Home Tears

“Oh. Thank you!” But she stayed put. Her eyes switched to Dani’s face, suddenly a whole lot more attentive than Dani thought she could be.

“Is there anything else?”

“I know who you are.”

“So do I.”

Her top lip curled up in disdain. “Mitch told me that the two of you used to go together, when he was in those third-world countries. How he got his heart broken by some slut and you were just a rebound girl. Did you know about the other girl? I don’t want you to start thinking that you can have him back. Mitch might not see it, but I know exactly what type of girl you are.”

Dani shifted back on her heels. “And what’s that?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“You followed him here.” She leaned closer, her face way too close to Dani’s, and she whispered, “And that was the wrong thing to do.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Her hand was itching to reach up and push Jenny’s face away, but knowing this moron, she’d say she was being assaulted. She grew heated, and before she could do something she’d regret, she turned her back and pushed through the crowd. The farther from her, the better.

Turning into the kitchen, Dani stopped short. Aiden was in complete costume. She wore a chimp suit with a pink bowtie on her tail.

“Dani!” Aiden exclaimed. “I knew Fancy Nancy would be a hit with you.”

Dani pulled the soaked flamingo off her head. The pink head was drooping down. It looked more like a pink drowned rat. Then she stuffed Fancy Nancy back on. “Yes. Yes, she is.” Dani accepted the beer that Aiden held out. “Where’s your brother?”

“He headed downstairs.” Aiden’s smile slipped for a moment, but she brought it back with a forced attempt. “He ditched you tonight, didn’t he? Don’t take it personally. Jonah’s a bit riled with Daddy Warbuck’s arrival. Me—I can let our father’s condescension slide off my shoulders, but it bothers Jonah. I’m sure he just wants to forget right now in a poker game.” Aiden moved as someone reached around them for a bag of chips. “Which means that I can’t play poker tonight.”

“How come?”

“Jonah always beats me at poker, and if he’s playing seriously tonight—he’ll be playing all night,” Aiden answered. “Which means that I’m going to be playing hostess all night. No way am I going to lose money to my brother, though I love him wholeheartedly, but money is money.”

So Jonah was a poker player? Why wasn’t she surprised? “Where’s Kate?”

“Probably wherever Robbie is not. If not with him, then at a table downstairs, too. If she doesn’t catch the first round of games, then she just creates her own game. Kate’s not that good at poker, but she likes to think she is. I told Jonah to be nice to her. Jonah—he can be ruthless sometimes.”

Ruthless? Dani tried to imagine it, and she could. She shivered, remembering their time upstairs. She was wondering now if she should’ve just kissed him and to hell with everyone else. She glanced over her shoulder.

“Looking for your ex-fiancé?” Aiden caught the look and misjudged.

“You know?”

“You told Jake and Kate. That means the whole town knows, but for what it’s worth, I didn’t hear it from either of them. Dad started in on Jonah when we picked him up from the airport. He was getting interrogated about you the entire car ride to Robbie’s house.”

“Really?”

Dani’s gut dropped to her feet. That wasn’t good, not at all.

Aiden touched her hand. “I’m ducking for cover with this one. The big guns were pulled out when they called in our dad. There’s no way that I want to attract his attention. He’s like a wolf when he gets something in his head. I had to literally bite my tongue the entire car ride. I swallowed some blood.”

At that moment, the windows lit up as lightning flashed. The rain seemed to hit the windows harder, and she heard the wind whipping against the shutters.

Aiden murmured, “The storm outside’s picking up.”

The storm wasn’t just outside. Dani gazed around the crowd. She had a feeling there was going to be some thunderstorms inside, as well.

The party divided into two groups: the players and the watchers.

Dani was a watcher, and she sat alone from her group of friends. Kate played with her emotions, getting excited and not hiding her disappointment when she lost, but bowed out before she lost too much. She became a watcher next to Dani.

Aiden circulated the room, played the hostess to perfection. She patted Kate and Dani on their arms whenever she swept past them. It was a nice and loving pat, as if to say, “Hey, how are you doing? I can’t stay and talk, but thinking of you.”

Jonah was winning, which didn’t seem to be a surprise to most people in the room. Dani overheard a few conversations. Most expected him to win. She studied him, and wasn’t surprised why. He showed nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Then a spot opened at a different table, and Jake sat down.

A second guy left, and the dealer signaled for one more to join.

Boone stepped forward.

Jake frowned, but didn’t say anything. Everyone from Jonah’s table looked over. A new player got attention, and no one knew what to expect. Jonah skimmed over him, the unreadable mask still on his face. His eyes flicked to Dani once, but that was his only reaction.

Jenny smiled proudly behind Boone. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, giving Dani a haughty look, then smoothed a hand down his arm. She began to rub at his shoulders.