“I’m losing track of your point, Garrett. Is it that I’m a defense attorney? Or that I believe in the innocence of my father or that some piece of trash got in my face when I didn’t even know he existed until that very moment? Or really how any of it is your business in any way.”

“You can’t come back here and tear this family down more than your father already did.”

“This is not appropriate dinner-table conversation,” her grandmother said severely.

“She needs to be taken in hand, Abigail. She’s wearing her welcome thin already. If you two feel like you can’t say it, I will.”

Caroline spoke before anyone else could. “Let me make myself really clear. I’ve known you for about ten minutes. I don’t need your advice and I certainly don’t need your censure.”

“You need to be told.”

Caroline smirked. “You need to gain about twenty years worth of experience and wisdom before you’d be ready to even imagine yourself capable of doing that for me.”

“Garrett, that’s enough.” Mindy’s distress was clear in her voice, which is why Caroline kept her swear words to herself.

“I agree. Garrett, this is my house and I’m telling you to stop this immediately, young man.” Her grandfather had his serious face on and even her grandmother calmed down when he used it.

“I apologize, James. You know I love your family. I just hate to see it get torn apart.” He shot her a look. This little shit had no idea what he was poking with his stick. But she wasn’t going to do this at her grandparents’ kitchen table like an animal. Not if she could help it.

Petal was small enough they’d cross paths again when he wouldn’t be able to count on her manners. And then he’d understand just who he thought he could push around. And he’d know how very wrong he was.

She let him see all of that in her gaze, and when he blinked and shifted away from her, she knew she’d gotten her point across.

Caroline finished up, and after helping her grandmother clear and clean the dishes and get the area tidied, she kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “I’m going to go now.”

Abigail sighed. “He thought he was protecting us.”

Well and that it was us and didn’t include her was part of the problem.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree about that. But I’m tired and I’m done for today. It was nice to see you though, and you know how much I love your roast chicken.”

Shep rolled into the room as she dried her hands and moved to grab her bag.

“You’re leaving already?”

“I’ve been here three hours. It’s time for me to go.”

“Let me walk you out.” He cast a glare at Garrett as they passed through the living room.

Caroline paused to kiss her grandfather. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“I said the same thing. Guess she can’t feel comfortable in her own grandparents’ home because some people have bad manners.” Shep looked pointedly in Garrett’s direction.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Mindy. Call me if you want to get together this week sometime for a movie or something.”

Her sister got up, clearly caught between Caroline and Garrett. Whatever. There’s no way she’d have ever tolerated any man talking to her sister that way, but they were different people.

“You don’t have to go.”

Caroline hugged Mindy. “Yes, I do. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Garrett got up but she turned her back on him. If he thought for even one second that she would pretend he hadn’t been unconscionably rude, he had another thing coming.

Shep walked her out.

“He’s a jerk. You don’t have to go because of that crap he said.”

“Yes he is. But he’s Mindy’s boyfriend and that was Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I’m a grown-ass woman, and I’m not getting into a slap fight with a dumbass like I’m in middle school. I know what I am, Shep. I know what I believe and I am not ashamed of it. My beliefs don’t do a damned thing to you, or your grandparents or Mindy. Especially not to Garrett Moseby.”

He licked his lips but didn’t speak like she thought he wanted to. Instead he leaned in and hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you’re back here for good. I missed you and it’s nice to have you around.”

She grinned. “Ditto. You too. I mean you call me if you get some free time. I know you have school, but after school one day this week or next, let me take you out for pizza or something. Away from here.”

“You got a deal. Love you, Caroline.”

That softened her annoyance at Garrett.

Shep waggled his brows. “You can tell me about Royal Watson when you take me to pizza.”

“How’d you know? Jeez this town and gossip.”

Shep laughed. “Just wait until you two do it. I bet I’ll know within eight hours.”

“Ew. No you won’t because he’s not the type to talk about that stuff.”

She hugged him one last time before getting into the car. “Behave and don’t forget to call me.”

She drove away, but she was smiling. She’d take that as a partial win.

Chapter Nine

Royal, true to his words to Caroline two days before, had slept in late and done nothing more taxing than shuffling to his kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker and make himself an egg sandwich.