Adjournment (The Fate Series) (26 page)

“I should probably go. This afternoon is basically her version of a bachelorette party.” I hand him back his drink. “That’s really good by the way. Remind me what it is tomorrow at the wedding.” I wave to him.

“Don’t worry I will,” he says from where he stands, lifting the glass to me.

We spend the rest of the day out by the pool with gossip magazines and drinks. As a just in case, we hung a “No Boys Allowed” sign on the front door and gates. I didn’t really think the signs would work but they are doing a fantastic job so far.

“Girls, did you see that hot piece of man they recast to as a co-star in the film you are working on!” Grams hints, from behind her magazine.

She’s reading through an old interview from his last movie about why he can’t treat women with respect.

I’m paraphrasing of course.

“Yes, we have!” Lexi scoffs. “
He
is a pig, Grams. He isn’t allowed to even work with women because he’s a pig and a womanizer… Did I mention he’s a pig?” she says full of passion.

She just called her Grams! She used to call her Mrs. Moore.

She must be getting comfortable… or drunk.

We exchange a look that says let the fact that he has a restraining order against my sisters go for now. There’s no reason to remind them.

“Well, I’m just saying that he could womanize me anytime.” Grams giggles.

We all lower our magazines to look at her.

“What?” she asks without looking up at us.

“Mother, please, neither the kids nor I want to hear about you being womanized.” Our mother straightens out her magazine.

“Oh, but it’s okay for you to talk about it,” Grams huffs.

We don’t.

“Who was talking about it?” Morgan laughs looking around.

“All of you, a bunch of sex fiends I’ve raised… Molly…” Grams points to her but Molly interrupts before she can go off on a drunken rant about Molly and Dean’s sex life.

“Grams, can you toss us a beer,” Molly shouts, from the large round six person raft we are all sitting on, trying to change the subject.

Grams takes the bait and digs into the cooler to her side. Taking out one for each of us, she makes sure to put one in her cup holder first. She tosses one to Molly, who of course misses, and it ends up in the water floating away.

“Molly, you’re going to be fishing that out of the pool later,” our mother says, glaring over her sunglasses at her.

Grams gets ready with another, this time sending it to me followed by the next three. Mom has some kind of drink in her lidded tumbler and since none of us feel like getting wet right now the beer will float around the pool basking in the sun as well. The sound of someone’s phone begins to fill the air from where we left them next to Grams.

“Whose phone is that?” Molly yells over to Grams.

“How would I know? They are
all
the same?” she answers the ringing phone and begins to speak. After agreeing about ten times she ends the conversation with an, “Okay, see you soon.”

“Well?” Molly asks her.

“Well, what?” Grams says.

“Who was that on the phone?” Molly stares at her.

“None of your business, dear, it was for Sidney.” She looks back to her article.

Molly shifts in her seat, giving me
the look
. With an eye roll I give in. “Fine.” My shoulders drop. “Grams, could you please tell me who was on the phone?” I glare at my meddlesome sister.

“Oh, well that was Jacob, Lovey. The limo just picked him up, he will be here in about three hours, give or take. Molly, honestly you’re so nosy.” She shakes her head at her.

Molly’s jaw drops, and our mother hands her the tumbler. “Drink this dear, that’s how I deal with it.” She smiles.

“What is it?” Molly smells the straw.

“A Madness dear, it will help.” Our mother waves for her to take a drink.

“Mom that’s just Bailey’s,” she mocks her, handing the cup back.

“Fine, I’ll drink it then.” She rips the cup from Molly’s hand and takes a drink. When she finishes she “ahhh’s” loudly. “That’s the stuff.” She sighs.

We can’t help but laugh.

This is Mom.

After spending most of the day around the pool, we decide it’s time to go start dinner, and soon Jacob and Tyler are finally here and unpacked.

“I am so excited to be here! I have heard so many stories about this place but to be here, like actually here—Thanks for inviting us!” Jacob squeals as he looks around the upstairs hallway.

“Why don’t you come here more often?” Tyler asks.

“You’ll see,” Jacob groans as we walk down the steps.

Actually he won’t. I tell everyone it was Simon that solidified my decision to leave, but really, if I’m honest, I would have done it regardless.

He was just the perfect scapegoat.

The front door opens as we get to the bottom step.

“I hope this doesn’t apply for dinner as well.” Chase hands me the sign that was hanging on the front door.

“I’m shocked it worked as long as it did.” I shove it under my arm as the three of them walk in.

“Guys, you remember my friend Jacob and this is Tyler.” I introduce them.

“Ah, yes Jacob… the only other man who could stand to be around you.” Chase laughs shaking Jacob’s hand.

What a jerk.

Breathe… Just breathe…

“Nice to see you all again.” Jacob straightens himself out to shake their hands.

Once the formalities are done they all relax and walk down the hall to the great room.

“I know I’ve said this once already, but aren’t you going to get dressed?” Simon mutters walking next to me.

“I put a shirt on over the bathing suit top, that’s as good as you’re going to get. Do I offend you? Because if I do you could always go home.” I try to push down my anger at his constant clothing conversation.

What the hell is his problem?

“Not at all. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.” There’s a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I am very comfortable. By the way where is your suit? You look so out of place,” I retort.

“I’m—on vacation.” He tosses my words from earlier back in my face.

He walks with me the entire time I show Jacob and Tyler around. It reminds me of when we were younger. We always walked in time with each other, always in sync with the other one. I doubt he remembers that, he’s probably just trying to be annoying.

“Dinner is ready,” my mother yells, and I quickly push the past out of my mind. It has no bearing on the present or the future.

“Mom, where is Dad?” Morgan asks. Chase pulls her seat out then pushes it in as she sits.

Oh look at them, not so awkward anymore. I laugh at them in my head. She’s such a dope, she doesn’t even see it. I notice it though. He’s getting her used to the idea of him being around—

that way she misses him when he’s gone.

I shake my head when he looks up at me. He sends me a wink and then continues to putter around her.

“Thank you.” She smiles at him when he sits down. He just nods politely like it’s no big deal.

This is actually quite comical to watch.

“He is at the cabin today, finishing up some work. He will stay there tonight so we can get into the mood for tomorrow.” Mom giggles like it’s her actual wedding day.

“The cabin” as they call it is about a half hour away in Montauk. It’s a charming four bedroom shingled-style house set in the middle of woods. There’s a path to get to the beach that’s shared with surrounding homes but in the summer you can’t see the other homes through the trees.

This house, the Hamptons house, is our mother’s, and that house is our father’s retreat. A few years ago I heard they added on a small in-law suite for Grams, but she hates it. Something about not being able to watch the boaters with their shirts off.

Who knows?

That house is filled with pocket doors in every doorway, nautical decorations everywhere, and stone fireplaces. Even though it might be cozier, this one still feels like home to me.

Coming back reminds me how captivating my parents’ marriage can be. My mother loves my father enough to make him think he is the head of everything when it’s really her, and he loves her enough to give her anything and everything she asks for without a second thought. I think most men would have divorced her by now. But there is something between those two that makes for a perfect marriage. I should be more willing to bend to the idea of marriage, having been raised by two people who are madly in love… but I’m not.

And neither is Morgan.

We’re realists.

“Oh Mom, that is so cute!” Molly squeals out. “I think I want to get married here.” Everyone except for Dean looks at her. That might be because for the second time today he was caught off-guard while trying to eat.

She looks around after putting the spoon back into the potatoes and notices everyone’s stunned faces. “That is,
when
I get married… which isn’t anytime soon—so you can all calm down.” She nervously looks around the table. Dean quickly catches his breath and soon everyone goes back to what they were doing, and the low hum of conversations begins again.

Simon takes my dish from in front of me and begins to put the food that is on his side onto it so I grab his to do the same with the food on my side. When we are done, we swap to add the same food we just gave to each other onto our own plates. Taking my glass, he pours our wine, and I reach for the rolls. As I sit back down he takes his roll from me, and I take my wine from him.

“How long do you think before she sees it?” I lean close to Simon so only he can hear me.

“Notices?” His brows furrow together.

I nod toward Morgan he looks away to watch them.

“Ah, I see. Well, he has the entire weekend.” His lips twist into a half smile.

“I think she’ll cave.” I give a disappointed sigh.

“You think so?” He passes me a knife that has butter on it for my roll.

“Oh yeah, look at her… She doesn’t even see it.” I take the knife, glancing back up at Morgan who is holding her glass out while Chase pours her wine.

Yeah, she’ll cave.

“Care to make a wager on that?” He raises an intrigued brow at me.

“I don’t think I have anything to offer.” I press my lips together, pulling them to the side as I think over what I could risk.

“Oh I’m sure we can think of something.” He gives a light laugh.

He raises his glass to me. I grab mine, a surge of enjoyment pulses through me.

“To… the oblivious.” He winks.

“Yes, to obliviousness.” I smile clinking glasses with him.

That’s actually quite perfect.

Taking a mouthful, I place the glass back down and straighten myself out.

“Sidney dear,” Judith’s irritating voice rings in my ears. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” She sends me a fake smile when I look over to her.

Thinking about it, I give her a confused look. “I guess? Why wouldn’t I be?” I ask.

“I just thought with the speech and all you would be nervous. But maybe I’m wrong, maybe you have changed.” She shrugs and turns back to her food.

S-Sp-Speech? I have to give a speech? Just one more reason to hate weddings…

“I have changed,” I say in a robotic tone. Simon’s hand is once again holding my leg still just as it did the night before.

“And standing in front of all those people during the ceremony,” Judith drones on, spiking my anxiety to alarming heights. “It’s just I recall the girl who wanted to get married far away so no one but immediate family would attend,” she says taking another bite.

All those people… I stare at my plate suddenly not hungry.

“Just take a deep breath and calm down,” Simon whispers to me.

Gaining a small ounce of control, I lift my head to look at her. “I’m not her anymore.” I try to block her from messing with my head. 

I’m not her, I’m in control.

“Well, that is just fantastic. I’m so happy you were able to move past that.” Her cold eyes study me as we stare at each other, waiting for the other to break. To everyone else her words sound sincere, but I can tell she’s trying to get under my skin.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t join you all today, we would have had such a nice time together. But I was busy working on something,” Judith says, turning back to my mother which signals she is finished with me.