“Oh, Kit, no one feels that way,” Cass protested nervously.
“Don’t say that,” Tommy said, contradicting his wife. “Kit’s right. No one approves of Jude and I’m not afraid to say so. I don’t like him.” He looked past Kit to Jude. “Sorry, Knight, but it’s how I feel. You might be a perfectly nice guy—which I actually, seriously doubt—but you’re not good enough for Kit. Not by a long shot.”
Kit made a choking sound. “Tommy!”
He shrugged, still pissed off from his conversation with Sarah. “It’s the truth. I’m not going to lie and pretend otherwise.”
“You don’t have to pretend anything,” Kit snapped. “Just be polite. Have some manners.”
“Apparently I don’t have any. But then, ask Sarah. I’m an extremely insensitive man.” He glanced at Cass. “I’m leaving. Are you coming with me, or are you going to catch a ride home with Kit and her goon?”
“Tommy!” Kit exploded.
Cassidy paled, blue eyes widening. “We can’t walk out now. Your dad has a cake for your mom—”
“Who happens to be dead.”
“Tommy,” Kit and Sarah said in unison.
“This is Mother’s Day,” Cass choked, mortified. Cass might have married into this family, but she’d loved Mom dearly. Mom had been more of a mother to her than her own mother and Cass had turned to her often for advice.
But Tommy was beyond caring. He shrugged and drew his keys from his pocket. “Last chance. Going home with me, Cass?”
She didn’t answer, too shocked to speak, and he shrugged again, too angry to compromise. “Whatever,” he said, his big shoulders rolling. “Tell Dad I’ll call him later.”
Tommy didn’t get far. Dad was out the door, hurrying after him, before Tommy had even started his car.
Everyone else just stood around the dining table looking at the cake that had yet to be cut.
“Why is Uncle Tommy so mad?” Gabi asked, glancing from her mom to her aunt Cass.
Cass’s lower lip quivered. Kit moved toward her and wrapped an arm around her, comforting her. “It’s okay,” she soothed. “Dad will calm him down. They’ll be back and everything will be okay.”
“I just don’t get it,” Gabi said.
“Uncle Tommy’s just having an off day,” Meg murmured, filling the silence.
“But why?” Gabi persisted.
“Because people sometimes do,” JJ said sharply, irritated, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his cords. “It happens, okay?”
Gabi made a face. Tessa sighed. Meg looked away from all of them, pale and hollow-eyed.
“I’m going to sit,” Brianna said, pulling out her chair.
Sarah wanted to sit as well but didn’t think she could stay put, not when Dad and Tommy were having it out in front of the house.
Hopefully they wouldn’t come to blows. They had before. More than once. Dad was a Leo and had his pride, and Tommy—a Taurus—didn’t get really angry often, but when he did, watch out.
“But is Uncle Tommy mad at Aunt Cass or at Aunt Kit?” Gabi continued, dragging her chair away from the table and sitting down, mulling over the interesting family dynamics. “Because I heard him yelling at both of them today.”
“Stop it, Gabi,” Tessa whispered, sitting down, too.
“I just want to know,” Gabi answered, chin propped in her hands. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Because you’re making Aunt Cass feel bad,” Tessa said tersely, giving Cass an apologetic glance.
“It’s okay,” Cass murmured, even as two big blotches stained her cheeks.
Gabi smiled victoriously. “See?”
JJ shook his head.
Tessa covered her face with her hands. “I want to go home.”
Sarah glanced at Meg, who was looking paler and more brittle by the moment. This was not the Mother’s Day any of them wanted. “Maybe you guys should go home,” she said. “Maybe it would be better. You could spend some time together as a family.”
Meg’s lips compressed. “Can’t do that to Dad.”
“Meg’s right,” Kit said. “He really wanted us all here today, to remember Mom.”
“But we’re not remembering Mom,” Brianna said flatly. “We’re just bickering nonstop—”
The front door swung open and everyone fell silent. Dad entered the house. Alone. He carefully shut the door behind him and headed to the dining room, where they were all waiting.
“Tommy’s gone on home,” Dad said gruffly.
No one spoke. Everyone felt awkward. Cass practically hung her head in shame.