I remembered Tennessee mentioned that she bought his clothes. Anger slammed into me. How could I not see it all those years I’d ignored her? How she always put her son first? How she prioritized making people （other than herself） look like a million bucks?
“What are you playing these days, kiddo? Fortnite?” Wyatt asked Bear.
“No flicking way.” Bear shook his head, munching on a tip of a French fry. “I’m more into the story of the game. Character-building. Stuff like that. Fortnite is all about running and shooting aimlessly. I need context.”
“So what are you playing?” I interjected. I used to be big on video games before I became the town’s healer and saver full-time. “If not Fortnite.”
Bear turned to look at me for the first time. I wondered if he knew about his mother’s deep dislike toward me, at least until a few days ago, but judging by his blank face, he had no idea.
“God of War.”
“Isn’t that the game where the characters are a father and son?” Wyatt shoved a whole rib into his mouth, smacking his lips together as he ate.
“And so what?” Bear frowned defensively. “It’s still good.”
“If you like God of War, you are going to love Assassin’s Creed,” I commented.
“I know.” Bear’s eyes lit up as he turned to me again. “I’m saving up for it.”
“I have it.”
“You do?”
Wyatt seemed relieved to be able to get back to conversing with my dad about football.
I nodded, and because apparently, I was not above shameless manipulation, I added, “Anytime you wanna play, just let me know. I have a game room with every console you can think of. Air hockey table, too.”
I shot a glance at Tennessee.
Her neck immediately extended, and she put her hand on Bear’s arm.
“Honey, Dr. Costello is just being polite.”
“I’m not being polite.” I popped a piece of chicken into my mouth. “If he wants to come play, that’s perfectly fine with me. We’re practically going to be family now.”
“That’s entirely unnecessary.” She shot me a faux-polite smile.
“Just trying to be a good brother-in-law.” I flashed my teeth right back at her.
“So how did you survive Nessy for four days, anyway?” Mrs. Turner twisted toward me in her seat, chuckling lightly. “I hope she didn’t give you too much trouble.”
The only trouble Tennessee was currently giving me was the fact that she was back to wearing Pretty Woman clothes and was drawing attention from every male in the dining room of the Ecstasy.
“We were perfectly civil.” I shot my childhood crush a look, daring her to defy me.
“Perfectly,” she said with a sweet smile.
“Well, I apologize if she caused you any…discomfort.” Trinity shifted in her seat, looking boring as white paint drying on a wall in her nun-like black dress. Had she always been this…yeah, come to think of it, she had.
Anger began slithering its way back into my system.
I didn’t like the way Tennessee’s family was bringing her down. Or the way she shrank like a wilting daisy, even with all of her hair and bright colors and red lipstick, when they spoke.
“No discomfort whatsoever.” I pinned Trinity with a dry, casual look.
Trinity visibly winced. “Of course. She is great. My favorite sister.” She laughed, resting her head on top of Tennessee’s shoulder. “My only sister, too.”
Hilarious.
Also, she should definitely not quit her day job, which she was at risk of losing anyway, because her boss—me—had her ass in a sling.
Tennessee stiffened, looking the other way.
“Everything went fine?” Now her dad asked her directly, like I was covering up for her. He seemed to be the type to repeat whatever his wife was saying.
Still. Tennessee was twenty-nine, for goodness’ sake. What kind of bullshit was that?
“Cruz already told you, it was fine,” Tennessee drawled in barely-contained anger, pushing her food around her plate with her fork.
I noticed she didn’t drink wine with all the adults. Rather, that she wasn’t offered wine in the first place by her family, or mine. Another telltale sign that in her family’s eyes, she was still the kid who’d messed up.
“Anyway, Dr. Costello, we are so sorry about the mix-up,” said Donna Turner.
“Tennessee already apologized. Several times, in fact.” I leaned in on my chair, my jaw ticking with irritation. “No need to make a big deal out of it.”