his grasp.
“I sure as hell didn’t.” Andrew pointed at his brother. “I’ve lived with the guy.”
“Just because he’s a slob doesn’t make him a bad roommate,” Marlow argued.
“I’m not a slob,” Holt protested. “Tell them I’m not.”
His eyes bored into me.
“Not a slob, just . . . untidy.” I winked at him, and he scowled.
Marlow snorted. “She really likes you, little brother. You better figure out a way to keep her around.”
“Don’t look at me for advice on that.” Mr. Dixon carried on eating, oblivious he’d sucked all the air out of the room.
“Any word from Mrs. Quinn?” Andrew asked, successfully avoiding the topic of their mother.
Mr. Dixon set down his fork. “No. And I still don’t want to talk about it.”
“I went by the shelter today.” One corner of Trish’s mouth turned up in sympathy. “She looks miserable.”
He slumped in his chair. “I did what was best for both of us, so no one gets hurt.”
Marlow reached across the table, her palm up. Mr. Dixon placed his hand in hers. “You’re already hurt. Tell her you’re sorry and an idiot.”
He frowned. “How do you know I was an idiot?”
She shifted uncomfortably before lifting her chin. “You’re a man. Translation: you do stupid things.”
“I hate it when she’s right,” Andrew grumbled.
“I miss her.” Mr. Dixon looked down.
“Dad, if we’d messed up, you’d tell us to apologize.” Andrew reached for Trish’s hand. “You’d also tell us to forgive.”
“She’s the kindest person I’ve ever known,” I said quietly.
“Me too.” Mr. Dixon clutched his wine glass.
“Go talk to her, Dad. A phone call isn’t good enough.” Marlow patted his arm. She had a hard exterior, so this softness caught me unaware.
“Baker, would you be tremendously offended if I cut this evening short? I’m afraid if I wait, I’ll lose my courage.”
“Go. Go.” I shooed at him. “We’ll do this again sometime.”
“I’ll bring dinner,” he promised as he stood.
We all got up with him.
“Good luck, Dad.” Andrew shook his hand.
“Let us know how it goes.” Holt rounded the table and embraced his father.
“If it gets desperate, use that lady killer wink.” Marlow demonstrated for effect, and he laughed.
“I love you all.” He blew a kiss as he left.
“I hope they work it out,” I said as I grabbed my glass off the table.
“Ten bucks says he calls when he’s outside for a pep talk.”
Holt high-fived his brother. “Make it twenty.”
I refilled everyone’s wine and grabbed Holt another beer.
“Why’d you change your mind?” Marlow pinned him with a stare.
“Because I couldn’t let him down.” Holt picked at the label on his old beer.
“How long have you been talking to her?”
I shivered at the menace in his tone.
Marlow glared at him. “She’s my mother. There’s no law that says I can’t speak to her,” she said petulantly.
“Like hell there isn’t,” Andrew shouted. “She left us. Did you forget that?”
“No, I didn’t forget. I’m just not sure I care anymore.”
Holt’s lips parted like she’d punched him in the stomach. “Did she tell you she left because of me?” His voice was deathly quiet.
Marlow paled. “Holt. I told you, I shouldn’t have said that. I was lashing out. It was an awful thing to say.”
“Answer the question.”
She popped up from her chair and took her wine with her over to the window.
“What the hell? Dad gave up everything to take care of us. What if he’d abandoned us too?” Andrew followed her. “How could you betray him like this? Betray all of us?”
Trish glanced at me, her expression helpless, just as I felt.
“I didn’t betray any of you,” she yelled.
Ella shrieked back, a series of sharp wails in succession. Trish was halfway out of her seat when I motioned for her to sit.
I lifted Ella from the carrier and bounced her until she quieted.
“What was I supposed to do? Refuse to give her a chance?” Marlow stared out the window.
“Yes. That’s exactly what you should have done.” Andrew folded his arms across his chest.
“You still haven’t answered my question.” Holt’s voice had a quality I’d never heard. There wasn’t only hurt and betrayal, it was as if he’d turned off the part of him that felt.
“It doesn’t matter—”
“It does to me.” He slammed his bottle on the table.
“Yes. She said she left because of you, okay?” The second the words ripped from her mouth, Marlow covered it with her hands.
Wordless, Holt stood. He grabbed his keys off the counter.
“Holt. Wait up, man.” Andrew streaked across the room, but he wasn’t fast enough.
I jumped when the door slammed. Stared