Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family #2) -Carly Phillips Page 0,47
You know I’ll do anything for you.” And he meant it.
“Great! I’ll add a seat for dinner. I’ll see you around six?”
“See you at six.” He disconnected the call and glanced up at the ceiling. He was bringing Chloe to his parents’ house, and his mother would figure out in a heartbeat they were more than friends. When it came to her kids, she had a sixth sense about those things, and nothing would make her happier than one of her sons settling down.
No matter what said son wanted or had planned.
* * *
Chloe wished she’d had more warning about going to Beck’s parents’ house for dinner. Like a year would have helped. Though she wasn’t sure why, her nerves were on full display. She’d managed to run out and pick up a key lime meringue pie from Petee’s Pies on Delancey Street so she wouldn’t walk in empty-handed.
“Are you sure your parents want an extra person tonight? When they’re going through so much?” Chloe asked the question for what had to be the third time on the drive to his parents’ place in Great Neck.
A sexy grin lifted the edges of his mouth as he drove. His sunglasses only added to his appeal. “I swear to you, my mother extended the invitation herself. No prodding from me.”
“Does that mean you don’t want me there?” She didn’t have to be perceptive to notice he was tense, too.
He shook his head. “Of course not. I’m just worried about my dad, and I know they are going to put on a good front … like everything is fine and will be fine.” He clenched his jaw, then said, “I’ve been through it before with them, you know?”
“And you don’t know whether or not to believe them this time?” She wanted to touch him, to cover his hand with hers and let him know he wasn’t alone, but he gripped the wheel tight and clearly wanted his distance.
“I don’t know your parents, but you’re an adult and I don’t think they’d lie to you.” She blew out a breath. “Did they lie about Whitney? Or did things just take an unexpected bad turn?”
She knew he didn’t like talking about his sister, but asking was the only way not just for her to find out but to help him through things now.
He flipped on the right turn signal and took the exit. “I don’t believe they lied. Maybe they’re more optimistic than me but I don’t understand how. Not after what happened to Whitney.”
“I get it. But anything they did or said was because they love you.” She hesitated and then dove into the deep end. For Beck because she cared about him. She knew her past had not been as tragic as his, but she could draw some kind of parallel in the hopes of making him think about how he viewed life.
“My parents are nothing like yours.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “Don’t get me wrong, my mom loves me, but she lived her life in denial so she didn’t have to rock the boat of her marriage. Oh, she says she stayed for the kids, but let’s face it. How happy are the kids living in a house where the husband is cheating and it’s a known issue as we all grew up? I know it’s not the same as losing a sibling.”
She paused and drew a deep breath. “But what I’m trying to say is that the love you guys have for each other is strong but so is the respect.” Respect her family hadn’t had for one another. Her parents, anyway. “Trust your parents to tell you the truth and gain strength from their optimism.”
His hands curled around the wheel, his knuckles turning white. “That’s easy to say but harder to do when I was given every reason to believe Whitney would survive only to lose her despite the positive outlook.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. He was a stubborn man with a very valid point, and she didn’t know how else to get through to him.
“But Chloe?” He turned toward her before looking back at the road.
“Hmm?”
He reached over and placed his hand over hers. “I appreciate you telling me about your parents, and I know you’re just trying to help.”
She was. Too bad it wouldn’t help him open his heart any time in the near future.
He turned into a driveway of a large colonial-style home in a modern neighborhood that looked fairly new. Since Beck