The Reckoning, A Wilde Brothers Christmas (The Wilde Brothers Book 4) by Lorhainne Eckhart
Authors: Lorhainne Eckhart
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that neither Jake nor Samuel would look at the other.
“More like avoiding each other!” Olivia said. “After all these years, I know you boys are so used to going to Logan—”
“Olivia, that’s enough,” Raymond said. He eased forward in his chair, touching Olivia’s arm. His fingers were long and narrow, and his gold wedding band glinted in the light.
“No, Raymond, it’s not. It’s time this was said. We’ve ignored this for too long. Logan, you were in an impossible position when you were young, and your father feels horrible, but he has paid for it over and over for years. It was a slap in the face to him that you boys always sought out Logan when you were in trouble after he came home, and you still do.”
Why was his mom bringing this up? Logan could feel Julia tensing beside him. He wanted his mom to move on, to stop this nonsense. This wasn’t the time to bring anything up. He didn’t miss Carrie as she glanced around the table, her face pink, picking up on the tension and complete dysfunction of this family. She probably wished she’d gone to her father’s or was anywhere else but here.
“Mom, you’re making everyone uncomfortable,” Logan said. “Could we please just have dinner? Whatever this is you need to address, can we do it after, when little ears aren’t glued to everything you’re saying?”
His mom glanced at the girls and took a breath, picking up her napkin and putting it in her lap. “Fair enough,” she said. “Let’s eat. Pass the potatoes, Raymond.”
So what had happened to grace? Logan was about to reach for his glass to make another toast when Julia squeezed his leg.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
Chapter Ten
As he followed his brothers into the living room, Logan couldn’t remember ever having been so full. Jake was lounging in the easy chair that Logan always sat in. He could hear Julia’s sweet voice directing Olivia, Margaret, and Carrie in the kitchen as they put away the leftovers and cleaned the mounds of dishes. The girls and Ryan were playing some board game they’d been given, and Logan popped on another Christmas CD. The strains of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” filled the room.
Logan sat on the loveseat, and Samuel sat down beside him, rubbing his hand over his stomach. “It’s hot in here, or I ate too much. Probably both,” he said.
Ben groaned and sat on the sofa. Joe was laughing at something one of the women had said in the kitchen, and then he, too, came into the living room with Raymond. Everyone walked as if they’d eaten way too much. Joe was holding a beer, and his dad was carrying a steaming coffee in one of Julia’s pink mugs.
“Julia still in there, getting in the way?” Logan looked to Joe, who joined Ben on the sofa. Raymond stood in the middle of the room, looking at Logan, his left hand shoved in his pocket as he rocked forward on his toes.
“She wants to help, but your mother won’t let her do too much,” Raymond said. “Don’t worry yourself. Julia’s in good hands with your mom here.”
Joe shrugged at what his dad had said and lifted the bottle of beer to his lips. He swallowed before saying, “Margaret’s talking about setting up a practice in Post Falls.” He stretched out his leg, wiggling his white socked foot.
“She’s getting back into medicine?” Logan asked. He’d thought Margaret would never get back into her career again after what happened.
“I don’t know why. We’ve got a baby coming.” The way Joe said it, Logan was pretty sure he didn’t want his wife working. Joe’s ego was getting in the way again.
“Thought she killed someone?” Raymond said, frowning.
“Really, Dad?” Logan snapped. He glanced to the doorway, hoping Margaret hadn’t heard from the kitchen. He was glad he’d put on the CD.
Joe was shaking his head, his expression dark. Margaret was a good woman with a good heart, and Joe was lucky to have found her. “She didn’t kill anyone, Dad. She was a
“More like avoiding each other!” Olivia said. “After all these years, I know you boys are so used to going to Logan—”
“Olivia, that’s enough,” Raymond said. He eased forward in his chair, touching Olivia’s arm. His fingers were long and narrow, and his gold wedding band glinted in the light.
“No, Raymond, it’s not. It’s time this was said. We’ve ignored this for too long. Logan, you were in an impossible position when you were young, and your father feels horrible, but he has paid for it over and over for years. It was a slap in the face to him that you boys always sought out Logan when you were in trouble after he came home, and you still do.”
Why was his mom bringing this up? Logan could feel Julia tensing beside him. He wanted his mom to move on, to stop this nonsense. This wasn’t the time to bring anything up. He didn’t miss Carrie as she glanced around the table, her face pink, picking up on the tension and complete dysfunction of this family. She probably wished she’d gone to her father’s or was anywhere else but here.
“Mom, you’re making everyone uncomfortable,” Logan said. “Could we please just have dinner? Whatever this is you need to address, can we do it after, when little ears aren’t glued to everything you’re saying?”
His mom glanced at the girls and took a breath, picking up her napkin and putting it in her lap. “Fair enough,” she said. “Let’s eat. Pass the potatoes, Raymond.”
So what had happened to grace? Logan was about to reach for his glass to make another toast when Julia squeezed his leg.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
Chapter Ten
As he followed his brothers into the living room, Logan couldn’t remember ever having been so full. Jake was lounging in the easy chair that Logan always sat in. He could hear Julia’s sweet voice directing Olivia, Margaret, and Carrie in the kitchen as they put away the leftovers and cleaned the mounds of dishes. The girls and Ryan were playing some board game they’d been given, and Logan popped on another Christmas CD. The strains of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” filled the room.
Logan sat on the loveseat, and Samuel sat down beside him, rubbing his hand over his stomach. “It’s hot in here, or I ate too much. Probably both,” he said.
Ben groaned and sat on the sofa. Joe was laughing at something one of the women had said in the kitchen, and then he, too, came into the living room with Raymond. Everyone walked as if they’d eaten way too much. Joe was holding a beer, and his dad was carrying a steaming coffee in one of Julia’s pink mugs.
“Julia still in there, getting in the way?” Logan looked to Joe, who joined Ben on the sofa. Raymond stood in the middle of the room, looking at Logan, his left hand shoved in his pocket as he rocked forward on his toes.
“She wants to help, but your mother won’t let her do too much,” Raymond said. “Don’t worry yourself. Julia’s in good hands with your mom here.”
Joe shrugged at what his dad had said and lifted the bottle of beer to his lips. He swallowed before saying, “Margaret’s talking about setting up a practice in Post Falls.” He stretched out his leg, wiggling his white socked foot.
“She’s getting back into medicine?” Logan asked. He’d thought Margaret would never get back into her career again after what happened.
“I don’t know why. We’ve got a baby coming.” The way Joe said it, Logan was pretty sure he didn’t want his wife working. Joe’s ego was getting in the way again.
“Thought she killed someone?” Raymond said, frowning.
“Really, Dad?” Logan snapped. He glanced to the doorway, hoping Margaret hadn’t heard from the kitchen. He was glad he’d put on the CD.
Joe was shaking his head, his expression dark. Margaret was a good woman with a good heart, and Joe was lucky to have found her. “She didn’t kill anyone, Dad. She was a
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