CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Shane
London ducked out, likely thinking no one would notice. I watched him from the side of the porch—he and a crewman got into a truck and left.
I just want to know what’s going through his head. I wish he would talk to me.
“London left?” Snow whispers so as to not draw attention to him sneaking away. Everyone is either sitting on the porch or lounging in the yard on blankets as I grill.
“Yeah,” I whisper back.
“Is it my fault?”
“No, sweetheart,” I tell her. “I think he has a lot going on in his head.”
“Ariel can help him,” she says sweetly, and I chuckle.
“Yeah,” I say, “let him come to us,”
“Okay,” she agrees as Afton joins us.
“He’s really off today,” he deduces, and I nod.
“Like I told her, let him come to us,” I suggest, hoping London will make that choice.
“I agree. Steaks almost done?”
“Almost, unless you like rare.” I smirk.
“I like rare.” He grins, holding out his plate.
“Who’s the girl?” Snow asks, gesturing to the woman speaking to my daughter.
“Zoe. She’s the other winner.”
We observe as she talks with Ever, and I notice Ever roll her eyes a few times.
“I can tell you right now, Ever isn’t a fan.” I snort and wave my daughter over. It takes her a while since she waddles. She’s getting bigger each day, I swear.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her.
“That girl is superficial and probably not here for London,” she remarks.
“What did she say?”
“She was talking about how her clothes were name brand, and purses and shoes. When I asked her about London, she said he shouldn’t be with men.”
“Why’s that?”
“She wouldn’t say. I asked her why she was here, and she said she just wanted to be on TV,” Ever explains. “That it was her dream to see the homestead and meet all of us.”
“Wow,” Snow mutters, shaking her head.
“Yeah. Then she called me fat and told me she had the perfect cure for that.” Ever snickers as if nothing bothers her.
“Don’t let Memphis hear that,” I say, nodding to the man in question.
“I just rolled my eyes and said, ‘Well, you get big when you bring life into this world,’ and that’s when you called me over.” Ever cast her gaze to Zoe and then back to us.