ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (BLUEBONNET, TEXAS Book 2) (29 page)

Please, God, let the rest of the day be peaceful
. I shut the bedroom door and sagged against it, releasing a huge sigh of relief. I just didn’t think my heart could take anymore. How could my sister be so stupid?

And I had no idea if my husband was happy with me or not. I hadn’t been able to hear his answer, and I suppose, that’s what I got for eavesdropping. Not that I’d meant to.

To top everything off, I’d broken Rule Number Fourteen:
Never Ever, Under Any Circumstances, Say the "L" Word During Sex.
Oops.

He hadn’t mentioned my little boo-boo, so I could only hope that meant he hadn’t heard. And I never would have said it but for Angi upsetting me so bad. Somewhere along the way, I’d entered the deepest pit of Dante’s Inferno.

Someone please tell me things won’t get worse.

A shower. I wanted a shower with lots of hot water. I headed for the bathroom, dropping clothes as I went.

Forty-five minutes later I emerged dressed, and semi-ready to face the day, and followed my nose to the kitchen where Angi was cooking French toast. I probably would have stayed in the shower longer, but the hot water had run out.

I snitched a piece of syrup-soaked toast off Ty’s plate and popped it into my mouth. "Did you make me some?"

As if on cue, Angi turned and handed me a plate. My prenatal diet was in serious trouble. "Did you call your mom?"

"Yeah, she said it's fine if Angi joines us for Thanksgiving dinner." He pulled out a chair for me, and I sat, suddenly starving.

"Did you call
him
?" I asked, turning to Angi.

She nodded with a grin. "He said I was an ingrate."

"Whatever," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Loser."

* * *

After an hour of six women tripping over each other, Thanksgiving dinner was finally served. All the adults settled in at the big table while Travis and Rene occupied a card table by the kitchen door, but not until after Rene made her unhappiness known as only a pre-pubescent girl could. I made a note to spend some quality time with my new niece real soon.

I watched Zander, who sat beside his mother and directly across from Rowdy. From the narrow lines around his mouth, he didn’t look like a very happy camper.
So, why had he bothered to come home?
I sat between Rowdy and Ty while Angi and Delaney sat between Ty and his father. Zander, Jessa, Zack, Susie and Tim sat across from us with Maggie at one end and Jerrod at the other. Right smack dab in the middle of the table was a golden-brown, thirty pound turkey.

"Jerrod, are you going to say grace or just sit there all afternoon, a silly grin on your face?" Susie teased.

He stood at the head of the table, a smile plastered on his face. I giggled and winked at Susie, then glanced up at Jerrod who’d cleared his throat. Beneath the table Ty took my hand and I leaned against him, daring to enjoy a little of the peace that suddenly crept into my soul.

Jerrod released a deep sigh and smiled. "I want to do something different this year. I have so much to be thankful for. I thought it might be kind of nice if each of us stood and gave thanks for something we’d been blessed with this year."

"I got a mom," Travis offered up from his spot at the little card table.

"Shut up, dork."

"Rene," Tim barked.

"Yes, young man, you did get a mom, and quite a mommy she is, huh?" Jerrod smiled and Travis nodded. I giggled and glanced at Jessa who sat mooning at Zack.

"Can I go first, Daddy?" Delaney asked.

"I think Travis beat you, but you can go third, right after me." We all chuckled.

"First, and most importantly, I think, we have the whole family together for the first time in two years. I have my beautiful wife, who still loves me after more than thirty years. And my beautiful baby girl here with me, where she belongs, for our very first big holiday together."

I sagged against Ty, swallowing a grapefruit-sized lump in my throat.

"Two sons who have found happiness."

That one caught me a little off guard. So did the firm squeeze Ty gave my fingers.
He heard me last night.
Looks like I had some explaining to do in the near future.

"And two new daughters-in-law with two granddaughters on the way. I’m not sure life can get much better. Delaney."

Delaney stood and immediately began to sniffle.
Oh Lord
. With an embarrassed chuckle, I gave up, and swiped at the tear that escaped. Across the table from me, Jessa joined in.

"Oh suck it up already," Delaney teased. "I’m thankful for my Daddy, who’s just the greatest, and my new family, especially Maggie for putting up with me the last six months."

"Now, sweetheart—" Maggie began.

"I know it hasn’t been easy." Delaney’s voice wobbled.

Zander’s snort caught my attention. The pure ugliness in his face caused me to tighten my grip on Ty's hand.

"Don’t be rude, Zander," Rowdy growled from beside me.      

"Alexander, maybe you’d like to go next?" Susie asked, eyebrows raised.

He slowly unfolded himself from the chair and stood, a sneer on his thin handsome face. Ty’s grip on my hand tightened even more until I winced and wiggled my fingers. "I’m so thankful that my aunt and my brothers dragged me home for this lovefest."

"That’s not necessary," Jerrod said. There was a ring of steel beneath his soft voice.

"Yes, it is."

"Zan," Ty warned softly.

"Future Farmer of America," he sneered, looking Ty’s way. "And his fashion victim wife."

I opened my mouth but winced when Angi beat me to the punch. "You better watch how you talk about my sister, asshole."

"Angelina Monique!" Both men on either side of me shook with laughter. "Apologize!"

"I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Boudreaux for swearin’ at your dinner table." She plopped down in her chair, shaking the table in the process. She’d apologize to Ty’s parents for her rudeness but not to his brother for her words. I didn’t blame her. Since he started it.

"I can’t do this." Zander threw his napkin down.

"You can’t sit and have
one
meal with your family?" Tim leaned forward to see past the heads between them.

"Not with
her
." He nodded in his father’s direction and the bottom fell out of my stomach.

"Me?" Angi asked.

"Angi," I hissed, suddenly feeling very queasy.

"Well?" she replied in her best "I Love Lucy" voice.

"He means me," Delaney said softly.

"So that’s what this is all about? Delaney? She's the reason you didn't want to come home?" Maggie frowned, the hurt visible on her face.

"Not just her. Everything she represents. Momma, how the hell can you stay with him? How the hell can you look at yourself in the mirror knowing your husband is an adulterer? You think I buy all this love and happiness
bullshit
?"

Jessa leapt to her feet, clapping her hands. "Travis, Rene in the kitchen. Now!" Neither child argued and nobody spoke. Hell, nobody breathed until they were gone.

"Alexander! How dare you talk to your mother like that," Susie scolded. "Apologize!"

Tim groaned and slowly shook his head. "Zander, don’t do this. Please."

Poor Maggie looked as if she’d been shot and was slowly bleeding to death in her chair.

"Too late! How can you look at her...how can you tolerate that daily reminder
living
in your house?" His voice was almost loud enough to crack the crystal. "I can’t. I won’t. I don’t even want to look at her. She makes me want to puke."

How Maggie found the strength to stand I have no clue, but she slowly rose from her chair, eyes on her middle-born son. "You’re using Delaney’s presence as a cop-out, Alexander. Her being a part of our family doesn’t account for your absence for the last nine years."

"Oh, yes it does, Momma. I’ve known about Delaney since college. I found those pictures and letters in Dad's desk. The ones that whore who spawned her sent. No wonder you were so angry at Dad all those years!
He broke a sacred trust!
" He jabbed a finger in the air toward Jerrod, then continued, pointing at Delaney. "
You are not a part of this family!
You will never be—"

I flinched as Maggie’s hand made contact with his cheek, silencing him. All the men sprang to their feet, and on Angi’s far side, I heard Delaney sniffling. Poor baby. My heart just ached for her. Thanksgiving had become the stuff nightmares are made of and utter chaos reigned.

"She’s become more a part of this family than you! Do you think the last six months have been easy for me, Alexander? For any of us? Your father’s...your father’s infidelity is between your father and I, and
nobody else
!"

"A-men," Susie piped up softly.

"As angry as I am right now, finding the right words are difficult, but I’ll do my best, and then you can leave my house and not return—ever! Your father and I have dealt with our past. A past where the both of us made mistakes—" she sobbed, then paused to collect herself, "—young man, and we worked to forgive each other. We work at it
every day
.

"You’re right. Delaney’s not my daughter! But we’re also working very
very
hard to build a family relationship—the three of us
and
your brothers. Which you would have known, had you been here!" Her voice cracked and rose shrilly.
"How dare you just walk in here and presume to think you have the right to judge your father or me?"

"Young man," Jerrod broke in, "apologize to your mother and sister." 

"She’s not—"

"No, Daddy! I don’t want him to say he’s sorry." Delaney leapt to her feet, her chair falling to the ground behind her, and turned to face Zander. "My mother died, you asshole!"

I struggled to my feet and Ty shoved Delaney into my arms. She sobbed huge, painful sobs on my shoulder as we headed for the kitchen with Angi right behind us. When we had room to maneuver, Delaney broke free and screamed at Zander at the top of her lungs. "My mother was my best friend, not a whore!"

Glaring at Zander, I shushed her and pulled her toward the kitchen.

"You better watch how you look at me, you white-trash bitch."

I froze as my head slowly swung around and my eyebrows shot up with a mind of their own. "Oh no you did not?"

"You don’t talk to my wife like that." Ty’s voice barely reached above a whisper. He now stood between us and Zander, and I couldn’t believe how calm he sounded because I was ready to scream at Zander myself. "Apologize, now."

"Fuck you, headcase." He jerked his arms free from Tim and Zack’s grip.

"Apologize to my wife, my sister
and
my sister-in-law." The two men stood so close you couldn’t have slipped a piece of paper between them. "And while you’re at it, to my mother and aunt, for being so disrespectful and swearing in front of them."

"What are you gonna do if I don’t, stud? Do you even have a clue how pathetic you are, Tyrell Boudreaux? You no sooner get out of one bad marriage, you fucking stupid hick, than you knock up Bad Betti Blanchard! Hell, it’s probably not even your kid!"

Ty stepped back and swung, his fist connecting with his brother’s jaw. I winced and ducked my head but couldn’t stop watching. Zander shook his head like a dog and spit a wad of blood on the floor. "Did Rhea teach you how to do that? ‘Cause you hit like a fuckin’ girl."

Zander shoved past Ty, zeroing in on me. "Oh my God." The bloody grin that lit up his face was positively gruesome. "You don’t know."

 "Shut up, Zander. Shut your mouth right now!" This from Rowdy who, up until now had quietly taken it all in. "It’s not your place."

"And then there’s Mr. I-Don’t-Have-No-Family—"

"
That’s enough
," a sweaty, red-faced Jerrod roared.

"Do you get it now?" Zander ignored his father and zeroed in on me. "Are you brighter than you look? Are you a natural blonde? Is she, Ty? I bet there’s plenty of men we could ask."

"Shut up, Zan." Ty gave him a hard shove.

My face burned even hotter with embarrassment, and I winced at a muffled, "Oh my God!" from somewhere.

I prayed he’d fall and hit his head just so he
would
just shut up, but he managed to stay on his feet.

He leaned forward and laughed at some private joke, his shoulder sharking, unaware or uncaring that bloody spit ran down his chin. Then he turned back to Ty, shaking off his arm. "I guess twelve years of being married to Rhea really toughened you up, but can you handle not being Daddy’s favorite anymore?"

Feeling lightheaded, I frowned, trying to force air into my lungs. I didn’t want to hear anymore. Confused and suddenly afraid of what I
didn’t
know.
What was it he stood there trying to tell me?
Whatever it was, it had to be bad if he could stand there grinning like an idiot in the circus he’d caused.

Before he could speak, Mr. Boudreaux stepped in. "Alexander! Get the hell out of my house."

"Oh believe me, I have every intention of leaving, Daddy." Zander let lose an ugly chuckle, spit again and slung an arm around Ty. "But first, Ty, when exactly did you plan on telling your new wife that your ex used to use you as a punching bag?"

The Earth stopped spinning.

Nobody moved. I searched for my husband and saw the truth in his eyes. Then everything happened at once. Jerrod yelled, Maggie yelled, Susie yelled and the men dragged Zander away, but Ty stayed behind.

My brain shorted out. Then went into overdrive. I shook my head, hoping he’d deny it, but he didn’t. Everything finally made sense. All the pieces fit.

I’d finally mastered my Martial Rubik’s Cube.

"She hit...it’s true?"

Ty nodded, and I wailed. I had no air in my lungs. I’d screamed it all out, then doubled over from the sudden lack of oxygen. I felt as if I’d swallowed a stick of dynamite and it was exploding in slow motion from my solar plexus outward.

I ran for the downstairs bathroom as my stomach rolled over, barely making it. French toast and sweet herbal tea were offered up to the porcelain gods. I leaned against the wall in that tiny bathroom, a washcloth someone handed me pressed to my face, my stomach still heaving. My face dissolved into a snotty, tear-filled river.