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"It's no trouble." I helped Addy finish rinsing her hands and toweled them dry before she jumped into her mother's arms.

"Tyler can wash his own hands." Nora shot me another look that landed somewhere between annoyed and hostile.

"What the fuck," I whispered to myself as I helped Gus wash his hands. Nora never liked me, but we were usually friendly. She loved to text me town gossip but not much else of substance. The family group chat was usually reserved for updates about the kids and family news.

But since I got home, she seemed to be more and more annoyed with my existence. Like I was peeing on her territory even though I was specifically trying to stay as far away as possible. Hell, aside from running into her once at ODX when she dropped off Colin, I hadn't seen her outside of this house.

I tucked Gus into the highchair between Karis and me, then helped deliver the food to the table. Two enormous bowls of spaghetti with meat sauce, two more bowls of meatballs, salads, breadsticks, and of course, the bowl of butter noodles for the kids who didn't (or couldn't) yet eat the meat sauce. Minna and Thomas circled the table filling glasses with either water or sweet tea.

Once everyone was seated at the table the conversations all took off. Ollie teased Colin. Nora annoyed Karis. Mom lectured Minna and Thomas. And so on and so on. It wasn't long before my head hurt and my ears rang. When someone asked a question, I answered as quickly as possible.

Until the big question hit and the whole table fell silent. "So, when do we get to meet the woman who has captured your attention, Huk?" Mom smiled at me sweetly.

But it was anything but nice. Oh no. That smile was reserved for deep annoyance. And I was the crown prince of the family at getting it to make an appearance.

I took a drink of my sweet tea, trying to buy a few more seconds.

"Everyone knows it, Huk. The whole town. Everyone is talking about how the two of you can't keep your hands off each other on the dance floor. That you're both up on that mountain alone day after day."

Oh yeah. Mom was pissed.

"Leave the boy alone," Dad grumbled from the opposite end of the table. "It's his life. Let him live it."

"He'smy son. I deserve to know what's going on."

"You don'tdeserveto know anything," Karis bit out.

Ollie's eyes bugged. Eve choked.

Mom turned her wrath on my sister. "You always team up with him. Have you met her?"

"Mom." I was not about to let her bully Karis over my relationship. "Stop."

"Well?" her voice pitched up to the octave I hated most. The one that made my skin crawl and my ears bleed.

Dad sighed and threw his napkin on the table. "There goes dinner. Again. Can't you let us have one damned meal in peace?" He shouted across the table, his face already turning red.

And I was officially done. I stood up. "This is why I don't come home. We can't eat and have a nice time. No, someone always has to be in trouble. There always has to be a fight."

One of the babies cried out.

"There's a lot less drama when you're not here," Nora mumbled.

Karis gasped and stood up too. "You'rethe drama, you mean old cow!" She grabbed Gus and left.

Nora stared after her with her mouth hanging open. Mom openly gaped. Ollie and Ethan tried not to stare.

I pushed in my chair before addressing the table. "My relationship with Marley is none of your business. If and when I choose to bring her to this shit show it will be because I can trust you all to behave. Nora, you are, and always have been, a bitch. Good night everyone."

"Hey!" Johnny, her husband, shot to his feet. "You apologize to my wife right now, asshole!"

I rolled my eyes as I left the room, stuffing my shit back into my pockets and tucking the book under my arm. Karis was already out the door, buckling Gus into his car seat. "You okay to drive? I have a car seat if you want me to get us out of here." I unlocked my truck and set the book inside before coming around to help Karis.

Tears ran down her face. "I will be. I just need to get down the road and I'll take a breath. Promise."

I pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I've got your back."

"And I've got yours. But why do they have to be so awful? Why is Mom so...so..."