Page 81 of Worth the Fall

“I didn’t know you were bringing a date, Matthew,” Mr. O’Grady announced from his seat at the head of the table. “Hello again, Brooklyn.”

“Hi.” My voice came out shaky. “Thank you for having me. I’m sorry I just showed up here, unannounced apparently,” I ground out before finding Matthew and socking his arm.

“Hey,” he complained as he rubbed it like I’d hurt him.

Thomas’s chair screeched against the wood as he tossed it behind him and stormed away from the dinner table without saying a single word. He shoved the front door open so hard that I swore it almost broke off the hinges.

“You trying to kill your brother?” Mr. O’Grady asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He seemed to know exactly what his sons were up to.

“It’s fun, pushing his buttons,” Matthew answered as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“He seems really upset,” I countered, unsure if I should be the one to run after him or not.

“Well, this one called you my date.” Matthew gave a nod toward his dad, and I hadn’t missed him calling me that. “Don’t act all innocent, old man.”

Mr. O’Grady threw both hands in the air right as Clara walked up to Matthew.

“Uncle Matthew.” She pointed a finger at him and frowned. “You made Daddy mad. I don’t know why, but I’m mad at you too.”

God, I love this little girl.

“You won’t be mad for long,” he said as he leaned forward and reached for one of the biscuits sitting in the middle of the table. “I’m playing matchmaker, sweet Clarabel.”

“Matchmaker?” Clara asked, but her angry expression remained.

“Watch and learn, kiddo. Brooklyn, go get your man.” He thumbed toward the door.

It was clear that no one else was going to go after him and that this whole thing had been orchestrated to bring us together in the first place. So, I did as I had been instructed and went toget my man.

LET’S GET OUT OF HERE

THOMAS

Iwanted to scratch my eyeballs out of my damn head. Matthew had brought Brooklyn to our family dinner. He’d brought her here after I warned him not to cross any lines with her. Were they dating now? Hooking up?

My dad had called herhisdate.HIS. DATE.