Page 59 of When You Got a Good Thing (Misfit Inn 1)

But before she could reply, Ari was stepping between them, arms folded across her thin chest, chin jutting. “It’s a good idea.”

“You were in on this?” Maggie managed a slightly calmer tone with the child.

“Yeah. We were going to surprise you all once everything was finished.”

“Surprise me.” Maggie rubbed a hand over her eyes.

“I’m sure Kennedy meant well,” Pru interjected. “She didn’t know it was going to be the nursery.”

The nursery? Realization slammed into Kennedy. This room had been intended as the nursery for Maggie’s baby. Might very well have been one of the last memories she’d had attached to that time.

Oh. Oh shit. What have I done?

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Maggie bit out.

“That’s enough,” Xander snapped. His phone began to ring again.

“Maybe you should get that instead of sticking your nose in family business,” Maggie said.

Xander stepped up to Maggie, toe-to-toe. “Family business does not give you the right to abuse your sister. It doesn’t give you the right to treat her as an outsider or a screw up. She’s none of those things. But you wouldn’t know that, would you? Because you didn’t bother to ask. You’ve just made assumptions.”

Kennedy hunched her shoulders, wishing she could curl up into a ball and hide from all the hard words and hateful tones.

Someone’s text notification went off.

“And you didn’t the last ten years?” Maggie fired back.

“I asked as soon as I had the chance.”

Kennedy couldn’t take it anymore. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Xander, don’t.”

“The hell I won’t. I’m not going to stand by and let her attack you. You’re mine and they damned well better get used to the fact that you don’t stand alone anymore.”

“Oh my God. Xander.”

None of them even spared Pru a glance.

“She’s been working her ass off for the last two weeks trying to fix someone else’s mess and you will give her the courtesy of listening to her plan.”

Maggie’s cool eyes turned hot.

“Xander!” The edge of panic in Pru’s voice had them all turning toward her.

“What?” he growled.

“I just got a text from your mom. Your father’s had a heart attack.”

Chapter Fifteen

XANDER CALLED HIS MOTHER back, somehow managing to keep his voice calm and even, despite the fact that every cell in his body was dialed to disbelief or panic. He tried to focus on what she was saying but could barely hear past the roaring in his ears. Was this what it had been like for Kennedy when Pru called about Joan? Instinctively, he reached for her, curling trembling fingers around hers.

Realizing his mom had stopped talking, he forced himself to speak. “I’ll meet you there.” He’d gotten the location of the hospital, at least.

“Hurry.”

He hung up the phone, then just stared at the blank screen, the last words he’d spoken to his father echoing through his brain.

From this day forward, you’re dead to me.

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