Chapter Twenty-Three
Susan couldn’t remember the last time she was this nervous. Her fingers were cold and her hands shook. Bethany was rattling on a story to her left, but she wasn’t hearing any of it. She was thinking of facing Eric’s father after he’d come to the house yesterday morning and had to have known she’d slept with his son.
Would they all know? Did it matter?
She was quite sure she’d fallen in love with Eric and he’d let that slip from his lips too. Surely they would be skeptical of her. Who wouldn’t be?
“Don’t you think so?” Bethany asked as she turned down the road that would lead them to the Walker’s house.
“I’m sorry. Think what?”
“That I should do that topless magazine spread?”
Susan snapped her attention to Bethany with a gasp. “No! And what are you talking about?”
Bethany laughed. “I knew you weren’t listening to me. I didn’t actually say anything about a topless magazine spread. I said that I’m nervous about being around my family since I don’t really know them.”
Susan relaxed against the seat. “Oh. I’m nervous too.”
“I can tell. There are finger marks in the tinfoil on that dish.”
Susan looked down and realized she did have the dish in a death grip.
“What are they going to think of me?” she asked.
“They already know you.”
“As the caterer. They have a lot going on in their lives right now. So does Eric. I haven’t even talked to him. So what if he’s changed his mind? What if they thought I was a great caterer but I’m lousy daughter-in-law material?”
“Daughter-in-law?”
“Just figuratively speaking,” she emphasized with her finger in the air. “But I wouldn’t mind it.”
“You’re in love with him,” Bethany said grinning as they pulled up in front of the house. “You can say no, but I wouldn’t believe you.”
“I think I do.”
“He loves you too.”
“He told you that?”
“I saw it in his eyes when he showed up at your house that first time with me. Only a man who loves a woman is so moved by her art.” She winked as she parked the car, turned off the engine, and climbed out.
Susan contemplated Bethany’s words for a moment. It was going to be a wonderful night, she decided as she climbed from the car.
Another car drove up and parked behind them. A man, one she’d seen at the funeral and the reading of the will, parked and stepped out of the car.
“Hey, Bethany,” the man said.
“Gerald. How are you?” She could hear Bethany’s voice shake, but that didn’t stop the man from walking toward her and putting an arm around her shoulders.
“I’m having dinner at Mom’s and I didn’t have to cook. Things are good,” he joked and looked toward Susan. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Susan managed as she juggled the two items in her hands.
“Let me help.” Gerald took the dessert tray. “You’re the caterer, right?”
“Susan,” she said.
“Right. And you’re dating my brother?”
Susan kept her smile intact as she swallowed hard. “I am.”
“My mom mentioned it. She’s pretty excited about it.” He walked toward the house and the women followed.
Susan’s nerves began to settle. Maybe she wouldn’t have to try too hard to impress.
The house bustled with noise when they entered. Warmth spread to Susan’s chest. This was something she missed, living so far away from her parents and her sister.
Glenda was in the kitchen, an apron wrapped around her waist. She’d dressed for dinner. Suddenly Susan felt as though she hadn’t taken the invitation serious enough.
“Gerald.” Glenda smiled wide when her son walked into the room. She kissed him on the cheek and took the plate from him. “I see you’ve met our guest?”
Gerald turned and looked at her. “Yeah. He’s a lucky guy,” she heard him whisper and her stomach did a flop.
Glenda moved toward her and placed her hands on Susan’s shoulders. She smelled of lavender and vanilla when she moved in and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’m so glad you came.” She looked down at the plate in her hands. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“I couldn’t help myself. I hope I didn’t offend you.”
“Of course not. The more, the merrier.” Glenda turned toward Bethany and kissed her cheeks as well. “I’m so glad you were able to come.”
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“You girls are getting along okay together?”
Bethany gave her an enthusiastic nod, which had her red curls bouncing. “It’s like having a sister.” A line formed between her brows. “A sister I know,” she added and Glenda’s face softened.
“I think that’s wonderful.” Glenda’s compassion rang through her words.
Susan scanned the family that gathered in the kitchen and dining room.
“Looking for Eric?” Glenda asked and Susan only answered with a smile. “I haven’t seen him yet. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”
But he didn’t come along shortly. Susan had texted him, discreetly, then called. She was aware that his brothers had called and texted as well.
“I’m sure he has a good reason for being tardy,” Glenda said gathering her family around the table. “We’ll just start without him.”
“I can go up and check on him,” Susan said, then remembering she didn’t have her car. “If Bethany will lend me her car that is.”
“No need,” Eric’s voice broke the tension of the air and stopped the voices that mumbled around the table. “I’m here.”
“Oh, good,” Glenda beamed. “Sit. Let’s eat.”
“How about I just stand and say what I came here to say.”
His father stood from the table. “Eric,” he said as if it were a scolding. “Your mother said we’d sit and eat.”
“Funny, Dad. My mother.”
Susan noted the sadness that ripped across Glenda’s face.
“Eric, why don’t we go into the other room?”
“Why don’t we hash this our right here?” Eric said in front of everyone. “Why don’t you share with them the news I received today? Let’s talk about my mother, should we?”
“Let’s go to my office,” Everett said, moving from his seat and toward Eric.
“Does everyone know that my mother had another child? That I’m not her only son?”
Glenda gasped and Susan was very sure that no one knew that—except Everett.
“This is what you want to discuss? You want to tarnish your mother’s name in front of your family?”
“Why did you marry her, Dad? She certainly didn’t seem your type, from what I’ve learned.”
“Stop.”
“Why? I met my cousins the other day and then I find out one of them is a brother I didn’t even know I had. My own mother abandoned him. So how did you get involved? How is it that she ended up only ten miles from home with you?”
Everett looked at his family. “Things happen, Eric. Not every man is made of steel.”
Eric laughed and Susan was quite sure he’d been drinking, by the sway in his body.
She reached for his hand and he jerked away as he scalded her with a look of disdain.
“Why are you here?” he asked and she couldn’t form a thought.
“Glenda invited me. Remember?”
“No. I mean how convenient is it that you show up in my life when my grandfather dies? You smoothly move your way into my family. You take in my cousin when you don’t even know her and you end up in my bed?”
Susan felt the piercing shock of his words, but it was Glenda’s sob that caused her to look away from him.
His father moved to him and took his arm. “That’s enough. Why don’t you go home until you’re sober enough…”
“I am sober,” he said very firmly. “This is an
ger pulsing through me. Not alcohol.” He looked back down at Susan. “Why were you at the Morgan’s house? What do you and Elias and Lydia have going on?”
Susan bit down on her bottom lip. “How did you know I was…”
“I was parked right behind you when you left today. Are you really going to tell me you didn’t know I was there?”
“I didn’t.”
“You’re a liar.”
Glenda stood from her seat and slapped her hands on the table. “Susan is my guest, Eric. You’re not going to talk to her like that.”
“She’s a traitor. She has something to do with all of this…whatever it is with Elias. The transferring of the land. The moving of my mother. The poisoning of my horse.”
Now Susan stood up. “Excuse me! I have nothing to do with any of that. I would never hurt an animal, especially one that meant so much to the man I love.”
“You’re easy to say that when I’m accusing you. Not when I said it.”
“You told me not to.”
“Why were you there?” He stepped closer and she pushed her shoulders back. She took a breath to tell him, and the swallowed it down. She had a contract of confidentiality and she couldn’t break that or she’d lose the job—the job that would pay off her education.
“None of your business.”
“It is when you’re out to destroy me.”
There was no controlling herself now. She raised her hand and smacked his cheek so hard her wrist instantly ached. “Go to hell, Eric Walker.”
“I think I’m already there,” he said as he turned and walked out of the house.
Walker Pride Page 31