“She’s doing just fine, thank you.” Van would have said that no matter what. Nora and Johnny had always looked down on them, ever since her mom had been fired from her job at Fairfax Realty. Pointed remarks, insincere words, all aimed at making Van and her mom look small in front of other people. They had a longer memory than an elephant.
Nora’s smile didn’t waver. “It must be hard for her. Getting older and losing her looks. I know how much she depended on them.” She gave a little laugh. “I guess that’s a warning to us all. To make sure we are all more than a pretty face.” She looked Van up and down. “You look very much like her.”
“Thank you.” Van was determined not to let Nora get to her. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I’ll have to let Chrissie know you’re back,” Nora said, her eyes still staring right at Van’s. “Just in case you’re thinking of hitting her again.”
And there it was. Nora Fairfax’s final jab. Van took it like a pro. During their junior year, Chrissie had said something about Van’s mom. She could barely remember what it was now. But Van had been furious, enough to punch Chrissie in the jaw. Nora had stalked to the school and made sure Van had been suspended as a result.
“My boxing days are over,” Van said, keeping her voice light. “Unless I’m really riled up. And how is Chrissie? Is she married now?”
Nora’s smile faltered a little. “No. She’s choosy. It’ll take a strong man to make her give up her independence.”
“That’s a shame. I’m sure you’re desperate for grandkids.”
Nora blinked. “Well, yes. It would be nice one day.”
“Well, I hope she settles down before she gets too old and loses her looks.” Van smiled at her. “For your sake.”
Becca coughed out a laugh. Nora blinked, as though she couldn’t quite work out whether that was a compliment or an insult.
“Oh, and Regan invited me to her splash next Saturday. I’m looking forward to it.” Van smiled.
“It’s a sprinkle,” Nora said quickly, a frown pulling at her painted lips.
“Of course it is.” Van nodded. “Though I don’t know what’s wrong with a good old fashioned baby shower. These young people, they keep changing the rules.” She winked at Nora, who was still blinking. “So I guess I’ll see you there.”
Nora’s smile dissolved. “Yes, I expect you will.” She looked over Van’s shoulder, her eyes moving like they were seeking something. “Well, I must go. Please give your mom my condolences. Maybe one day she’ll keep hold of a man.”
With that she was gone, leaving her insult behind her. Van wrinkled her nose, and turned back to her friends, smiling as they exchanged stories from their week. She was determined not to let people like Nora Fairfax spoil her evening.
If they wanted to snap at her, she’d bite back. She was big enough and bad enough to sink her teeth in deep.
“I don’t get it,” Gray said, leaning on the counter of the Moonlight Bar as Sam poured them both a pint of beer. “I thought you and Van fell out years ago.”
“We did,” Tanner said, then shook his head. “Or we had. I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Not really,” Gray admitted, taking the glass that Sam slid across the bar and lifting it to his lips. “I’m just trying to work out why Becca called Maddie squealing because she saw you running with some girl you used to be best friends with.”
Tanner took a sip of his own beer, closing his eyes for a moment as the cool liquid coated his tongue. The Moonlight Bar was one of the few places in town Gray felt comfortable meeting up with his younger brothers. Sam kept a tight ship and threw out anybody who took photos or asked for autographs. Since he’d moved back to Hartson’s Creek and built a home with Maddie Clark, Gray might have had a lower profile than when he was filling stadiums around the world, but he was still famous. And that fame caused him problems almost wherever he went.
“I went running,” Tanner said, putting his beer on the counter. “And I saw her out running so we ran together. That’s it. You don’t have to buy yourself a suit for our wedding or start naming our babies.”
Gray laughed. “I’ll leave that for Becca. She already thinks you’re looking for a house to buy because of Van.” He looked at Tanner over the rim of his glass. “You probably want to talk to her at some point. She’s a meddler. You and I both know she’ll be talking to Van about you.”
Tanner shook his head. It made him feel uncomfortable, and yet somehow warm too. At least that meant Van would be thinking about him. “She knows that’s all ancient history. There’s nothing between Van Butler and me.”
“Which is weird,” Gray mused. “Because you two were inseparable for years. When was it you met? First day of Kindergarten?”
“Something like that.” Tanner sighed. “You want to play a game of pool?” he asked, hoping Gray would get the hint. He didn’t want to talk about Van, and he definitely didn’t want to spend his evening with his brother talking about all the mistakes he’d made in life. And he was almost certain that Becca would give him the third degree as soon as he let her pin him down.
“Sure.” Gray shrugged and the two of them walked across the room to the far side, where an old, battered pool table barely stood upright. He grabbed a cue and passed it to Tanner, then pulled another one from the rack for himself. “You rack them up, I’ll take first shot.”
“Best of three?”
“As long as I win.” Gray winked. “So how’s the house hunt going?”
“It’s not. There’s nothing suitable on the market.” Tanner loaded the balls into the triangle, then slid it across the baize.