brother for the past month, so it’s nice to have him here this weekend. I’ll take him out on the boat tomorrow. Would you like to come along?” His attention is on Cassandra’s boy-toy. I haven’t caught his name. It doesn’t matter; he won’t be around long.
And that’s when I notice it. The diamond on her left ring finger. I choke on the water I’m swallowing.
Kaden rubs my back. “You okay?”
I nod, still unable to tear my eyes away from the large emerald-cut diamond flashing light like a disco ball.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Harrison questions in alarm.
“What?” Cassandra responds, unaffected, continuing to pour white wine into her glass. “Relax. It’s only one glass.”
Mrs. Harrison presses her lips together, visibly fighting to keep her temper in check. She doesn’t want to make a scene. I can tell. She is the epitome of class—unlike her sister. But this once, I really wish she’d let her have it, whatever she’s upset about. Maybe Cassandra just got out of rehab or something. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Her … fiancé … remains quiet across from her, the furrow in his brow the only indication that he also doesn’t approve. But Cassandra ignores everyone staring at her, gulping down a large swallow of wine like she’s dying of thirst.
“I’d love to come out on the boat with you, Niall,” the guy says. “Thanks for the offer.”
Neither man bothers to ask Cassandra. From the way her fiancé’s currently looking at her, he’d probably push her overboard if she accepted.
“Kaden?” Niall directs his attention to his younger brother. “Like to join us?”
“No thanks,” Kaden replies, taking my free hand under the table. “I was planning to take Parker and Faye to the beach in the morning.”
“I figured you’d say no, but I had to ask,” Mr. Harrison says with a subtle smile, looking between us.
“Are you two still together?” Cassandra asks, scrunching her nose like she can’t believe it’s a possibility.
I bite back the snappy retort on the tip of my tongue and smile. “Yes. We’re still together.”
“That’s so messed up,” she says with a judgmental laugh.
“Cassandra, must you?” Mrs. Harrison scolds before silently apologizing to me.
Cassandra dismisses her with a deliberate sip from her glass.
Kaden squeezes my hand as I clench my teeth together. How is she possibly related to Mrs. Harrison? They had to have been raised separately or something. Or maybe some people are just born evil. Even so, apparently, someone loves her. I feel bad for him, but then again … he did ask her.
“I’m duuun!”
Grateful for the excuse to leave the tense table, I rise to attend to Parker at the kitchen table.
“I’ll help you,” Kaden says, standing with me.
He doesn’t like conflict either, maybe less than I do. Perhaps it’s because his parents fought so much the first few years of his life before his mother finally left his father, also leaving him and his older brother behind. Eventually re-marrying a younger and wealthier man to start a new family. But Isaac is with us so often; evidently the second family didn’t take either.
“Let’s get your tomato face into the bath,” I say to Parker, who’s wearing more sauce than probably made it into his mouth.
I wipe at Parker’s hands before he can cover everything he touches with marinara and help him from his chair. Kaden takes our plates to the sink, Isaac carrying his and Parker’s.
“Can I have bubbles?” Parker asks, racing across the hardwood toward the wrapping grand staircase.
“Of course,” I call after him.
“Isaac, wanna take a bubble bath?” Parker hollers from the stairs.
Isaac looks to me with a face that says he doesn’t, but he feels bad, saying it.
“He’s already had his bath,” I tell Parker. “This one is just for you.”
Isaac reveals a small smile of appreciation. He doesn’t say much but somehow expresses everything.
From behind us, the tension continues to boil over.
“I can do whatever the fuck I want with my body! Don’t you dare get all high and mighty with me. This isn’t yours. It’s mine!”
Mrs. Harrison must have voiced her disapproval about Cassandra’s drinking once we were out of earshot. Although half the island is within earshot of Cassandra’s response.
“Good to see Cassandra is calmer than usual,” Kaden murmurs sarcastically.
“She’s engaged?” I can’t hide my disbelief.
We continue into Parker’s room, where he has already started undressing, throwing his clothes everywhere. I scoop them up and toss them in the hamper.
“Really?” Kaden looks confused.
“She’s wearing a huge diamond ring.”
“No one said anything to me. It must’ve