went upstairs to see what it looked like since you’d remodeled. I saw your bedroom. And unlessyou’ve taken to wearing bras recently, you’re not sleeping alone in that bedroom.”
This would be laughable if it wasn’t so insulting. Peg cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak, but Henry held up his hand. “No, Peg. Let him finish. What else do you know?”
