Merry Little Cluster Fudge (The Price of Love #3.5)

4. Chapter Four

chapter four

. . .

Callie

"Oh, hey guys! We were just coming to find you," I said, waving at the approaching gaggle of Friedman-Rossis.

Or should that be Friedman-Price-Rossis? Are triple barreled names a thing?

"It's been an eventful hour since we last saw you," Wick grumbled. Meghan waggled her eyebrows at me.

" Hussy," I mouthed at her.

"Prude," she mouthed back.

I stuck my tongue out at her, and she returned the gesture.

Having Meghan Price as a sister was an epic bonus to having Emmett Price as a husband.

"Okay, children," Olivia said, "behave yourselves."

"Yes, Mother," Meghan and I said in unison. The three of us dissolved into giggles. Our men just stood there, looking at us like we'd left our collective marbles back in Ohio.

"What?!" I shouted. "We're on vacation! Get off our dicks!"

"Mom, you said a potty word!"

"Sorry, Li." Feeling properly chastised by my six-year-old, I began ushering everyone down the hallway. "Come on, let's go find Grandpa Thomas!"

I linked arms with Meghan as we strolled towards the beach, the warm sand already tickling my toes. The sun kissed my skin, and I reveled in the feeling of being on vacation with my favorite people.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Olivia asked, bouncing Cara on her hip.

"I vote for drinks and dancing," Marco said, slipping a hand into Wick's back pocket.

I grinned, ready to second that motion, when something caught my eye. As we approached the resort's outdoor bar, my stomach dropped. There, sitting at the bar, was Thomas. And sitting beside him was an unfamiliar woman. What the hell?

The chatter around me faded as I processed the scene. Thomas leaned in, laughing at something the woman said. Her hand rested on his forearm, in a gesture that could only be interpreted as intimate.

I glanced at Emmett. His jaw was clenched. Meghan's grip on my arm tightened, and I could practically feel the confusion radiating from the rest of our group.

Thomas finally noticed our approach. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair. Guilt flashed across his face as he checked his watch.

"Dad?" Emmett's voice had a dangerous edge to it that I rarely heard.

The woman turned, her eyes widening as she took us in. She was beautiful, with sun-kissed skin, a warm open smile, and cheekbones to die for. Who is she?

I watched as Thomas greeted everyone with forced cheerfulness, doling out hugs that felt slightly awkward given the circumstances. His companion shifted uncomfortably, clearly sensing the change in atmosphere. Thomas introduced her as Patricia, stumbling slightly over the word friend .

Friend, my ass. That's not how you look at a friend.

By this point, Meghan was clutching my arm so tightly that her nails dug into my skin.

"It's lovely to meet you all," Patricia said, her voice warm but tinged with uncertainty. "Thomas has told me so much about you."

Has he now? Funny, he's never mentioned you.

Thomas coughed, his eyes darting between his children and Patricia. "I, uh, I didn't realize you'd all be arriving so soon. We were just having a drink and..."

I watched as the kids, blissfully unaware of the tension crackling between the adults, swarmed around Patricia like excited puppies.

"Are you Grandpa's friend?" Lilah asked, her little voice full of innocent curiosity.

Patricia's face softened, and she bent down to Lilah's level. "I am, sweetheart. And who might you be?"

"I'm Lilah! Do you want to come build sandmen with us? Like snowmen but with sand?"

"I'd love to! And you know what? I brought some homemade fudge. Would you like to try some?"

A chorus of excited squeals erupted from the children. Damn, she's good.

Carter cleared his throat. "We'll take the kids and... Patricia down to the beach. Give you guys a chance to catch up."

I shot him a grateful look as he herded the children towards the shore, Olivia and Patricia in tow. I heard Case's serious little voice pipe up.

"Did you know the patterns on seashells are determined by the mollusk's mantle?"

Patricia's laughter drifted back to us. "I didn't! Tell me more about that, Case."

I turned back to face Thomas, my stomach knotting.

As the children's laughter faded into the distance, an uncomfortable silence settled over us like a heavy blanket. Meghan's lips were pressed into a thin line, and Wick's hand rested protectively on the small of her back. Marco shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Emmett's eyes never left his father's face. His expression was unnaturally still, a sure sign he was about to explode. I placed a hand on his arm and felt the tension thrumming through his body.

"What the fuck, Dad?" he said, eventually.

Thomas flinched. "Emmett, I?—"

"No. Don't bullshit me. Who is she? How long has this been going on?"

I watched Thomas's face. Guilt and uncertainty warred in his eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again.

"Patricia is... she's someone I've been seeing for a while now."

Meghan's sharp intake of breath sounded unnaturally loud in the strained silence. "A while? Define 'a while,' Dad."

Thomas's shoulders slumped. "Six months," he admitted.

"Six—" Emmett's face flushed with anger. "Six fucking months? And you didn't think to mention it?"

"Well, I'm mentioning it now, Son. I had a plan. I was going to discuss this with you and Meghan when you arrived. But I—I lost track of time. Patricia and I were enjoying ourselves, and I didn't realize it had gotten so late and?—"

"Where's Mom?" Emmett asked.

Thomas let out a long-suffering sigh. "Your mother is in Tahiti with her sister."

"Does she know?" This time the question was from Meghan.

"She does. She's... making things difficult."

Meghan scoffed. "Of course she is. She's Laura fucking Price."

"I can't do this," Emmett muttered.

I stared after him as he stormed out of the bar. How had everything gone so wrong so fast?