Page 85 of Things We Left Behind

“Oh, I’m not siding with my dumbass brother. But if you’re goin’, I’m goin’, Angel,” Nash said amicably.

“How about I save everyone a whole lot of marital strife? I’ll go by myself and—­”

There was a resounding “No!” From everyone. Everyone including Lucian.

A flare of temper winked into existence. “To be fair, none of you have any right to tell me what I can and can’t do. I understand the intricacies of relationships, and you all can deal with that yourselves. But I don’t owe that consideration to any of you.”

“You’re not going,” Lucian said as if he had any right whatsoever to make such a decree.

“Can I speak to you outside?” I said through clenched teeth.

“I’ll go with you,” Nash interrupted.

“Well, if you two are going, I’m definitely going,” Lina argued.

“Ahem! This isourmoney forourinitiative,” Naomi reminded the men. “Ergo, we are the ones who get to make the decisions.”

Knox held up a finger like he was about to start yelling and then left the room instead.

His booted footsteps echoed through the house as he stomped away and then back again.

He returned with a checkbook and a pen in hand, Waylon and Piper dancing at his heels.

Knox scrawled ink violently across a check, then ripped it free. “Here. Now I get a say, and you’re not going.”

“You can’t just throw money at everything, Knox,” Naomi pointed out, getting to her feet. “This woman deserves a real second chance.”

“She probably does,” Knox agreed aggressively.

I held up a finger. “Wait. I’m confused.”

“No one’s arguin’ that this isn’t a good cause. ButIdon’twant to deal with the fallout of you three going in there and getting your hearts broken over some sad story about how life ain’t fair.”

Knox Morgan couldn’t stand tears and brokenhearted females. They were his kryptonite.

“You don’t want us to try to do something good because you’ll be inconvenienced by our feelings?” Naomi looked as if she’d forgotten all about Knox’s dishwasher-­loading prowess.

“That’s not what I said, Daze.”

“Actually,” Lina interjected, “it kind of is.”

“Not helping, Solavita,” Knox said under his breath.

“Don’t take a tone with her, or I’ll kick your ass and then arrest it,” Nash warned his brother.

I stood up on the ottoman and whistled. “Everyone shut up!”

They all shut their mouths and looked at me.

“Obviously, this is a hot-­button issue. Let me do a little more research, and then we can discuss this like rational adults.”

There was a grumbling chorus of “fines” and “okays.”

“Hey, what do you guys like to take for cramps?” Lina asked me suddenly.

Knox and Lucian vanished from the room like someone had just suggested we form a trust circle.

Nash ran his hands over Lina’s hips. “You okay, Angel?”