Page 36 of See It Through
“Oh, my sweet girl.” She pulled me into another hug, hard and fierce, exactly what I needed. By the time she let me go, I’d been fortified, ready to face what came next.
After giving my mom a squeeze and kissing the top of my dad’s head, I sat at the table, chatting with everyone about the horses I’d seen over the last week. Soon, Phoebe arrived, followed shortly by Cormac. Both were given the same bone-crushing hugs from our grandmother and all-encompassing embraces from Granddad.
Caleb and Jesse were the last to arrive. My nephew led the way, carrying a stack of books in his arms, as usual. Caleb came in behind him, and much to my horror, he was not alone.
Remington Town strolled into my parents’ kitchen, a big bunch of flowers tucked under one arm and a six-pack of beer in the other.
My mother paused over the chicken she’d been seasoning at the expansive, marble-topped island, her brows diving like lightning. Only Jesse, wrapping his arms around her waist, softened her.
She gave him her full attention. “This is entirely unfair, Jesse-boy. I can’t hug you back with my hands coated in raw chicken, and I have this strong need to squeeze you.”
He tipped his head back, grinning. “You squeezed me yesterday.”
She leveled him with a stare. “Are you implying I’m not overdue for more?”
“No,” he giggled.
“Mom,” Caleb interrupted, “I brought Rem. Figured since you always make more than enough food, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Her gaze flicked to Cay. “A call would have been nice.” Then she looked at Remi. “But you’re right; we do have enough. Are those flowers for me?”
Remi cleared his throat and stepped forward, placing what I now saw was one of multiple bouquets of wildflowers on the island. “They are. Sorry for just showing up. I didn’t know you weren’t aware.”
Caleb, for his part, scuffed his socked foot on the floor while Mom washed her hands at the sink. “My fault. Slipped my mind.”
“Sure, Cay.” Her brow winged. “Or you didn’t want me to say no.”
Dad had gotten up when Remi arrived and now slid an arm around Mom’s waist, tugging her into his side. “Which you wouldn’t have, right, Ellie?”
She patted his chest. “Of course not. The more the merrier.”
Though my dad hadn’t mentioned it to me, I knew he’d spent time with Remi while he’d been working the ranch. They exchanged a simple handshake, while my mother’s greeting was more layered.
She broke away from my dad to take Remi by the shoulders and stare at his face, slowly shaking her head.
“You’ve gotten older” was her first observation. “For a long time, I never thought I’d see your face again. It’s good to see the lines around your eyes and the shape you’ve become, but I wish I could’ve seen it happening.”
Something in Remi collapsed. His shoulders rolled forward, and his chin dipped to his chest.
“I thought you’d forgotten me,” he replied, his voice thick, almost hoarse.
“Yes…well, I’m not happy with you for leaving for so long, but forgetting you was never a possibility. You were my Cay’s shadow. I was always surprised when he was alone; it was so rare.”
He shifted, his eyes sliding to the side. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I—”
“Don’t be sorry. You were like a fifth child. As I said, the more, the merrier. It’s just when you left, there was a hole where you’d once been. Perhaps I was a little pissy about that and took it out on you in the grocery store.” She patted his cheeks and smoothed his hair off his forehead the same way she did with Cay and Mac. “That’s all in the past. You’re here now, and we’re all happy for it.”
“Than—” He stopped, clearing his throat. “Thank you. For saying that. For all of it.”
Stepping back, she waved his words off. “Don’t insult me by thanking me for caring about you, Remington.” Then she spun away, going back to her chicken, leaving Remi shell-shocked.
I caught Phoebe’s eye when she turned my way after watching the whole interaction. She patted her chest like her heart was fluttering, and I crinkled my nose. Her eyebrows popped, so I flared my eyes.
Mac laughed, which was nothing new. “Stop the silent communication. It’s creepy.”
Granddad playfully swatted Mac’s head. “Leave your sisters alone.”
He held his hands up. “All right, all right. I’ve lived with their creepiness this long; why change?”