RaeAnne Thayne - The Cottages On Silver Beach

The two men once had been close friends, but all that changed after Elizabeth vanished, when Elliot came down firmly on the side of those who thought Luke had been involved.

Elliot wasn’t the only friend Luke had lost following his wife’s disappearance, but it was probably the relationship he missed most. Not that her brother would talk about things like relationships or hurt feelings, but she could tell.

Having Elliot here had to be painful for Luke. Oh, she wished the man had never come home.

* * *

“GREAT TO HAVE you join us for dinner, though I’m a little surprised.”

At his brother’s words, Elliot raised an eyebrow. “What’s so surprising about gathering with my family to celebrate a mighty victory?”

Chloe, seated across the long expanse of table from him, preened at his words, and he gave her a little smile. She was a cute kid, he had to admit. So was her brother Will. The two of them had enriched all their lives.

Two years ago, he hadn’t had any nieces or nephews. Now he counted five. Milo, Gabriella, Christopher, Will and Chloe. Three-year-old Gabi, the child Katrina had adopted from Colombia earlier that year, was the youngest.

All of the children had been absorbed into the Bailey clan through rather unorthodox ways, but now he couldn’t imagine their family without them.

“Nothing, really,” Marshall said. “Only that you seemed in a big hurry to leave after the softball game, for a moment there. I’m glad you changed your mind, especially since I’m sure you’ve got work to do on your book.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he claimed. It wasn’t precisely the truth, but close enough.

“Whatever your reason, I’m so glad you’re here.” Marshall’s wife, Andie, beamed at Elliot. “My children don’t see enough of their favorite uncle.”

“Hey, what about me?” Cade Emmett protested.

“Or me,” Bowie Callahan said with a mock glower.

Andie smiled diplomatically at Wyn’s and Katrina’s respective husbands. “Their other favorite uncle.”

Over the past eighteen months, he had come to care deeply for Andie. She had been wonderful for Marshall, had softened his hard edges and brought laughter and joy into his world.

“My point is, I’m glad you could join us,” Andie said.

“So am I.”

“How long are you staying?” Katrina asked from her spot at the other end of the table.

“I’ve got the rental cottage for three weeks. Long enough for your wedding reception and a couple extra weeks to finish my manuscript.”

After that, he had no idea what he might be doing. That was nothing he was ready to share with his family yet. Nobody here in Haven Point knew about the shooting and he intended to keep it that way.

Yes, that was right. He had lied to his family.

He had told them he had bone spurs removed, though technically that wasn’t completely a lie since the surgeon had reported he had decided to take out a couple of small ones he’d seen while he was in there.

Elliot just hadn’t mentioned the bullet the guy had also removed—nor did he plan to.

“We’re so glad you can spend some time with us, darling.” Charlene smiled at him, but it didn’t quite push away the worry in her eyes. She had a fairly well-developed lie detector, especially after raising five children. Despite what he told her, he had a feeling his mother sensed something else was going on.

She wouldn’t hear it from him, though.

“You know I wouldn’t miss Kat’s big party,” he said.

His youngest sister looked up from helping Milo and Gabi color on the white paper tablecloth with the crayons Barbara Serrano had provided before they sat down. “Excuse me—did I imagine a phone conversation a month ago where you specifically apologized and told me you wouldn’t be able to make it?”

“Things change.” He shifted. “I’m here, right?”

“And we’re all so glad,” his mother soothed. “I’m not glad you needed surgery on your shoulder but it was so nice of the FBI to give you time off for your sister’s reception.”

“Wasn’t it?” he murmured. Nice hadn’t been part of that conversation. He had been ordered off the job while his shoulder healed and his actions were reviewed.

“We should order before Elliot changes his mind and decides he’s had enough of us all,” Katrina said, and he reminded himself to hug her later.

They were debating how many pies and what toppings when Wynona suddenly looked up.

“Oh, there’s Megan and her niece and nephew.” Wynona beamed and waved vigorously. “Hey, Hamilton family!”

His heart gave a ridiculous sharp kick and he couldn’t resist looking up. Megan was walking with Luke and his children. He knew he shouldn’t notice how bright and lovely she looked, with her auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail and her cheeks a little flushed from the cool of the evening.

She smiled at the Baileys, though it became more like a grimace when her gaze landed on him before she quickly pasted her features back into a smile.

Had anyone else noticed? he wondered.

“Hey, everyone,” she said. “Great game, Miss Chloe. You rocked shortstop this week.”

His step-niece grinned. “Thanks! Cassie was the star of the game, though.”

“Great pitching, Cassie,” Elliot’s mother agreed.

“You should join us for the celebratory pizza!” Katrina gestured to a table next to theirs. “We can pull up some chairs.”

He could see instantly that idea didn’t appeal much to Luke. The other man gave the table a curt nod. “We wouldn’t want to intrude. Matter of fact, kids, maybe we should order our pizza to go. It’s been a busy day and I know we’re all beat.”

The kids looked as if they wanted to protest but finally nodded.

“You can at least wait here and visit while she brings it out to you, then,” Elliot’s mother insisted.

Luke clearly didn’t like that idea but he was apparently just as helpless against Charlene’s sheer force of will as the rest of them.

“I’ll go talk to Barbara,” he said to Megan and the children. “Go ahead and sit if you want.”

“There’s room here by Chloe and Will,” Andie said.

The children sat down and were soon talking to their friends, and Megan sat down and did the same with Elliot’s sisters. He knew he didn’t imagine the way she carefully avoided looking in his direction.

As for Luke, he stood near the hostess table talking to Barbara Serrano and didn’t even come back after making their to-go pizza order.

The man wanted nothing to do with him. Elliot sipped at his beer, trying not to look at either Hamilton sibling while he pretended to be engrossed in the conversation Marshall and Cade were having about a local auto burglary investigation.

After fifteen minutes or so, a server came out from the kitchen with a large pizza box and a bag that probably contained side items like garlic bread and salad. She carried them over to Luke, who thanked her, still unsmiling, then carried the order over to their table.

“Kids, here’s our food. Let’s go.”

Cassie and Bridger grumbled a little but slid their chairs back from the table obediently.

Luke turned to his sister. “You’re welcome to stay. I can leave you a few slices of our pizza or you can get something else.”

She hesitated for only a moment, glancing around the table until her gaze landed on Elliot.

“No. I have plenty of things to do at home tonight. I’d better run. Good night, everyone.”

“Yeah. Night,” Luke echoed.

The family left with Megan leading the way out of the restaurant, holding hands with her niece on one side and her nephew on the other.

The moment the door closed behind them, Elliot finally felt as if his lungs could expand again.