“He didn’t know, Sy,” Dayana said, pleading with her eyes.
Even if the man hadn’t known, he’d still made Maggie feel unwanted. Still allowed her to be a stranger in his home. Sebastian Spencer deserved to—at the very least—get punched in the face and then be made to feel like shit.
“Punching out your girlfriend’s billionaire father in front of all of these witnesses and cameras on her big night is a terrible idea,” Michael told him, reading his mind.
“Then I will wait till tomorrow,” Silas said through clenched teeth.
“Uh-oh, incoming,” Niri hissed.
Dean and the rest of the siblings very deliberately stepped between Silas and Maggie’s father. “Mr. Spencer, what brings you to Idaho?”
“Dean, it’s good to see you again,” Sebastian said, offering a handshake.
“Sebastian Spencer?” Silas elbowed Dean out of the way. Then came up short when Michael jumped in front of him.
“Mr. Spencer, can I just say that the giving pledge—” Michael’s greeting was cut off when Silas lifted his brother by the elbows and moved him out of the way.
“You try to pick me up, Silas Andrew, and I will kick you in the balls so hard your male children will be born with limps,” Nirina said, taking up the sentry position between the two men.
“I’m missing something,” Sebastian said.
“Everybody stop protecting both of these two grown men from suffering the consequences of their actions,” Dayana insisted.
“It’s what family does,” Michael said, returning to stand shoulder to shoulder with Nirina. Dean hurried to stand next to him, completing the wall.
“Dad, this is Silas. Maggie’s boyfriend. At least, he is if they can get their heads out of their asses long enough to make up. Silas, this is our father, Sebastian, who is aware that he has a lot of years of mistakes to make up for,” Dayana said, making the introductions.
“Wow. Hot Landscaper Guy.” The man looked delighted. Silas didn’t want him to look delighted. He wanted the man who had abandoned Maggie to look punched in the face.
“Your daughter is an incredible woman, and you’re a goddamn fool for walking away from her,” Silas said, hands fisting at his sides.
“I would have to agree on both counts,” Sebastian said.
It wasn’t good enough. He was calculating the odds of getting around or at least over the human wall in front of him when his mother’s summons had them all turning.
“Silas!”
“You’re in trouble,” Niri sang under her breath.
“You behave or I’m getting that kid a drum set,” he threatened, pointing to his sister’s belly.
“Go,” Michael said, steering him in the direction of Blaire.
“Fine. But until I come back, I want you to make sure Spencer has zero fun. Throw drinks in his face. Slap appetizers out of his hand. If you even catch him starting to dance, I want you to pants him.”
“It’s good to see that your vengeance has remained at the middle school level,” Michael said.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Silas asked when he reached her side.
His unflappable mother took him by the hand and dragged him into the house. “You need to talk to Maggie. She’s upstairs.”
Fuck.
“Is she okay?”
Blaire smiled, but her eyes were clouded with tears. “She’s great,” she promised.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m great, too,” she said, squeezing his arm. She led him to the rotunda and stopped at the foot of the stairs.
“Any last-minute advice?” he asked.
She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, and I’m so proud of you.”
“That’s not advice,” he told her through smooshed cheeks.
“I trust you to know what to do to be happy,” she said.
“And that’s too vague for advice.”
She smiled up at him. Her eyes glittered with tears. “Thank you for being exactly who you are. I will never doubt your signs again.”
“Are you really okay? Did someone put something in your drink?”
“I’m wonderful,” she promised. “Now go find your girl. I’m going to go slow dance with Morris on the terrace my son built.”
“Okay, weirdo.” She released his cheeks. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, Silas.”
He took the stairs slowly, uncertain of what waited for him above. Instinct told him Maggie wasn’t on the second floor, so he climbed to the third. There was a faint glow visible from the doorway of the guest bedroom. The closet door was open, and the velvet ropes were set aside.