Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

“Just a sec,” I said. Then I walked to the door to the yard, opened it, and calmly threw up.

Rich and I didn’t even glance at each other over breakfast. Christy looked suitably chastised as well, but no one said a thing about what had happened.

And when Jim asked how I got the cut over my eye—which now sported butterfly closures under a gauze bandage—I told him I’d tripped during my run and hit a bench.

Harry and Marianne arrived with John, who went to play with his cousins. Jim told them the accident story with a chuckle.

My tension slowly lessened as the day wore on. Rich ignored me and acted like nothing had happened. Danny and Terry did the same. The women and girls went shopping after lunch, while the men and boys gathered around

the television to watch the Army-Navy football game.

Navy scored on the opening kickoff and then completely dominated Army for the rest of the game, so everyone was in a good mood over dinner.

After dessert Jim suggested a game of Florida Rummy.

“If you gents don’t mind,” Danny said to his father and brothers, “I’m going to take my bride-to-be for a walk on the beach.”

“Be our guest,” his father said.

“You’d’ve lost anyway,” Harry teased.

“It’s a lovely evening,” Anne said to Sabrina. “You might take a blanket with you.”

Danny perked up immediately. “That’s a great idea, Mom. Thanks!”

Anne glanced at Christy with an expectant smile.

Christy’s brow knitted, and I had to smother a grin. Her head shot up when she figured it out.

Harold followed the glances and unspoken questions, but he didn’t say anything.

Marianne followed too. She grinned and winked at me.

“Mind if we join you?” I asked Danny.

“Christine, dear,” Anne said, “let’s get a couple of blankets so you can sit on the dunes.”

The air was cool and the sky clear, a beautiful southern California evening. I held the heavy blanket over my arm as we walked behind Danny and Sabrina. Christy held my other hand and swung it gently.

“Sorry about this morning,” I said to Danny.

“I told you, Rich is mean.”

“Danny, be nice,” Christy chided.

“What happened?” Sabrina asked. She turned and looked at me. “You didn’t hit your eye on a bench, did you?”

“Rich and I had… a bit of a disagreement.”

“Birdy fell asleep with Paul,” Danny explained. “Rich came to wake us to go for a run and found them together. Things sort of got crazy after that.”

“Bit of an understatement,” I said.